Chapter 19: Cave of the Fallen
The moment Daniel stepped into the cave, the air felt different.
The noise and chaos of the Purge outside faded away. Inside, it was very quiet, still, and had a deep coldness that felt wrong.
It wasn't just cold like winter; it felt like the coldness of death itself, heavy and pressing.
His [Aura Sense] skill, which usually helped him feel living things nearby, went crazy, picking up faint whispers of energy from all the dead bodies.
The cave was huge, much bigger than the entrance looked. Strange mushrooms glowed on the wet, black walls, giving off an eerie blue-green light that didn't reach very far into the darkness.
The floor wasn't dirt or stone, but covered in thick, dark red vines that seemed to pulse softly, like they were alive.
It smelled bad, like old blood, damp earth, and something sharp, like the raw energy of the Verge leaking out.
Daniel moved deeper into the cave. His [Ghoststeps+] skill made him completely silent as he walked on the springy vines.
He held his enhanced knife ready, but his [Aura Sense] didn't feel any living enemies nearby.
It seemed the Purge Beasts just dropped bodies here and left.
As his eyes got used to the dim light, he saw the terrible truth of the place. Piles of bodies.