The stone floor of the underground tunnel groaned under the steady rhythm of Will’s footsteps as he moved forward.
Each step echoed faintly through the narrow passage, the sound bouncing off the ancient stone walls that had clearly existed long before the empire above had been founded.
The tunnel itself sloped slightly downward, and the air grew heavier with every meter he advanced, carrying the stench of heat, ash, and something older that clung to the walls like a memory that refused to fade.
As the tunnel gradually widened, the carved stone gave way to a rough, natural opening. The end of the constructed passage revealed an enormous underground cavern formed entirely by nature rather than human hands.
The ceiling stretched several meters above, uneven and jagged, with cracks that glowed faintly from the reflected light below.
The heat intensified sharply the moment Will stepped into the open space, but his fire immunity rendered it nothing more than a tingling sensation rather than a threat.
The cavern resembled a twisted mockery of a prison. Its walls were carved with countless cell openings, each one sealed with thick metallic bars.
A narrow stone walkway ran along the edge of the cavern, hugging the wall and providing access to the entrances of each cell. Inside those cells were figures that barely resembled living beings anymore.
Frail bodies dressed in torn, dirt-covered clothing huddled against stone, some unmoving and others rocking faintly as if clinging to sanity through repetition.
Below the walkway, the cavern opened into a vast pit filled with molten lava. The glowing red-orange liquid churned sluggishly, releasing waves of heat that distorted the air and filled the space with a constant rumble.
The entire scene felt like a vision pulled directly from the deepest layers of hell.
Will paused briefly at the threshold, his eyes scanning the cavern in silence. He reached into his inventory and retrieved the scroll Tamasya had entrusted to him.
The faint symbols on the scroll pulsed delicately as if responding to something nearby. Holding it carefully, he stepped onto the narrow passageway and began walking toward the prison cells.
Thanks to his immunity, the heat rising from the lava did not hinder him, though he remained alert. As he approached the row of cells, the scroll in his hand began to glow brighter.
Without warning, it slipped free from his grasp and floated forward on its own, moving slowly toward one of the far cells carved into the cavern wall.
Will followed it step by step until it stopped directly in front of a particular cell. The glow intensified briefly before stabilizing, signaling that it had found its intended recipient.
Will reached out, holding the floating scroll, and then looked through the bars.
Inside the cell sat a mature woman; her posture was composed despite the harsh conditions. Her blue hair, a shade lighter than Will’s own, fell loosely around her shoulders, matted with dirt and streaked with dried blood.
She was dressed in a pure white robe stained with blood all over as if she had escaped a massacre.
Her eyes were closed, and her expression was strangely serene, as though she had withdrawn into herself long ago to endure the endless confinement.
Thick mana-restricting chains wrapped around her wrists and neck, glowing faintly as they suppressed her powers completely.
They reduced her presence to that of a fragile mortal, despite the unmistakable aura of someone who had once stood far above such limitations.
Will stared at her for a moment, then glanced down at the glowing scroll in his hand. There was no doubt. The scroll had recognized its target.
He immediately tried to break the bars of the cell. Even with his S-rank physical strength, the bars did not budge. He switched tactics and channeled nether mana, directing it carefully against the metal.
The result was the same. The bars remained untouched, their surface absorbing and dispersing the force without a single crack.
"Leave it, child. These bars are made of mithril. They won’t break with strength."
The voice was low, yet calm.
Will froze for a brief instant before lifting his gaze. The woman inside the cell had opened her eyes and was now looking directly at him.
Her eyes were filled with exhaustion and gloom, but there was also sharp awareness behind them.
"I am here to deliver Miss Tamasya’s letter for you," Will said clearly, keeping his voice steady.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Oh. She is back?" she said softly. "Alas, I thought she had died. If I had known she was alive, I would have personally gone to find her."
She leaned forward slightly, chains rattling faintly.
"Tell me, child. How did you find her?"
Will paused briefly before answering. He chose his words carefully and constructed a story that followed the truth closely enough without revealing everything.
He explained that he had ventured deep into the western forest, discovered the Prison of the Fallen Gods, and encountered Tamasya there. Certain details were deliberately omitted, as trust did not come easily in his words.
"Prison of gods," the woman gasped, her voice breaking slightly. "Oh my gosh. It must have been so tough for her."
Tears welled in her eyes, though she did not wipe them away.
Will hesitated for a moment before asking, "If I may ask, what is your relation to my master?"
The woman smiled faintly.
"Tamasya and I were like sisters," she replied. "We spent our childhoods together, went to the same academy, and fought alongside each other as comrades."
"Oh," Will said softly. "Then how did you end up here?"
She chuckled quietly.
"That is the tale of another time, my child."
Will nodded and extended the scroll toward her. It was thin enough to pass through the bars, and she accepted it carefully. As she read, her expression shifted subtly. A faint smile formed as she finished absorbing the contents.
While she read, Will examined the cellar bars again, irritation creeping into his thoughts.
"Why the heck won’t they break, damn it?"
[Host, you still haven’t tried the stellar fire.]
"Oh yeah," Will muttered. "Well, should I help this woman escape the prison with me?"
She looks like a good lady. Why don’t you offer her help?
Will waited patiently until she finished reading the letter.
When she looked up again, she smiled.
"Your master says that if you are able to deliver me this letter, then I should allow you to go to the Abyssal Node."
"Since you are here, you have proved yourself. I will allow you to visit the Abyssal Node."
"Give me something to write."
Will immediately produced parchment and ink. As she began writing her reply, he spoke again.
"Madam, if you want, I can free you from here, and then we can escape the empire."
A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"Don’t worry. It is not the right time for me to leave. Until I see the Church burn to ashes, and until I myself crush the head of Winston, I will not leave this place. That is the commandment I have declared under the name of heavens."
Will felt his heartbeat quicken. The conviction in her voice was overwhelming, sharpened by years of suppressed fury. The embers of revenge burned brightly in her eyes, and he understood immediately that this was not empty hatred.
Here comes another one of you. Are you all part of a mad people’s club?
Will ignored the comment.
"I understand your pain, madam," Will said. "Although I don’t know the full story, I feel your pain. But I cannot leave a known comrade of my master here. Since you can’t come with me, allow me to give you some supplies that will make your stay here easier."
He raised his hand, and stellar fire ignited around his palm.
The flames surged forward and engulfed the mithril bars. The metal did not resist. It melted instantly, turning to ash that scattered into the cavern below. The woman stared in disbelief.
With a sweeping gesture, Will summoned items from his inventory. Food, chocolates, clothes, potions, books, and countless other supplies piled up beside the cell in a massive heap.
"System, empty every extra food supply, clothes, and ornament I have in my inventory right now, anything that makes her life easier."
He then bowed slightly.
"I hope you take care, madam."
Will looked at the lady, who still had a really unnaturally shocked expression on her face.
"Seems like stellar flames are really too rare," he thought before approaching her and bowing his head.
"I hope you take care, madam; soon I and my master will come to free you and will help you complete your vengeance."
He then handed the shocked lady a talisman; it was the same talisman he had taken from Sword Saint Klaus for calling him during emergencies. Now that he had Tamasya as his guardian, he didn’t need Klaus’s protection talisman.
"This is a talisman of my friend. He is a good guy and is always eager to help. If you crush the talisman, he will appear and protect you in times of danger."
She did not respond. Her gaze remained fixed, unfocused.
With that, Will said his farewell, as he noticed that the lady was not replying at all and was still dazed in her own thoughts.
"I wonder what she is thinking," he thought before turning around to leave.
As Will turned to leave, the melted mithril bars reformed behind him as if they had never been destroyed.
Will’s figure disappeared into the same tunnel he had come from.
"Stellar fire," the woman murmured.
Her attention then shifted to a faint shine among the pile of supplies.
Among the heap of clothes and ornaments, she caught sight of a small bracelet.
Immediately her figure moved, and the chains rattled as the bracelet appeared in her hands. The smooth bracelet would never fit her wrist because it was made for newborns.
The shine on the bracelet flickered as teardrops fell on its smooth surface.
From silent sobs to shrill cries, the voice of the lady slowly intensified as it blew into full-blown cries.
"My child, my son!!!"