The path inside the cave was long, and the group walked for several minutes without encountering anything particularly noteworthy.

After a while, Brandon Jenkins started to grow impatient.

“Hakann, what were you doing at the cave entrance just now?”

“You really don’t know?”

Hakann sounded a bit surprised.

“What, is this some kind of common knowledge in the borderlands?”

“No, I’m just surprised that a Tarnished warrior wouldn’t know. Well, I guess it’s not really knowledge that’s useful in a fight.”

“At first, I was testing whether there might be any explosive gases in the cave that could ignite. Standing outside the cave lets you escape quickly if something goes wrong.”

Hakann paused, then continued:

“Staying inside for a bit at first is just to see if you can breathe normally in here.”

Brandon Jenkins was a little surprised—he hadn’t realized there was so much to exploring a cave.

“I see. You really are experienced.”

“……”

Hakann didn’t reply. Even though Brandon Jenkins couldn’t see his face, he could sense that this wasn’t the silence of someone embarrassed by praise.

After a long silence, Hakann was the first to speak.

“I used to be employed by a noble from Leyndell, excavating caves and underground tombs with my kin.”

“Heh… to be honest, it was just grave robbing. I can’t believe I tried to dress it up as ‘excavation’ for the sake of appearances.”

Hakann laughed at himself.

“In one cave, we encountered a powerful enemy. I was the only one who managed to survive.”

“After that, I took a job from Stormveil, hunting Tarnished. I didn’t really need the runes—I just wanted something to do.”

“After a while, I realized I couldn’t be a mercenary anymore. I couldn’t forget those familiar faces, so I broke my contract and set out on a wandering journey with no destination.”

“You know the rest. I was shipwrecked and ended up on this beach.”

Brandon Jenkins listened quietly to Hakann’s story. He could feel that the other was a living, breathing person, capable of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

But Brandon Jenkins didn’t know what to say now.

“…That’s a truly sad story. I know you didn’t tell me this to seek comfort, but I still wish you a smooth journey ahead.”

After thinking for a moment, Brandon Jenkins added:

“When we get the chance, I’ll buy you a drink.”

“Heh, it feels better just saying it out loud. As for that drink, let’s wait until we escape.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Hakann stopped in his tracks.

“What is it?”

“I think we’ve found somewhere important.”

------------

Chapter 8: The Drifting Catacomb

Brandon Jenkins stepped forward to stand beside Hakann.

They had reached the end of the narrow path. Ahead was a vast chamber, accessible only by jumping down.

Countless coffins were scattered haphazardly across the ground, with tree roots coiling over them, telling of this place’s ancient past.

In the distance, a golden sapling radiated a warm light, illuminating a path forward.

Stone steps led upward to a lonely, desolate ruin’s doorway. Four statues of handless, veiled women stood in a row on either side of the steps, as if silently judging those who approached.

“This place is an ancient catacomb, no doubt about it.”

Hakann said with certainty.

“Catacombs are dangerous. There are all kinds of guardian statues inside, and sometimes death-born that just won’t die no matter what you do.”

“Normally, if it were just the two of us, I’d never go into a catacomb.”

“And as far as I know, there’s never another exit inside a catacomb.”

“But right now, we have no choice but to go in and try our luck.”

Despite Hakann’s pessimism, Brandon Jenkins was secretly delighted.

Because Brandon Jenkins knew this place all too well.

Although the tutorial cave for gameplay was gone, the terrain and scenery here were very distinctive. This was the first place you reached in the game after leaving the Chapel of Anticipation—the Drifting Catacomb.

This catacomb was basically harmless, since it was just a passageway to the Hero’s Grave at the far edge.

Only now did Brandon Jenkins realize the true meaning of the Drifting Catacomb.

Falling from the Chapel of Anticipation and landing right at the sealed entrance of the Drifting Catacomb was clearly illogical.

In the game, the part where the player drifts to the beach and then enters the Drifting Cave had simply been cut.

But there was indeed a place in the game where you could walk from the beach through a cave to reach the Drifting Catacomb—the Seaside Ruins.

Now everything made sense.

Suddenly, Brandon Jenkins remembered that there was something you could pick up here, though he couldn’t recall exactly what it was.

“Hakann, I think there’s something over there. Could you shine a light for me?”

“Hm? Where?”

Brandon Jenkins pointed to a spot just out of reach of the torchlight.

Hakann extended the torch forward, and a skeleton appeared before them.

The skeleton’s clothes had long since rotted away, but something on its body glinted in the firelight.

Hakann stepped forward, picked the item off the skeleton, examined it for a moment, then tossed it to Brandon Jenkins.

“Huh, you don’t want it?”

Brandon Jenkins looked at the item. A line of small text told him what it was—the Dragoncrest Talisman.