Thane and Esau were now trekking through the dark caves. It was pitch black, but Thane could see. The darkness around them was so absolute that any normal wanderer would have felt swallowed whole, yet Thane walked as if strolling across a twilight meadow. Every stone, crack, and curve appeared in his mind like a vivid map drawn from light itself.

As for Esau, he was relying on the heightened perception that allowed him to follow Thane's steps. His Dungeon-Broken body had become sharper, more responsive, and more alive. And beyond that, there was the mysterious link as [Party Members]. Though it was dark, Esau had a somewhat vague sense of Thane's vision. It was as if some instinct, some spiritual impression, gave him whispers of shape and distance. Whenever Thane tilted his head or shifted his gaze, Esau felt faint echoes of the direction, like a second awareness gently nudging him.

Both traveled swiftly, following the compass that continued to point deeper and further inside the cave. The floating dagger within the orb twitched like a frantic needle, constantly trying to surge forward. Thane continually poured out his mana to fuel the compass, and each pulse of energy created a subtle ripple of light that illuminated veins of glowing minerals around them.

With his perception, he could map the area of the cave far past where the secret base of the team was. He could even sense the subtle distortions of mana where cracks in the cave wall hid smaller tunnels. Without any detection device to find Matthew, the secret base where the group rested was, in fact, very well hidden, and so Thane had the confidence to even go back to his Channel world to watch a few episodes. He smirked to himself, remembering the show he had watched, the summoner series that was still buzzing in his mind, and the comedy of trying to silence the sword commercial.

"Hmm...?" Thane frowned as he turned around.

Something powerful was there behind him.

"...Is it a beast? Oh well... Not my problem for now..." Thane decided.

Following the compass, Thane was slowly headed toward an area with rich mana. The air thickened, almost syrupy, as if mana condensed into tiny droplets. As they went, the vegetation and moss grew richer, with plants glowing green, yellow, or blue as the mana enriched the area. Strange mushrooms with spiraling caps released faint sparks when Esau brushed past them. Thin vines swayed even without wind, as though reacting to Thane's presence.

"Just as I thought..." Thane smiled.

His perception had already told him that the mana was richer further in the cave, past the secret cave. He could have already waited, as the Dungeon Core of the Magma beasts would naturally flow back and forth and settle somewhere. However, he preferred to understand the terrain before the final confrontation.

"A Mana Vein... This is where the magma beasts would settle as the Dungeon Core retreats here from its hunt." Thane assessed as he found the cliff leading toward the flowing river of molten lava.

The lava flowed onwards and went underground, casting light that painted the walls in shades of crimson. Heat radiated outward in waves, yet Thane felt it less harshly now as his mana instincts became sharper. But below the molten river, deeper in the dark, Thane sensed something else. It was subtle, faint, but unmistakable.

The energy reminded him of Libra's altar.

"Souls...! So that is how Mana Veins are made. The Mana Vein produces the mana that the Dungeon Core absorbs. But the Dungeon Cores hunt to feed the Mana Vein. I guess this is also why the Groundling Dungeon hunts to bring corpses back. Then it is possible to make this the final battleground..." Thane nodded.

His thoughts sharpened as he crouched beside a massive boulder and ran his hand across the rough stone.

"And this is where my trap will be set!" Thane chuckled as he saw the entrance and had an idea what to do.

Thane sought out numerous large boulders around the area. The cavern was littered with collapsed chunks of ceiling, fallen from long-forgotten earthquakes or the tremors of molten beasts passing by. One by one, he brought each stone into his storage. There was a capacity limit of the boulders that he could store, and anything larger than a meter-wide rock could not be absorbed.

"Hmm? Big Bonky is bigger than this! But I can't pick it up?" Thane frowned.

Nevertheless, the smaller ones he managed to take, and the larger ones he could move with Esau. The Groundling grunted as he rolled a heavy boulder with surprising strength, legs shaking but determined. They stacked the rocks carefully near the entrance, arranged in such a way that even a light strike or fire blast would cause them to collapse into a landslide.

Soon, a landslide trap was made ready in the only entry from where Thane came. Thane used various vines, branches, and even wood to prepare the trap. His Item Storage ability made the heavy lifting easier and allowed him to even place items easily to create the trap.

He tied vines together to form a thick rope and created several knots that Garron Duskbane had taught on the Wild Fantasy Channel. The long vine with a noose that could fit the Groundling Dungeon Core was made and ready. Thane tested the noose several times, tugging sharply until the vine groaned under tension.

An hour passed, and Thane managed to quickly complete his preparations. The Discovery Wild Fantasy Channel shows that Thane had managed to watch, which included the different creatures, especially the Wild Feral Beavers, who had shown how Garron Duskbane created various traps to catch the creatures. Traps that snapped logs, collapsed mud, hurled nets, or triggered rolling rocks. With these traps as a basis, Thane managed to prepare numerous traps in the room to entrap the Red Chains.

When he was done, he wiped his forehead and inspected the room from top to bottom. The ceiling was lined with stone supported by wooden beams he wedged into place. Trip lines were camouflaged by moss. Several large boulders sat on a slanted incline, waiting for gravity to do the rest.

"Hmmm?" Thane could sense a movement of mana.

"Just in time. The Dungeon Core is returning to its mana vein to rest! All that is left is to lead the Red Chains here!" Thane smirked as he observed the traps he had set for the last time. It was stable and would fall and create a landslide if Thane used a magic attack.

"Esau! Let us go!" Thane ordered, and the pair made their way back.

As they traveled, the faint, distant echoes of shouting and clashing metal reached Thane's ears. He slowed, and Esau mimicked him.

Further back up, the one-eyed, wounded barbarian had finally met up with the rest of the Red Chains. As the day went on, the Red Chains had set up camp right in the central part of the vast cave so they could search and explore the different places and cover all possible exits.

"A Battle Mage slew Verdok?!" The large leader of the Red Chains frowned. Boldred the Brute was furious at the report.

"Yes!" The surviving Red Chain reported. His face was now bandaged, but he had lost an eye.

"He called himself the Hermit of the Cave! He said that he was indebted to Edwin! He knew the man and did not hesitate to kill when Edwin's life was in danger. Verdok and Leshor were killed, and Edwin fled. The two might be together now. But it was not a Green Mage! The magic that was used on us was fire. And his strength and power matched a well-trained warrior! His axe struck cleanly on Verdok's body and dug deep into his armor!"

The surrounding soldiers murmured uneasily. Verdok had been cruel, but undeniably talented.

"Boss... we do not have time to deal with another enemy. Let us just ignore him. Our timeline is getting thin already. Besides, that path leads nowhere. Unless they can swim through lava, that side leads to a dead end. Right where those pesky lava monsters are most commonly found!" A battle mage next to him sighed. He held the map of the entire mountain region. Many marked paths of possible places where the escape would have been were marked on the map.

"No. I have a feeling that Matthew and the boy are there." Boldred answered as his eyes focused.

"What?"

"It might have been that Battle Mage that killed my brother in the first place!"

At that moment, everyone's eyes changed. The atmosphere hardened instantly. Boldred's brother had been feared among the Red Chains. For him to die meant the enemy was extraordinary.

"My brother was strong. That Green Mage was skilled, but he could not fight because his wife and the child were with him. It would have been easy for my brother to defeat him with so many people to protect. Now, a Hermit that can kill Verdok with strength? That makes it even more suspicious. Verdok is a scheming type. He kept secrets even from me. I gave him that position knowing he would do anything to gain power. If he took Edwin there, he must have something that made him sure that he could find the Green Mage! Was he certain of what you would find?" Boldred asked the one-eyed survivor.

"Yes! Captain Verdok seemed sure and was even excited!"

"I will trust his cunning one last time. The Green Mage chose the best place to hide. That direction is known as a dead end. It is common knowledge to adventurers and mercenaries that that direction leads to the Magma Beast. And was there not a bounty for a monstrous carnivorous creature issued? A Nobleman who went for battle experience with a mercenary has been reported missing in that direction. That Green Mage would have easy ways to hide himself from the Lava beast and could detect a monstrous creature there."

"So you mean...!"

"Yes. There is a high chance that they are there. Send word to our forces. That slippery bastard! We seal off that path. I want everyone to gather here. Send a scouting party there at once. I trust you could manage this Battle Mage, Deston." Boldred turned to the Battle Mage.

"Consider it done!" The Battle Mage nodded and immediately raised his staff, and a bright light flashed, alerting his allies.

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