Cardboard Houses Do Not Tear

54 – The Sound of Water Drops

*This may be a little objectionable.

The cave was still opening its mouth wide.

In the darkness that could easily disappear without a trace, a thick fog crept out of the darkness.

Somewhere that made all five of them tense, the probability that something came out of there was justified was hammered into the viewer’s mind.

“…Should I go into that?”

The hwadu was thrown out of someone’s mouth.

At that moment, they looked back at each other.

Mercenary, soldier, adventurer.

All five of them, none of whom hadn’t killed at least one time, were making faces of reluctance.

Obviously, I will be among those five.

“John, is this really the first time you’ve seen this cave?”

Bern looked at him and asked.

He answered right away.

“I’ve lived in this estate for 30 years. But this is the first time I’ve seen a cave that chills people’s spines like this.”

“Hmm. Then, why did it suddenly appear in front of us?”

After hearing the native’s statement, the silver level adventurer put his hand on his chin.

“It could be a dungeon.”

At Bern’s muttering, Ben, a mercenary from the central region, gave his opinion.

“A dungeon?”

Ben nodded his head.

“Yes, dungeons. You’re an adventurer too, so you know. How dungeons appear.”

The northern mercenary had a question.

“Isn’t that a dungeon? Something like a goblin or kobold den?”

“It’s also a dungeon in a broad sense, but what that friend called Ben is talking about is a laboratory dug by a wizard.”

“Wizard?”

The northern friend’s face turned white as he asked.

“Well, then a mad wizard comes out of there and turns us all into something strange? Doves or worms or something.”

“…What the hell is that wizard in your head?”

“There are few wizards in the North. Bern.”

I explained instead.

“And whenever we see a mage, it’s always the moment when the opposing mercenaries are crushed with magic.”

“Aha.”

Vern nodded his head.

“Anyway, if it’s a dungeon, it might be because the cloaking magic breaks sometimes. For example, bringing a specific key item.”

The moment I heard that, a logical leap started to happen in my head.

The chill I felt while climbing the mountain.

And the box stopped emitting light in front of this strange cave.

‘I don’t know why, but don’t let this box get caught.’

At times like this, the bastard holding the most suspicious thing was accused of being the culprit.

“Then what do you think, Mr. Vern?”

I asked, hiding the box in my grasp.

“We have to explore.”

Bern answered right away.

“I’m reluctant, but at least appearing in front of us means that some kind of magical protection has been broken. If I leave it alone and something strange pops out, terrible results will happen. Then I won’t be able to sleep.”

After saying that, he shook his head as if trying to come to his senses.

“Anyway, dungeon exploration in Territory War, what a bizarre adventure. It’s good material to get a free drink at a bar.”

After listening to Bern’s words, I turned to the others.

“Let’s listen to other people’s opinions, because a majority vote is the priority.”

I couldn’t just sit around like this. She had to make a decision.

So, I willingly strapped on my arms.

“Okay. I’ll count the counts. Please raise your hands only for those who want to explore.”

3,

2,

1.

My northern friend and John voted against, and the former two voted in favor.

2-2. It was a tie.

“I agree.”

And I voted yes.

The reason was simple.

-If you leave it alone and something strange pops out, terrible results will happen.

Like Bern said, what if a monster or a chimera hides in there and pops out later when the Territory War takes place?

And I also had a little curiosity about knowing the secret of this box.

“But since everyone can go in and get hooked, let’s have one wait at the entrance of the cave.”

“So you’re saying that G-House will be outside the cave?”

At John’s words, I shook my head.

“I’m going in.”

Since I brought it up in the first place, I must take responsibility.

“Aha.”

I left him embarrassed for a moment and opened my mouth.

“Leave Mr. Ben outside, and Mr. Vern and I in the lead. Anyone have a flint?”

***

I decided to give a signal before entering.

If it’s dangerous outside, bean bean bean.

If it’s dangerous inside, Le-Hoo.

“Why Lehu? Does it mean anything?”

Bern asked as if he did not understand.

“But you can’t do it with kong kong kong or pork chop. And it’s not lehu, it’s le-hu. Le-hu.”

I asked everyone to pronounce ‘danger signal inside the cave’.

Le-hu.

At that harmony, I smiled.

“Excellent.”

All preparations are complete.

We all entered the cave with our swords drawn.

Knock,

Knock.

The inside of the cave was so quiet that you could already hear the sound of dripping water.

I was in awe of the environment, like a natural ASMR microphone.

Except for the f*cking scary stuff.

The walls were full of sharp stalactites, but the floor we were walking on was flat.

To the extent that it would be impossible unless someone artificially shaved it off.

“Looks like the dungeon is right.”

Bern muttered.

Occasionally, I saw something beyond the stalactites.

The torch disappeared as it passed.

When I put the torch in again, it disappeared.

“Don’t look back.”

He warned.

In the dungeon, no one ignored the adventurer’s advice.

The fog beneath my feet was rolling in as if enveloping it. Maybe we were being pushed into a cave.

Evidently we had torches, so it was bright, but the fog below showed no signs of dissipating.

Knock,

Knock.

The stalactites were dry.

The sound of water drops continued to be heard.

Even though it’s so dry.

Knock,

Knock.

I wonder if it took that long.

I felt the darkness in the distance widen.

My eyes started to hurt.

As I was about to get faster, Vern stopped me.

“There are many cases where you get caught in a trap while being careless in a dungeon, Mr. G-House.”

The pace slowed down again.

The sound of dripping water could be heard from everywhere.

No, it was only getting bigger and bigger.

‘Is there even a stream?’

Knock, knock, knock, knock.

…It started to smell fishy.

Holding the arming sword tighter, I entered the spacious room.

I felt something just like that.

The sight after passing through it was shocking.

“Ugh.”

Someone muttered.

It was a corpse.

No, they are corpses.

A layer of corpses lay in front of us.

Something with no shape left intact was at the bottom, and at the top were corpses that didn’t even attract flies.

The blood dripping from his fingertips was announcing his death by falling to the floor and bursting.

Tip, tuk, tuk.

Even at this moment.

There was only one thing that was most damning about the room covered in blood with the sound of water droplets.

That the lights in the room were on.

So we had to see.

…And I saw a tiny hand on it.

At the same time, the words in the document came to mind.

– There are frequent reports of the disappearance of the children of the Baron under the Count.

“That outfit, I think I saw it when I caught the thieves.”

My northern friend looked at the clothes of a corpse and muttered.

The corpses were all dressed up.

It was quite a strange outfit.

Someone who couldn’t stand it started to vomit, and it gradually started to spread.

I tried to forget the face.

So I turned around.

I turned my back on those who had died and patted the backs of those who were still alive and retching.

Tak, Tak, Tak.

After trying to wash away the sound of water droplets with the sound of their back tapping, they opened their mouths.

“…Let’s go back.”

I didn’t care about the signals I had set earlier.

Tip, tuk, tuk.

The cursed sound of water drops was following us.

Knock, knock, knock.

Even at this moment.

***

On the way out, I heard a crash in the distance.

Thump, thump, thump.

At that moment I ran.

And the sight outside after a long time was quite dizzying.

“Damn it. I thought there was only one. Were there more?”

About ten enemies were confronting Ben.

The clothes and patterns were different from ours. It seemed that it was probably the troops of the opponent’s territory.

Ben, who was confronting them with an axe, greeted them without turning his head.

“Oh no, I’m alive. I thought I was going to die here.”

“Thank you.”

I wasn’t in the mood to talk.

Someone from the other side who looked like a captain came forward.

“Did you come out of that cave?”

I don’t know why you ask.

But the answer was given.

“By the way.”

Then the question he asked was a bit strange.

“What did you see inside?”

“What?”

The chief’s expression distorted a bit.

“What did you see inside?”

I remembered all those things.

Stalactites, fog, large rooms, strata.

And things I can’t remember.

“Unfortunately I forgot.”

I told you honestly.

“Are you kidding me?”

But it doesn’t seem to have touched him that much.

“I did remember one thing.”

“What did you see?”

“Little hands.”

His face changed when he heard that.

“Are you sure?”

I heard footsteps behind me.

Someone on the other side shouted.

“Tell me everything you saw in there, or else-“

The captain’s face almost started to blur.

“Mr. G-house, retreat for now-“

The bow I left behind lay beside five steps.

“Knowing what you guys did and doing that-“

The captain, whose face was completely blurred, roared.

“…..!”

“…..!”

Even behind your back, they say something against you, but I can’t hear you.

Looks like someone else came.

Perhaps if I pierce it with something, this noise will also be cut off.

The five steps toward that ‘something’ were quick.

And from drawing the bow to aiming and shooting, five breaths were enough.

—!

“- Evil!”

It was only after an arrow went through someone’s chest that he was released from tinnitus.

First.

“It’s a little better.”

As I slowly lowered my bow along with my impressions, the scouts who came out of the cave rushed at them.

“You bastards!!”

“Die!”

There was only the sound of blades clashing.

But I didn’t rush.

I just fed the arrow again.

This time, Ben asked me before pulling the bowstring at the archer who was aiming for John.

“What the hell happened inside?”

I answered him kindly.

“I don’t remember anything.”

― Tung.

Second.

Only two of them managed to escape, and I forgot the faces of the four.

The mountain reconnaissance ended there.

While the voices of the people who came after receiving the call echoed through the military camp, I rode a wagon and headed for the village.

Someone had to call in a priest, and I volunteered.

The sound of water drops has long been forgotten.