Elder Hasil recalled the information that Stor had told them as he crossed the threshold into the cursed and dangerous cave. The slight effect on his mind, something that he was well aware of, grew in intensity and tactics. He observed the way his thoughts changed, and realized that the mental effect of the cave was almost…probing.

The whole time the place was swelling his greed but it was also tweaking his other emotions. His fear was stifled a bit and his anger increased. Other emotions were played with, as though he was being trained or changed to want to go deeper into this place. No wonder four people died last time. It was almost like this cave was created to kill people.

He looked around and discovered that the few bits of information they were able to squeeze from Stor were not trustworthy. Stor said that the cave was only one long and dark tunnel deeper into the earth, until a massive hole was reached. Only a few steps in there was a wall and two tunnels leading right or left.

Hasil thought through the possibilities. The first was that Stor intentionally withheld information, but Hasil very much doubted that was the case. The second possibility was that Stor misremembered what happened in the cave and what it looked like. In his own opinion, this was the possibility that made the most sense.

The third and last possibility was that the cave changed. He dismissed this idea, or he wanted to dismiss this idea. There were stories about wizards creating shifting mazes or managing to make a straight road wrap around to the start. These were only stories, but he didn’t know what wasn’t possible. If this cave really was changing and growing…he didn’t want to think about it.

He was hesitant, this place seemed to be far more dangerous than he expected. Many people walked with him into this place. These people were all volunteers and all of them weren’t too important for the village’s survival. This village needed to keep as many people as possible, but the cave needed to be investigated.

This did feel like a dungeon. There was an oppressive heat in the air, like he was breathing something he wasn’t supposed to. The way the cave tried to lure him in failed to prevent the fear in the blood of all things trespassing on dangerous ground. Perhaps others felt different, perhaps he was hallucinating; his bones were crying out that he was in grave danger.

“Alright boys, get in here,” Hasil shouted. The group investigating the cave was made up of fifteen people, hunters of varying skill levels. They were here to map out this potential dungeon and try to discern the threats within here. Though there were enough skilled hunters willing to go on this exploration, the village needed to be defended and the forests needed to be searched. If they were lucky, some meat might be found.

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Other hunters were forced to go on a trading trip to the nearest river port. The village had already sent people but there was a chance that the group had died or failed. It wouldn’t be the first time in recent memory. Hasil was grateful that so many of the village’s men were willing to put their necks out.

The group separated and started to explore the maze of tunnels. It didn’t take long for screams to start. Everyone rushed to the location but it was too late. Whatever attacked this group had disappeared. Hunters, with their trained eyes, noticed the suspicious tunnels standing out.

To him, it looked like someone or something carved them with a chisel, though no chisel could get the stone to look so smooth. Now that he thought of it, the walls themselves looked weird too. They reminded him of molded clay, though made of stone and far too perfectly circular than possible with mortal hands.

A cave that just appeared one day, with strange stone walls - that really sounded like magic. That was good and bad for them. If this was a wizard and not a dungeon, getting the attention of the nobles would solve the problem, and a rogue wizard would grab anybody’s attention. However, he could see how a noble would think that they were in cahoots with the wizard and execute the village.

This probably was a dungeon though, he had seen how wizards and the like casted spells. He also knew of their infamous arrogance; it was hard for him to believe that a wizard would stoop so low to make a boring and practical cave. Spells like this, forming and molding stone, were pretty high tier too - not something an apprentice would know.

Hasil wanted to laugh and slap himself for doing something as insane as make judgements on magic. Still, this probably wasn’t caused by a wizard. That meant that this really was a dungeon. Now, he needed to find anything valuable, anything that would make a nobleman drool.

The bad bites on the men were discolored. He glanced at everyone else and came to the same conclusion: poison. Whatever attacked was venomous. They went into action, their years of experience in this dangerous place guided them. Salves and other medicines were taken out while the venom was sucked out by a few brave volunteers.

“Ha…AHha…mi tongu,” yelled one of the volunteers with a small mouthful of venom. Hasil switched his gaze to the bite victims and saw that their muscles were stuttering and freezing up. Paralysis? He checked the bites again.

These bites came from an animal and looked closer to a rat bite. There were animals that had venom, but usually the venom prevented clotting or caused intense pain. Paralysis venoms and poisons were usually in insects or frogs, not anything with teeth. The village had been in these forests for generations, they knew about almost all of the creatures and monsters that lived here.

Then if this animal didn’t come from the forest, where did it come from? Did it come from this cave?

Hasil felt his blood chill.

“Everyone, out of the cave! Take who you can and leave, NOW!” His words caused a frenzy, but whatever lived in the stone walls of this dungeon wasn’t going to let its prey escape. He didn’t have time to pay attention as he and the others fled. That didn’t stop him from hearing their screams.