The carriage lurched to a stop as the warrior announced their arrival. There was a faint wind that blew from the entrance—Rin knew it to heart that it was caused by the oh-so familiar signature of a dungeon. Increased mana pressure.

“Garden of Shadows, eh?” Rin muttered with a clock of her tongue.

The girl could feel it as the heavier density of the mana entered her lungs with each and every breath. The will of the dungeon screamed against her, conflicting with her own constitution as her body was given nature’s warning. Yet her only reaction was a subtle frown.

‘This might not be so easy…’ she thought but quickly shook her head. ‘Ah… it’ll be fine.’

The white-haired mage hopped down from the carriage, landing with a light thud as the other spellcaster followed close behind. As for the rest of the party, they shortly stepped out of the vehicle, immediately shuddering from the sensation in the air.

“This ‘eres pretty spooky ain’t it Tanner?” The guardian said, his hand near the pommel of his axe.

“Yer right about that,” The swordsman replied. “Ain’t never felt like this before heading into a dungeon.”

Rin watched as the man’s eyes nervously shook while the rogue simply gave him a blank look before scoffing and went to help the warrior settle the horses. Although, Rin couldn’t blame the men as she turned to the side and looked at Emma’s face. The fire mage was also of the same. Knuckles white from the grip on her staff while her frame was stiff as her eyes were fixated on the unending darkness of the dungeon’s entrance.

“Hey,” Rin said, her voice drawn out slowly as she tapped the girl’s back. Although the latter released a startled squawk from the touch. “Ack!”

Emma then turned towards the ice mage; eyes slightly widened as a wisp of flame came to life at the end of her staff.

Rin released a sigh, waving a hand and quenching the fire before locking eyes with the girl.

“Don’t stress it, fear won’t help us at all, will it?” Rin said as the girl nodded meekly. “Wonderful, then why don’t you tell me more about—” she paused, gaze panning over the other members. “These guys.”

****

“So that’s Adam… I don’t really know much about him; he doesn’t talk a lot but he’s really—” she stressed, “really... really strong.”

Emma pointed to the warrior who was currently yanking on the reins of one of the neighing horses. It seemed that even the huge, majestic mammals were unable to remain calm within the atmosphere of the dungeon.

“And those two are Kai and Tanner.”

“Mhmm…” Rin nodded disinterestedly, her mind elsewhere.

Currently, she had heard that the warrior and rogue were siblings of sorts, while the other two men were mercenaries that were picked up along the way. However, she really didn’t need to know the information, all she wanted to do was help ease the girl’s nerves. Although in the end, she had received almost a full rendition of the two men’s adventures. Which was more than enough… to say the least.

“She’s a good storyteller that one,” The warrior chuckled and clapped the guardian on the back. “Who would’ve thought I would be the one to save you from that direboar.”

“Oh, shut it you oaf,” The latter quickly retorted. “Everyone knows you ran screaming piss down your leg.”

Well—Rin sighed, at least the horses were now safely secured as she lifted her gaze upwards. The rogue and the warrior had resorted to drugging the steeds and tying their harnesses to the thickest tree amidst the outer ring of the clearing.

“We’re finished,” Anna announced.

The rogue's head swiveled to the entrance as a pair of daggers flashed into her hands. Rin noticed that there was a whisper of a breeze surrounding the weapon’s edge, while the runes engraved into the metal glowed a faint green.

‘Wind enhancements,’ she thought, eyes narrowing on the engravings. ‘Reduces the weight… and increases the lethality of the incision.’

The woman didn’t seem to care about the ice mage’s interest, or at least didn’t show it as she took a step forward.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“I lead.”

The warrior lightly nodded towards his sister and reached behind his shoulder, muscles rippling with strength as the man effortlessly unsheathed his massive great sword with a single hand.

Tanner whistled, “Never gets old.”

Likewise, the swordsman also brought out his weapon of choice, a medium broadsword scored with dozens of nicks and scratches. Rin raised a brow, unsure about how the weapon would fare in such a state, yet it didn’t matter much to her. She just wouldn’t rely on the man. Rather… any other person of the team, the only person she trusted after all, was herself.

Kai soon followed shortly, taking a step as an enormous set of plated armour appeared on his body. Although, he didn’t draw his axe but instead had a shield at the ready along with a torch in the other hand.

“Emma dear, would you please,” The guardian said, holding the torch outwards.

“No problem,” The girl replied with a smile and raised her staff.

Immediately, the torch was set ablaze, forcing away the black abyss to reveal just the inner mouth of the cave. Thorny vines were seen hanging from the ceiling while the walls were covered with the same vines. Although, unlike the aforementioned sight, twin petaled void white flowers choked around the vines, suffocating the serpent-like flora as its nutrients were being sapped into the dreadful blossoms.

As for the ground, cracks were riddled through the earth and shorts of green punched upwards, threatening to grasp at any unsuspecting ankles.

The rogue clicked her tongue as her eyes scanned over the plants before slowly approaching one of the walls. Reaching outwards with the end of her dagger, she poked at one of the flowers but immediately retracted her arm as a gust of wind carried her several steps backwards.

A split second later, the vines bristled in unison as the soulless gaze of the flowers fixated on the woman. They lashed outwards, thorns rotating viciously as the vines wrapped around nothing but thin air.

“Dreadlilies,” The rogue glanced back with a scowl. “Everyone watch your step, maintain caution o...”

Although, Rin ignored the rogue as the woman’s words trailed off into the cavern’s darkness. Her eyes were instead focused on the blank dreadlilies scattered against the walls. For some reason, there wasn’t the feeling of dread emanating from the flowers, unlike the initial response she received from the dungeon. Rather, it felt almost neutral as she used her identification skill.

[Corpse Flower]

‘Strange…’ she murmured.

From her understanding of the specific kind of flora, it was apparent that it was part of an invasive typing of flowers that would scavenge on anything that it could gather nutrients from. And the reason why it was called a corpse flower was because in certain areas of her former world, the bodies of the deceased would be covered in the same accursed blossoms. Their skin would be sapped from its blood, muscles and flesh completely drained only to be left as a lifeless husk. The only name remaining for those subjected to such a fate, was a corpse.

And so, she expected a feeling of bloodlust for her flesh from the flowers. Yet, the sense of hostility that would be usually garnered from an organism as such just wasn’t there. It was as if there was a mutual agreement held between them, for the sake of peace.

Mostly confused but also a little interested, Rin raised a delicate hand and slowly walked towards the cavern wall.

“Hey!” The rogue shouted. “Stop! Are you trying to get yourself killed?! Didn’t you just hear what I jus—”

However, the warning was once again ignored as Rin’s hand pressed against the cave wall. Her fingers grazed along the white petals, her touch a fair stroke against the horrific lilies as a brow raised on her face.

“Fucking hell!”

With a curse, a flash of green rippled through the cave and Anna was already by the girl’s side in an instant. A hand on her shoulder, ready to pull the mage back to safety. Although, the rogue paused as her glance panned over the wall, eyes widening in shock. Her arm on Rin’s shoulder fell to the side as she took a step backwards, while the warrior frowned, the rest of the party looking on with mixed responses.

“What…?”

Rin heard the woman mutter under her breath from right behind her as a vine wrapped around a finger. The former interaction between the rogue and the vines didn’t occur once again and in its place was something mostly inexplicable.

The thorns covering the vines gracefully retracted into its florial flesh as the tendril ran along the length of her hand before travelling up her arm.

‘Hmm?’ Rin thought.

She made no move to hinder the plantation's ascent as it continued to climb up her arm, and as it reached her shoulder, there still wasn’t any feeling of danger.

“Rin?” Emma gasped.

But the red-haired mage didn’t say anything further than the response. All she knew was that Rin was leagues stronger than herself, and if the ice mage didn’t seem to panic, then it was probably mostly okay.

Rin knew that it was such as well. Her perception had been honed to the point where she was able to tell the differences of most intentions of harm apart. And that was why she allowed the vines to flow around her neck before resting in her snow-white hair.

“Ain’t she a beauty…” a murmur sprouted from the swordsman.

Rin heard a snip from just beneath her ear as the vine’s severed flesh fell to the ground before slithering back up onto the wall. But that wasn’t what the gazes of the party were fixed towards.

Pure white, mimicking the ethereal properties of her hair. A delicate flower sprouted twin petals, blooming four before nestling gently into the white tresses of the girl. Then Rin felt a tug, a pulling feel against her mana. It yearned, like a child, for the love of its mother as a blackish essence-like energy rose like steam from the flower. Then, the girl allowed her assent. Confirming the flow of her mana as the steam moved like wind-blown mist along her hair, before being absorbed into the quad petals of the flower.

The floral blossoms blurred, turning monochrome as a near-palpable spectrum of different colours enveloped the delicate lily, glowing with the iridescent rays of a rainbow. Then, darkness enveloped all.

Pitch-black—contrasting beautifully against the wintry backdrop of her hair: a signal that the corpse flower has completed its due course and life cycle. To only exist as an elegant symbol representing the horrors of death, bayed the final breaths of life.

It knows I should be dead...