Everyone instinctively turned toward the source of the howling, which was getting closer and closer, heightening the panic rising in their hearts.

“Let’s go!” Baron shouted, grabbing Kairav’s arm, pulling him toward the pool.

With no other option, the rest of the group quickly followed the two of them, heading for the mineral pool to reach the dark corridor on the other side.

Splash!

The cold chill of the water wrapping around their bodies began to seep into their skin as, one by one, they waded into the clear pool, now tainted with the blood of corpses.

The group shivered even more as they pressed forward through the icy water, the rising depth increasing as they moved further in.

“Damn it… It feels like I’m soaking in a pool of ice,” Gavin muttered, shivering as the water reached up to his chest.

The terrifying howls grew even closer as Kairav and Baron, who had reached the other side first, hurriedly pulled Gavin out of the pool.

“Hurry!”

The three young men immediately dashed toward the entrance of the corridor, leaving the others behind. But as soon as they stepped onto the threshold of the passageway, their eyes were drawn to an object in the distance.

The beam of their flashlight illuminated the shape of something unusual.

“What the hell? Is that a monument in the middle of the pool?”

A distinct smell from the humid air hit their nostrils as the sound of footsteps running over the muddy floor echoed through the tunnel.

The three men and the group continued their escape, staying vigilant while trying to avoid the glowing insects that crossed their path.

The howls accompanied their quick steps, following them until they reached the end of the corridor. There, they found a small room at the tunnel’s end.

The room’s floor was covered in muddy puddles, and along one of the cave walls was another corridor entrance, marking the path they had to follow next.

A sense of unease crept over them as they noticed a small red pool at the center of the room.

Its surface was eerily still, with no ripples or movement. The golden glow from the remaining fireflies reflected off the red liquid filling the pool.

“Damn, is this some kind of sacrificial pool?!” one of the treasure hunters cursed, gagging at the nauseating stench that wafted from the pool’s depths.

Everyone grumbled, covering their noses against the putrid smell.

But at that moment, Kairav’s attention was caught by a rectangular stone slab standing in the center of the pool. Curiosity surged through him, and he focused on deciphering the ancient script carved into the stone.

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“Bro, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!” Gavin urged, trying to pull Kairav away and get him to follow the others out of the room.

But Kairav shook off his friend’s hand. “Wait, this inscription mentions the Forest of Lost Souls,” he said, instantly catching everyone’s attention.

Even Trisha and her men, who had already started to move away, stopped in their tracks when they heard the words ‘Forest of Lost Souls.’

Juna quickly approached Trisha, whispering with a serious expression, “Miss, isn’t that the forest the big boss mentioned?” he asked, and Trisha nodded in response.

Kairav’s hazel eyes filled with suspicion as he overheard the words, “Big boss? Are they part of some larger organization?” He wondered silently.

Baron tapped him on the shoulder. “Is this written in ancient Kawi?” he asked, snapping Kairav out of his thoughts.

“Hurry up and translate it! We need to get out of here!” Gavin pressed, his eyes anxiously darting back to the corridor they had just passed through.

Kairav stepped closer to the pool, slowly reading the lines on the stone inscription. “The silent cave is the door, while the fireflies show the way. Raindrops and leaves bring the fog, which descends at dusk, covering the mysterious forest that misleads wandering souls. The weak souls enter a new world, and the giant guardian Dwarapala laughs, having found new prey…”

Trisha picked up where he left off, her voice calm yet tense, “Warm blood pools beneath the sturdy stepped pyramid, creating both poison and medicine from the cries of those who now live without souls.”

Kairav shot a suspicious glance at her, unaware of the looming disaster creeping from the pool, now crawling up his legs and those of others standing near the bloody water. “What exactly are you after in that forest?” he demanded, his suspicion suddenly replaced by shock as someone screamed.

“Damn! There’s a corpse!” shouted Zacky, the bald man, who collapsed by the edge of the pool in shock.

Everyone’s attention turned toward the scene in horror. Kairav quickly kneeled down, trying to examine the pool’s contents.

His eyes widened in disbelief as bubbles surfaced, revealing several human bones floating on the pool’s surface.

The horrifying sight signaled a new danger for everyone. The crazed girl screamed, breaking the tension. “This place is seriously messed up! Get out of here!”

They all scrambled toward another corridor, the only exit from the room. The monster’s howls echoed after them, hounding their every step.

Their desperate attempt to escape was abruptly halted when several people tripped and fell hard, caught by something that had suddenly entangled their legs.

“Damn it!” Kairav cursed, hitting the ground hard as he was pulled down.

Baron, noticing his friend’s fall, immediately turned back. “What’s going on?!”

Gavin stopped running as well and rushed over to help, only to freeze in shock at what he saw. “What the hell are those things?!”

“They’re draining my blood!” Kairav shouted, panic creeping into his voice as the pain spread through his body.

“They’re not leeches! How are they sucking your blood?!” Baron yelled, pulling out a dagger from his belt and slashing at the worm-like creatures wrapped around Kairav’s legs.

“Damn! They’re full of blood!” Baron cursed, shocked as the creatures bled profusely when he sliced through them.

Kairav winced in pain as the creatures continued to drain his blood. “They look like glycera, but why are they sucking blood? Normally, they just bite and cause swelling with their venom,” he wondered aloud.

He struggled to tear the creatures off his legs. “They’re way bigger than normal. Some are as large as eels. Have they evolved?” he guessed.

“You can ask that later! Curiosity won’t help if you’re dead!” Baron snapped. “If you want to donate blood, don’t do it here!”

Baron kept slashing at the creatures, but despite cutting them down, more seemed to appear, swarming without end, making it harder to free Kairav from their grip.

Meanwhile, Kairav’s face grew pale from the blood loss. He could hear the screams of others around him, realizing he wasn’t the only one being attacked. “They’re attacking everyone. Where are they coming from?” he muttered, panicked.

Gavin, who had been eerily silent, was frozen in place as he noticed something terrifying slowly emerging from the pool. “Bro!” he shouted, making his friends aware of the approaching disaster.

Bubble… Bubble… Bubble…