One man and two children crouched down behind the bushes in the dark. They could see two people wearing dark red robes guarding the entrance of the cave.

Noel felt agitated as she whispered, "It's them! I saw that they brought the people from the village into this cave."

"That's right... Everyone who entered the cave never came out. They also took Maline away." Leon’s voice was full of resentment.

Seth repeated, “Maline?”

"Maline is our servant. She was the one who took care of us since we were born."

"How long has she been taken by them?"

"It's the seventh day today."

Seth felt pity for them as he turned back to face the Demon King Worshipers again. ‘I doubt the servant is still alive since The Demon King Worshippers don't care about the lives of their experiment subjects.’

"Mister, are you going in alone?"

“Yes.” Seth looked at the dagger in his hand. ‘There are still a few items that I can use to fight them in case anything goes wrong. However, it’s best not to fight them head-on.’

"There are only two people." Noel suddenly said.

Leon nodded in agreement as he bit his thumb and glared at the cultists. "We can't let them be. They should pay back for what they've done to Maline."

"Mister, we'll fight them and guard the entrance."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Seth shook his head before he was in thought. ‘the children in this world are better at survival skills than a modern person like me.’

He looked at the twins who were determined to follow him. "Are you both sure about this?"

They both nodded simultaneously. Seth sighed.

"Okay."

He gave them a dagger each to protect themselves. However, he was still worried about them.

"We'll knock them down quietly so you don't make any noise," Seth told them about his plan. ‘A confrontation would only lead to disaster.’

"Yeah, we know," Leon grunted.

As they crept closer towards the cave, they could hear the voices of the cultists.

One of them who was shorter and skinny spoke, "A mercenary? Why would Lord Malgerius need someone like you who does not have the same ambitions as us, the worshipers, to join our group?"

"Do you think I'm the one who wanted to join this cult that is targeted everywhere in the world? If it's not because he promised that he would pay me with the dragon's bones, I wouldn't have interacted with you a lot." The other person was tall and muscular, with a balding head and a red robe hanging from his shoulder. "And what kind of robe is this? It's too small for me."

"It's a symbol of the greatness of the Demon King."

"I don't get why people would worship someone who is long dead..." The tall man looked at the shorter man with absurdity. "Lord Malgerius promised to give me one of the dragon's bones, but he keeps on delaying it. My patience is already running thin."

"The sacred ceremony is tomorrow. Lord Malgerius will sacrifice the dragon to the Demon King." The short man suddenly grinned. "It seems like Lord Malgerius fooled you."

"He tricked me? All this time, I have been used like a dog by him for nothing!"

The heated exchange continued to escalate among the cultists. While they argued, the twins and Seth moved in closer. The twins crept up on the short man, while Seth crept up on the tall man. He approached the cultist stealthily and whacked them on the back with a hard blow that sent shockwaves through his body.

"Ugh!"

‘Why didn’t he pass out?’ Contrary to his expectations, the man didn't faint like the scenes he always sees in movies after hitting the back of their neck.

The tall man immediately swung his arm towards Seth, and Seth barely managed to dodge. "Bastard! How dare you sneak an attack from behind me!"

Seth quickly bent his knees as he avoided the attack.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” The short man was confused and couldn't continue talking when the twins stabbed him from behind. Noel plunged the dagger into his chest, while Leon thrust the dagger into his neck.

“Ack!”

"W-who are you people?!" The tall man yelled.

Leon glanced at the tall man who was still alive and then mockingly said, "Mister, you didn't hit him correctly."

The cultist Seth had struck regained his composure and turned, his eyes widening in terror as he saw Seth bearing down on him. In his panic, he attempted to draw a large machete, but it was too late. Seth used his light magic to knock him unconscious until he fell to the ground.

‘Is he dead?’ Seth crouched down and felt his pulse. His head was bleeding, but he was still alive.

Seth turned to look at the twins. "You two make sure he's not conscious while I go inside."

Noel stood there confused. "Mister, are you not going to kill him?"

"Yeah, why should we let him live?" Leon rummaged through the clothes, weapons, and bags of the short cultist, and he found several coins and herbs.

Seth was shocked by their questions. He regained his composure and replied calmly, "We don't have to kill them."

"Why?"

“I am not here to kill people.” When he planned to save the dragon, he only thought about knocking out the cultists. He was a person from the 21st century who had never committed a crime. He had never taken the life of a human being before.

"If you don't want to, then we'll do it ourselves. Just say that you are scared." Leon was disappointed that he didn't find anything edible in the short man. He walked to the unconscious, tall cultist.

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Seth was more surprised to see that the twins didn't hesitate to kill them. "Fine, do whatever you want. Just be careful."

As he turned to walk towards the cave, he could hear the sound of flesh getting pierced.

He left the twin at the entrance while he descended into the depths of the cavern, guided by a flickering torch. Surprisingly to him, the cave was only guarded by two people, and there were no other barriers preventing anyone from entering the cave.

The pungent, rotting smell filled the air as he ventured deeper into the cave, forcing him to cover his nose to shield himself from the smell. It was an unsettling smell, like spoiled food left to fester for far too long. His curiosity led him to investigate further, and that's when he stumbled upon a collection of iron cages.

As he crouched down for a closer look, he could see the horrifying sight that had been hidden within the cage. Flesh, once living, was now in various stages of decomposition, the sickly colors and putrid odors confirming that this was the source of the foul stench that pervaded the cave.

Drip. Drip.

The ominous sound of dripping echoed through the cave, and Seth felt a cold, sickening sensation as he looked up to see the row of cages hanging from the cave's ceiling. His gaze was drawn to the hand hanging from one of the cages.

As he cautiously examined the cages that lined the cave, his heart sank at the gruesome sight of one of them. A woman's lifeless form lay in a grotesque state of decay, her flesh rotting away. His eyes fell upon her bony hand, which clutched a necklace.

Seth carefully pried the necklace from her grip, revealing a delicate pendant. Upon closer inspection, he discovered a small portrait within the locket. The people inside the picture were familiar. It was a picture of the twins.

"Maline..."

‘As expected, she didn't survive.’ Seth sighed as he stood up. He put the pendant in his bag.

An eerie growl emanated from the depths of the cave.

Seth didn't have the time to investigate further. His heart pounded in my chest as he cautiously moved forward, the source of the growl becoming clearer as he advanced. He could see the creature more clearly; its fur was matted and its body was emaciated. It was a grotesque and pitiful sight—a creature that had suffered unimaginable torment.

‘A dragon?’

The creature before him, despite its undeniable draconic features, was different from the majestic and fearsome dragons described in The Summoned Hero. Its once-glistening scales were now dull and lifeless, and tattered remnants of wings hung at its sides. But what struck him the most were the pair of red eyes that glared at him with intense hatred.

It was indeed a dragon, but a miniature version, no larger than a common house cat. Yet, here was this pitiful, diminished creature, imprisoned and suffering in this cave. Seth assumed that it was due to magic imposed on the dragon.

Summoning every ounce of bravery, he approached the dragon cautiously. "I am not one of the people harming you. I'm here to save you."

‘I have to talk to the dragon first in case he attacks me after I release him.’ Seth kept a distance from the dragon, as he didn't trust the dragon yet.

There was a magic barrier preventing him from entering the prison.

"Save me? Why would you risk your life here to save me, human?"

"..."

Seth couldn't answer immediately. He couldn't possibly tell the dragon that he wanted him to be indebted to him so that the dragon would repay his debt to him in the future.

The dragon flicked his tail and suddenly grinned. "Such sweet talk. You must be thinking of having my bones and using me as well. All of you humans are the same."

Seth quickly replied before the dragon misunderstood him. "That's not my intention..."

"You humans are lying creatures. The lowly human noble promised that he would give me what I wanted in exchange for my bones, and yet, after suffering here for years, he did not fulfill his promise."

‘The 'lowly human noble' the dragon referred to probably was Lord Malgerius.’ Seth thought in dismay.

Lord Malgerius was the leader of the Demon King Worshippers and also the noble who owned the land and had a big influence in the kingdom. He was the reason the Cursed Village was prevented from being interfered with by other forces.

‘At this rate, if I release him, then I’ll die along with the people in this place.’ Seth made up his mind. “Dragon, I want to save you because I need your help.”

The dragon's glare intensified. However, Seth only felt slightly intimidated because of his small figure.

"I knew it, you human..."

"But it's better to follow me than stay here."

"I am a strong and mighty dragon. Why would I cower to a lowly human like you to live?"

‘Strong and mighty?’ Seth felt like it was ridiculous for the dragon to say it with wounds all over its body.

He asked, "Then why aren't you escaping? Even after many years, are you still hoping that Lord Malgerius will keep his promise? Do you even know what kind of person Lord Malgerius is?"

Dragons were ancient creatures that were revered by many others. Dragons also thought of them as above other creatures and would look down on them. But for something he desired, this particular dragon bowed down and allowed himself to be tortured by a human.

As though he had hit the dragon on the sore spot, the dragon fumed in anger. "You… You do not know anything! I let them use my bones because they have the same goal as me."

The same goal? Seth was confused because Lord Malgerius was greedy for power, and the dragon didn't seem like he was lacking any.

“What is it that you want?” Seth was at a loss. ‘What could the dragon have wanted—that he would lose his mind in the future?’

Distant footsteps could be heard, and he saw the twins pulling down their hoods of the Invincible Cloak.

"Mister! We have to leave quickly. They are coming!"

Seth looked at the dragon, who was glaring at them. It was unfortunate, but he couldn't save the dragon today. The three of them left the cavern quickly before the other cultists came.

Once we went far from the cave, Noel asked him, "Mister, did you see Maline inside?"

Looking into their hopeful eyes, he felt that it was difficult to break the news to the children. "I'm sorry. She is..."

"Why are you hesitating? Just tell us." Leon said impatiently as he crossed his arms.

"She didn't survive."

"Huh?"

"We aren't children... we know what would have happened to Maline once they took her away," Noel said while holding back her tears.

"I knew it. They killed her. If we had come and tried to save her earlier," Leon said in regret.

"It's not your fault," Seth said, as he didn't know how to comfort them. "What are you both planning to do next? Do you guys have a family you can go back to?"

Leon glared at him with teary eyes as he comforted his sister. "I don't know. Maline is the one who brought us here. We were planning to go to the other kingdom, but the cultists killed her!"

"Why are you guys trying to go there?"

"That's because…"

Leon suddenly stopped talking and looked at his twin.

Noel said in sadness, "Maline said that we can't tell our plan to anyone."

Seth concluded that the twins didn't live in the Cursed Village. Since their caretaker was dead, he felt like he couldn't just stay still and pretend that he didn't know anything about their situation.

"I see."

They fell into a momentary silence.

"As promised, here you go." He gave them six breads that could fill their stomachs, as well as the pendant that Maline had with her on her last breath.

Noel took the pendant while crying.

"Clean up before you go."

They parted ways before going back to their own homes.

Seth entered the house and could see Berko still in the dining room. "Were you waiting for me? You don't have to. I said that I wouldn't die easily."

Berko looked at him silently with sleepy eyes. "I went out to pee just now."

Seth faked a cough.

Berko asked, "How was it?"

"Unfortunately, I couldn't solve the curse tonight."

"So, you'll go again tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"I see. I won't ask what you are doing, but good luck."

"Thank you."

They both went upstairs and then went to their rooms. Only a thin mattress was underneath him as Seth looked up at the ceiling. ‘The plan today was a failure; however, I’ll try again tomorrow.’

Fatigue overwhelmed him, and he fell asleep.