The Cave That Breathed Madness

The soft hum of morning filled the warm air in Larsa. In the upper floor of Magda's Rest, the rising sun pierced through the wooden blinds, landing on Saishi's face. His eyes fluttered open.

He stretched with a groan, his fingers spreading out wide like branches catching sunlight. He stared at his hands, flexing them slowly.

"Crazy… Just a week ago, I was in camp. No pressure. No poisons. No masked men in the night."

There was a silence in the room that didn't feel empty—like something watching.

He paused.

A faint tug at the back of his thoughts—like a voice trying to whisper from beyond.

"Hmm… never mind. Just nerves. Let's go hit this damn cave."

Saishi rose and readied himself with a hop in his step, strapping the obsidian-bladed axe to his belt and securing Alexandrus' enchanted pickaxe in his pack. As he did, he felt a strange ripple of sensation course through his stomach.

"What the hell was that?" he muttered, looking around sharply. The room was still.

He shook his head, laughed nervously.

"Must be the heat…"

----------------------------------Downstairs, the tavern ----------------------------------

Burk was already hunched over a scroll at a table, bags under his eyes and a mug of steaming something in front of him.

"Morning, Burk. Studying this early?"

"Mmhh... yawn Yeah. Hürs wanted me to look into the cave's history. Old tales say people who go in… don't always come out the same."

"Lovely. Really sets the mood," Saishi said, tightening his belt.

Just then, Hürs descended the stairs, his expression serious but steady.

"You two ready?"

"Yes, sir," they answered in sync.

Outside, the tavern doors swung open—Mo walked in, pipe in mouth, smoke trailing behind him like a banner.

"Morning, brothers! What a day to cook alive!" he laughed, his huge frame casting a shadow across the table.

"You lucky bastard," Hürs groaned, wiping sweat from his temple. "You've got natural fire resistance."

"HAHAHA! That's the family blessing, brother! Fire doesn't bite us. Go ask Magda for a potion before you melt!"

Hürs grumbled and turned toward the bar.

"Magda! Got any fire resistance drinks?"

She smirked, wiping a tankard clean. "One dose for the whole day. 500 Gold."

"Five—what!?"

Even Jibo, who'd just stumbled down the stairs, winced.

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🧪 Fire Resistance Potion – Class 1➤ Brewed with obsidian wood soaked in pear juice.➤ Grants resistance to Elemental Flames (natural heat, not magic).

---------------------------------🧱 Resistance Classes:-------------------------

1️⃣ Elemental (Nature-born Fire)

-2️⃣ Magic Flames (From spells)

-3️⃣ Holy Flames (Paladin, Elementalist subclasses)

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Before they could complain, the door creaked open once again.

Taurus strolled in, smiling that same annoying smile.

"Well, well, good morning, nameless adventurers. Or do you have a name now?"

"We have a name," Hürs lied with a flat voice.

Before anyone could stop him, Saishi stepped forward, puffed his chest, and with all the pride in his heart—

"We're the Cozy Warriors!" he declared boldly.

Silence. Then laughter.

"COZY… WARRIORS?! HAHAHAHA! What are you gonna do, nap the enemies to death!?"

"Saishi... what the fuck…" Hürs mumbled into his hand.

But Taurus only laughed louder. "Alright, alright, Cozy Warriors. Alexandrus covered your potions. One each. Enjoy the weather!"

They rushed out of the tavern before he could keep teasing.

------------------------------------☀️ The Trail to the Cave – Noon--------------------------------

Heat shimmered off the red rocks. The wind carried nothing but dry air and the distant rumble of molten streams.

Hürs looked at the map. "Three hours away. Let's move."

They walked in silence, the heat baking their armor, sweat dripping from brows. Even with the potions, the atmosphere was punishing. Burk was nearly staggering, and Saishi kept wiping his face with his shirt sleeve.

Then—

"There!" Saishi pointed. "That rock face—it's the cave!"

The team rushed ahead and collapsed under the shade at the mouth of a jagged cave, panting like dogs in summer.

Burk conjured a small Ice Wall against the cave wall. Everyone leaned against it with audible sighs.

-----------------🧊 Ice Wall (Cooling Variant)----------------------------------------

➤ Mana-efficient spell. Temporary temperature drop.

➤ Common utility spell 

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As they caught their breath, a sound echoed from deep within the cave. A faint crackling—like tiny feet across gravel.

Burk cast Light to illuminate their path.

------------------------------------💡 Light Spell-------------------------------------------------

➤ First spell every mage learns.

➤ Creates a small floating orb of bundled mana to illuminate surroundings.

➤ Minimal mana cost. Available from Mage Master (Scroll: 50G).

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"Mo," Hürs said, "take the front. Fire monsters might be close."

"With pleasure!" Mo boomed, shield raised, grin intact.

They moved cautiously, step by step into the dark. Then Mo halted.

"Oh… shit."

The room before them was bizarre. Walls covered in jagged carvings—scratched words repeating over and over again:

"tRaIn… TRAIN… Trrrrrain… Trinnnn…"

Scattered hay formed crude beds. Bones, food scraps… and filth.

"This… This is a den," Burk said softly.

"You don't say," Saishi grunted. "Someone even took a shit in the corner. I doubt it was a decorative rabbit."

"Focus," Hürs growled, raising his sword.

A faint shuffling sound emerged from the depths.

They readied themselves—Mo braced his shield, Burk raised his wand, Saishi's hand tightened on his axe.

From the shadows… a figure emerged.

A man.

Barely clothed, muscular but worn down. Eyes wide with a dazed grin.

"H-Hey! Hi! Hello… you guys new here?"

Hürs stepped forward. "Who are you? Were you making all that noise?"

"Y-Yes. My name is Afiri. But keep it down! We don't want to wake him up!"

"Who's—" Hürs started, but his sentence died in his throat.

A shadow loomed behind Afiri.

Saishi's eyes widened. "WATCH OUT!"

Too late.

A massive hand came down from behind—like thunder.

CLAP.

Afiri's head exploded between the palms of a towering, blood-red Oger.

His body hit the ground like a dropped sack of grain.

"FUCK! NO!" Saishi screamed, heart pounding as the beast turned its glowing eyes to them—snarling.

And then the Oger charged.