Chapter 12: In the Sinister Grotto, a Deep Descent Meets a Crystal Cluster; the Killing Source First Reveals a Horrifying Sight

The system's warning was like ice water poured over his head.

It instantly calmed Chen Wen down from the excitement of finding his sister's hairpin.

He instantly crouched, heightening his senses to the limit.

His hearing, quadrupled, picked up any faint sound from within the cave.

The silver hairpin in his bosom kept sending out an abnormal chill, warning him of the unknown danger ahead.

The cave's interior was more spacious than it looked from the outside.

More discarded junk and broken tools were scattered at the entrance.

There were even some leftover, hardened bits of dry rations.

Obviously, that army and the prisoners had once rested here briefly.

The wagon ruts here turned chaotic, but the main track still led deeper into the cave.

Chen Wen drew a deep breath, gripped his wooden stick, and cautiously stepped into the cave.

The light suddenly dimmed; only the faint glow from the cave entrance barely lit a small area ahead.

The air grew damp and chilly.

It was permeated by a stronger, complex odor mixing iron rust, nitre, and an indescribably bitter medicinal smell.

It also carried a faint trace of blood.

Is this the unknown energy field the system warned about?

He slowed his steps, his eyes straining to adjust to the darkness.

The cave walls were not natural rock but bore the rough marks of artificial excavation.

On the ground lay some scattered, poor-quality picks and baskets.

This place seemed to be an abandoned mine.

The deeper he went, the darker it became, but oddly—

In the deep darkness ahead, a faint, unnatural bluish glow seemed to seep through.

It resembled the faint glow he had seen on the weapons of the Black Wind Pass sentries, but it was dimmer and more scattered.

【Continuing to be under the influence of the unknown energy field, stamina consumption slightly increases. Diligence Points (WP) +0.4……】

The system's prompt showed the environment was indeed continually exerting an effect.

Chen Wen summoned all his focus, each step landing extremely lightly.

Suddenly, his toe struck something, emitting a crisp collision sound.

He instantly froze, held his breath for a moment, confirmed no reaction was provoked, then lowered his head to look.

On the ground lay several dark blue, translucent crystal fragments, the largest no bigger than a fingernail.

That faint bluish glow came precisely from these crystals!

What is this? Ore?

Chen Wen carefully picked up a fragment.

The crystal felt icy to the touch, much heavier than ordinary stone, and inside seemed to hold an extremely fine substance, like stardust, slowly circulating.

Upon close inspection, the crystal surface appeared coated with an extremely faint, almost invisible grayish-white powder.

He dabbed a bit of the powder with his finger and brought it to his nose to smell.

An extremely familiar yet nauseating icy odor, mixing blood and bitter medicinal smell, instantly flooded his nostrils!

It's the smell of killing aura!

And it's the highly concentrated version!

Could these powders be the source of the killing aura on the Iron Crow Army?

Or rather, are they the raw material?

Chen Wen's heart clenched violently!

He instantly understood!

This mine is extracting exactly this strange blue crystal!

And those Iron Crow Army members either have long-term exposure to this crystal,

or they have consumed something made by grinding this crystal into powder mixed with other medicines.

Only then did they become that inhuman, killing-aura-raging appearance!

They escorted prisoners here, perhaps to……continue mining this dangerous ore?!

That thought made him shiver.

How could Mother and little sister's frail bodies endure this torment?

We must find them as soon as possible!

He discarded the crystal fragment and quickened his pace deeper in.

The wagon ruts and footprints on the ground grew clearer, obviously a large group had just passed not long ago.

The cave began to slope downward, and a fork appeared.

The main passage's wagon ruts were deepest, while some narrow side paths were dust‑covered, obviously untrodden for a long time.

Chen Wen unhesitatingly followed the main passage.

After going another stretch, the faint sounds ahead became clear.

No longer just monotonous footsteps, they were now mixed with low shouts and the clatter of metal tools.

And……a suppressed, intermittent weeping and moaning!

Prisoners! They're right ahead!

Chen Wen's heart leapt up instantly, and his actions became more cautious.

He used the shadows of the cave wall and the cover of the rocks to creep closer bit by bit.

The faint blue light ahead grew a little brighter, and the passage came to an end.

It led to a huge underground chamber that was clearly man‑carved.

The sight before him almost froze Chen Wen's blood!

Inside the huge cavern, more crystal fragments emitting a faint blue light were embedded in the walls, providing a dim light source.

Dozens of emaciated, ragged prisoners—women, children, and the old and weak—

They were numbly chiseling the rock wall with crude tools, or hauling the freshly mined blue ore in baskets.

Most of their hands and feet were bound with rough leather cords, linked together in a chain.

Around them stood a dozen or so expressionless soldiers of the Iron Crow Army.

Like overseers, they patrolled; if someone moved a little slower, they would meet a low shout or even a whip lash.

The air was thick with the mixed scent of despair, fear, and an intense, unshakable eerie killing energy.

Chen Wen's gaze swept over those painful, numb faces like a hawk.

No! No mother! And no little sister!

They aren't here?

Or…

His gaze suddenly shot to a corner at the deepest part of the cavern.

There lay freshly mined ore that had not yet been hauled away, piled like a small hill.

Beside that hill was an opening sealed with rough wood and iron chains, leading to an even darker pit!

Two iron‑armored soldiers stood guard at that opening like door gods, their expressions more solemn than those of the other overseers.

What place is this?

Why is it sealed off alone?

Could it be…important 'supplies'?

Or

……are disobedient prisoners locked up there?

Just as Chen Wen intently watched that sealed opening, a sudden change occurred!

An old man who had been hauling ore, perhaps from exhaustion or from long‑term inhalation of the crystal dust,

suddenly burst into a violent cough, collapsed to the ground, and the blue ore in his basket spilled everywhere.

A nearby Iron Crow Army overseer immediately strode over.

Without a word, he raised his iron‑booted foot to kick down hard!

All the prisoners trembled with fear, daring not to look.

Chen Wen's fists clenched instantly, almost unable to hold back from charging out!

But just then, the overseer walking toward the old man suddenly paused his steps.

His head, covered by an iron mask, turned ever so slightly toward the shadow of the passage where Chen Wen hid!

Although masked, Chen Wen felt as if two cold gazes pierced the darkness and locked onto him!

【Warning! In a high‑density energy field, concealment difficulty greatly increases! Detected!】

【Killing energy resonance sensing enhanced!】

The system's alarm blared wildly!

Almost at the same moment, all the Iron Crow Army soldiers in the cavern.

Their movements froze for an instant, then they all jerked in unison like puppets on strings.

Turning their gazes toward the direction where Chen Wen was!

The air of the entire underground mine shaft instantly solidified!