Demons Within: I level up endlessly-Chapter 32: A Win-Win!

It was morning already. It was exactly 24hours since the announcement that they had 3 days left.

Daniel checked his Databand for the hundredth time. The numbers glowed in a soft blue light.

[Time Remaining: 48 hours]

The numbers felt like a countdown on a bomb.

He wasn’t as strong as he’d hoped he would be in this first phase.

He hurried Bran, so they left where they had stayed overnight.

"We need to move faster," Daniel said. He didn’t look back. He kept his eyes on the path ahead, scanning for threats.

Bran walked behind him. "I’m trying, Daniel," Bran said. His voice sounded weak and tired.

" My legs... they hurt. I’m not strong like you."

Daniel felt pity for him and slowed down just a little bit.

"I know," Daniel said softly. "I know you are tired. But we don’t have a choice. The portal closes in two days. We have to reach the extraction point. And before we get there, we need to be stronger." Daniel clenched his fist.

They walked for another hour. The terrain changed.

The thick trees ended, and the ground turned rocky. Large boulders stuck out of the earth, and the air smelled dusty and old.

Daniel stopped suddenly. He held up a hand. Bran stopped too. He huddled behind Daniel, his eyes darting around in panic.

"What is it? Did you see something?

"Shh," Daniel hissed. He closed his eyes. He focused his mind. He activated his [Omnivision].

The world inside his head changed. The colors of the forest faded away. Everything became a grid of lines and heat. He could see the faint white glow of the trees.

He could see the tiny red sparks of insects crawling in the dirt. He pushed his senses forward.

He swept his vision across the area. Nothing. No movement. No heat signatures.

As they moved forward a bit, they found a cave. It was a large, dark opening in the side of a cliff. It was a cave.

The cave entrance was rough and jagged. Dark vines hung over it, making it hard to see.

Daniel pushed his [Omnivision] into the cave. It was dark. Cold. He couldn’t detect anything. It felt empty. This caught his attention.

"I couldn’t find anything....which is kind of strange," Daniel said, opening his eyes.

"What?" Bran asked, gripping his own shirt. "Is it bad?"

"It’s a cave," Daniel pointed. "My scan didn’t pick up any monsters. But I have a feeling about this place."

Daniel’s heart beat faster. In the Aurora Vale, caves could be death traps, or they could be goldmines. If he found rare herbs or a treasure chest, he could get items to help him fight. If he found a sleeping beast, he could kill it and take its soul.

"Let’s go check it out," Daniel said. He took a step toward the cliff. Bran didn’t move. Daniel stopped and turned around.

"Bran? Come on." Bran was shaking. His face had gone pale, completely white. He was staring at the dark hole in the cliff side with wide, terrified eyes. He looked like he was seeing a ghost.

"No," Bran whispered. "What?" Daniel asked, confused.

"NO!" Bran screamed. He stumbled backward and fell onto his butt in the dirt. He scrambled away, kicking his legs, trying to get away from the cave.

"Bran! Calm down!" Daniel rushed over and knelt beside him. "What is wrong with you?"

"It’s a trap!" Bran yelled, tears streaming down his face. "Don’t you see? It’s just like the last one! It’s just like the crystal cave!" Bran pointed a shaking finger at the cave entrance.

"It looks empty! That’s what Sophie said! She said she saw treasure! She said it was safe! But it wasn’t safe, Daniel! It was full of them! The spiders! They were in the walls!" Bran grabbed Daniel’s arm. His grip was tight, desperate. "If we go in there, the lights will go out. And then they will come. I can hear them clicking! I can hear them!" 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Daniel looked at the cave, then back at Bran.

"Bran, listen to me. I used [Omnivision]. I didn’t see any spiders. It’s clear."

"You don’t know that!" Bran sobbed. "You weren’t there! Sophie had [Tactical Eyes]!

She was B-Grade! She saw energy signatures! She thought it was loot! But it was bait! The monsters tricked her! They will trick you too!"

Daniel hesitated. Bran’s fear looked so real. The boy was hyperventilating, gasping for air. The trauma of losing his team was still fresh.

"I can’t go in there," Bran whimpered, curling into a ball. "Please, Daniel. Don’t make me go in there. I don’t want to die in the dark. Not again."

Daniel sighed. He felt frustrated. He understood Bran’s fear, but he needed to take risks, if he wanted to truly get powerful. He needed resources. He needed EXP.

"We can’t just walk past it," Daniel said firmly. "What if there is something inside that can help us? What if there is a weapon? Or food?"

"I don’t care!" Bran screamed. "I would rather starve! I would rather eat dirt than go into that hole!"

Daniel stood up. He ran a hand through his hair. He looked at the suns. Time was wasting.

"Okay," Daniel said. "Okay, Bran. I hear you." Bran looked up, sniffing. "You... you won’t make me go?"

"No," Daniel said. "I won’t force you. But I am going in." Bran’s eyes widened. "No! Daniel, you can’t! You’ll die! You’ll leave me all alone!"

"I won’t die," Daniel said. His voice was full of a cold confidence. "I am not Sophie. And I am not Ragnar. I am stronger."

He tapped his chest where his D-Grade Deflector Vest was hidden under his shirt.

"I have armor. I have speed. And I have my senses. If there is a trap, I will see it before it springs. If there are monsters, I will kill them."

"But..." Bran started to argue. "No buts," Daniel cut him off. "We are on a clock, Bran. 46 hours left.

We cannot afford to be afraid of shadows. I need to check that cave."

Daniel looked around the area. He saw a large, flat rock surrounded by thick bushes about 20 meters away from the cave entrance. It was a good hiding spot.

"You stay here," Daniel commanded. He pointed to the rock. "Hide behind that boulder. Keep your head down."

Daniel reached into Bran’s pocket and picked out a knife he had given him earlier. It was an F-Grade Vibro-Knife. It wasn’t much, but it was sharp.

"Take this," Daniel said, pressing the handle into Bran’s hand. "If anything comes near you, stab it. Don’t think, just strike."

Bran held the knife tightly with two hands. He was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"And use your talent," Daniel added. "Cast [Minor Fortification] on yourself. Keep the shield up. If you see anything, scream. I will hear you. I will come running."

Bran swallowed hard. He looked at the knife, then at Daniel.

Daniel gave Bran a reassuring smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He was focused on the hunt.

"I’m just going to take a quick look. Five minutes. Maybe ten. If it’s empty, I come right back out."

Bran nodded slowly. He crawled behind the boulder, making himself small. He pulled his knees to his chest and held the knife out, pointing it at the empty air.

"Be careful, Daniel," Bran whispered. "Always," Daniel replied.

Daniel turned his back on Bran. He faced the dark, gaping mouth of the cave. He took a deep breath. He rolled his shoulders, loosening his muscles.

He felt the excitement building in his gut. It was the thrill of the unknown.

He drew his upgraded D-Grade Vibro-Knife. The blade hummed with a low, menacing sound.

Daniel stepped forward, then walked across the rocky ground, and his boots stayed silent as he moved closer to the entrance.

The air coming from the cave was cool and damp.

Daniel narrowed his eyes. He didn’t stop. He stepped through the vines and into the darkness.

Behind the boulder, the shaking boy stopped shaking. Bran watched Daniel disappear into the black hole. He waited for a moment, listening to Daniel’s footsteps fade away.

Then, Bran sat up. He relaxed his shoulders. He stretched his neck, cracking it from side to side. He looked at the knife in his hand.

He flipped it effortlessly in the air and caught it by the blade, testing the balance. "Too easy," Bran whispered to himself.

He didn’t activate [Minor Fortification]. He didn’t need to. He wasn’t afraid of any danger. He was the danger.

"Go on, big brother," Bran murmured, staring at the cave entrance. "Go find out what’s in there. Maybe you’ll find treasure. Maybe you’ll find death."

Bran leaned back against the rock, getting comfortable.

"If you die, I take your stuff," Bran thought, calculating the odds. "If you live, you bring me the loot. It’s a win-win."