Chapter 163 (1/2)

Noah approached the end of the cave and found a two-way road. “Muell, try to create a hot wind. Not too strong, just to the point where the water dries,” she instructed, to which Muell attempted to protest against. “Last time I did that, Noah caught a cold…”

“What? When?” Kyle asked, his brows furrowed.

Noah first looked at the crossroads to the right, listening to the conversation of the two men behind her, where Muell was pouting his lips as Kyle reprimanded the little boy. As her eyes became accustomed to the darkness, she could recognize the railroad tracks laid on the ground of the cave.

“Here’s the railroad. This must be the way out,” said Noah.

A foreign object rolled from beyond the darkness. It was then followed by a faint vibration on the tracks, which seemingly indicated that a small wagon was running along the tracks. Noah managed to take the flashlight that was still hanging in her work clothes and clicked the switch. Before long, the dark interior of the cave was brightly lit.

As she expected, a wagon that could barely carry two or three people was approaching from a distance with a rattle. Noah felt strange; the place was better than she thought it would be, and it’s even equipped with a railroad.

It didn’t seem like the thief of the Mane Ore broke into the previous workshop along the path under the lake, but it could be that they came directly to this place in a train to mine the magical ore.

While Noah marshaled her thoughts, the wagon gradually came to a stop. As she was about to take a step forward to the cart, there was a strange sensation behind her back. Wondering, she turned her head and noticed a yellow glint similar to what she had seen previously when they swam through the bottom of the lake. There weren’t only one or two. Hundreds of yellow specks twinkled in the dark irregularly. Those were the things that tried to break her restraints.

What is that? The moment she turned around to get a closer glimpse, someone jumped up from the cart behind her. When Noah looked back in a hurry, what she saw was a man with a pale complexion rushing towards her.

***

A roar, accompanied by a vibration, erupted within the cave. Kyle looked up in surprise and Muell, who was blowing hot wind to dry his work clothes, also raised his head. Noah, who had been snooping around inside the cave, had disappeared. As soon as he realized Noah was nowhere to be seen, Kyle leaped up. The little boy also jumped up with a small exclamation.