Deep within the dim mine tunnel.
At some point, over a hundred corpses of unknown origin had appeared, sprawled haphazardly across the ground. Many stared with eyes wide open, looking as though they had died with grievances unresolved.
Some of the more timid villagers trembled all over at the sight, scared out of their wits.
"Don't panic!"
Third Great-Uncle was trembling a little as well.
But at his age, he had seen far too many sinister things. His nerves were steadier than those of the younger people, and he quickly composed himself.
"Nobody touch the bodies."
"Stay back."
His cloudy eyes swept from side to side.
Soon, deep within a crack in the mine wall, he spotted a corpse embedded in the rock.
The corpse's upper body was inside the rock wall.
Its lower body, from the waist down, hung outside.
Its entire body fit seamlessly into the stone, as though it had grown out of the rock.
Even more terrifyingly—
The corpse's feet... seemed to still be moving!
"Oh no!"
"It's a whole one!"
Third Great-Uncle was horrified, but he did not dare show it. He directed everyone to gather together, keeping away from both the corpses on the ground and the ghostly thing in the rock wall.
"Oh my god."
"Why is today so damned eerie? Something like that grew out of the stone."
He vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
Ever since they had set out today, things had gone wrong one after another. First, when they worshipped the Mine Ghost, they had received no response. Then, after entering the mine, abnormalities had kept occurring while they mined, and quite a few people had died.
When they tried to leave, heavy fog had risen outside.
And now, after entering the depths of the mine, they had found