[November 18, Lost Era 1001. Underdark.
The ninth day of our descent underground.
Night Shadow did not hide the location of the "Golden Beacon" from me. To demonstrate her sincerity, she even personally served as our guide, leading us deeper underground.
We encountered troubles large and small along the way. Bones that had lain underground for who knew how long would sometimes tremble and assemble into skeletons, then lurch stiffly toward us.
At times like these, I missed Arthur. I wished he could recite Valenne's prayers and disperse these dead souls affected by necromantic magic.
These underground skeletons were like mosquitoes circling around us. In practice, they hardly posed a threat. I did not even need to act myself; Night Shadow could simply order the scouts to sweep them away.
But a few mosquitoes constantly biting you along your journey would still get irritating.
Or we would venture into a cavern, and a Cloaker draped like a cloak over a corpse buried in the dirt would suddenly try to engulf us whole.
These monsters usually preferred to act alone, using their mottled coloring to blend cleverly into the shadows, much like Drow.
They possessed extraordinary patience and could lie dormant for months on end, waiting for that single fleeting opportunity to catch their
prey.
Since we had strength in numbers, it seemed to have no intention of attacking. Unfortunately, its disguise could hardly fool my eyes. Before it could even unleash its terrifying howl, we plowed over it like a speed bump, crushing it inside the cavern.
The most memorable creatures were undoubtedly the Umber Hulks.
At first glance, these brutes born underground resembled enormous earth-yellow beetles. Though cumbersome, their hard shells and powerful bodies protected them against most physical damage.
Their multifaceted faces, composed of several eyes, could emit