Cave Exploration

The entrance to the cave is not particularly narrow, wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side. Some weeds and thorns grow around the mouth, making it appear entirely unremarkable.

However, as Kalei followed Thisalee toward the entrance, he immediately felt a cold draft blowing from within, carrying the distinct, foul stench of a satyr.

Kalei's expression shifted slightly. "So there really are satyrs here. I just don't know if Ordos is inside. If he is..." He tightened his grip on the Crescent Staff, light coalescing in his eyes.

With Thisalee leading the way, the two and the Saber cautiously entered the cavern. Thisalee maintained her Black Raven form, scouting from low altitude, while Kalei held his staff, ready to cast a spell at any moment. Big Black kept his body low, moving with light, silent steps, following behind like a shadow.

The cave was pitch black, devoid of any sounds of biological activity, save for the occasional cold wind whistling from the depths, emitting a mournful, eerie howl.

Judging by the structure of the cave, it appeared to be a naturally formed karst cavern, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites scattered across the floor.

Yet, it had clearly undergone artificial modifications; narrow sections had been widened, and the uneven ground had been leveled to make passage smoother and easier.

The pair navigated the winding cave for some distance until the path ahead began to widen, expanding from a space that could only fit two people to one that could accommodate four or five adults abreast.

Just as Kalei was wondering how much further it would be to the enemy's lair, Thisalee, flying ahead, suddenly stopped and utilized Shadowmeld to enter a state of Prowl.

Kalei and Big Black quickly halted their advance, following suit by entering a state of Prowl.

In an instant, the two and the Saber vanished into the shadows of the tunnel.

Ten seconds later, a series of strange, guttural roars echoed from around the bend ahead. The sound was low and raspy, as if emanating from the depths of a dark hell, enough to make one's skin crawl.

Kalei's heart tightened at the sound. He was no stranger to it. He had heard that very same noise forty years ago, on the night the Satyr Rebellion erupted in Moonshadow Village.

The creatures making this sound were demons known as Felhounds.

In the World of Warcraft game, small Felhounds were barely larger than puppies, possessed low attack power, and were easily dispatched.

But in reality, even the smallest Felhound was larger than a Saber. These creatures were incredibly vicious, moved with lightning speed, and could consume magic—they were the absolute bane of any mage.

Kalei had not expected to encounter such monsters in the tunnel and was so terrified he dared not even breathe.

Given Kalei's current strength, dealing with one or two small Felhounds under normal circumstances would not be difficult, but in a tunnel with no room to maneuver, it was an entirely different matter.

Thisalee clearly had no intention of engaging several Felhounds in the narrow passage. She remained hidden in the darkness for a long time until the movement ahead ceased entirely, only then revealing her form from her state of Prowl.

She glanced back at Kalei, signaling him to stay put, then flapped her wings to scout ahead before returning. "It's fine, those Felhounds have left."

Damn, they finally left. Kalei let out a sigh of relief, revealing himself from his hidden state, followed by Big Black.

The two and the Saber remained quiet in the darkness for a moment to steady their nerves before continuing their advance.

The appearance of those Felhounds had startled them, but it hadn't deterred them; if anything, it made them all the more desperate to know what was hidden deep within the cave.

From then on, the pair became even more cautious, carefully scouting every stretch of the cave and entering a state of Prowl at every junction to wait and observe.

As they ventured deeper, the path ahead grew wider. Faint flickers of firelight began to appear, and from time to time, strange noises could be heard drifting from the front.

Kalei knew they were about to reach the enemy's lair. His heart began to race with tension, and his palms, gripping the staff, were slick with sweat.

Fortunately, the formidable Thisalee remained composed, showing no signs of unease, which gave Kalei the confidence to press on.

After walking a bit further, they finally reached the end of the tunnel.

To be safe, they did not rush out of the tunnel, but instead hid behind a massive boulder near the exit to observe.

They discovered that the area ahead was a vast, artificially modified natural cavern. To the right of the cave was an underground river, and to the left, a massive platform constructed of brick and stone.

Torches burned fiercely around the platform, and in their light, one could see a multitude of demons and satyrs gathered there.

On the outer perimeter of the platform were small Felhounds and Imps responsible for scouting and patrolling; these low-level demons paced the edges, keeping a vigilant watch. In the center were ordinary satyrs and Felguards, most of whom were drinking, eating meat, or engaging in wrestling matches. Deepest inside were powerful satyrs and Succubus, who appeared to be engaged in deep conversation.

Thisalee and Kalei were stunned to find so many demons and satyrs hidden in this cave.

They made a rough count; there were no fewer than two hundred visible to the naked eye. With their current capabilities, trying to take on such a force was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Fortunately, the demons and satyrs with high perception were busy eating, drinking, and reveling, occasionally letting out lewd, unbearable noises, which gave Thisalee and Kalei the time to infiltrate and scout.

After observing for a while behind the boulder and confirming the types and numbers of demons, they prepared to retreat.

Just then, a commotion broke out among the demons. Two Felguards escorted a tall satyr from the side of the cave onto the platform.

The scene caught Thisalee's attention, while Kalei was transfixed by the tall satyr, for he realized this fellow was none other than Ordos.

However, Ordos looked different from when Kalei had encountered him in the Bearclaw Valley cave over a dozen days ago. Now, Ordos was bound tightly with thick ropes and covered in wounds, clearly having been punished.

Kalei pondered for a moment and quickly understood: Ordos had likely been assigned by the satyr leader here to go to Bearclaw Valley and cause destruction using the Magic Tree, but their plans had been thwarted by Kalei and his companions.

As the executor of the plan, Ordos naturally had to take responsibility. He had likely feared punishment from the satyr leader and had been hiding in his old home in Moonshadow Village, refusing to return to Fel Fire Valley.

He hadn't expected to be tracked down by Kalei again, eventually forcing him to return to Fel Fire Valley to face his punishment.

Looking at the wretch's miserable state, Kalei couldn't help but want to curse, "You dog, you brought this on yourself. You truly deserve it."

The two Felguards shoved Ordos past the drunken, swaying crowd of demons and brought him to the center of the platform.

There, the demons had constructed a throne, upon which sat a massive satyr over three meters tall.

This satyr was currently "discussing life" with two buxom Succubus. Seeing the Felguards bring Ordos over, he didn't even shy away, continuing his business with the two Succubus until he reached his climax. Throughout the process, the other demons on the platform bowed their heads in awe, not daring to look directly at the throne.

The giant satyr waved his hand, dismissing the unsatisfied Succubus, and looked down at the satyr kneeling before him, whispering, "Ordos, you have failed my expectations!" His voice, though not loud, echoed throughout the entire cavern, causing all the demons to fall silent.

Ordos groveled on the ground like a dog, pleading in a raspy voice, "Master Savatheras, please forgive me. I admit I made a mistake this time. I underestimated those long-ears, and that damned Ugo. Please, Master, give me one more chance. I will get it done this time, I promise I will not disappoint you again."

Savatheras! Wasn't this the leader of the Fel Fire satyrs from the game? He hadn't expected this guy to be stirring up trouble among the Night Elf so early on.

He remembered that in the game, this satyr leader was over level fifty. Even if the game wasn't reality, it still spoke to the creature's immense power.

Kalei scouted the opponent's actual strength, and as expected, this guy had already ascended to the Hero rank, possessing immense power.

Thisalee seemed to have also noticed the unusual nature of Savatheras; she secretly gave Kalei a look, signaling him to leave immediately.

Although Kalei wanted to seize Ordos right now to ask about his father's whereabouts, he knew that stepping out at this moment would be no different than throwing an egg against a rock, so he had no choice but to follow Thisalee away from this place to find reinforcements.

Unexpectedly, before the two could even move, a seductive voice suddenly drifted from the nearby passageway: "Since the two of you have come, why not stay and play a little longer? Why the rush to leave?"

Ugh, it's a Succubus!

Not good, we've been discovered!

Kalei and Thisalee's expressions changed drastically at the same time, and Big Black let out a low, vigilant growl behind them.

In this moment of crisis, there was no time for them to overthink; Thisalee immediately shifted her form into a white tiger, charging toward the passageway with lightning speed.

She had to take care of this Succubus before the other demons could react, otherwise, once they were surrounded, there would truly be no escape.

The Succubus guarding the passageway did not expect Thisalee to move so quickly and hurriedly used a Blink skill to evade.

But Thisalee had clashed with Succubus countless times and had long since figured out their patterns.

Just as the Succubus's body began to turn transparent, preparing to blink, Thisalee lunged forward, her body tracing a graceful arc in the air as she landed precisely where the Succubus was about to reappear.

Before the Succubus could react, Thisalee raised her thick tiger paw and swung it fiercely; a sharp gust of claw-wind flashed, slicing the Succubus in two at the waist.

The Succubus let out a scream, her eyes wide with unwillingness as she returned to the Twisting Nether.

As the Succubus's scream echoed through the cavern, the revelry on the platform ceased instantly, and all the demons and Satyr turned their heads, fixing their cold, bloodthirsty gazes toward the direction of the passageway.

Savatheras sat upon his throne and slowly raised his head, a cruel smile flashing in his eyes: "It seems we have guests."