Traebus emerged from the cave mouth, coughing slightly as residual smoke and ash drifted out around him. Blinking into the daylight, he paused abruptly, stunned at the scene outside. Sparky, Dusk, and Vaelya stood several yards away, their expressions ranging from stunned awe to open disbelief. They were carefully positioned far to the left, away from the smoldering trail of absolute devastation extending more than a hundred feet from the cave entrance into the surrounding jungle.

  He glanced sheepishly at the blackened, scorched earth, trees reduced to smoldering stumps, and shattered rocks lying in haphazard piles. Even the jungle’s perpetually damp vegetation had ignited in places, leaving thin trails of smoke drifting lazily into the sky.

  Vaelya stared at him with wide, incredulous eyes, hands on her hips, clearly waiting for an explanation.

  Traebus cleared his throat awkwardly, rubbing soot from his face as he approached them. "Okay, so… first of all, good news. Quiet Death is dead." He gestured weakly behind him. "And, um, clearly some other things are too. But mainly the Quiet Death."

  Vaelya’s eyes narrowed. "How is this possible? The Xylarath’s armor is impenetrable."

  He chuckled nervously, waving his hand vaguely. "Right. So, about that. Apparently, the trick isn’t penetrating its armor, it’s just applying enough overwhelming magical violence that armor doesn't really matter anymore."

  Dusk snorted, sending Traebus a skeptical mental impression of excessive fiery destruction. Sparky chirped anxiously, darting forward to circle around Traebus’s feet and inspect him thoroughly for burns or injuries, making tiny disapproving crackles as he sniffed.

  "I’m fine, Sparky," Traebus muttered, nudging the lightning-lizard gently aside. "I may have overdone it slightly, though. Turns out that channeling every bit of mana I had into a single fire spell creates a surprisingly large explosion. Who knew?"

  Vaelya's voice was flat, tinged with disbelief and irritation. "You nearly incinerated the entire jungle."

  Traebus held up his hands defensively. "In my defense, you completely undersold how enormous that creature was. Seriously, Vaelya—‘a large centipede’? That thing was practically the size of a small fortress. It lunged at me, missed my face by inches, and—well, I panicked. Just a little bit."

  Vaelya’s expression remained unimpressed. "You panicked and turned half the cavern into molten stone?"

  Traebus hesitated, eyes drifting toward the scorched earth stretching far beyond the cave entrance. "It does seem a bit excessive now, I admit."

  Sparky gave another anxious trill, still circling Traebus’s legs as though afraid he'd spontaneously combust again. Tank merely stared with mild disinterest, clearly having decided that nothing was worth interrupting his nap.

  Traebus sighed, running a hand through his hair, dislodging bits of singed dust and soot. "Alright, lesson learned. Next time I’ll use half the mana, maybe. Probably. No promises."

  Vaelya shook her head slowly. "You are unlike anyone I have ever met."

  "Yeah, I get that a lot," he admitted, glancing back at the devastated landscape. "But hey—at least now we know it works. And if there’s any more Quiet Death lurking around, hopefully they’ll take the hint."

  Dusk gave a chuffing snort that clearly conveyed skepticism.

  "Come on," Traebus groaned, rolling his eyes. "At least pretend to be impressed. I literally melted a centipede fortress."

  Vaelya sighed deeply, giving him a weary look. "Impressed is not the word I would use."

  He shrugged. "Close enough."

  Turning back to the smoking wreckage, Traebus sighed once more and began mentally preparing himself for the lengthy explanations and cleanup ahead—especially when it came to explaining to Vaelya that, technically, he still hadn't widened the cave enough to get Tank inside.

  After giving everyone a few minutes to fully appreciate the devastation he'd wrought, Traebus turned back to the cave entrance. As satisfying as it had been to incinerate a nightmarish insect, the original problem still remained: Tank wouldn't fit through the entrance unless he performed some drastic, magically assisted remodeling.

  With a sigh, he set his hands against the stone, pulling from his mana reserves carefully. No wild explosions this time. Just slow, controlled expansion. The stone began to ripple outward, widening and reshaping itself to accommodate the three-horn's massive bulk. Carefully, Traebus guided the stone, widening it bit by bit and reinforcing it with mana so it wouldn't collapse around them. Tank watched with mild interest, clearly unimpressed by the effort put into providing him adequate accommodations.

  As he methodically shaped the tunnel wider and taller, his pace measured and steady, the group slowly moved behind him—Dusk walking quietly at his side, Sparky occasionally zipping ahead before doubling back nervously, and Vaelya staying close, her sharp eyes taking everything in.

  Glancing over his shoulder at Vaelya, Traebus spoke, partially to fill the silence, but mostly because genuine curiosity had been gnawing at him for hours. "So, aside from nightmare creatures like the fortress-sized centipede back there, what other kinds of threats did your village face? Like, other people—did you have trouble with them, too?"

  Vaelya hesitated, clearly choosing her words carefully. "Yes. At times. Other tribes, villages, even larger settlements from beyond our forest. Many sought resources or territory; others simply wished to prove themselves by conquering."

  Traebus paused briefly to ensure the stone ceiling was holding, then continued, casting another sideways glance at her. "How often did that happen? Were these conflicts common?"

  "Not often," Vaelya admitted, stepping carefully around a small pile of debris. "But when they happened, they were brutal. Our village was isolated, yet not hidden. Traders came rarely, but raiders from the north were not uncommon. They wore heavy furs and thick hides, carried spears of a strange silver-like metal, stronger than any stone or wood. My people fought them many times."

  Traebus perked up at her mention of metal, his curiosity piqued. "Silver-like metal, huh? Stronger than stone and iron?"

  Vaelya nodded slowly, eyes narrowed. "They called it 'Aerathil'. It cut through armor like your obsidian blade through vines."

  "Interesting," Traebus mused aloud, pausing briefly to reinforce a weak spot in the cave wall. "Did they forge it—uh, make it—through magic? Or with fire?"

  Vaelya shook her head. "I do not know. The Highlanders kept such secrets close, and my people did not trade with them willingly. They were aggressive, proud, always seeking glory through conquest. Many lives were lost resisting their raids."

  Traebus nodded, thoughtfully considering this. "And your people, how did they fight back? You mentioned bows and spears—nothing stronger?"

  "We fought with stealth and strategy, not brute force," she explained. "My people prefer bows of wood and bone, spears of sharpened stone and woven cords. We could vanish into the trees, strike swiftly and disappear. But against their metal weapons, our tools were often useless."

  Traebus glanced over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "No magic?"

  "Yes," Vaelya confirmed, her voice tightening slightly. "But as I said before, our magic is subtle. We strengthened ourselves, healed our wounded, and concealed our warriors in shadow. But we did not throw fireballs capable of melting giant insects."

  Traebus chuckled, slightly embarrassed. "Fair point."

  Vaelya continued quietly. "The northern people were harsh, unforgiving. Their raids destroyed homes, took our food stores. But even they would flee at the first sight of the Quiet Death. No one dares fight it directly. Not until now."

  Traebus grunted, focusing momentarily as he widened a section of rock above them. "Yeah, well, I have a habit of challenging things I'm probably supposed to run from. I guess I've never been good at understanding limitations."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Dusk snorted loudly behind him, the sound practically dripping with sarcastic agreement.

  Traebus rolled his eyes. "You're hilarious, Dusk."

  He stepped back, taking stock of the newly widened tunnel. It was finally wide enough for Tank to pass comfortably, and more importantly, stable enough that they wouldn't be buried alive. He dusted off his hands, turning toward his companions.

  "Alright," he declared, satisfied. "That should do it."

  Tank stepped forward, nosing past him and inspecting the tunnel entrance before letting out a quiet snort of approval.

  "You're welcome," Traebus said dryly, patting the three-horn on the flank. "Anything else I can do for you, your majesty?"

  Tank ignored him, casually stepping into the newly-expanded tunnel, clearly unimpressed.

  Traebus sighed. "Right, should have expected that."

  With a wave of his hand, he motioned Vaelya, Dusk, and Sparky to follow him deeper into the cavern. "Let's go, everyone. We've got resources to haul. And if we run into anything else that wants to eat us, I've still got half a battery of mana ready."

  He paused, looking thoughtfully at Vaelya. "Although, maybe this time, warn me upfront if we’re facing something bigger than a house?"

  Vaelya merely raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable, as she followed him quietly into the darkness below.

  Stepping fully into the cavern, Traebus paused, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. Tank stopped beside him, letting out a low rumble of concern as he stared into the darkness. Dusk remained vigilant, silently alert, while Sparky hovered anxiously near Traebus’s boots.

  "Right, let’s get some light on this situation," Traebus muttered, drawing carefully from his mana reserves. He lifted his hand, focusing on his Light ring. With a thought, several small orbs of soft white illumination flickered to life, hovering gently above his palm before drifting upwards. They rose gracefully, drifting like tiny moons, gently illuminating the chamber.

  As they settled into position along the ceiling and walls, bathing the cavern in an eerie pale glow, Traebus smirked with relief. "Huh. Well, would you look at that. No accidental explosions. I really am improving."

  But his humor faded quickly as he took in the full scale of destruction before them.

  The entire cavern had been ravaged. Walls that had once glistened with moisture were now scorched, blackened by soot, and cracked by intense thermal expansion. Deep gouges carved the floor where his mana had violently reshaped the stone, and pools of cooled magma shimmered glassy black. But it was the massive, twisted carcass lying motionless at the cavern’s center that immediately drew everyone's attention.

  Vaelya took a shaky step forward, eyes widening in disbelief. "Gods above," she breathed softly. "You killed it."

  Traebus stared at the monstrosity, finally seeing it clearly for the first time.

  Its segmented body stretched nearly forty feet from mandibles to tail-tip, covered in a chitinous shell blackened and fractured by his fireball’s impact. Rows of sharp, jagged legs lined its corpse, each thick as Traebus's forearm and ending in barbed hooks. Its massive head—now partially cracked open by explosive force—featured jaws longer than his arm, wickedly curved and razor-sharp. The armor plating covering its body glistened darkly, even burned and charred as it was. It was a nightmarish hybrid of centipede and armored scorpion, a creature made solely for efficient and lethal destruction.

  Vaelya stepped closer to the monstrous remains, her voice faintly trembling as she whispered, "The Silent Death. My people only ever fought one once, in the days of my grandmother’s grandmother. They said it killed a hundred warriors, unstoppable and merciless."

  She looked at him, awe and disbelief mingling openly on her face. "And you did this alone?"

  Traebus shrugged awkwardly, rubbing his neck. "I mean, technically yes. But in my defense, if I’d known exactly how huge this thing really was, I probably would’ve reconsidered my life choices." He paused, then added dryly, "Or just used even more fire."

  Vaelya shook her head slowly, clearly stunned by the scale of devastation. "This... this is beyond anything my people have ever managed. Beyond anything I have ever seen."

  "Yeah, well," Traebus said with a tired sigh, "welcome to my life. One big destructive surprise after another."

  Vaelya took another shaky breath, her expression solemn. "You must understand how dangerous this creature was. Entire hunting parties of my people would flee at its mere scent."

  Traebus glanced at the massive carcass again, feeling suddenly small. The humor in his voice faded entirely as he murmured, "Trust me, I get it. This thing was... intimidating."

  She gave him a look that suggested “intimidating” was a significant understatement.

  After a moment of respectful silence, Traebus broke the tension with a quiet laugh. "But hey, I promised fire. It’s not my fault the universe apparently takes my jokes seriously."

  Tank let out a low, grumbling moo, seemingly unimpressed by the monstrous corpse, while Sparky trilled softly in agreement, bobbing his head nervously.

  Dusk merely snorted softly, sending Traebus an image of the cavern intact before his fireball—complete with a clear implication that this was somehow Traebus’s fault.

  He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I probably could've toned down the violence a notch. But you’ve got to admit: it worked."

  He turned back to Vaelya, whose expression had shifted from shock to an odd blend of admiration and wariness. "So, think this'll convince anything else lurking nearby to steer clear for a while?"

  Vaelya nodded slowly. "If nothing else, it will send a strong message."

  "Good," Traebus said firmly, stepping forward and scanning the cavern. Despite the damage, most of the resource deposits remained intact—sturdy veins of iron, glittering obsidian, and the now partially buried slab of precious Nekrium.

  Satisfied, he turned toward Tank, motioning toward the cavern. "Alright, big guy. Let's start loading up. I’ll handle extracting, you handle hauling."

  Tank snorted once and trotted heavily forward, beginning to inspect the deposits. Traebus paused a moment, glancing at the huge carcass with a smirk. "And, for the record, I’m not hauling the giant murder-bug corpse out of here. That one stays."

  Dusk gave a low chuff, clearly approving of that decision.

  Traebus stepped deeper into the cavern, boots crunching on cooled fragments of scorched rock and obsidian shards as he moved. He paused briefly, frowning down at the cavern floor, which was littered with shattered fragments of obsidian and stone—valuable materials lying scattered like discarded treasure. He shook his head, summoning a gentle pulse of mana from his Earth ring to sweep the scattered obsidian into neat piles, clearing space to work. He’d pick it up on the way out.

  Vaelya watched him curiously, her sharp green eyes tracing his every move. "You handle stone as effortlessly as my people shape clay," she remarked quietly, her voice tinged with both awe and curiosity. Her gaze fell to the neatly stacked obsidian shards, and her eyes widened slightly. "This is valuable—rare. Do not leave it behind."

  Traebus shrugged, offering a small smirk. "Yeah, well, it’s a bit sharp to stuff into my pockets, but we'll get it on the way out."

  Satisfied, he knelt down and pressed both palms firmly to the cavern floor, closing his eyes as he sent pulses of carefully controlled mana downward. Gradually, the surrounding rock began to ripple and shift, rolling back layer by layer in slow, rhythmic waves. The cavern shivered gently as large sections of dull stone receded, unveiling gleaming veins of dark iron, streaks of warm reddish-brown copper, and glittering deposits of quartz that sparkled like tiny stars beneath the magical lights.

  Vaelya moved closer, silently observing, her eyes filled with genuine wonder. "It is incredible," she murmured softly. "In my village, metals such as this were rare gifts from traders. Never have I seen so much gathered in one place."

  Traebus grinned broadly, excitement flickering in his eyes as he revealed larger sections of the cavern floor. "Then you'll love this." He dug deeper, letting his mana seep carefully through the rock, gently peeling stone away layer by layer, revealing something far brighter beneath.

  The sudden gleam of rich, silvery-white metal made Traebus practically bounce in place. His face broke into an uncontrollable grin. "Now that's what I was hoping for!"

  Vaelya tilted her head curiously, stepping carefully over to join him, crouching down and peering at the shimmering metal. Her voice was quiet, cautious. "What is this pretty metal? I do not recognize it."

  He laughed, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "This, my dear elven ally, is silver—or something very close to it. And if my assumptions are right, it means we’re about to leapfrog several levels of magical technology."

  She narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly confused. "Silver?"

  "Gold's slightly less wealthy cousin, but far more useful for enchantment and conduction," he clarified quickly, excitement coloring every word. "I mean, copper’s fine for mana conductivity, but gold and silver? Whole other league of magical efficiency. With this, I can start making tools that won’t blow up in my face."

  Vaelya glanced at him skeptically, clearly not fully grasping the nuances of magical metallurgy, but she could sense his enthusiasm. "And this...silver…you can shape into your magic devices?"

  Traebus nodded eagerly. "Oh yeah. With enough of this stuff, I might even stop accidentally setting myself on fire every other experiment."

  Vaelya gave him a skeptical look but chose not to comment, instead watching as he delicately used his magic to separate the vein from the surrounding rock, his concentration laser-focused as he carefully peeled away stone from the shimmering metal beneath.

  Behind them, Tank snorted softly, clearly unimpressed by shiny rocks, while Sparky and Dusk stayed near the cavern entrance, quietly observing the process with an air of curious boredom. Traebus, however, was completely absorbed in his task, fingers practically twitching with excitement as more of the silvery-white metal came into view.

  "You know," he muttered to Vaelya as he worked, "I never thought I'd say this, but getting stranded in a world filled with nightmarish monsters and homicidal lizards might actually turn out to be a net positive."

  Vaelya raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You think so?"

  Traebus shrugged, eyes still fixed greedily on the metallic vein. "As long as I don't die horribly first, this—" he gestured grandly to the exposed ore, "—is my ticket to making something resembling civilization out here."

  She stared at him, clearly unsure whether he was insane or brilliant—or possibly both—but ultimately she seemed to decide not to question him further.

  Satisfied with the sizable exposure of metal, Traebus stood up and brushed the dust from his knees. "Alright, Tank," he said firmly, motioning the three-horn closer. "You're officially on hauling duty."

  Tank snorted softly and lumbered forward, clearly resigned to his fate as a living cargo carrier.

  Traebus glanced back at Vaelya, the excitement still evident on his face. "Time to get to work. We’re bringing as much of this metal up to the lab as we can carry. Who knows? If we survive another few days, I might actually make something useful."

  Vaelya shook her head, a reluctant smile appearing on her face despite herself. "With you around, survival is always uncertain."

  He grinned broadly, already busy shaping the ore into neat piles ready for transport. "Exactly. Keeps things exciting."