"That's so petty…."

Rant Valo couldn't help but murmur when he saw her turn away. He smiled wryly to himself.

She's really acting like a spoiled brat. What happened to her status as his master?

"Wait, could you get off me now, Veia?"

Rant Valo looked to his side and saw Veia still hugging his arms. Her huge melons were so erotic that his little brother couldn't help but salute.

"Ehehe, master…"

Veia chuckled and finally let go of Veia. She licked her lips secretly as she did it on purpose.

"It stinks so bad!"

Suddenly Rant Valo's nose was assaulted by an iron-y and rotten smell. It smells like iron was floating in the air.

"Oh my god!"

Rant Valo covered his mouth and tried to keep himself from puking.

The floor and walls were stained with a black liquid. It was so black like it was left there for centuries. There were skeletons scattered around the place.

"This is…"

Floriana Sabina frowned at the scene in front of her. She is a cultivator so her mental fortitude is much stronger than Rant Valo who was merely a mortal so she could endure it.

Veia hugged Rant Valo's arm again. This time there was fear in her eyes instead of the usual playful one that she has.

"Was the owner of this cave a killer?"

Rant Valo couldn't help but say. He can somehow guess that the black stains were dried and old blood. The amount of it was so nauseating.

He even saw their wrists cuffed to the wall. They probably died here without getting the chance to escape.

"This is so brutal…"

Floriana Sabina brushed that dust off a skull as she said so. There was a feeling of melancholy from her.

"Veia you still can't smell it?"

Rant Valo looked at Veia who was still hugging his arm tightly.

"S-smell what Master?"

Veia was quivering a little bit as she looked at the skeletons around her. For some reason, she was feeling extreme fear from her heart. Like this has something to do with her past.

"The smell of blood and rotten flesh…"

"I don't, Master. Is that bad?"

Veia looked at Rant Valo worriedly. The thought that something was wrong with her nose worried her a little bit.

"No."

Rant Valo shook his head and walked deeper into the cave. He counted and there were around 11 skeletons here.

His mind couldn't help but imagine what horrible things went through in this place. They were probably tortured before they were killed.

Rant Valo was keeping himself from puking through sheer will. As his life was only in a village 4 days ago, this was something that is hard for him to fathom.

"Do you want to go deeper, Disciple?"

Floriana Sabina looked at Rant Valo and asked. There were traces of concern in her eyes. The way she is seeing it, Rant Valo would not be able to go much deeper. There are probably things inside that he wouldn't be able to handle.

"I…"

Rant Valo bit his lips in indecision. On one side he wanted to know why Veia woke up in this cave and on the other, the fear of the unknown and the dead in this cave overwhelmed his sense of calm.

"Master, you don't have to if you don't want to…"

Veia looked at Rant Valo straight in the eyes. She can tell that he was doing this for her.

"Veia…"

Rant Valo was even more conflicted when she said that. As her master, he wanted to show her that he is deserving of it. It was his first time having a slave and he wanted to do it right, but the challenge he is facing right now seems to not want that.

"Disciple, you don't have to go anymore. The cave deeper is blocked by a Magic Circle. Look there is a barrier."

Floriana Sabina scanned the deeper part of the cave with her Spiritual Sense and she found that there was a Magic Circle inlaid in the cave walls leading deeper into the cave.

She picked up a random stone from the ground and threw it forward. It stopped and bounced mid-air as if it hit an invisible wall.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back and Rant Valo finally convinced himself to not continue forward.

"You would probably not survive deeper, Disciple."

Floriana Sabina warned Rant Valo in worry that he would insist on going deeper.

"Don't worry, I won't throw away my life yet."

Rant Valo forced a smile on his face. It was true that he couldn't die yet. He still needs to marry Zaria.

Remembering Zaria eased Rant Valo's tensed-up nerves somehow. She was really his savior.

"Let's go."

Rant Valo led the way out with melancholy. He looked back at the skeletons and the black blood scattered around and his determination firmed up.

He was gonna get strong not just for the sake of going back to the village and marrying Zaria but also for Veia's sake plus the other skeletons. He wanted to know what lies behind the mystery of this cave.

For now, he would cultivate first and get stronger.

The trio was already familiar with the way out and they quickly reached the place where the black lines appeared.

Veia looked at the cloaks and grabbed them all after hesitating for a bit. Floriana Sabina didn't say anything when she saw her do that.

Veia stopped hugging Rant Valo's arm a while ago. She was now carrying the cloaks in her arms.

They continued and finally reached the place where Veia woke up from.

The old clothes were still scattered around.

"Disciple, do you want to start cultivating now?"

Floriana Sabina asked Rant Valo.

"Is this place good?"

Rant Valo asked her in confirmation. He also had the idea to cultivate here.

"Yes. This place is perfect for you, Disciple."

Floriana Sabina nodded her head.

"Master, can I drink some of your blood first before you cultivate?"

Veia asked Rant Valo timidly. Since her fangs are broken, she felt awkward asking for his blood right now.