Samxon and Hale entered the cavern.
The cavern stretched wider than anything they'd seen yet.
And lying across the floor—spread out in clusters, piles, and rows—were beasts. Hundreds. Maybe more.
All unmoving. All breathing faintly.
The very sight sent chills running down their spine.
Every one of them had roots sunk into their bodies like needles, draining them slowly.
The faint pulse of those roots filled the cavern with a slow, steady rhythm.
Samxon whispered, "Are they alive?"
"Barely," Hale murmured. "But who cares? This is a good chance to get some rewards from the system," Hale said, taking out her blade.
"You're suddenly sounding more confident than I am. I think I should be worried," Samxon said, following behind her.
"You really should," Hale replied with a poker face, walking forward calmly.
They stepped in.
Every footfall felt too loud.
They moved from one beast to the next, killing them as quietly as possible.
Hale was fast and careful.
