“Please—wait!”
The plea came from a girl in white and red. She looked like a server, like a waitress at a restaurant. Her face was hardened, yet it carried worry, a tinge of panic, like she had found someone who wasn’t supposed to be where they were.
She stood behind the large rock monster, completely unafraid. Whoever the girl was, she was clearly the master of the beast.
“Please, don’t fight,” the girl pleaded. Her voice was soft, yet it resonated like a shout in the cave’s echoing atmosphere.
Veronica didn’t slow her magic. The mana in her body continued to flow; two wings stayed lit behind her hand.
“Who are you?” she asked. “And why are you standing next to that monster?”
The girl’s eyes narrowed, a small frown forming on her face.
“My name is Gwen.” Her gaze shifted to the stone beast. “And he’s not a monster. His name is Rocky.”
Veronica’s brows furrowed. “…You named it Rocky?”
It was a fitting name, thematically—but it wasn’t nearly as cute as it sounded. The creature was like a small mountain with spikes. Something like Avalanche might have worked as a better moniker.
Gwen pursed her lips. “I—I named him when he was smaller! Believe it or not, he used to be the size of a small rock!”
With a sound like grinding stone, akin to an earthquake, the monster—Rocky—growled in response.
Was that its way of barking? Veronica wondered.
“Alright, enough with the pet names. I need you to step away from that thing.”
Veronica’s mana remained primed and ready. The creature was far larger and more intimidating than anything she’d encountered since regressing. It would take a considerable amount of firepower to bring something like that down.
Despite that, Veronica deliberately limited her mana.
The cavern was large, but using third-tier spells this deep meant disaster. A cave-in was a very real threat if her attacks damaged the walls or ceiling. Veronica doubted she could blast her way through an entire cliff’s worth of collapsed dirt, rock, and debris if it came down on her.
Not yet, at least.
“No, I can’t do that,” Gwen replied. She held her ground, her body stiffening. Beside her, the beast was also still—but far from relaxed.
“And why not?” Veronica asked. “Don’t tell me you consider that thing a pet.”
Gwen shook her head lightly. “That’s…” Her eyes locked onto Veronica’s. “You—are you from the guild? Here to do a commission?”
Veronica nodded. “A commission to kill a monster that’s been hiding in this cave.”
The girl balled her fists. Her expression wasn’t angry—just distressed.
“Can you please just… leave and pretend you didn’t see anything? It’s dangerous to stay here too long so you need to leave quickly. Just go back to the guild and say you took care of the quest. Or that the monster left and isn’t in the cave anymore.”
“Don’t tell me you’re seriously trying to protect that thing right now,” Veronica said.
Several tense moments passed. Neither side moved; the girl continued to stare at her silently, waiting.
“You do realize that the commission stated the monster in this cave has killed people, right?” Veronica said. “An entire party of D-rank adventurers. Not to mention two other E-rank parties.”
“That’s not Rocky’s fault,” the girl replied quickly. “That’s not my fault, either. I warned all of them. I gave them the same offer I did to you: leave and don’t come back. But they were greedy for money and decided to attack anyway. Rocky was only defending himself. He’s never hurt anybody on his own.”
Veronica stared at the girl. She really seemed to believe what she was saying.
And yet, as Veronica examined her more closely, certain things began to stand out.
First, the girl was unusually skinny. Not to the point of a starving beggar—but close. Her face was slightly sunken, as if she were sick, though that didn’t seem to be the case. Instead, it felt closer to malnourishment.
Second—the girl was trembling. Not from fear. Not of her. Instead, it was the kind of tension that came from anticipation. Was it worry? As if she were bracing herself for something that hadn’t arrived yet?
The last thing was harder to place. There were dark marks along her skin; one prominent blemish was near her right cheekbone, while others were scattered along her hands. The rest of her body was concealed beneath the long waitress clothes she wore.
“Even if that’s true,” Veronica said slowly, “whatever that beast is, regardless if you named it—it’s still a dangerous monster. The fact that it’s killed nearly ten people and you don’t seem the least bit concerned is telling.”
“I am concerned!” Gwen shouted back. “I told them—over and over and over again! They wouldn’t listen! Their eyes turned into vixes, clouded by money. They attacked me and Rocky despite my warnings. I don’t want more people to die. That’s why I’m telling you to leave right now. Please—just listen to me. I’ll even give you all the things the other adventurers were carrying.”
So, the bodies were still in the cave. And apparently, the loot was too.
“Why are you so fixated on telling me to leave?” Veronica asked. “You make it sound like there’s something dangerous here, and yet you’re standing right next to a large monster. One that clearly listens to you.”
It made no sense if the danger was Rocky. The beast understood human speech—more than that, it was restraining itself right now, clearly obeying Gwen’s earlier command to not fight.
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The oddest part was her phrasing.
Leave now. Leave quickly.
“Are you simply afraid of Rocky attacking people?” Veronica continued. “You can just tell him not to, can’t you? Or is there another reason you want me to leave?”
The girl opened her mouth a fraction of an inch, then slowly closed it. She wanted to speak, but something was clearly troubling her.
“Listen,” she said at last. “There’s a man who comes here. He mines these crystals. He’s dangerous, okay? He doesn’t like anyone knowing about this place, or about Rocky. That’s why I’m telling you to leave before he shows up.”
She took a breath, then hurried on.
“He comes here several times a day. If he sees you, things will only get worse. If you wait here, I’ll go grab all the gear that was left behind and you can take all of it, okay? Then you leave right after and tell no one about this.”
The mana within Veronica’s body eased slightly. The girl in front of her had no desire to fight. Her gaze flicked briefly toward the stone mountain with legs beside her. Although its beady black eyes were fixed on Veronica, the creature did not move. It obeyed the girl’s presence without hesitation.
But something else caught Veronica’s attention.
Her stubbed ears prickled at the faintest disturbance. An echo. A ripple of motion far away, chaotic against the steady ambiance of the cave.
Veronica turned, eyes locking onto the tunnel she had come from.
Someone was entering the cave.
Gwen glanced back by chance, noticing Veronica’s sudden movement. The color drained from her face.
“N-no,” she stammered. “Is someone coming? That might be him. Quick, you need to hide!”
Veronica turned back to her. “Hide? I’m quite strong, you know. I can probably take him and Rocky in a fight.”
Gwen grit her teeth, as if she were hearing something absurd.
“That’s not the problem,” she hissed. “Please, just listen to me. Come here and hide.”
She waved her arms frantically, motioning Veronica deeper into the cavern, around a jagged bend where the shadows thickened.
For a brief moment, only a moment, Veronica looked back toward the dark tunnel leading to the entrance. Then she looked at the girl again.
“…Fine,” she said. “But only because you’re being so cryptic.”
Mana washed over her body as she moved. She vanished from where she stood, her stride wide and swift, her speed sharpened by Sage’s ascension reward.
Gwen blinked, startled by how fast she was, then quickly recovered.
“Here, hide here,” she whispered urgently. “And don’t say a word.”
Veronica slipped behind the cave wall, peering through a narrow opening above a jagged stone outcrop that jutted from the ground.
Gwen turned immediately to Rocky and waved her hand.
The massive creature responded, lumbering forward and turning, beginning to pace in wide, slow circles.
“Yeah, you were tired, huh?” Gwen said aloud, forcing a casual tone. “A good walk will keep you healthy.”
Veronica narrowed her eyes from her hiding place. It was obvious now. Gwen was pretending, putting on an act.
Moments passed.
Then a figure emerged from the tunnel.
Heavy footsteps echoed against the stone, slow and deliberate. A black cloak brushed the cavern floor as the man stepped into the light, gray boots stained with dust and crystal grit. He stopped near the edge of the chamber, posture relaxed, as if this place belonged to him.
One hand reached up and pulled the hood back.
His face was angular and lean, with a stern set of features that seemed practiced, like a stoic person holding a winning hand. His eyes were cold as they swept across the chamber. First the crystals embedded in the walls, then the massive stone beast pacing in wide circles, and finally Gwen.
He frowned.
“Why are you out here?” he asked. “I told you to stay near the pits.”
Gwen swallowed, her shoulders tensing.
“Rocky wanted to move,” she said quickly. “I was just letting him walk a little.”
The man stepped closer. His boots scraped faintly against the stone as he closed the distance. His gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than necessary, slow and measuring, as if weighing her response.
“Is that so?” he said.
Gwen swallowed again, then nodded.
“Yes. I know you’re worried about his health, so I thought it would be a good idea to let him move every so often. That’s why people take dogs out on walks, right?”
His eyes shifted from her to Rocky.
The massive creature continued its slow circuit, circling without protest. Despite the girl’s tension, despite the obvious fear in her posture, the beast did not react to the man’s presence with aggression. Instead, it lowered its head slightly as it passed him, its movements becoming more restrained.
From her hiding place, Veronica narrowed her eyes.
Maybe she had gotten the dynamic wrong. Perhaps the girl wasn’t the monster’s master. Perhaps the one holding the reins had been standing in front of her this entire time.
But that only raised more questions. According to Sage, the crystals embedded in the cave walls weren’t particularly valuable. If that was the case, then why did this man inspire such fear? And if he was truly just a miner… why did adventurers have to die?
The man let out a quiet breath through his nose.
“That’s enough wandering,” he said. “Get him ready.”
Gwen stiffened.
“Now,” he added.
Rocky let out a low, rumbling sound, like grinding stone deep underground. The sound reverberated through the cavern, slow and uneasy.
Gwen swallowed, her hands clenching at her sides. For just a moment, hesitation flickered across her face.
Then she nodded.
“O-Okay,” she said softly, stepping closer to the beast. She raised her voice just enough to be heard over the cavern’s hum. “Alright, Rocky… it’s time for harvest, okay? Be a good boy. It’ll be over soon.”
The creature turned its massive head toward her, its dark eyes unreadable. It rumbled again, the sound lower this time, almost plaintive.
Gwen reached out, placing both hands against its stone-like hide.
Slowly, reluctantly, Rocky lowered its body, bowing until its weight settled against the cavern floor.
The man stepped aside, folding his arms across his chest.
“Begin.”
Gwen took a breath. Then another.
She raised both hands.
A spell circle bloomed into existence before her, pale and intricate. Its design was smooth, layered, and balanced in a way Veronica recognized immediately.
Path of Blooming, Veronica realized.
She hadn’t noticed it before—that the girl was a mage.
Mana flowed from Gwen’s hands, steady and smooth. The circle pulsed as she began a chant under her breath, her voice barely audible.
Rocky’s body began to rumble.
The sound grew louder, deeper, until it became a groan of pain that echoed through the cavern. The white crystals embedded along its back began to glow, their light intensifying as they expanded. They grew taller, thicker, extending upward like jagged spires forced from its body.
Cracks spread across their surfaces.
Gwen’s spell flared brighter.
The fractures slowed, then began to mend, thin lines knitting together under the influence of her magic. Whatever she was doing, it wasn’t accelerating the process. It was stabilizing it. Easing the pain. Holding the beast together as it obeyed what the man wanted.
Rocky let out another grinding cry.
“Easy,” Gwen whispered, panic creeping into her voice as she poured more mana into the spell. “It’s okay. Just a little longer.”
When the crystal reached a certain height, the man moved.
He raised one arm. A ring on his finger glinted faintly.
A concussive blast erupted from his hand, striking the crystal’s surface precisely at its center.
The crystal shattered. Small fragments burst outward, clattering against the stone floor as a massive section broke free.
Rocky screamed. The sound was raw, tearing, like stone being ripped apart from the inside. Its wail sounded very much like an avalanche.
Gwen cried out in response. “Rocky!”
She forced more mana into the spell, her circle trembling as she struggled to keep it stable. Her hands shook as she pressed against the beast’s hide, trying desperately to soothe it.
The man walked forward and picked up the largest fragment of crystal, cradling it in his arms.
“Good,” he said flatly. He turned, already beginning to leave.
Gwen stayed where she was, whispering to Rocky, her magic still flowing as she tried to calm him. The beast’s rumbling gradually softened, though its body remained tense and trembling.
Then the man stopped.
His eyes dropped to the cavern floor.
Although she was far away, her enhanced eyesight let her see exactly what his gaze had locked onto.
Dusty footprints. Ones that pointed from the entrance, leading into the cavern. Ones—that weren’t his.
“Shit,” Veronica murmured beneath her breath.
She should have expected something like this. Maybe it had been a bad idea to pick the mysterious quest that killed several teams of adventurers.
So much for easy money.
I thought I already did a poll for this, but apparently not. Anyways: What do you think happened to the "past" Veronica, now that "future" Veronica is here?
