The sound of footsteps lingered right by his ears.
However, they only lasted for a moment before disappearing.
"What’s going on?"
Fang Xiu took a careful look around.
There was still no sign of anyone.
Even someone who had awakened an Invisibility Talent would leave footprints on this dirt ground.
Fang Xiu scanned the area, but there were none.
There were only the tracks he and Kajimi had made.
’Forget it. Since it’s not attacking me, I’ll go ahead and see what this place is.’
Fang Xiu remained vigilant for a while, but still, no one attacked him.
Once he realized that the footsteps, while present, seemed to pose no immediate threat, Fang Xiu decided to keep moving forward.
Kajimi followed close behind.
Soon, the two reached an opening, and the footsteps were still audible.
Although Fang Xiu was still on high alert, he was no longer as tense.
These footsteps seemed to always be nearby, but they weren’t aggressive.
Fang Xiu wasn’t sure if they were waiting for the right moment or just trying to make him lower his guard for a fatal blow.
Regardless, Fang Xiu was safe for now, at least.
As long as he didn’t let his guard down, there shouldn’t be a problem.
However, at this moment, the number of footsteps around him was increasing.
Before, there had been just one set; now, there seemed to be three or five.
Of course, this convinced Fang Xiu that it wasn’t the work of an Invisibility Talent.
He refused to believe that a whole group of Awakened with the Invisibility Talent would all be hiding in some mine inside this Gate World.
The farther he walked, the more dazzling the light ahead became.
Fang Xiu signaled for Kajimi to wait here.
He, on the other hand, continued forward alone.
By the time Fang Xiu reached the mouth of the cavern, the light was already as bright as if he were standing under the sun.
"What... is this?"
Fang Xiu looked over.
What appeared before his eyes was a massive sun.
’No, that’s not the sun. This dazzling light is just like the sun’s, but this thing isn’t the real sun!’
Fang Xiu could sense it now. This object before him, which radiated a scorching and brilliant light like a sun, was not the sun.
It simply possessed the ability to emit its own light, illuminating everything around it.
And even...
’This light... can it really act like sunlight and allow the surrounding plants to photosynthesize?’
Fang Xiu stared at the lush flowers, grass, and trees inside the cave.
He was utterly shocked.
Although the trees here were much smaller than the ones outside, only about 1.5 meters tall...
...they were still trees.
This place was like a miniature subterranean world.
’A subterranean world?’
Fang Xiu suddenly had a thought and looked deeper into the cavern.
’Phew, good thing there’s no one here!’
There were only plants—no animals, no Demon Beasts, and no people.
But Kajimi had just said there were people and Demon Beasts here.
"Tch, so I was discovered after all? To think someone actually made it all the way here!"
Just as Fang Xiu was carefully surveying his surroundings...
...a cold sneer echoed through the cavern.
Hearing the voice, Fang Xiu looked up and saw a woman with a beautiful face and a great figure standing on a protruding rock on the cavern ceiling.
Because he had been below, Fang Xiu hadn’t noticed the woman’s presence earlier.
Only now, as the woman walked to the edge of the rock, did Fang Xiu spot her.
And beside the woman, there seemed to be a... Moonlit Wolf?
’A Demon Beast? A person? I see, a Beast Tamer!’
Seeing this beauty and the beast, Fang Xiu suddenly remembered.
Among the Awakened, there was a Talent that allowed one to form a contract with a Demon Beast. The Profession associated with this Talent was the Beast Tamer.
He had always subconsciously believed that humans and Demon Beasts couldn’t coexist.
He had completely forgotten about this kind of exception.
Kajimi, on the other hand, had no such awareness. She only knew that there were Demon Beasts and there were humans.
She was completely unaware that... humans and Demon Beasts could also coexist under a certain type of contract.
Just like the contract between her and Fang Xiu.
Except, only the master’s side was aware of the contract. Kajimi only knew to be eternally loyal to Fang Xiu; she didn’t know it was a contract.
"Kid, as much as I’d like to just tell you to get out of here, you’ve already seen everything. I think... you’d better just stay here forever!"
The woman looked at Fang Xiu, her tone dripping with killing intent.
It was obvious. Fang Xiu had discovered this place, so she was going to kill him.
It’s true what they say: Awakened are often more terrifying than Demon Beasts.
Fang Xiu had only just arrived and seen all this—he didn’t even know what the object before him was—and yet this woman already wanted to kill him.
"What is this place?"
Despite the woman’s threat, Fang Xiu wasn’t worried.
The Awakened who could enter the Seventh Gate World couldn’t be stronger than Level 35.
Even if she was, with Kajimi around, Fang Xiu wasn’t the least bit panicked.
"Heh, stalling for time? Not many Awakened can make it this far, and even fewer find this exact spot. I’ve been here for over a month, and you’re the first one to reach it."
The woman didn’t seem worried, speaking in an unhurried tone. "Usually, anyone who comes here gets scared off by the footsteps of the Undead."
"Footsteps of the Undead?"
Hearing this, Fang Xiu was taken aback for a moment. No wonder neither he nor Kajimi could see anyone.
They could only hear those strange footsteps pacing back and forth.
"Find it strange? Undead creatures have physical bodies, yet these only have footsteps."

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