Chapter 19: Secluded Village Of The Hollow. (Part 1)

'Finally, the exit!' Dawn exhaled, relieved.

[You have completed the main quest: Death Run!]

As he emerged from the cave-like passageway, the first thing he noticed were the other awakened around him. There were about seven of them, far fewer than he had originally anticipated.

Among them were notable individuals: Mason, Blaise, and Aella. The two boys were covered in wounds, appearing in foul moods as they glared at Aella. 

Indeed, everyone bore injuries of some sort, except for Aella. 

They all hovered near the exit, standing before Rek and the guards, who patiently awaited them. It seemed they had arrived before the rest. 

'Did they use a different route…?' Dawn speculated. 

However, Dawn's attention quickly shifted from Rek to the sight unfolding beyond him in the large cavernous interior. 

An arched wooden bridge nestled over a stream of water. In front of the bridge, an old village was nestled.

The architectural style was reminiscent of traditional Eastern designs, houses with gently sloping roofs, constructed from polished wood and rice paper, were built upon sturdy stone platforms, elevated from the cave floor to safeguard against any underground streams. 

The dwellings appeared quite old and run-down, looking even more deteriorated than the awakened's manor they had just departed from. It resembled an ancient, secluded village devoid of life. 

However, Dawn could sense it... Within the village, an ominous presence was lurking.

'What is this sensation...?' Dawn pondered, his gaze fixed on the center of the ancient village. 'Moreover, just how vast is this labyrinth? It houses an entire village...'

His eyes then darted to the stream.

'And where is this water coming from?'

He had many questions, but before he could voice them, his thoughts were interrupted by one of the awakened.

"Hey, you. The guy who just arrived, how far behind are the others? I'm losing patience," Blaise asked, crossing his arms and casting a glance at Dawn.

Up until that moment, everyone had been silent, likely due to Rek's and the guards presence. However, Blaise had seemingly reached his limit. 

Naturally, all attention shifted to Dawn, who was leaning against the wall.

"They should be here shortly. Do you mind if I ask why we're waiting?" 

Despite disliking the sudden influx of attention, Dawn reasoned that it was a good opportunity to gather information.

He had expected Blaise to answer, but before he could, Rek chimed in.

"Once all the awakened have gathered, I will explain the rules. For now, remain quiet and wait." Rek commanded, casting a glance at Dawn and Blaise.

At Rek's gaze, Blaise quickly averted his eyes. Meanwhile, Dawn began speculating about their next task, his gaze still fixed on the village.

'So they don't know what we're waiting for either…'

He was trying to commit as much of the layout to memory as he could, occasionally shifting his position for a better view.

Something about the village made him uneasy, but he couldn't pinpoint why. 

Dawn shook his head. If there was one thing he trusted, it was his instincts, particularly when it came to sensing danger. However, now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

'While we're waiting here, I should use the opportunity to collect my quest reward…'

[Mail.]

[You've completed 'Main Quest: Death Run'.]

[Completion rewards have been sent.]

[Would you like to receive them?] (Y/N)

'Yes, I would.'

Almost instantly, a glowing light radiated from the screen before him, transforming into three luminescent cards. The cards bore no designs or markings—they were simply blank and white.

This sight was familiar to Dawn; the same thing had occurred the last time he completed a quest.

[Please select the card of your choice.]

Rubbing his chin in thought, Dawn pondered which card to choose. As the outcomes were undisclosed, it all came down to luck.

'Skill points would be preferred... But I wonder what other rewards there might be... Ideally, I'd like something new.'

With that thought, Dawn discreetly chose one of the cards, careful not to draw any attention. Even though the others couldn't see the cards, he didn't want them to see him waving his hand in the air aimlessly.

As soon as he made his choice, the two unchosen cards disappeared, leaving the selected card gleaming more vibrantly as it revealed its content.

[+4 stat points.]

Dawn's eyes widened at the new reward. This was his first time receiving such a prize. The card quickly vanished, and his status tab automatically opened afterward.

Much remained unchanged, but a new entry could now be seen below the usual data.

[Strength: 3]

[Agility: 3]

[Stamina: 4]

[Sense: 5]

[Available Stat Points: 4] 

[Allocate your points to the desired attributes.]

Dawn couldn't help but grin broadly as he looked at the new development. Had the other awakened not been present, he might have even started giggling with delight.

'Finally... an opportunity to strengthen this body. System, allocate two points to Agility and two points to Strength.'

[You have allocated 2 stat points into Strength.]

[You have allocated 2 stat points into Agility.]

Following the system notifications, Dawn felt a surge of energy flooding his body. It was an exhilarating and revitalizing sensation, much stronger than when he had consumed the energy-replenishing pill. 

His muscles swelled slightly, and his body felt lighter once the energy surge receded. Looking down at his hand, Dawn clenched it, then broke out into a self-satisfied smile.

'This sensation... yes, this is it.'

-

-

-

Once the final awakened had gathered, an expression of surprise tinged the guards' faces.

"How did so many of you survive...?" One guard asked in disbelief.

Dawn scanned the surroundings; there were 46 awakened in total. Essentially, 12 of them had perished during the Death Run.

'If he's this surprised by this figure, they must have expected more fatalities... well with the way the traps were, If I hadn't gone around off-setting them I would've expected the same… it seems that they took my advice to heart too.'

"Most of the traps had already been triggered by those who ran in first, and we mostly split up so we had it somewhat easier..." Ayleth replied, her glare targeting the guard. "The point of this is to train us, is it not? Why should our survival surprise you?"

At this, the guard clenched his fist and took a threatening step towards Ayleth. However, Rek intervened, grabbing the guard by his shoulder.

A single look at Rek's face was enough to send a chill down the guard's spine, making him withdraw instantly. 

Although the guard, like the others, wore a helmet that shielded his entire face, strands of brown hair peeked out from beneath. Dawn contemplated using inspect to get more information on him but decided against it due to the potential risk.

'It doesn't matter who this guard is or what their face looks like. Judging from their attitudes, they all harbor ill intentions towards us anyway. It's pointless to single one out.'

With all the awakened present, Rek finally took the initiative to speak.

"You must survive thirty minutes in this secluded village. Once that time has passed, you must cross the bridge and exit the village from the other side. To those of you unable to count, a flame will appear in the sky above the village once everyone has entered. You may not cross the bridge until that flame has been extinguished."