After reaching the island, Captain Slyth ordered the crew to drop anchor.
Captain Slyth was an old explorer who had traveled over 2,000 kilometers across the western states, often in the service of King Imphal. The king had sponsored this latest expedition in search of copper and diamond mines. But this island lay far to the south—1,500 kilometers beyond the western state of Helmheld.
As they disembarked, the crew spotted piles of human bones scattered near the shoreline. From their condition, it was clear they belonged to outcasts. Who where casted out from their tribe and left to die of starvation.
Captain Slyth approached a dark cave at the island's edge, peering inside. He motioned for his companions to follow.
"It's very dark down there. Is it really safe to go?" asked Zerf, a young recruit, hesitating near the entrance.
"What are you afraid of, boy?" Slyth said with a short laugh.
"I've never seen human bones like that before," Zerf replied, visibly uneasy.
"Those poor souls betrayed King Dawid of the Southern Realm. This is where they ended up."
With ropes and torches, the team began their descent. The silence inside the cave was oppressive. It took nearly half an hour to reach the bottom—so deep that their voices no longer echoed. But when they arrived, they saw something astonishing.
A vast underground city stretched before them—silent, lifeless, and crumbling. It was clear no one had survived; famine had claimed them all.
Captain Slyth raised his hand. "Everyone split into groups. Kiyan, Simon, and Zerf—you're with me. Iwan, Rick, and Soul, take the other side. Stay alert."
They began to explore.
Suddenly, a sticky, unnatural sound echoed through the dark. Before they could react, everything went black—as if the shadows themselves had swallowed the light.The darkness lifted just for a moment
"What was that?" Zerf asked, voice trembling.
Then the sound returned, louder this time. The blackness fell again.
"Not again…" Zerf whispered in frustration.
Then, from the ground, a monstrous creature erupted. Its limbs twisted unnaturally, and its maw gaped open with hunger. Captain Slyth immediately drew his sword.
"Fall back!" he shouted—but it was too late. The monster grabbed one of the men and tore him in two with terrifying ease.
"Run!" Slyth bellowed.
Panic spread. More monsters burst from the earth, howling and clawing. Screams echoed through the cavern as one by one, the explorers were dragged into the shadows.
Captain Slyth barely made it back to the cave entrance. Bloodied and gasping, he turned—but a piercing sound rang through the air, and a flash of green light slashed through him from back to stomach.
Captain Slyth collapsed, dead before he hit the ground.