During his time in the sanctuary, Steven had learned far more about the Shadow Eaters than he had ever been exposed to or could have imagined consuming. And on one of those many occasions, he had learned that some Shadow Eaters gained their ranks through numbers, existing and advancing as groups.

Like the Horrids, for example. He was quite sure that each of them, individually, was nothing more than a Dreadling at its peak stage, on the verge of breaking through into the Disaster rank. But because of how closely they stayed together as a horde, they were collectively rated as high-classed Disasters.

Unlike the King Beast, which solely terrified the Fated Colosseum.

Well, in the end, these were only his theories about the nasty Horrids.

He continued to move through the dimly lit corners of the cave, the darkness far more dominant than the light, which was formed from small crystal shards embedded within the walls and roofing of the cavern, giving off a faint glow that Steven did not take long to adjust to.

But despite adjusting, he still needed the support of the wall to move properly, his hands trailing along the thick, jagged parts of the cave’s surface as he advanced carefully.

"Just for a little bit more," he told himself, pushing onward through the eerie caverns.

At some points, the walls were smoothened, and at others, brutally jagged, as though a colossal battle had once taken place here. The roofing was no different, and to further prove his suspicions, massive piles of debris lay scattered beneath every caved-in or fractured section of stone.

’From what I see, it might as well be human-crafted. So there must be others close by—probably a city, or at least an escape at the end of these tunnels,’ he thought, a flicker of hope igniting within his chest.

Still, there was a question that lingered deep within him, one that made his skin crawl with goosebumps.

Why had the exit of the caves led to a platform where nothing stood beyond it except a surreal sea of clouds? What in hell was someone supposed to do on such a platform?

For a moment, Steven imagined people being sacrificed there. He frowned at the idea, the thought of being trapped in a realm where he would fall under the will of another petty deity sending a shiver down his spine.

It didn’t take long before Steven finally reached a much brighter section of the cavern, where the lighting had grown strong enough to allow him to see nearly a dozen feet ahead. It wasn’t as radiant as the morning sun, but it was sufficient to make out finer details.

Not only had the lighting changed, but the size of the tunnels as well. They expanded from narrow, oppressive walls into something far broader, while the number of glowing crystals increased, bathing the area in a surreal white luminescence.

"This should be good enough," he muttered, walking over to the closest section of the wall and lowering himself to the ground. "At least we can see attacks coming with this much space."

He raised his hand, willing the system into motion, and summoned his Knight.

In the next instant, Nott appeared before him, the Grey Knight’s armor dented and warped along the shoulders and breastplate, one entire arm missing entirely.

"You look to be in very bad shape," Steven joked.

The Grey Knight merely tilted his head, unresponsive to the sarcasm.

"What’s with that look? Can’t take a joke?" he pressed, but received nothing but the same empty stare.

Steven frowned and shifted his gaze to the health bar hovering above his Knight. [HP 2/10]. He had managed to recover only slightly from their last battle and was still in miserable condition.

Steven himself wasn’t any better. Between the brutal fall from the sky, the fierce battle against the monstrous Horrid, and being violently flung toward the island, his entire body groaned in protest.

That was why he had summoned Nott out of the summoning space. ’If I have to heal while being exposed, then this bastard has to do the same.’

He opened the dimensional shop, navigating quickly to the food section. He purchased a plate of grilled beef and a bottle of water. In total, the transaction cost him five cores—an expense he hardly cared about.

As soon as the food appeared, he began devouring it at a hurried pace, tearing into the meat greedily before washing it down with deep gulps of water.

Then his gaze shifted toward Nott, who remained silently watching him.

"What? Do you want some of this?" Steven asked.

Nott slowly shook its head in reply.

"If you had a voice, you’d probably be mocking my skinny appearance, right?"

The Grey Knight nodded in agreement.

{Your sponsor folds his lips, struggling to hold back laughter. You are truly amusing, Human.}

Steven scowled. ’Bastards.’

He opened the system window while finishing his meal, checking to see if the First Realm had undergone any changes, or if he could find information regarding his current location.

{Name: Steven}

{Blessing: Salvat the Fallen}

{Race: Half-Awakened}

{System: Limitless Undead System}

{Talent: Gain x5 upgrades from every undead slain. Copy skills from the dead and make them yours.}

{Skill Rank: Choose a skill to be ranked}

{Skills Copied: Rampage Blast, Stun, Fateless}

{Physique: 20/1000}

{Mana: 500/500}

{Undead Cores Accumulated: 40}

[Undead Summon: 1]

[Souls: 0/1000]

{Command Over the Dead: 1/20}

{Tale of the Treasures Long Forgotten}

Steven’s eyes glowed at the new information.

One detail immediately drew his attention to the system... the Blessing: Salvat the Fallen.

’I saw this when I entered the realm, but I had no time to properly read through it,’ Steven thought, tapping his finger against the holographic projection.

The display expanded, revealing the same information he had glimpsed earlier. He read through it fervently, forming a rough understanding of who this ’Salvat Perce’ was. But the more he read, the more questions surfaced.

’I’ll probably figure the rest out as I go.’

He scrolled downward, pausing at the final unfamiliar entry.

"Tales of the Treasures Long Forgotten," he whispered, tapping it.

A new notification bloomed before him.

{Tales of the Treasures Long Forgotten}

{A tale of life, of music, of common folk, of kings and queens, of offerings, and of gods who lived and perished. A tale of how the human race brought about its own downfall in the name of power.

It is a tale remembered only by the Blessed. It is a tale long forgotten.}

"The human race... downfall?" Steven murmured. "What does that mean?"

Certain theories surfaced in his mind, but he refused to leap to conclusions. After all, he hadn’t encountered a single human since entering this realm, unlike the Fated Colosseum.

"Right now, the best thing I can do is keep moving through these caves and hope I genuinely find a path to civilization," Steven said grimly.

If there were no humans alive, no civilization left, then how would he ever return to the human world—or complete the Trials of the First Realm?

Hopefully, his luck hadn’t condemned him to a realm of nothing but ruined caverns and endless monster hordes.