This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 656

It was a cave.

There was no other way to express it.

On one hand, it looked like someone had sliced open the intestines of a massive creature and just set it down here.

It was full of fleshy bits from one end to the other, and the interior was so dark that it felt like you couldn’t see an inch ahead.

I can’t believe I willingly stepped into a place like this.

Though my sister was beside me, where on earth did Dogun find the courage to enter such a terrifying space?

I was already shaking in my boots just looking at it; how could he…?

No, not how—it was just that he had no other choice if he wanted to return to reality.

That’s why he mustered up his courage, and so, I too had to find my own.

Just like Dogun, who had fallen into this place.

To summon courage… and move forward.

And seize what was ours.

The reason I had to come here, despite the chance that Dogun would oppose me, or even hate me for it, was…

…Can I even do it?

Will I be able to accomplish it?

Negative thoughts swirled in my mind for a moment, but I decided not to dwell on them any longer.

I might not have even lived thirty years yet, but one thing I knew for certain from my life experiences was that negative thoughts are like quicksand.

Once you set foot in them, you just keep sinking, and sinking.

So, I thought I should limit my negative thinking to this point.

Right now wasn’t the time to be ensnared by that; it was time to build my resolve to make sure I would overcome this, no matter what.

So… I began to quietly gather my determination within.

I didn’t let that resolve show on the outside.

After all, there were already too many suspicious glances aimed my way, and if I displayed signs of nervousness, those people would only see me as anxious.

That would surely diminish the already fragile trust between us even further.

I couldn’t allow that to happen.

Even if everyone here banded together, I couldn’t be sure we would succeed in the operation we had to carry out. If we entered with distrust among ourselves, the chances of failure would rise.

While I was silently building my will, others were busy studying the cave before us.

“With a size like this… it should be manageable to enter,” one said.

“Aside from how gross it looks, that seems fair enough,” another added.

“It definitely looks a bit too much like intestines,” chimed in a third.

“Is it really going to be okay? What if something jumps out…?” someone worried.

What if it really turns into actual entrails?

Perhaps that’s what someone wanted to say, but just as one person leaned forward, peering into the cave’s entrance, their words escaped.

The faces of those around them stiffened.

Were they imagining getting trapped in the cave?

As everyone stood there with hardened faces, Miss Almighty, who seemed lost in thought, finally broke her silence.

“It’ll be fine. Lightning Lady said she reached the tree through a similar route.”

Perhaps she wanted to add weight to her comment.

After saying that, she glanced over at me, expecting affirmation, and so I nodded without hesitation.

“I’ve heard that too.”

Being the one responsible for this crew, and as the apprentice of someone who had explored Heogye ahead of us, I guess they had no choice but to accept my words.

“I’m relieved to hear that, but…”

The person who had first shown skepticism nodded slowly, easing the negativity from their expression.

The atmosphere shifted for the better when the one who had stepped up took on a more relaxed demeanor.

“Well, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“True, if something pops up, we can just take care of it.”

Light-hearted banter began to flow naturally again.

Yet, not a single person dared to suggest entering.

Perhaps the moment you utter it, you’d be picked to lead, which made the suggestion feel daunting.

“However… there’s just one thing that’s bothering me—the inside is really dark…”

“Is there any lighting inside…?”

“That’s unlikely. Even if it exists, the monsters wouldn’t just leave it alone.”

“Indeed, putting restrictions on vision is one of the best ways to sap our strength.”

It seemed those murmurs continued aimlessly for a while.

Unable to stand it any longer, Miss Almighty stepped forward and snapped her fingers, which caused a blue butterfly to flutter in from somewhere.

It was such an alien and bizarre sight, yet strangely, it felt oddly familiar.

‘That couldn’t be…’

Ah, perhaps I saw a similar scene in a movie? Maybe that’s it…

Everyone’s attention was captured by the unexpectedly appearing butterfly at that moment.

Then, one more butterfly appeared.

This time, it had violet wings.

Fluttering gracefully, the violet butterfly joined the blue one.

In pairs, they danced gracefully into the depths of the cave.

As they entered, shimmering trails of light began to fall from their wings.

The light touched the fleshy ground.

Light sparked.

In an instant, the illuminating glow consumed the surrounding darkness.

“Let’s go.”

Miss Almighty, standing just behind me, took a step toward the cave.

There was no trace of fear in her.

Instead, it was simply a sense of duty, as if she was just doing what needed to be done.

I suddenly found myself curious.

For me, sure, but she didn’t really have to be so proactive.

Why was she pushing herself so hard?

Was it because of the sense of obligation that came with being the world’s strongest hero?

Is that what led to this plan?

I often didn’t understand my own pace; how could I know hers? But if that truly was her reasoning, then she was indeed remarkable.

If I were her, I’d probably be too busy enjoying wealth and glory.

To throw all that away, risking her life for something so uncertain—it was just impossible to fathom her reasoning.

Still, I couldn’t shake the thought that a hero is just that—regardless of the sentiment.

With that thought, I followed behind Miss Almighty as we stepped into the cave.

Perhaps it was due to the light scattered across the ground, but it didn’t feel as dark as I’d feared.

It wasn’t pitch black, but in exchange, the interior of the cave was laid bare before me.

Earlier, I’d thought it seemed truly like entrails, but now that I was inside, it felt even more so.

It was not just a mere metaphor—it genuinely felt like I was walking inside the innards of a gigantic creature.

With every step, I felt a squishy sensation underfoot.

Moreover, an unknown liquid dripped from the ceiling, whether it was water or something else was unclear.

“Is this… sap like the kind from the roots?”

“Going by the color, that seems likely.”

It seemed the eerie atmosphere surrounding us pressed down on everyone, making them want to shake it off.

With every step echoing a ‘squelch,’ their voices began to whisper along as we moved.

“By the way… what kind of talent does that woman possess?”

“That woman?”

“Miss Almighty, of course.”

They seemed to believe that whispering would keep it from reaching the ears of those in front, but that was sadly not the case.

Though maybe those at the front couldn’t hear, I certainly did from where I stood.

Yet, nobody seemed inclined to probe further…

…because I too was equally curious. What sort of talent could she have?

In the moment I was silently entangled in that familiar question once more…

Grrr—

An ominous sound echoed from a distance.