Sora frowned, puzzled. "Erathis rocks? What are they?"

Jarek rolled his eyes, despairing at Sora's question. "You really are an ignoramus, it's not possible."

"Explain instead of grumbling." Sora replied.

Jarek sighed loudly, but an amused smile played at the corner of his lips. "All right, kid, listen up. Erathis rocks are a rare material found only in deep caves. They're imbued with energy, a kind of Ushi residue that seeps into the rock over the centuries. Alchemists, blacksmiths and even some mages love the stuff."

Sora nodded slowly, trying to imagine these famous rocks. "So, they have certain Ushi properties?"

"To put it simply, yeah," replied Jarek, walking briskly through the streets of Grimpoint. "But it's not the rock that's the problem. It's what lives around it."

Sora felt a shiver run down his spine. "And what lives around it?"

Jarek turned briefly to glare at him. "If I tell you everything, where's the fun in that? You'll see."

They soon left town, passing between the last houses that marked the border between Grimpoint and the vast plains that surrounded it. The air was fresher here, and the silence of nature contrasted with the hustle and bustle of the town.

"The cave is a two-hour walk away," announced Jarek. "So save your breath, you'll need it."

They walked in silence for a while, Sora lost in thought. He wondered what he was really going to find in this cave. The mission seemed straightforward, but he knew that nothing was ever as easy as it seemed.

Jarek finally broke the silence. "Listen, kid, a word of advice: don't rush once you're inside. Observe your surroundings, spot the dangers, and above all, trust your instincts."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "My instincts?"

"Yeah," Jarek replied, cracking a smile. "Even an ignoramus like you must have one."

They finally reached a hill where a large gaping opening in the rock indicated the entrance to the cave. A light mist escaped from inside, and Sora could already smell the humid air, laden with a mineral odor.

Jarek stopped and pointed to the entrance. "This is it. The Erathis rocks emit a faint bluish light, so you can't miss them. I'll stay outside, but don't expect me to come and save you if you do anything."

Sora tightened his grip on his weapon, but before moving towards the cave, turned his attention back to Jarek. "Wait, but you didn't tell me what was waiting for me once I was inside."

Maintaining the same haughty smile, Jarek waited a few moments before revealing to Sora what awaited him once he was inside the cave. "Rampestres," said Jarek, his smile widening into an amused sneer. "A charming little local fauna. Imagine rats, but... let's say, not quite."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "The... what?"

Jarek crossed his arms, savoring the moment. "The rampestres. They're like rats, only worse. Their tails bristle like a porcupine's, and their bodies are covered in a kind of bony carapace that makes them tougher than mere rodents. Oh, and they have claws that whistle through the air when they attack, as if magically sharpened. They're fast, clever, and they move in groups."

Sora swallowed. "So rats mutated into little monsters. Great."

"You got it, kid," Jarek replied with a smirk. "But they're not very strong individually. If you're careful and don't get overwhelmed, you'll be fine. Maybe."

The "maybe" didn't reassure Sora at all. He stared at the dark entrance to the cave, as if it would devour him whole.

"Well, come on in," said Jarek, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll be watching from a distance. Only call me if you're really about to die, I'd hate for the Order to lose such an... entertaining novice."

Sora gave him an exasperated look before turning to enter the cave. Darkness quickly swallowed up the light outside, and he lit a small lamp that Jarek had lent him on the way in. The walls of the cave were damp and dotted with phosphorescent moss.

He progressed slowly, on the alert. All seemed quiet, but a slight noise in the shadows caught his attention. A scratching sound. Then a second.

Sora stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes narrowed, searching for the source of the noise. A pair of small, glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, followed by another, then a dozen more.

The rampestres slowly emerged from their hiding places, their stocky bodies covered with bony plates glinting in the lamplight. Their spiky tails swayed dangerously, each movement making a sinister little clicking sound.

"Okay, you're uglier than I'd imagined," Sora murmured, raising his weapon.

The first rampestre leapt up with a shrill cry, its claws extending towards him. Sora narrowly dodged, instinctively striking with the flat side of his sword. The impact sent the creature rolling, but it quickly righted itself, its eyes staring at Sora with a disturbing intelligence.

And then, all the others began to move.

Sora felt his heart quicken. "Well, this might be a bit complicated."

He brandished his weapon, ready to fight, as the rampestres drew closer, their clanking and grunting filling the cave.

Sora planted his feet firmly on the damp cave floor, his sword raised to chest height. The rampestres approached in a circle, their bristling tails swinging like whips ready to strike. Their grunts mingled with the clatter of their claws on the stone, creating an oppressive cacophony.

The first leapt again, but this time Sora deftly dodged it by pivoting to the side. He brought his sword down in one fluid motion, slicing through the air... and the creature's exposed flank. A piercing scream echoed through the cave, and the creeping creature collapsed, its spasmodic movements rapidly subsiding.

"One down," he murmured, before turning just in time to block the onslaught of another.

This one struck with its bristling tail, the tips barely grazing Sora's arm. He felt the pain of a scratch, but retaliated with a kick that sent the creature crashing into a wall.

The rest of the horde was not intimidated. The rampestres seemed to coordinate, moving in a synchronized dance that left little room for error.

Sora took a deep breath. "Okay... no rush, stay focused."

He backed away slowly, his eyes never leaving the creatures. Suddenly, his foot struck a hard, cold surface. The light from his lamp revealed a bluish sheen: Erathis rock.

"Ah, there you are," he murmured, a nervous smile on his lips.

But he had no time to linger. A pair of rampestres leaped simultaneously, and he rolled to the side to avoid their attacks. One of them struck with its spiky tail, hitting a nearby stone and leaving deep marks.

Sora took advantage of their moment of imbalance to strike again, his blade slamming into the exposed neck of one of the ramprestres. He collapsed with a shrill cry, while the other cautiously fell back.

He smiled, slightly out of breath. "So, you're not that invincible."

But he knew it wouldn't be long before the horde regained the upper hand. The rampestres seemed to be learning from his movements, adjusting their strategy.

At a glance, Sora spotted a higher ledge a few meters away. He gritted his teeth. "It's risky, but I have no choice."

He sprinted towards the ledge, dodging the desperate attacks of the rampestres. One of them managed to scratch his leg, but he ignored the pain and leapt up, grabbing the ledge. He pulled with all his might to pull himself up, narrowly escaping a collective assault.

Standing on the ledge, he took a second to assess the situation. The rampestres were rumbling below, their shining eyes staring at their unattainable prey.

Sora ran a hand over his sweaty forehead. "Okay, step one: survive. Step two: figure out how to get those damn rocks back."

But as he pondered his next move, a thud sounded in the cave. A vibration ran through the ground beneath his feet.

Sora squinted into the deeper darkness of the cave. Something was approaching.

"Oh, great... as if it couldn't get any worse."

A low, guttural roar sounded, making even the rampestres shudder. The creatures recoiled slightly, their grunts turning into nervous squeaks.

Sora swallowed hard. "Okay... I take back what I said about the rampestres. They may not be the worst problem here."

The roar intensified, echoing throughout the cave. The vibration grew louder, and Sora felt the ground tremble slightly beneath his feet. He knelt down to steady himself, his gaze fixed on the darkness.

The rampestres, at first frozen in fear, began to scatter in disorderly directions, abandoning their prey. A pungent, metallic smell permeated the air, making breathing heavier.

"What the hell...?" murmured Sora, his throat dry.

A movement in the shadows caught his attention. A massive form emerged, dragging broken chains and chunks of rock behind it. An imposing creature, which seemed to be the ultimate nightmare of the rampestres, revealed itself in the bluish glow of the Erathis rocks.

It was a sort of grotesque cross between a lizard and a giant rat, with a carapace of dark scales criss-crossed by luminous fissures, as if an internal energy pulsed beneath its skin. Its eyes, incandescent red, stared at Sora with icy intelligence. Its long, sharp claws scraped the ground with every step, producing a screeching sound that gave goose bumps.

Sora swallowed hard. "Of course. Of course. Why not a super-ramp? Why do all monsters have super-powered evolution?"

The creature roared again, exposing sharp fangs that seemed capable of crushing stone. With a swift, fluid movement, it leapt onto a nearby rock, its tail, as thick as a tree trunk, crashing to the ground with a thud.

Sora stepped back, frantically searching for a solution. "Jarek!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "If you can hear me, now's the perfect time to intervene!"

No reply.

"He's really useless, that guy."

The creature leapt towards the ledge where Sora was standing. Sora reflexively rolled to the side to narrowly avoid the claws, which struck the stone, shattering it. The blast of impact sent his hair flying, and he felt his heart racing.

"Okay, Sora, think, think!"

He glanced around quickly. Apart from the only apparent exit from the cave now behind the huge rampestre, there was still the huge hole the creature had just created a few meters away, but Sora didn't really feel like diving in.

There weren't many other options left, so he'd have to use his skill. However, the monster didn't give him the time he needed, and was already rushing at him.

Sora tried to parry a paw strike aimed at his arm, but the impact of the beast's claws against his sword sent him tumbling a few meters away. Now cornered between the abyss and the monster, he knew he had no choice but to concentrate, letting the Ushi of his sword enter his arm. He concentrated this heat in as precise a point as possible and released it in one fell swoop.

The whiteout was far less powerful than during his morning training, but it was enough to destabilize the rampestre that had approached him. The impact slightly cracked the beast's dorsal carapace, and it detached its attention from Sora for a few moments.

Having noticed this, he hurried around the creature and tried to reach the exit, which was getting closer and closer to him. But the closer he got, the more certain he was that a shadow was looming at the entrance to the cave.

Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out before him.

"Well, kid, you're not doing so bad. But you could be a bit faster, you know!"

Sora looked up to see Jarek leaning nonchalantly against a wall, an amused smile on his face.

"Seriously? You're coming now?" cried Sora, exasperated.

Jarek shrugged. "I was watching. But hey, you've struggled enough. Watch and learn."

He drew a dagger with a blade as black as night, which seemed to absorb the light around it. Then, with dazzling speed, he charged straight at the creature.

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