Detective in Another World: Solving Crimes with Necromancer System

The wind had not stopped since morning.

It came steady bursts, carrying snow that stung their faces and filled the narrow trail ahead. The path twisted upward between cliffs of black stone, each wall slick with frost and gleaming faintly in the pale light.

Edward walked behind Elarien, his boots crunching against the frozen ground. Every breath he took came out as mist. The cold had already numbed his fingers, even through the gloves.

Most of the group had gone quiet, saving their strength for the climb. The only sounds were the soft scrape of boots and the hollow cry of wind echoing between the rocks.

They had rested little after the fight. The elves moved with discipline, but Edward could see the tiredness on their faces. Some still had shallow cuts, others limped slightly, but no one complained.

He glanced at Elarien. She walked ahead with calm focus, her silver hair tied back and her bow slung across her back. Snow had gathered on her shoulders, but she didn't seem to notice.

"How much longer?" he asked, his voice half-lost in the wind.

"Until we find another flat stretch," she answered without turning. "After that, we will stop and check the map again. These paths are not marked. Even elves rarely travel this high."

Edward gave a short nod and looked up at the mountain towering above them. The higher they climbed, the darker it seemed. Clouds rolled low, pressing down over the peaks like heavy curtains.

Hours passed.

The slope grew steeper, the air thinner. Edward's breathing came heavier now, but he kept pace. Every now and then, one of the knights would pause to mark a path or check for loose stones.

Finally, the trail narrowed into a crack between two massive cliffs. The passage looked barely wide enough for one person at a time. Sharp ridges jutted out from the walls, forcing them to turn sideways to pass through.

"This way," Elarien said quietly. "Stay close. Watch your step."

The others began to move one by one through the gap. The wind outside faded, replaced by an eerie silence that made Edward's ears ring.

The air inside was colder still, but still air—not the biting rush from before. It smelled faintly of dust and old stone.

Edward followed Elarien in, his shoulder brushing against the rough wall. His hand trailed along the rock, feeling deep grooves like claw marks.

"What do you think made these?" he whispered.

She didn't answer right away. Her fingers touched the same grooves, tracing them with care. "I do not know. But they are old."

The light dimmed the further they went, until only faint silver glow from Elarien's magic lit their path. The group's line stretched behind them, quiet except for soft footsteps and the occasional clatter of armor.

Then, the ground shook.

It came as a sudden rumble beneath their feet, so brief at first that Edward thought it might have been his imagination. But then it grew stronger—stones rattled, and a low roar echoed through the narrow gap.

"Earthquake?" someone shouted from behind.

"Move!" Elarien ordered, her voice sharp. "Everyone forward, now!"

The mountain groaned. Rocks began to break loose from above, tumbling down in clouds of dust. Edward ducked as a chunk of black stone fell beside him, shattering across the path.

He grabbed Elarien's arm and pulled her ahead. They broke into a run, the narrow space forcing them to move single file as more stone rained down.

The world filled with noise—the grinding of rock, the crack of falling debris, and the choking dust that turned the air gray.

"Keep going!" she shouted.

Edward barely heard her. His lungs burned as they sprinted forward through the collapsing passage.

Then came a deafening crash behind them.

A wall of rock dropped from above, slamming into the ground and sealing the path in a single instant. The shockwave threw Edward off his feet. He hit the cold floor hard, rolling once before stopping near the edge of a ledge.

"Elarien!" he called out, coughing.

"I am here!" her voice answered, faint but clear through the haze.

He blinked through the dust and saw her a few meters ahead, kneeling near a half-buried lantern. The faint light revealed what had happened—the rest of the group was gone. The path behind them was blocked by tons of fallen stone.

Edward's heart sank. "They're trapped on the other side."

Elarien pushed herself up, brushing off the dust. Her face was calm, but her eyes were sharp. "So are we. There is no way back."

Edward looked around. The passage had opened slightly here, forming a small cavern. The floor sloped downward into a tunnel barely visible in the dim light.

"Well," he said, forcing a breath, "looks like we move forward."

Elarien gave a single nod. "We should stay alert. Caverns like this often connect to deeper paths."

They pressed on, their footsteps echoing faintly off the stone. The deeper they went, the more the air changed—it was no longer cold and dry, but damp and heavy. Small drops of water dripped from above, echoing softly in the silence.

Light shimmered faintly across the walls. When Edward raised his lantern, he saw markings—strange engravings carved deep into the stone. Spirals, runes, and shapes that looked like flowing lines or wings.

"What are these?" he asked.

Elarien stepped closer, studying the carvings with narrowed eyes. "Not elven. Not dwarven either."

"So, ancient?"

She nodded slowly. "Elven is considered ancient. This is older."

Edward ran his fingers across the symbols. The stone was cold, but he felt something faint—a pulse, like old magic sleeping just beneath the surface.

They continued forward, following the tunnel as it wound deeper into the mountain. The floor leveled out into a wide chamber lit faintly by glowing crystals that jutted from the walls.

The light painted everything in shades of blue and silver. Pools of water reflected the glow like mirrors.

"It is beautiful," Elarien murmured.

Edward agreed, though unease still tugged at him. "Too quiet."

Before she could answer, the surface of one pool rippled. Then another.

A sound came from the shadows—a low hiss.

Elarien drew her weapon instantly. "Something is here."

Edward raised his hand, calling his magic. Shadows stirred around him like smoke.

From the darkness at the far side of the cavern, a creature crawled out—a lizard-like beast with dark scales and eyes like dull sapphires. Its body shimmered faintly as if wet, and steam rose each time it hissed.

It was not large, barely taller than Edward's waist, but its movements were fast and sharp.

Elarien loosed an arrow without waiting. It struck the creature's shoulder, making it snarl and leap sideways.

Edward moved in, his blade coated with black mist. The creature lunged, jaws wide, but he sidestepped and slashed across its neck.

The blow cut deep. The beast stumbled, shrieking, before collapsing into the shallow water. Its blood spread like ink.

Elarien lowered her bow. "Weak."

"Or just alone," Edward said, glancing around.

But no others came. The water stilled, and the cavern fell silent once more.

He looked down at the fallen creature. The air above it shimmered faintly.

[Extraction Available]

Edward hesitated only a moment before reaching out. The dark light flickered briefly, then vanished.

Elarien gave him a look but said nothing.

They moved on. The tunnel beyond the cavern sloped downward again, this time narrower and smoother. The crystals became rarer, forcing them to rely on the faint glow of Edward's magic and Elarien's lantern.

The air grew colder once more. Their footsteps echoed strangely now, the sound bouncing in uneven patterns.

"How far do you think we have gone?" Edward asked after a while.

"Too far to climb back," Elarien replied. "But perhaps far enough to find something worth the trouble."

He gave a small laugh. "You sound almost hopeful."

"Hope keeps people alive," she said simply.

After another stretch of walking, the tunnel began to widen again. They stepped into a large, circular chamber—bigger than the last, its ceiling lost in darkness above.

The walls here were smooth, unlike the rough stone of the tunnels. And across one side stood something that made them both stop.

It was a door.

Or at least, something resembling one.

The surface was carved directly into the rock—a massive stone gate, covered in the same ancient symbols they had seen before. It towered high, easily twice Edward's height, with a faint blue light glowing within the grooves of its carvings.

Elarien approached slowly, her lantern casting long shadows across the floor. "This is not natural," she whispered.

Edward stepped beside her, running his hand across the cold surface. The symbols pulsed faintly under his touch, as if recognizing something.

"What do you think it leads to?" he asked.

"No," she said softly. "But it was sealed for a reason."

The air seemed to hum around them now—a deep vibration that echoed faintly in Edward's chest.

He looked at the door again, the faint blue lines slowly growing brighter.

"Step back." Elarien suddenly said.

They both moved away just as the carvings flared with light, filling the chamber with a pale glow. Dust drifted down from the ceiling, and a deep, echoing sound rolled through the stone like a heartbeat.

The door trembled but did not open. The light faded just as quickly as it came, leaving behind silence once more.

Edward exhaled. "That was… odd."

Elarien looked at the markings, then at him. "Whatever this place is, it has been here for a very long time."

Edward stared at the door, unease and curiosity twisting in his chest. "Well, only one way to find out"

The cold wind from the tunnels brushed against them again, and the faint hum of energy lingered in the air.

Neither spoke for a while. The mountain seemed to listen, holding its breath.

And beneath that silence, somewhere deep within the stone, something faintly stirred.