LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 18: chapter 18 - second
Ragith gripped his sword tightly as he pushed forward through the cave, his boots kicking up dirt and dust. Though relief buzzed faintly in his veins at finding Mo Tang alive, another storm brewed inside him—rage. His dark eyes darted toward Rishitha as they moved, his expression unreadable but sharp.
How dare she? he thought bitterly, his teeth grinding together. How dare she drag my sister into this mess?
To Ragith, Mo Tang was his responsibility—his pride, his blood, his one remaining connection to a family long gone. For her, he had fought monsters in dungeons, endured sleepless nights, and taken on impossible missions. She was his only reason for enduring this cruel world. And now, seeing her pale face, bruised skin, and weary posture because of Rishitha—someone he barely knew—it ignited something primal in him.
As they walked, Ragith's thoughts spiraled back to the hellish journey it took to find them both.
He had searched for days—first through the forest, then through crumbling ruins and dungeons filled with beasts. Every moment spent not knowing if his sister was alive gnawed at his sanity. He had hunted down leads from mercenaries and adventurers who had seen "two girls" in the eastern zones, but nothing had prepared him for the labyrinth.
He still remembered standing at its entrance, staring into the black abyss. His instincts screamed at him that his sister was in there, and despite his exhaustion, he'd plunged in without a second thought.
In those moments of darkness, only one thought fueled him: Mo Tang needs me.
He fell into traps, fought beasts that emerged from shadows, and crossed caverns where his torch barely kept the darkness at bay. More than once, he found himself fighting the suffocating thought of What if I'm too late?
But now, after all that torment, she was here. Alive. Because of Rishitha.
His gaze flickered toward Rishitha again. Her expression was difficult to read—calm but guarded. There was something unnerving about her quiet strength, like she was carrying a weight no one else could see.
But still... Mo Tang had been dragged into danger on her watch. That wasn't something Ragith could forgive so easily.
Before Ragith could say something cruel, a sharp movement made him freeze. From the shadows of the cave, another figure emerged—tall and imposing, with a sword in hand. Erin's silver hair glinted faintly in the torchlight, and his piercing blue eyes locked onto Ragith instantly.
Ragith tensed, instinctively shifting in front of Mo Tang as if to shield her. "Who's this?" he demanded sharply, his voice echoing against the cave walls.
Rishitha stepped forward quickly, sensing the rising tension. "This is Erin," she said evenly. "He's been helping us survive in here."
Erin tilted his head slightly, his expression cool but unreadable. "And you are?"
"Ragith," he snapped, not bothering to hide his irritation. "Mo Tang's brother. And who exactly put them in danger?" His eyes narrowed, flickering between Erin and Rishitha.
Erin's lips curled faintly—a smirk, though his gaze was anything but amused. "They would've been dead without her."
Ragith's jaw tightened, a flash of anger and guilt burning through him. He hated the truth in Erin's words.
Mo Tang, ever the peacemaker, stepped forward and grabbed Ragith's sleeve. "Stop," she said softly, her voice barely audible. "Rishitha saved me. More than once. We wouldn't have made it through without her."
Ragith looked at his sister—her tired, honest eyes pleading with him to understand. The anger in his chest wavered but didn't vanish. He exhaled sharply, turning to Rishitha with a glare.
"You're hiding something," he accused. "I don't know how you're doing it, but no one else has these skills—skills that have kept you alive in places where others would've fallen."
The four of them stood in the flickering torchlight, the tension crackling like electricity.
"Enough of this," Erin cut in, his voice sharp and commanding. "We can't afford to argue right now. This labyrinth doesn't care about family squabbles."
Ragith turned to Erin with a sneer. "And you're so sure about her?" He gestured toward Rishitha. "Who is she really? People don't just survive labyrinths like this. My sister almost died because of her!"
Rishitha finally spoke up, her voice calm but laced with a quiet edge. "I don't need you to trust me." She looked directly at Ragith, her gaze unwavering. "You can hate me all you want, but I did keep Mo Tang alive."
Her words stunned him momentarily. He wasn't used to people talking back to him, especially someone like her—a nobody, a stranger who didn't belong in this world.
Mo Tang sighed, stepping between them. "Ragith, listen to me. Rishitha saved us. And Erin, too." She turned to her brother, her voice softening. "Don't let your anger blind you. We're alive because of them."
Ragith ran a hand through his hair, exhaling harshly. "Fine," he muttered. "But I'm watching both of you."
Rishitha didn't flinch under his scrutiny, but inwardly, her system buzzed faintly.
As Ragith glared at her, Rishitha felt the familiar chill of her system interface blinking to life.
[Hidden System Alert: Caution Recommended. New NPC interaction: Ragith.]
[Note: Global system integration active. Rishitha's private interface remains undetected.]
She kept her expression neutral, but the cold ruthlessness of her system echoed in her mind like a distant hum. It didn't care about her feelings or relationships—it was a machine built on survival and results.
[Mission Pending: Ensure group survival for the next 12 hours.]
Her shoulders tensed. The labyrinth wasn't done with them yet.
Ragith eventually relented, though the tension lingered between him and Rishitha like an unspoken challenge. Erin remained quiet, observing the dynamic with calculating eyes. Mo Tang, ever the bridge between them, walked beside her brother, whispering to calm him.
As they moved deeper into the cave, Ragith found himself stealing glances at Rishitha. He didn't trust her, not yet. But he couldn't deny that there was something different about her—something dangerous and unexplainable.
And in a world where danger was everywhere, he wasn't sure if that made her an ally or a threat.
[Pending Mission Update: Group trust partially established. Objectives in progress.]
Rishitha glanced at her private interface, hiding it from the others. Her system buzzed quietly:
"Survival comes first, Host. Alliances are tools, not friendships. Remember your mission."
She exhaled, her resolve hardening. I'll keep them alive, she thought. No matter what it takes.
The four of them pressed forward through the winding labyrinth, their flickering torches casting long shadows against the jagged stone walls. Each step echoed eerily, as though the cave itself was alive, watching their every move. The tension was thick—each person walking in silence, lost in their thoughts.
Ragith kept close to Mo Tang, his sharp eyes constantly flickering toward Rishitha and Erin. I don't trust them. Not her. Not him. Especially not this situation. Every instinct in him screamed that something was off. He had grown up surviving in this cruel world where betrayal and hidden motives were everyday occurrences. And now, seeing his sister tangled up with strangers… it burned at his very core.
Mo Tang could have died because of this girl. No matter what anyone says, I can't forgive that.
He didn't voice it aloud, but the anger remained. Yet, deep down—beneath the frustration—there was a small sliver of guilt. Guilt that he hadn't been there for Mo Tang. Guilt that, despite all his searching, someone else had saved her. Her. Rishitha.
Rishitha walked a step ahead of the group, feeling the weight of Ragith's glare like a dagger in her back. She didn't blame him. She understood his anger. If someone had put her family in danger… she would've been the same.
Her system interface hovered faintly in her vision, unseen by anyone but her:
[Active Mission: Ensure group survival for the next 12 hours.]
[Status: 11 hours, 14 minutes remaining.]
The countdown ticked relentlessly in her mind, a silent reminder that their ordeal was far from over.
Focus, she thought, forcing her legs to keep moving. She had no time to deal with Ragith's hatred or Erin's unreadable stares. Her system had made it clear: survival was non-negotiable.
As if sensing her turmoil, the system chimed softly in her head:
[Advice: Use alliances strategically. Emotional attachments are irrelevant.]
Easy for you to say, Rishitha thought bitterly. I'm not a machine.
Yet, no matter how harsh the system's words were, they pushed her forward. She couldn't afford weakness—not here, not now.
Ragith finally broke the silence, his voice a low growl. "How much farther?"
Erin glanced at him over his shoulder, unbothered by the hostility in Ragith's tone. "Not much. The central chamber is close."
Ragith's lips curled into a sneer. "And what's so important in this 'central chamber'?"
Before Erin could respond, Mo Tang interjected softly, "It's where we're supposed to find the artifact. Rishitha figured it out."
Ragith's eyes narrowed sharply. "She figured it out? And what makes you so sure she's not leading us into another trap?"
Rishitha didn't stop walking, though she clenched her fists. "Believe what you want, but we don't have time for this."
Ragith's anger flared at her nonchalant response. He strode forward and grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn around. "You don't get to act like this is all normal. People are dying out here. My sister almost died because of you. So don't tell me to 'believe what I want' when you're hiding something."
Erin's hand was on his sword instantly, the silver blade half-drawn before Ragith could blink. "Let. Her. Go."
The words were calm, but the threat was clear. The tension snapped tight like a wire ready to break.
Mo Tang rushed between them, her voice trembling. "Stop it! Please! We're on the same side."
Ragith's chest heaved as he released Rishitha, glaring at Erin. "I'll let it go for now," he said coldly, "but I'm watching you both. You especially." He turned his glare back to Rishitha. "Whatever secret you're hiding, I'll figure it out."
Erin sheathed his sword slowly, his piercing gaze lingering on Ragith for a moment longer before shifting back to Rishitha.
His thoughts were clearer than ever. She doesn't deserve this.
Rishitha had been fighting tooth and nail to keep everyone alive, shouldering burdens none of them could see or understand. Erin didn't know her full story, but he knew enough: the quiet strength in her eyes, the way she faced danger without flinching. She was the reason they were all still breathing.
And yet, Erin thought bitterly, they blame her.
He glanced at Rishitha, who had already turned away, moving forward as though nothing had happened. Erin felt a pang of something—frustration? Admiration? It didn't matter. What mattered was keeping her alive.
They gathered at a small clearing within the cave, where a faint glow of luminescent crystals illuminated the space. Mo Tang sat on a rock, breathing heavily, while Ragith hovered protectively beside her. Erin leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching everything with his sharp eyes.
Rishitha checked their supplies quietly, breaking the silence first. "We need to rest. The next chamber won't be easy."
Ragith scoffed, his irritation still simmering. "So you're in charge now?"
Rishitha didn't look up. "No one's in charge. But we're exhausted. Pushing forward without rest will only get us killed."
Mo Tang sighed, pulling at her brother's sleeve. "Ragith, please. Just let it go."
He looked down at her, his expression softening only slightly. "Fine. But we're not done here."
Erin's voice cut through the tension. "If you want to get out of here alive, you'll need to trust her. Whether you like it or not, she's kept you alive so far."
Ragith didn't respond, but his silence was answer enough.
Rishitha glanced at Mo Tang, offering a faint smile. "Get some rest. I'll take first watch."
As Mo Tang nodded gratefully, Ragith's gaze lingered on Rishitha, his thoughts still storming. She's hiding something. I'll figure out what.
As the others settled in, Rishitha sat at the edge of the clearing, staring into the darkness. Her system flickered softly in her vision:
[Mission Progress: Group survival in progress. Time remaining: 10 hours, 46 minutes.]
[Warning: Host's stamina critically low. Rest advised.]
She ignored the alert, her thoughts too loud to allow her to rest. Ragith's hatred, Erin's quiet support, Mo Tang's trust—it was all a fragile balance. And one misstep could bring it crashing down.
The system's cold voice hummed softly:
[Host's emotional turmoil irrelevant. Prioritize mission success.]
Rishitha clenched her fists. I'll keep them alive, she promised herself again. Even if they hate me for it.
Because the truth was, this wasn't just about survival. It was about saving the world—saving herself. And whether they trusted her or not, she couldn't fail.
Not again.