Liquidation: From Big Boss to Bloody Demon Sauce Chapter 32: Chapter 32: The End Of The Line

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We spent a few tedious, frustrating hours exploring the massive chamber, ordering the trolls to move heavy rocks, and poking around the dark crevices to see if anything of value was hidden beneath the debris. But we found nothing. The market was completely dry. As the hours passed, I could internally sense the day turning into night outside. The heavy, oppressive silence of the deep cave was really starting to get to me, even though I lacked physical ears to hear the quiet. I began to have serious doubts about every strategic decision that I had taken up until that point. I didn't even know for a fact why I had decided that there was a high-yield treasure hidden specifically here. I didn't know much about anything regarding Xeenar's geography, but I was bullheadedly pushing forward as if I had read the quarterly report. "Master, should we halt production and set up camp?" Grimora asked softly, pulling me out of my spiraling corporate thoughts. "We can halt. You and the labor force should sleep, Grimora," I replied, pointing out the logistical advantage that neither Grimjaw nor I strictly needed to eat or sleep. I also confidently stated that I would be perfectly able to run security and watch for any danger while they rested. Pure, unfiltered logic told me that anything or anyone that had made this massive cave system their primary hiding spot would have easily heard or seen us by now. But I still wasn't sure. The market was too quiet. Nothing had made even a single peep since we first breached the entrance. The agonizing suspense of not knowing if something was actively stalking us down here was even worse than just fighting the creatures head-on. Even stretching my newly formed sensory range to the absolute maximum netted me exactly zero data. "Perhaps... we should keep an active watch?" Grimora asked nervously, looking back at the trolls who all seemed to be cautiously looking around the dark chamber. There was also a highly distinct, acrid smell starting to slowly fill the stagnant air of the cave. "What smells so awful?" I asked, desperately wishing my gelatinous form possessed the ability to plug whatever acted as my nose. "That smell... it's pure Sulfur," Grimora answered, her pink eyes widening in sudden realization, though she didn't exactly seem sure of how to handle the data. Something was critically wrong with our position, but it was far too late by the time my analytical mind realized it. As Grimora quickly turned to yell at the trolls to prepare for an ambush, the stone floor simply exploded. A massive, horrific creature burst violently out of the solid ground directly beneath Snarl, its jagged claws dragging the screaming troll down into the dark rock with terrifying speed. The sudden, incredibly violent attack caught us all completely off guard, but Grimora was already moving, her executive instincts kicking in. Bright, sickly yellow glowing eyes suddenly seemed to come to life all around us. A massive, tightening circle of horrific, misshapen creatures emerged smoothly from the solid stone walls and floor, as if the rock were made of water. In the dim, flickering light of Grimora's fire, I could only make out vaguely humanoid figures made of crusted rock and dripping acid. But their eyes glowed with an unnerving, luminescent hunger, bathing our horrified faces in a ghastly, toxic glow. Grimora unleashed a massive wave of raw magic. A blade of pink Ether, bright and tangible in the dark cave, sliced toward the nearest threat. But the magical attack was violently torn apart, dissolving into hissing steam before it could even reach the monster's rocky hide. Her eyes widened in absolute shock as another one of the massive creatures lunged forward and grabbed Rumble. The troll's massive club was useless; his terrified scream filled the night before being abruptly, sickeningly choked off as he was pulled into the stone. The threat level of this encounter was way out of Grimora’s operational control. Despite her inc