Chapter 22: Inside the Cave (Published as Two Chapters Simultaneously, Seeking Continuous Reading)

Robin, after hearing, nodded thoughtfully; in this mysterious yet dangerous forest, every shadow at night could hide a lethal threat.

Lily's eyes flicked, and she suggested: "Let's rest for a night first! We'll make torches, go into the cave, and if the cave's conditions are good, it could become our foothold later."

The cave's location is extremely special, situated at the junction of monster and beast activity zones; though fraught with danger, it is also the area with the most prey.

Thinking of that, a shrewd glint flashed in Lily's eyes, and she added: "Tonight we'll process the Jumping Goat and Shadow Leopard meat, and tomorrow we can hunt for half a day and return."

That way, they can fully exploit this outing and also ensure they have enough food and energy to support the upcoming cultivation.

Robin laughed and teased: "Lily really is a woman who knows how to count every penny."

Before long, the simple torches were completed.

Eric held a torch, steadily walking at the front; the leaping flames cast his silhouette onto the cave walls, wavering with his steps.

Robin kept close behind, his eyes alert as he surveyed the surroundings, his Sword ready to meet any danger that might appear.

Lily, cradling a large bundle of firewood, trudged at the back of the party.

These firewood supplies are essential for maintaining the campfire, warding off cold and danger.

Tomson, following the group's arrangement, remained at the cave entrance to guard the carcasses of the Jumping Goat and Shadow Leopard they had laboriously hunted.

"Tomson, if you spot danger, toss the prey in and find us; don't fight alone," Robin said, stopping suddenly before departing, turning his head seriously toward Tomson.

He knows the Black Forest's night dangers; Tomson's strength is relatively weak, and facing peril alone would be too risky.

Tomson, who had felt a bit insecure about being left to guard the prey and missing the cave exploration, brightened at Robin's words. He nodded vigorously and shouted, "Alright, I've got it!" The tension and disappointment on his face vanished instantly, replaced by reassurance and gratitude.

The group continued along the winding cave passage, humid air pressing against them, mingled with a faint putrid odor that made them involuntarily frown.

The cave walls were studded with oddly shaped stalactites and stalagmites, which, under the torchlight, cast bizarre shadows.

As they walked, Lily couldn't help whispering, "If Tomson weren't the nephew of a Malizi Knight, he couldn't have become a Knight apprentice." Her voice echoed lightly in the cave, tinged with a barely perceptible disdain.

Robin heard, but gave no reply.

He stared silently ahead, his mind turning over thoughts.

He understood Lily's remark was accurate; regardless of era, nepotism always breeds resentment.

Especially when those who ascend through connections lack both strength and competence, it more easily provokes others' displeasure.

Following the winding, twisting passage, they soon stepped into a spacious cavern.

The sight before them made everyone's eyes widen; the cavern's area was beyond imagination, easily spanning several dozen square meters.

The surrounding walls were covered with strange symbols and patterns, resembling some ancient script yet also bearing markings of special significance; in the firelight, the shadows of these symbols and patterns flickered oddly, as if narrating an unknown story.

The cavern floor was littered with many severely destroyed documents and objects.

Sheets of paper were torn into fragments, some still bearing scorch marks, appearing charred black.

Some odd metal devices were twisted and deformed, their components scattered, long unrecognizable from their original form.

Eric crouched, picking up a relatively large paper fragment; the script was blurry, only a few numbers resembling experimental data could be barely discerned.

"It looks like a Secret Research Base," he said, frowning, his tone tinged with surprise and doubt.

Robin also surveyed the area; he lifted a metal component and examined it closely, noting its material was unusual, its texture hard, far from ordinary metal.

"These destroyed items seem to be concealing some important secret," he said slowly, his gaze revealing caution.

Lily stepped cautiously through the cavern, her gaze sweeping over the shattered objects, a chill rising within her.

"Who could be conducting research here, and why destroy it so thoroughly?" she asked softly, her voice carrying a hint of unease.

Just as their confusion deepened, a faint sound echoed from the cavern's depths, like a low murmur of some creature or the whistling of wind through the cave.

Everyone's nerves snapped taut, hands gripping their weapons, eyes fixed on the dark beyond.

Following the chilling sound, they saw a massive Glass Vessel placed deep within the cavern.

The Glass Vessel stood over a person tall, brimming with a luminous green liquid.

Encased in the mysterious liquid, a grotesque monster stared wide‑eyed, fixing its gaze on the three of them.

The monster's form was twisted, its limbs grotesquely disproportionate, its skin a sickly gray‑white, speckled with dense black spots as if mold were rampant.

Its head was unusually large, occupying about a third of its body, its eyes like two massive black gems, lifeless, radiating endless cold and strangeness.

Lily, upon seeing this, could no longer restrain her terror and let out a startled cry.

The sharp cry reverberated through the cavernous space, as if trying to shatter the very air around it.

She instinctively stepped back a few paces, her body trembling uncontrollably, and the bundle of firewood she held spilled onto the ground.

Eric and Robin were likewise startled by the sudden sight, but they quickly forced their fear down.

Eric gripped his torch tighter, raising it high, attempting to use the firelight to discern more details of the monster while also bolstering his courage.

Robin clutched his Sword tightly, the blade trembling—a reflex of his tense body—but his gaze remained unwavering, fixed on the monster, ready to meet any attack it might launch.

However, Robin soon regained his composure, as the system's crisis detection feature had issued no alarm.

Normally, the system would warn at the approach of potential danger, yet now the surroundings were silent, clearly indicating the grotesque monster posed no immediate threat to their safety.

"Could it… just be a biological specimen?" Robin voiced his conjecture.

Starting at midnight this Sunday is the first round of recommendations; now the Qidian recommendation mechanism relies entirely on big data, please help everyone, click the daily follow‑read, the recommendation period is three watches per day, if it enters the second round it's four watches per day, third round five watches per day, and so on, please help the little brother.



(End of Chapter)