After walking for hours, they all realized that the tunnels had no end. Some were connected to others, leading them back to where they had started several times.
In other words, the network of tunnels in the cave was not unlike a large labyrinth.
Most of the group was already having trouble following, so at some point they had decided to return to the main cavern and meet up with those in the other group to share their findings and find out if the other side was the same.
When they arrived at the main cave, there was still no one from the group, not even Jeanne had returned.
At first, Kalen found it strange not to find the young woman, but when he realized that there were an infinite number of tunnels, he realized that the chances of finding her were slim.
There was also the possibility that she was lost, not just her, there was the possibility that someone could get lost in the network of tunnels and disappear forever.
So far, they hadn't seen any danger, so they weren't in danger of being attacked. But that was only because it was the first day and they had done almost no research.
No one knew if there was really any danger hidden in the depths of the tunnels.
A few minutes later, the other group appeared through the same tunnel entrance they had gone through. Seeing that Elisabeth's group was already there, they approached them.
"How did it go?" asked Elisabeth to the group in general, but it was Sarah Lincoln who answered.
"Badly, it was like an endless maze, how did it go?"
Elisabeth blanched for a few seconds at Sarah's answer, but quickly regained her composure and began to reassure the group.
"Nothing, but it doesn't matter, we still have time to find resources before it's too late"
Without food or water, some were already feeling tired and lethargic. Among them, Kalen was hungry but could hold out for a while, but the same could not be said for the others.
At that moment, a scream echoed through the walls of the cave gradually fading away.
Everyone looked to where the scream came from and waited for a second scream that never came.
'...That way--'
"That way Zayne's group went" Oliver said with a serious look, completing Kalen's idea.
The group started to get nervous and so did Elisabeth. If something went wrong, it would create rifts within the group that would affect their test.
Kalen watched as Elisabeth bit her lips before speaking.
"From now on we will act as one group"
To complete her test, she needed a group of at least ten people to follow her, but that would be impossible if those people were dead.
"I'm sorry, but we'll go our own way" Sarah said, while everyone was still a bit stunned by the scream.
Elisabeth turned around and looked seriously at Sarah.
"Are you sure? It could be dangerous to go alone"
Sarah shook her head.
"It's more dangerous to go in such a large group. We don't know what might be out there, so I'm sorry, but let's split up here"
The siblings turned and walked in the opposite direction of the call. Elisabeth watched them go with a look of indifference that only Kalen could see.
'She's angry'
Losing control of more people was terrible for Elisabeth, even more so when the group was so small, barely bordering on 12 people, almost the limit for her test.
But Elisabeth didn't have time to think, not when something suddenly appeared from the screaming tunnel.
They were almost 15 meters from the entrance of the tunnel, and the lighting was not the best, so it took everyone a while to see what was coming out... and especially to understand what this creature was.
But Kalen was more used to the dark, so he was the first to see the horrible creature coming out of the tunnel.
'What the hell is that?'
Black and deformed tentacles, a black and slimy body full of bones protruding from its skin... if you could call it skin.
The creature was nearly 5 meters tall, touching the ceiling of the cave, and the most striking thing about the creature was its head. A mound of black, misshapen flesh, shaped like a human face in pure agony.
"Damn it, run!" shouted Oliver, alerting the still paralyzed group.
At the same moment they all started to run from the monster, it noticed their prey fleeing and screamed.
A howl of human pain came from the monster's mouth, sending shivers down everyone's spine.
Kalen frowned at the scream, but was not intimidated by the monster, just keeping an eye out for any strange actions by the monster.
Most people moved away from the cave and entered the tunnels, but there were a few people who were paralyzed with fear. Among them was Talika Bon.
'¡Why didn't she run?!'
Realizing this, Kalen cursed inwardly and ran towards her.
At that moment, the monster noticed that Talika hadn't moved, and its face changed from a distorted one of pain to one of excitement, as if it enjoyed human fear.
Several of the monster's tentacles moved nimbly and pointed at Talika. Normally, the tentacles looked slimy, but as they lunged forward, they turned into sharp barbs.
"Shit!"
Kalen reached Talika before the barbs reached her, but he couldn't dodge them in time.
Taking Talika in his arms, Kalen shielded her and turned his body as far as he could to avoid the spikes.
One of the spikes tore through Kalen's arm, leaving a deep gash, while another glanced across his right thigh.
Luckily for him, it seemed that once the monster launched its tentacles, he lost mobility in them until they hit their target, or their range ran out.
But the monster didn't just have two tentacles... it had more than ten.
Kalen didn't wait for the monster to attack again, he picked up Talika as a princess and ran towards the entrance of the tunnel.
If there was anyone else in the cave, Kalen didn't care. All he cared about was escaping with Talika.
When he reached the entrance of the tunnel, he saw a person waiting for him.
Oliver's breathing was labored and only fear, and anxiety could be seen on his face, but he was still able to shout.
"Dodge to your right!"
Kalen had no eyes behind him, no sixth sense to alert him to what was happening behind him, so he trusted Oliver's words completely and dodged to the right.
A moment later, a black, slimy spike flew past him, plunging several meters into the wall and raising a cloud of dust.
Taking advantage of the time it would take for the monster to launch another attack, Kalen ran past Oliver, who quickly followed.
"The others went down the next tunnel to the left!" Oliver pointed again behind Kalen.
Again, trusting Oliver's words, Kalen followed his instructions and kept running.
Soon they reached another cave where Jaume, Donovan, Elisabeth, and the other young women were catching their breath.
Seeing them arrive, Elisabeth approached them with concern.
"Are you all right?!"
Kalen arrived and the first thing he did was carefully set Talika down.
"Yes, but for now, but we should leave as soon as possible" Kalen replied before looking at Talika, who had gotten up and was looking at him with a regretful expression.
"Can you walk alone?"
Talika nodded several times nervously.
"Good..." Kalen looked back at the group, especially at Elisabeth.
"We should get further away"
Elisabeth started to speak, but Donovan beat her to it.
"How is that... thing going to follow us? It could barely fit in the cave"
Though his thought was logical as it was hard to believe the monster could fit into the tunnel, Kalen replied coolly.
"You want to stay and see if you're right?"
Donovan stepped back and silently said no.
Although the tunnel the monster had used to reach the main cavern was large enough for it to barely fit through, Kalen did not believe the monster was incapable of passing through smaller, narrower passages.
Surely its slimy body would help it fit into those smaller tunnels, and that would certainly slow it down.
Kalen looked at Elisabeth and saw that the young woman was silent and uncomfortable, he motioned to the young woman to react and apparently it worked as Elisabeth was slightly startled and began to give instructions.
Meanwhile, Talika, seeing that the others didn't notice her, crept up to Kalen.
"Y-you're hurt" she said, her voice filled with guilt.
Kalen looked at her for a few seconds, then smiled slightly.
"This? Don't worry, it's nothing"
"B-but it was my fault"
Kalen continued to smile, trying to reassure her that everything was fine.
"We were all scared, if you made a mistake, just try not to let it happen again... as for the wounds, it's nothing serious, really"
Kalen's words somehow calmed Talika, who nodded her head and remained silent.
Kalen began to examine his wounds as the others began to organize themselves and sighed inwardly.
'…I've had worse'