"Business? What business?" Universe was puzzled once again by this little girl.
"Of course, to help you get over your depression," Suling said, proud of herself.
"So, last night, everything you did was because you wanted to conduct some business with me."
Seeing his puzzled expression, Suling hurriedly added, "You will also benefit from this, trust me."
Universe really didn't want to play along with this illusionist, but upon hearing about the benefits, he changed his mind. "Tell me in detail. What kind of business are you talking about?"
Seeing that he agreed, Suling became happy and started explaining. "It's about four months ago when I went into the forest for hunting. Due to a beast, I had to run for quite a while. Fortunately, I found a cave to hide in. When I calmed down, I found that the spiritual energy inside was very high. So high that I felt like breaking through right there.and there is only one reason for this, a valuable treasure. When I tried to go deeper into the cave to check it out, I felt danger like never before, so I came back.
I didn't tell my father or any friends about it because I knew I wouldn't get anything if they knew. So I started searching for a person who could be honest and powerful enough to help me in this quest. After the competition, I started looking into you, and in the end, I found what I was looking for."
Finally finished with her explanation, she took a deep breath and looked intently at Universe.
"So, what do you think? Will you come with me on an adventure, or are you scared?"
Universe looked at her and thought, 'She knows how to irritate quite well.'
"Okay, I'm in. But let me be clear. If I find myself in danger, don't expect me to take care of you."
"Hmph," Suling snorted softly. "I don't need anybody's help. Just take care of yourself." With that, she walked silently into the forest, followed by Universe and the two others who were still hidden.
Three hours later,
"Can you tell me how much more time it will take? We've been walking for hours, and killing those beasts has drained half of my energy already."
Suling regretted bringing him here. "Oh, come on. Don't complain all the time. We're almost there, so just keep quiet and follow me."
Behind them, the masked person chuckled at their behavior. He muttered to himself, "Ah, this never gets old."
Suddenly, his eyes sharpened as he looked ahead. Being at a higher level than all of them, he had already seen the cave and felt the presence inside it.
"Did father talk about this thing? It doesn't look that tough to me," the masked person muttered, puzzled.
"We'll see about that," he said, once again following silently.
After a while, they reached the cave that Suling had talked about. Upon entering, Suling turned to Universe and said, "Whatever is inside is very dangerous, so be careful. A small mistake could cost us our lives."
This time, Universe took the warning to heart and nodded solemnly.
As they ventured deeper, their hearts pounded hard. If they knew who the enemy was, they might not be so afraid, even if it was a dragon. But the unknown is always scary.
A little further in, Suling came to a stop and said, "Can you feel it? The spiritual energy here."
"Yes, it's so potent, it could turn liquid," Universe replied in awe.
"This is as far as I came last time. I didn't have the courage to go further," Suling admitted.
Looking ahead, Universe didn't feel the same threat that Suling had described, but he stepped forward nonetheless.
As they ventured deeper, the air around them grew heavier, as if they were descending underground.
The masked person, trailing behind, looked at Jinglin, who was still hiding. To encourage them to work together, he shot an energy beam with a flick of his finger. Jinglin cried out in surprise.
Hearing the cry, Suling and Universe jumped in fear. Looking back, they saw it was Jinglin, who had fallen to the ground.
Suling rushed to her and exclaimed, "Jinglin, what the hell are you doing here?"
Jinglin felt awkward. "Suling, I... I didn't mean..."
Initially curious, she had followed out of interest. But upon hearing about Suling's adventure, she became greedy for potential treasure. She couldn't find the words to explain.
Disappointed in her friend's behavior, Suling sighed. "I thought we were friends, Jinglin, but you're no different from the others."
Hearing this, Jinglin became anxious. "Wait, Suling, I didn't mean to spy on you. I was just curious, but when you mentioned the cave and possible treasure, I got greedy. I'm sorry, Suling. I just wanted you to be safe."
Universe interrupted their misunderstanding. "We're approaching a dangerous area. Please be quiet. If there's a fight, wait for the right moment."
Suling and Jinglin fell silent, realizing the seriousness of the situation. With everything under control, Universe continued forward.
At the end of the tunnel, they could see light ahead, suggesting an open area. But when they reached the tunnel's end, they had only one thought on their minds: run.