Tristan had been walking on the sloped floor of the cave for over an hour since he entered. He hadn't found any traces of living beings having passed through here.
At least, until he finally found something, there was something metallic on the ground. He dug a little and uncovered an old, completely rusted sword. He guessed that the piece of metal was probably centuries old.
After further exploration, he found a few more metal objects, like cups, utensils, and other parts of combat equipment. Everything was extremely old. Finding nothing else unusual, Tristan returned and spoke to the other group members about what he had seen.
"So, that's it. The cave didn't seem to have an end, and I found some traces of a group that passed through a long time ago inside the cave."
"Could this cave lead us east?" Feiyan asked.
"It's a possibility, or it could be a dead end," Jian said.
"But I think it's worth the risk. We can't waste an opportunity to get out of this region faster."
"We've been wandering aimlessly until now. It might just be a matter of time before we encounter a monster."
Hearing Jian speak, Zhou Lan thought about it. Traveling through the hills and mounds of this region had worn out his body considerably.
In the end, most decided to try the cave's path.
After a long journey, the group reached the cave's entrance. They looked into the abyss of darkness ahead with some fear and hesitation.
Tristan was the first to enter, and seeing that he didn't show any fear, the others gathered their courage and followed him.
***
Yi Jian was leading the group, holding his short sword, prepared for any anomalies. Zhou Lan and Liu Feiyan were holding the torches to light the way, while Yue and Tristan followed behind them.
"Do you think we'll be able to reach the border using this path?" Yue asked Tristan.
"I think so. I heard the guild members talking earlier; they said it would take about two months to reach Zaguhan. We've already been walking in a straight line inside this cave for two weeks, so if we manage to get out of here, the border won't be too far away."
In Tristan's mind, he was thinking about the fact that the resources they had gathered were already running low. They didn't have enough to go back, so they needed to find an exit or they would die.
"I hope we get there soon," she said.
"Hmm, do you think I have a chance of entering the Flying Sword Sect?" she asked.
Tristan thought for a moment and shrugged.
"Well, I don't know much about how the sects' evaluation methods work. But I do know that, since you're not from a family of cultivators, you're far behind those who are. Children from these families start learning the basics at around four years old."
She made a disappointed expression, but then Tristan continued.
"On the other hand, you managed to awaken on your own at a very young age and create your own cultivation technique. That's something very rare; it means your talent is far above average. So, if they're not complete idiots, they'll probably want you to join their sect."
Her face brightened at Tristan's words.
"And you? What are you going to do after you arrive in Zaguhan?" she asked.
Tristan thought for a moment and said:
"I think I'll stay in Zaguhan for a while and try to join the sect… hmm, the sect that specializes in Light and Darkness in Zaguhan… oh, and, of course, while I wait for my parents to return." He said the last part with a slight embarrassment in his voice.
"The Carp of the Southern Spirit Body Sect? That's a big sect, but your skills are incredible, so I think you can make it."
Tristan abruptly stopped and said to the others, "Hey, wait up. I saw something."
He began to climb the sloping, rocky floor. What he saw was a small tunnel in the ground; the hole was about one meter in diameter.
"Hmm, I … found a hole."
He looked closer and saw that he couldn't see the bottom.
'Did someone dig this?' he thought.
The others approached and looked at the tunnel in the ground.
"This doesn't look natural," Tristan said with some concern in his mind.
***
They continued walking, and after another week, they hadn't found anything strange until Tristan spotted another hole. As the days passed, they started appearing more frequently.
Then, one day, Yue said something.
"Wait!"
Everyone stopped and looked at her.
Zhou Lan was the first to ask.
"What is it?"
"Be quiet!" she replied.
She approached a nearby hole and placed her ear near the entrance. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "I hear something coming from here!"
The group members brought their heads close to the hole, but no one except Zhou Yue could hear anything.
Tristan approached the hole and started entering.
"What are you doing?"
"I want to see what's making the noise Yue is hearing. It might be responsible for the holes we've seen."
"Are you sure you need to go in there?" Zhou Lan asked.
Tristan said:
"Yes, I'm sure. These holes are everywhere; if it's a creature making them, it could appear beside us while we sleep at any moment. I won't be able to sleep at night with such a high risk."
'If it's a creature, it's better to find it before it finds me.'
The others thought Tristan's logic was sound, and given the size of the hole, only he and Yue could fit inside.
Yue opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Tristan turned to her and said:
"Oh, and you can't see in the dark, so don't even think about coming with me."
Without wasting more time, Tristan crawled into the small tunnel. At a certain point, the tunnel became very steep, and he had to press his legs against the tunnel wall to avoid falling. He kept moving forward until he could hear a noise.
'That must be what Yue heard.'
He continued down the tunnel, and the noise grew louder. Then his eyes detected movement.
'What is that?'
Approaching slowly with [Shadow Aura], Tristan focused his eyes on what was moving.
Something was digging the tunnel.
He saw a small creature, about the size of a dog. It had six legs, pincer-like jaws, and two things that looked like antennae on its head.
His eyes widened.
"An ant?"
But Tristan noticed something else strange. Besides its obviously unusual size, the creature also had something else that made it different from ordinary animals.
'What is that? Stones? Glass?… No, that … that's a crystal?!'
'A CRYSTAL ANT!'
'Damn, another damn magical beast.'
Suddenly, the creature stopped its digging.
Its head turned towards Tristan!