Drip. Drip.
The sound of water droplets echoed through the cavern, pulling Jiang Chen from his sleep.
He opened his eyes, stretching slightly inside his sleeping bag. A quick glance at his watch—9 hours had passed.
This was the longest, most restful sleep he had gotten since stepping foot into the cave. His body felt refreshed, his mind sharper.
Turning to the side, he saw Debi still curled up in her sleeping bag, her breathing slow and steady.
Jiang Chen smiled.
She needed the rest.
After more than ten days of climbing, trekking, and near-death experiences, even someone as physically capable as him felt the exhaustion. For Debi, it had to be ten times worse.
"Let her sleep a little longer," he muttered to himself.
Then, another thought struck him.
He had forgotten to turn off his Almighty Eye before sleeping.
With a single thought, he checked the live feed—
And nearly froze.
Millions of people were watching.
Watching him. Watching Debi. Watching them sleep.
The chat was still buzzing with activity.
[Bro's literally sleeping and still pulling millions of viewers.]
[I tuned in expecting action, but I guess we're just watching Jiang sleep now.]
[I can't believe I just spent 3 hours watching a man breathe.]
[This dude is the ONLY streamer who can break records while unconscious.]
Jiang Chen let out a small laugh.
He had become a true phenomenon—an anchor whose viewership never dropped, even when he was asleep.
Even if other streamers tried to copy this, it wouldn't work.
Because he wasn't just any streamer.
Shaking his head with amusement, Jiang Chen stood up and decided to check their surroundings.
—
His first priority—finding the next route down.
They had discovered the underground paradise, but according to his instincts…
This wasn't the end.
He spent the next half-hour exploring every inch of the cavern, expecting to find a tunnel or hidden passage.
But there was nothing.
No pathways.
No trails.
No sign of a route leading deeper.
Just a sealed-off cave.
Jiang Chen frowned.
"This doesn't make sense."
Pulling out his Terrain Scanner, he initiated a full scan of the area.
Beep.
The device processed for a moment before displaying the results.
Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed.
Beneath their current position—a massive open space.
Another cavern.
Even larger than this one.
The scanner was certain—there was still a way down.
The only problem?
There was no visible entrance.
No tunnels. No pathways. Nothing.
Which meant…
There was only one possible explanation.
The entrance wasn't visible—because it was hidden.
—
At that moment, a tired voice called out behind him.
"What's wrong?"
Jiang Chen turned to see Debi rubbing her eyes as she stepped out of the tent, still drowsy from sleep.
"I'm trying to find the next path down," he said.
Debi perked up slightly. "Did you find it?"
Jiang Chen shook his head.
"No."
She frowned, glancing around. "Could it be… that there is no path? Maybe this really is the bottom?"
She had a point.
They were already over 4,000 meters deep. It made sense that they had finally reached the true end of the cave.
But Jiang Chen knew better.
The mission wasn't complete.
If this was really the final destination, the system would have notified him by now.
Instead—
Nothing.
Which meant…
They still hadn't reached the true depths of Veryovkina Cave.
Jiang Chen met Debi's gaze.
"The Terrain Scanner detected a large space below us," he said. "It's proof that we can keep going."
"Then where's the path?" Debi asked.
Jiang Chen exhaled.
"That's what we need to figure out."
Jiang Chen waited.
But the mission notification never came.
Which meant—there was still more to discover.
And the most likely answer lay in the hidden space beneath them, the one detected by the Terrain Scanner.
No matter what, Jiang Chen had to find a way down. Whether for his own curiosity or to complete the task, he wasn't leaving without uncovering the truth.
"But there's no way down," Debi pointed out as she packed up the tent. "How do we even get there?"
"There has to be a way," Jiang Chen said, gripping his chisel. "Maybe it's just covered up—like how you found the trail after falling down the rock wall earlier."
With that, he started chipping away at different parts of the cavern, testing for weaknesses.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
Nothing.
Jiang Chen had circled the entire cave, and still—no response. No hidden tunnels. No collapsible walls.
Frustration crept in.
Just as he was about to rethink his approach—
"You don't think… it's above us?" Debi suddenly suggested.
Jiang Chen's eyes flickered with interest.
Without hesitation, he aimed the Terrain Scanner at the ceiling.
But the results were clear—no tunnels, no passages, nothing.
Still, Debi's words had sparked a new thought.
Jiang Chen turned his gaze toward the center of the cavern.
A pool.
Roughly ten meters in diameter.
Dark green. Crystal clear.
Silent. Unassuming.
Yet—deep.
Debi followed his line of sight, then immediately shook her head, panic creeping into her voice.
"No. Absolutely not," she said firmly. "Jiang, don't even think about it. There's no way the path is underwater."
Jiang Chen smirked. "I think it's the most likely option."
"We've searched the entire cave—every wall, every crack, even the ceiling. There's only one place left unexplored."
Debi's face paled.
"The scanner! Use the scanner!" she insisted. "That'll tell us if there's a tunnel down there!"
Jiang Chen shook his head. "Water interferes with scanning signals. If it's shallow, sure. But if it's deep…" He trailed off, his smirk widening. "There's only one way to find out."
Debi's stomach dropped.
And then—
Jiang Chen pulled out an entire set of diving gear.
The live chat went insane.
[NO WAY HE'S DOING THIS.]
[BRO, HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST IT?!]
[4000 METERS UNDERGROUND, LOW VISIBILITY, UNKNOWN WATERS—EVEN PRO DIVERS WOULDN'T ATTEMPT THIS.]
[WHAT IF THERE'S AN UNDERCURRENT? YOU GET SWEPT AWAY, AND THAT'S IT. GAME OVER.]
Debi grabbed his arm. "Jiang. Think about this."
Her voice was serious.
"We're 4,000 meters underground. Oxygen levels, water pressure—everything is different down here. The temperature alone could send your body into shock.
"And worst of all, we have no idea what's in that water."
Jiang Chen met her gaze, unshaken.
"I'm not going for a deep dive. I'll just check for an entrance. If it's too risky, I'll come right back. If I find a passage, I'll pull on the rope so you can follow."
Debi hesitated.
She knew Jiang Chen was reckless.
But this?
This was insane.
Still, there was no stopping him.
She exhaled. "Just… remember everything about diving safety, okay?"
Jiang Chen blinked. "Diving safety? What safety?"
Debi stared at him. "...What?"
Jiang Chen adjusted his gear. "I've never dived before. This is my first time."
And with that—
He jumped in.
Leaving Debi standing there.
Mouth open.
Completely stunned.
The live chat broke.
[HE JUST SAID WHAT?!]
[FIRST. TIME. DIVING. AND IT'S 4000 METERS UNDERGROUND.]
[THERE IS NO ONE LIKE THIS MAN.]
[THIS IS NOT EXPLORATION. THIS IS INSANITY.]
Debi groaned, pressing her fingers to her temples.
"...I need a drink."
And below—
Jiang Chen disappeared into the unknown.