Jiang Chen scanned the water around him. The current was calm, and the sheer number of fish meant there had to be an exit somewhere above. More importantly, there were no signs of danger.
Satisfied, he reached for the safety rope, gave it a firm tug to straighten it, and signaled Debi to follow.
—
Back at the original pool, Debi was growing restless. She had already changed into her diving gear, unable to shake the worry gnawing at her.
"Why hasn't there been any movement?" She paced at the water's edge, eyes fixed on the pool.
Then—
The safety rope twitched.
Debi's heart leaped. Without a second thought, she plunged into the water.
—
Unlike Jiang Chen, she didn't have the advantage of enhanced vision, but the rope he had prepared was enough. Gripping it tightly, she followed the path he had taken, diving deeper into the unknown.
Before long, she reached the narrow underwater crevice. Without hesitation, she slipped inside.
Her movements were smooth, practiced. Years of experience had made her an expert diver, and she passed through the confined space with ease.
And then—
She saw it.
The glowing world Jiang Chen had discovered.
She froze. The water, the light, the creatures swimming past her—it was all too surreal.
Then she spotted Jiang Chen ahead and quickly swam toward him, pointing at their surroundings with wide eyes, her amazement clear even through her mask.
Jiang Chen smiled and gestured upward.
"Come on. Let's find the way out."
Debi nodded but found it hard to keep up. Not because of the swim itself, but because she couldn't stop marveling at everything around her. Every few moments, she would pause, watching as glowing fish darted by. At one point, she even pulled out her waterproof camera, determined to capture what she could.
Jiang Chen shook his head, amused, and continued ahead.
—
After a few more minutes, he found it.
The exit.
He surfaced first, scanning their surroundings before signaling for Debi to follow.
A moment later, the two of them broke through the surface, gasping for air.
—
They had surfaced in another underground pool.
But this one—
It was even larger.
And the sight above them—
It was unlike anything they had ever seen.
The sheer number of bioluminescent creatures in the water created something extraordinary. Their glow reflected off the surface, turning the entire pool into a swirling display of color. Every ripple sent waves of shifting light across the cavern, painting everything in vivid, iridescent hues.
Debi removed her diving gear, staring in awe.
"It's beautiful," she whispered. "So unbelievably beautiful. Just experiencing this… my life is complete."
Jiang Chen gave a small smile. "We're the only ones who have ever seen this. We should consider ourselves lucky."
Debi shook her head.
"No, Jiang. We should marvel at nature… and respect it."
Jiang Chen nodded, glancing at the glowing water.
"Maybe," he murmured, "long ago, places like this existed on the surface… before humans changed everything."
Silence settled between them as they watched the light dance across the water.
Deep underground, far from civilization—
They had found a world untouched by time.
...
Jiang Chen's words lingered in the minds of the millions watching.
For a brief moment, the live chat was unusually silent.
As if everyone was lost in thought.
But Jiang Chen and Debi didn't dwell on it for long.
After a short rest, they pressed forward, surveying their surroundings.
—
The cave they had surfaced in was much smaller than the previous one.
The air was damp, the ground slick with moisture, and the echoes of dripping water filled the space.
Jiang Chen pulled out his terrain scanner, sweeping the area for possible routes.
The results came back quickly.
There was a clear path leading deeper into the cave system.
But that wasn't all.
His scanner also detected something else—
A series of smaller caves, clustered near the water's edge.
They were strangely uniform, as if deliberately carved rather than naturally formed.
Jiang Chen frowned.
"Cave formations this symmetrical…?"
Beside him, Debi studied the scanner, curiosity flashing in her eyes.
"What do you think?" she asked.
Jiang Chen exhaled, glancing toward the nearest one.
"Let's check it out."
—
They moved cautiously, approaching one of the smaller caves closest to the main path.
Then—
A sound.
A faint, eerie cry.
It drifted from the depths of the cave.
Soft.
Fragile.
Almost like—
A baby's wail.
A chill ran down Debi's spine.
Jiang Chen froze.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Even the audience in the live chat went still.
—
Then—
Pure chaos.
[WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!]
[A BABY?! 4000 METERS UNDERGROUND?!]
[I'M OUT. NOPE. NOT WATCHING THIS.]
[Why does this feel like the beginning of a horror movie?!]
—
Debi swallowed hard.
"Jiang…" she whispered, her voice tense. "There's… something inside."
Jiang Chen gave a small nod, already preparing to retreat.
They had no weapons. No way to defend themselves if things went south.
If there was danger—
Running was their best option.
Slowly, Jiang Chen raised his flashlight.
The beam cut through the darkness.
It hit the cave walls first, revealing slick, uneven stone.
Then—
A shadow.
Something large.
Something breathing.
Jiang Chen's pulse quickened.
Then the light reached it.
And both he and Debi nearly screamed.
—
Jiang Chen reacted fast, slapping a hand over Debi's mouth before she could make a sound.
His own breath caught in his throat.
Lurking inside the cave—
Was a massive creature.
Its body was long and flat, its back covered in thick folds of flesh.
Its limbs were powerful, built for crawling, its small, beady eyes sunken into its grotesque head.
And its mouth—
God.
It was slightly open.
Revealing row after row of razor-sharp teeth.
Thousands of them.
Densely packed.
Like a biological meat grinder.
Jiang Chen didn't dare move.
Neither did Debi.
—
Meanwhile, the live chat lost its mind.
[MONSTER. THAT'S A MONSTER.]
[NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. NOPE.]
[WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THAT?!]
[RUN. RUN NOW.]
—
"This…" Debi's voice was barely a whisper. "What the hell is that…?"
Jiang Chen had no answer.
His mind was racing.
This thing… is a predator.
And it was in hunting range.