The mana turbulence came and went quickly.
Because they had already experienced it once, everyone was much calmer the second time around.
Humanity's greatest strength is adaptability. Thus, even as the second mana turbulence ended, the massive casualties seen previously did not recur.
On the world channel, the daily death toll remained within five figures.
It was clear that everyone had grown accustomed to it.
“This damn mana turbulence is finally over.”
“Yeah. To be honest, when the temperature plummeted, I thought it was all over for a moment.”
“Wait! The cold snap hasn't ended!”
“Huh?”
“I just stepped outside. The sun still has no warmth.”
“What did you say!?”
“Did the cold snap and the mana turbulence just happen to hit at the same time?”
“Damn it. I thought I could go out and explore once the turbulence ended. I’ve wasted so much kerosene these past few days.”
“Tell me about it. I thought everything would be fine once we got through it, but the cold is still here.”
“This won't do. I need to go out and gather materials to prepare for the upcoming mana tide.”
“I’m going too. I’d rather freeze than face the mana tide unprepared.”
When people were joyfully celebrating the end of the week-long mana turbulence on that first morning, they realized things weren't as simple as they had imagined.
The snow continued to fall. Though it had lightened slightly, it showed no sign of stopping.
The sunlight remained as cold and lifeless as it had been for the past few days.
The thick blanket of snow seemed to bury people's hopes right where they stood, mocking all who harbored expectations.
Yet, some found the courage to step out of their homes.
They had to.
They had no other choice.
Among those venturing out, however, was a group that stood in stark contrast to the rest.
Today was the day of their appointment.
After several days of rest and preparation, Li Wufeng arrived outside the cave, followed by Zhao Dulay, Kam, and Lisara, each carrying a long hiking pack.
Li Wufeng had carefully selected these three.
They didn't just possess combat talents; they also had combat experience.
Furthermore, Lisara possessed a scouting talent called 【Sensing】.
Though it was only D-rank and had a limited range, it was better than nothing.
A large amount of snow had accumulated at the cave entrance, but the camouflaging vines remained undisturbed.
This suggested that, at the very least, no monsters had emerged from within.
Of course, it was also possible that there were no monsters inside at all.
“When is that outside help getting here?”
Finding that they had arrived first, Zhao Dulay asked Li Wufeng.
“I'm not sure. Shang Chuan only said to meet here at eight o'clock.”
Li Wufeng shook his head.
The four of them could only wait in the freezing cold. Had they not each drunk a frost resistance potion before leaving, they would likely have been stomping their feet and hugging themselves for warmth by now.
Just then, a fierce gust of wind blew past.
Shielding his eyes with his hand, Li Wufeng saw someone descending from the sky.
The man looked to be in his thirties and wore a well-tailored suit; he had the air of someone quite formidable.
“Hello. Are you Mr. Li Huai?”
Seeing the newcomer, Li Wufeng immediately stepped forward.
“That’s me.”
Li Huai nodded, then glanced at the nearby cave.
“Shang Chuan already briefed me on the details. Is this the cave?”
“Yes.”
“Then let's go in and take a look.”
With a wave of Li Huai's hand, a gust of wind sliced through the vines, revealing the dark maw of the cave. He stepped inside without the slightest hint of fear.
“Wufeng, are we following him in?” Zhao Dulay asked.
“Uh... let's keep up.”
Seeing how reckless Li Huai was, Li Wufeng had little choice.
Before entering, however, he glanced back at a tree along the path they had taken. He then pulled a magic lantern from his pack and followed the others inside.
Shortly after they entered, a figure suddenly dropped down from that tree.
The figure was thin and held a crossbow.
Otto—that was his name, and he was the insurance Li Wufeng had arranged.
Li Huai's display of power just now was certainly impressive, befitting an S-rank talent.
However, Li Wufeng was certain that if Li Huai tried anything, Otto would definitely be able to save them.
...
Inside the pitch-black cave, Li Huai's group advanced cautiously.
They had been walking for about an hour, yet they hadn't seen so much as a blade of grass, let alone a monster.
The place was barren—desolate and primitive.
Click.
Zhao Dulay thrust an iron rod with a glowing tip into the ground. This was something they did at every fork in the path.
It served to prevent them from getting lost and to ensure they didn't backtrack over explored areas.
They hadn't just been resting over the past few days.
Knowing they would be entering a lightless cave, they had prepared extensively.
Naturally, Young Master Shang had footed the bill for all the equipment.
“When are we going to reach the end?” Zhao Dulay grumbled after placing the marker.
“It is rather dull. Wufeng, have you discovered anything?”
Li Huai nodded, agreeing with Zhao Dulay's sentiment.
He had been looking forward to a 'great battle,' but finding nothing at all was quite frustrating.
He turned to the leader of the exploration.
“Nothing yet, but there's a high probability that this cave is actually a mine.”
Li Wufeng raised his magic lantern to the wall, illuminating the rock face.
“Oh? Why a mine instead of a passage leading somewhere else?”
Li Huai was surprised by the answer.
To him, the walls looked far too regular; they didn't have the jagged, uneven look of a mine, nor were there any support structures.
It didn't look like a mine at all.
And yet Li Wufeng sounded so certain?
“I can't quite say. Just call it a gut feeling.”
Although there was a seven or eight-year age gap between Li Wufeng and Li Huai, there was no real generational divide between them.
Or rather, in their current situation, few people cared about such things.
“Fair enough. Can't argue with a gut feeling.”
Li Huai shrugged.
In a world where talents were strange and varied, he couldn't dismiss someone's intuition.
“And furthermore...”
“Furthermore?”
“Don't you think the area we're in now is significantly wider than the entrance?”
Hm!
Now that Li Wufeng mentioned it, Li Huai realized the tunnel really had broadened compared to the cave mouth.
Rate on N.U.
