We’re exploring a mysterious cave in a magical world. While this is obviously a bad idea, or perhaps, because this is obviously a bad idea, I’m rather excited. Slowly advancing with a companion, a magical flashlight illuminating the path, super senses at the ready and a reliable sword in hand.

Hopefully, a chance to live an adventure instead of walking back to Wathamber in defeat.

Even though it's almost night out, I agreed to advance a little today. Mostly because the air is slightly warmer inside. The idea is to push a couple hundred meters forward, check that nothing dangerous is too close and find a defensible spot to rest in. Then we explore for real tomorrow.

We’re soon out of sight of the entrance, the only light is what Alix can provide.

“Come to think about it, this is like, the worst place I could possible go to with my powers.” His whisper is more excited than worried. “No light to gather around.”

“Shhh!” I hiss in his direction. Even our hushed voices echo into the belly of the earth, and who knows what might be listening.

“Right, right.”

The floor is uneven but at least the dark tunnel is big enough it doesn’t feel too oppressive. It’s not quite as huge as the entrance was, but still big enough to fit a house and have room to spare. A sudden thought has me breaking the silence again.

“Send some light up to check the roof!”

He does so and I let out a breath of relief as there’s nothing unpleasant there. Shortly after, we find the first split.

It’s more like a very big crack really, the main path is going down, a bit towards the left, and there’s this wide fissure cutting halfway through our current path that that looks like a titan buried a blade through the stone towards the right. We can’t see the end of it when Alix sends some light in, even with mana-enhanced eyes.

“I don’t like leaving a side path behind us” I whisper.

He frowns. The bottom of the crack is perhaps five meters below the level of our current path, a manageable climb but who knows how far it will go.

“Let’s stop a bit back for today and check it out tomorrow then.”

- - -

It feels kinda weird to wake up and still be in absolute darkness. In the silent and heavy atmosphere of the cave, it feels like time ground to a halt, like I’m being given a chance to stop, go back to sleep and never have to wake up again.

The system doesn’t seem to feel quite as poetic and the overnight report shamelessly pulls at a sliver of my attention.

Oh. No wildland dweller progress, and instead I’ve got a new trait.

Fine, you have my curiosity.

Underground Dweller (minor)

You are giving up on the light of the day, choosing instead to find yourself a place underground. Adapting to this place might prove a challenge for your human body. This Trait subtly helps you deal with the various issues of underground life. This Trait also speeds up the appearance and growth of [Underground] related Traits.

This Trait has enhanced your body. (1 DEX)

Well, perhaps that will be worth a damn if I ever form it. For now I’ll just take that dexterity point, thank you very much.

I feel Alix suddenly stir awake close by and he immediately jumps up and start rolling his mat.

“Marc, are you awake? We have a problem.” He says in a hushed voice, that doesn't sound too worried.

I sigh. Of course we do. I don’t wait for his say so to get moving and pack my blanket.

“Something is coming for me from the entrance of the cave.”

“Slow enough we can walk away?” He’s told me that often worked well for him.

“I think so, but that means we have no time to explore properly. I’d rather save my mana for when we don’t have a place to run to.”

Bob sharpens my ears and sure enough, there’s noise from above, countless sharp ticking sounds, the sound of hard carapaces striking the rocks in rhythm. I also hear the same old rumble from deep below, it sounds a bit like a raging fire.

“On the other hand” I say as I finish attaching my rolled up mat to my pack, “If we run into trouble further down before whatever is coming has lost your track, we’ll have to deal with two problems at once.”

“Well, they’ll also have to deal with each other. But you’re right. Let’s go to the chasm at least, the more that fall to their death, the less I need to deal with.”

How mean, I know I’m bad at fighting but he could at least pretend I count…

having already passed twice through this stretch of cave allows us to move much faster, and we’re soon walking around the crevice until we reach the wall. The gap is about three meters wide here. It’s strangely scary to know that there’s a deadly drop just a few paces ahead of me, and that I can’t tell it’s there at all if Alix doesn’t move light in its direction.

I hesitate for a moment before unsheathing my sword and standing at the ready. Alix is certainly preparing on his side too.

Want to see? I can boost us in mana sight.

Sure.

My eyes are improved and wide open to try and take anything from the extremely dim light Alix is sending in front of us, and we wait.

Mana motes soon come into focus to my eyes, the sense unperturbed by the lack of light making it all the more alien. Alix’s constructs of pure darkness are suddenly the most noticeable thing around. Well, after the man himself, he’s like a beacon.

It takes a little time but I also notice the flow of mana, individual motes move as erratically as ever, but there’s a general direction, slowly following the tunnel towards the outside. I never would have noticed if Bob hadn’t mentioned it.

“They stopped.” whispers Alix.

“You’re right, I don’t hear them anymore.” perhaps… “You reckon it’s the centipedes from the other day?”

“That or something else smart enough not to mess with me. We should move on.”

“You should try going their way to see if they run, I’ll wait here.”

He does so and I easily follow his progress in the dark. Footsteps noisily moving away, dim light illuminating his path, and a silhouette of mana dust. He doesn’t walk long before I hear the clicking noise again, and he stops.

“Running away. Come and fight you cowards!” His taunt wasn't even that loud but it echoes mightily in the cave.

I wince at the amplified noise and repress the urge to facepalm as any kind of stealth sems to be out of business for the day.

“Well, so much for fighting." He says as he reaches me. "I say for now we always follow the bigger path and see what lies at the bottom.”

I can live with that.

- - -

Crystals.

Blue, green, pink and yellow, are the colors we’ve found so far. Small crystals in the walls are dimly shining, playful colors bringing some life to the bare rocks. Hopefully not because they are radioactive.

Alix, of course, was overjoyed with the unexpected light sources and promptly found a few loose enough to carry.

The colorful lights do a lot to lighten up the atmosphere of the winding tunnels, apparently even capable of sustaining life. Not much, only dark moss of various colors that grow huddled close to them, in their small halos of light. But some life. More than outside, that's for sure.

When we stop for the night, our stalkers are still following at a distance out of sight, neither distracted by the show nor stopped by the harder places to cross.

I’m not sure how far down we are now, but the slow current of air is both slighlty damp and noticeably less cold on my skin. We’ve consistently walked on a sloped path for kilometers, marking our way at every intersection, always picking the bigger option. That somehow still counts as hiking as far as the system is concerned, even though with how often we’re climbing and using our hands, I should get like, a spelunking trait or something.

Anyway, we settle down in a natural alcove and it’s soon guard duty all over again.

At least I know I’m looking out for giant murder centipedes, which does give some extra seriousness to the situation.

There’s no stars to watch either, which is quite a shame. The pretty crystals are nice but they just don’t compare to a real night sky.

Time to practice.