Chapter 38: The Subterranean City

Returning to the entrance of the cave, Chi Sui was fully prepared this time, having donned a thick coat.

When she and Mr. Stone had left the cave earlier, they had resealed it, though they only replaced one of the large boulders, barely blocking the sunlight from shining inside. Yet, in the time it took to boil a bowl of soup, the entire cave had been sealed tight. Leaves had been used to cover the remaining gaps, pieced together with such intention that they formed a grotesque, grimacing face.

Seeing this scene, Chi Sui finally understood what Mr. Stone meant by "a group." The sheer volume of work was certainly not something one person could accomplish alone.

Flexing his forelimbs, Mr. Stone stepped forward to clear the way, though it was clearly more strenuous this time.

"It seems they don't want us inside," he remarked.

Even as he spoke, Mr. Stone did not stop. He even called out to Luo Luo, who was perched on top of Chi Sui's head: "You too, come help."

"Okay."

After responding, Luo Luo’s eyes began to twinkle, and he coordinated with Mr. Stone’s movements to shift the rubble and leaves from the entrance. Through their combined efforts, the opening was soon revealed to them once more.

The bioluminescent moss at the entrance had been stripped away by unknown creatures, making the cave appear even darker and more ominous. Swallowing hard, Chi Sui stood at the threshold, struggling to take a step forward.

Mo Mo, who had been resting on her shoulder, suddenly jumped down and dashed ahead of everyone. "I'll lead the way; follow me."

Panic surged through Chi Sui as she watched Mo Mo about to disappear into the darkness, and she scrambled to follow. "Wait! Have you even been here before? And you're already leading the way?"

Behind her, Mr. Stone glanced at the pile of fallen leaves by the entrance before following Chi Sui at a leisurely pace.

"Don't underestimate me. None of you can compare to me when it comes to finding a path. I can smell them," Mo Mo’s dissatisfied voice drifted back from the front.

Because the surroundings were so dark—nearly pitch-black—Chi Sui didn't dare move too quickly, forced to navigate by sound. She called out as she walked, "Slow down, I can't see!"

In the darkness, human fear is magnified infinitely, and one's voice naturally grows louder. After a moment, an echo returned from the distance.

"Can't... see~"
"See..."

The echo caused Chi Sui to freeze, and Mr. Stone, following closely behind, nearly bumped into her.

"What's wrong?" he asked via telepathy.

"Something's not right. Why has the echo diminished? It was there before, even without shouting."

"It's not just darker in here; it's become much quieter, too."

Mr. Stone’s large eyes narrowed, though Chi Sui could not see it in the pitch-black cave. Before he could reply, a young, feminine voice drifted into their shared mental space.

"Do you want me to send the bees to scout? We can track each other by scent; it doesn't matter if there's no light."

Chi Sui was about to agree, but Mr. Stone, who had been silent, interjected: "No need. Those bats were likely kept by them. Whatever was on this level has been moved; we need to go deeper."

Go deeper?

Before Chi Sui could grasp the meaning of his words, a familiar gale swirled around them. This time, the wind was restrained, spinning only around Chi Sui to keep her sheltered from the storm.

Time passed, and then the wind ceased. A dark shadow was suddenly flung onto her. Fear instantly struck her brain, and she was just about to throw the shadow off when it cried out:

"Ouch! Why did you drop me? That hurts!"
"Hurts..."
"Hurts..."

The echo was even fainter this time. Chi Sui’s lips twitched, and she forced herself to stop. Lowering her voice, she hissed, "You deserve it for running off so fast."

Mo Mo felt aggrieved and instinctively lowered his voice as well: "Who knew you guys couldn't keep up?"

"It's so dark, how was I supposed to keep up!"

Mo Mo blinked, suddenly realizing the problem. "You should have said so sooner. Just wait."

Chi Sui didn't know what she was waiting for, but she felt Mo Mo, who she was holding, suddenly curl into a ball. Not long after, when he returned to his usual shape, his fur began to glow.

It was a warm, gentle light—not particularly bright, but just enough to illuminate their surroundings. Chi Sui then saw that the once-tidy cave looked as if it had been ransacked. It was in disarray, and the walls were pitted and scarred where the moss had been gouged out, a stark contrast to their last visit. She could only imagine how frantically those creatures had fled.

As she watched, a wave of melancholy washed over Chi Sui.

"The exit has been sealed."

Mr. Stone’s words struck like a thunderclap, jolting Chi Sui out of her sadness.

"What?"

"I can no longer feel the wind from the entrance. They move quite quickly."

Hearing this, Chi Sui lowered her head, confused. "What exactly are they, and why must we find them?"

A long silence followed. It was a while before she heard his voice again.

"They are a type of humanoid monster that looks somewhat like a Weeping Mushroom. They have impressive construction skills. A single one is nothing to fear, but when they appear as a colony, their territorial instinct grows stronger and stronger. They will continuously expand their domain, and if left unchecked..."

"One day, the entire underground of the ranch will be hollowed out by them."

Chi Sui nodded, then asked, "The entrance is sealed—can we find a way to move it?"

Mr. Stone sighed. "It will be difficult. This won't be as easy as the last two times. Perhaps we can only hope to find the doors they left behind and communicate with their leader."

Chi Sui stared into Mr. Stone’s eyes and nodded gently. "Okay, I trust you. I'll go down and find them."

Finding the underground entrance was simple; she just had to follow Mo Mo. His pathfinding abilities weren't limited to the mountains; they worked just as well in the caves. After passing through several interconnected tunnels, they soon discovered a passage in a corner, hidden beneath thick, tangled weeds.

Unlike the last one they had found, this entrance was significantly narrower. Chi Sui gestured for a moment and realized that even she would only barely be able to squeeze through.

"You go on ahead. I will keep watch here."

To Mr. Stone’s command, Chi Sui simply nodded, silently crawling in after Mo Mo.

The tunnel leading to the next level was deep. Fortunately, the light emitted by Mo Mo prevented her from being swallowed by the darkness. Luo Luo, who had been lying on her head, pressed his antennae against her forehead.

"Sui Sui, you seem a bit sad."

Chi Sui didn't stop moving, but responded in her heart: "Just a little disappointed."

"Because of Mr. Stone?"

Chi Sui didn't reply, simply letting out a soft sigh.

Luo Luo tilted his head, pressing against her hair as he continued, "Even though I don't sense any malice from him, it's his fault if he makes you feel disappointed."

The comment made Chi Sui laugh. "Isn't he your teacher? How can you be so biased toward me?"

As they spoke, the light Mo Mo had been emitting ahead suddenly dimmed. Or rather, the scene before them suddenly brightened.

An underground city appeared before Chi Sui’s eyes in a spectacular display.

Luo Luo’s young voice echoed in her mind: "Because Sui Sui is more important than anyone else."