Ancient Cave

Chapter 216 Ancient Cave

On Erbin Island, on the edge of a cliff, Aji carries Kahn on his back as they struggle to climb the nearly vertical, steep cliff face.

Sharp rocks cut his palms and knees, and blood dripped down mixed with sweat.

With each step upwards, he heard the rustling sound of loose gravel sliding down his back, and with each breath, his lungs burned.

The sounds of pursuers behind them grew closer, and the torchlight could already faintly illuminate the rock face below.

He dared not look back; he could only desperately strive upwards.

Uncle Kahn's body was getting colder and colder, which made Aji extremely anxious.

Finally, he climbed up a relatively flat rock ledge covered with dense vines.

He had just put Kahn down and was about to catch his breath when he heard a clear shout from below: "Up! The tracks are moving upwards!"

"Surround that patch of vines!"

Oh no! We've been found out! Aji's heart sank to the bottom.

He looked around; at the end of the ledge was an even steeper cliff, and below was the roaring sea; his escape route was cut off.

In despair, he instinctively leaned back, his arm inadvertently parting a thick patch of vines. Behind the vines was not hard rock, but a dark opening: a hole just big enough for one person to bend over and pass through!

A cold wind carrying a musty smell and strange fluctuations blew out of the cave.

It's a cave!

One of the ancient legends that Uncle Kahn once mentioned, which even old fishermen rarely know, is about a cave hidden on the cliff that leads to the island's secret!

Aji didn't have time to think; this was the only way out!

He struggled to drag Kahn into the hole, then covered it up again with vines as much as possible.

Just as they finished doing all this, the footsteps and voices of the pursuers rang out outside the rock shelf.

"The trail ends here!"

"Search carefully! It must be nearby!"

Aji held his breath, pressed himself tightly against the cold cave wall, and his heart pounded.

Listening to the sounds of the soldiers searching outside, he felt that every second was as long as an eternity.

Once Aji confirmed that the soldiers outside had not yet discovered the cave entrance, he breathed a slight sigh of relief and began to examine the cave.

The cave interior was wider than the entrance, but it was still dark and damp.

The rock face was covered with slippery moss, and a strange fluctuation permeated the air, becoming more and more pronounced the deeper one went.

What shocked Aji the most was that deep inside the cave, he saw some blurry, non-naturally formed carvings!

The engravings were ancient and twisted, unlike any text or pattern he had ever seen, and faintly exuded an aura similar to the chilling energy left behind after the explosion of the "Dark Blood Core".

Could it be that this cave is connected to a secret deep within the mine?

Uncle Kahn is protecting not only the "Dark Blood Core" in the mine, but also this ancient place hidden on the cliff and related to it.

Using the faint light filtering through the vines at the cave entrance, Aji carefully moved Kahn to a relatively dry corner deeper inside the cave.

He touched Kahn's forehead; it was still cold, but his pulse seemed a little stronger than before.

Hope has been rekindled.

The cave is safe for now, and may hold important clues.

He decided to hide here, waiting for his pursuers to leave, while trying to figure out the secret of this cave, perhaps—

This could help them completely escape the pursuit of the Eternal Night Dynasty, and even find an opportunity to fight back.

Erbin Island mining area, temporary command post: "Reporting, sir! Search of the cliff area complete, no survivors found! However, bloodstains and signs of struggle were found on a rock ledge near the top, and the traces—vanished into thin air!"

The search team leader reported to Dila, his face showing confusion.

"Disappeared into thin air?" Dila frowned.

"How could that be? Did he jump into the sea?"

Sorge, who had been hovering in the air, slowly descended. He had been sensing that area: "No, it wasn't the sea. The spatial fluctuations there are unusual, though faint, they definitely exist. Perhaps—there's a hidden dimensional portal, or some kind of spatial folding phenomenon."

He looked at Dila with a sharp gaze: "This island is more valuable than we imagined."

"Dark Blood Core," an ancient spatial anomaly —

"Dila, send more men to seal off the entire cliff area, especially the points with abnormal spatial fluctuations! I want to study the spatial structure there myself!"

Sorge's curiosity was completely piqued.

He sensed that if he could unlock the secrets of this space, its value might be no less than finding the "Dark Blood Core" itself.

New intelligence has been sent back from the temporary command post on Nikon Island; it is now more detailed.

The Erbin Island mining disaster is suspected to have been caused by an unstable explosion of high-purity Bora Stone (possibly the "Dark Blood Core"). The Eternal Night Dynasty suffered heavy losses and is making every effort to search for survivors and investigate the cause. Its offensive against Nikon Island has been completely halted.

"Dark Blood Core ————"

Elder Mog muttered to himself, and it seemed to refer to the same thing as the "Tears of the Sea" mentioned by the clan elder.

"The Eternal Night Dynasty's greed has finally backfired."

"Elder, this is a golden opportunity!"

Haske's eyes gleamed.

"They are in internal turmoil. Perhaps we should consider—establishing contact with any potential resistance forces on Erbin Island?"

Elder Mog pondered for a moment, then shook his head: "The time is not right. We are in dire need of our own safety, and it would be too risky to make contact rashly."

Moreover, Erbin Island is now under the tight control of the Eternal Night Dynasty, making it difficult for our people to infiltrate.

Continue to observe and strengthen defenses, while ————

Send a fast boat, disguised as a fishing vessel, to observe the movements around Erbin Island from a distance, paying particular attention to any unusual sea conditions or energy bursts.

He still kept in mind the elders' warning about the "anger of the sea".

Southeast of the Boers Islands, the grey mist of the "Ship of Sighs," at the edge of the "Eye of the Vortex," lingered at the edge of this turbulent sea.

Even through the mist, one could feel the immense suction and turbulent energy emanating from ahead. A whisper within the mist carried a hint of gravity: "The fluctuations of the 'Gate' are becoming clearer—but the aura of the 'Gatekeeper' is also intensifying—"

"It must be done quickly—the disturbances of the Eternal Night Dynasty have accelerated everything—"

"We need a 'key' — or — a sufficient offering —"

The mist began to slowly seep inward, resisting the tearing force of the vortex, and resolutely heading towards the very center of the "Eye of the Vortex".

Their ultimate goal seems to lie deep within that destructive sea.

The cave that Aji and Kahn unexpectedly discovered, the spatial anomaly that Sorge was concerned about, Elder Mog's cautious observation, and the final actions of the "Ship of Sighs" —

All the clues are converging on an unknown and dangerous climax.

That small cave on the cliff of Erbin Island may be the key to unlocking all the mysteries.

On Erbin Island, deep within a cliffside cave, Aji cautiously explored the cave using the faint light filtering through the vines.

The carvings on the rock face were more numerous and complex than he had imagined.

They meandered and coiled, forming a series of blurred narrative scenes. Although he couldn't fully understand them, several recurring elements caught his attention:

The surging, seemingly weeping giant waves subtly echo the imagery of "tears of the sea" mentioned by the clan elders.

A deep purple, heart-pulsating crystal, remarkably similar to the description of the "Dark Blood Core".

Some kneeling human figures appear to be performing some kind of ritual.

And—a blurry "door" that seemed to lead to an abyss, surrounded by twisted, tentacle-like lines.

What made Aji most uneasy was that when he approached these carvings, especially the mural depicting the "door," the fragments of the Bora Stone in his arms would emit an extremely faint, cold, stinging sensation.

These markings are definitely related to the secrets deep within the mine!

He continued to explore deeper into the cave, where the passage gradually sloped downwards.

The air grew colder, and the strange energy fluctuations became increasingly clear.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, a faint light appeared ahead.

He cautiously approached and discovered that the light source was coming from a larger cave.

In the center of this cave, there is a naturally formed stone platform.

On the stone platform, several pieces of Bora Stone, deep in color and almost black, were placed quietly.

Unlike the rough ores found in the mines, they have a warm, obsidian-like luster, with what appears to be dark purple light slowly swirling inside.

Although the energy they emitted was restrained, it instilled in Aji a sense of awe and fear from the depths of his soul.

It's a higher quality Bora Stone!

Or is this the untouched, original form of the "Dark Blood Core"?

Aji dared not make any rash moves.

He noticed that the ground around the stone platform was also covered with ancient runes similar to those at the entrance, which seemed to form a simple structure for gathering or sealing energy.

Uncle Kahn's secrets are not only in the mine, but also in this forgotten cave!

This place may have been where the ancient islanders performed rituals or sealed the "Tears of the Sea/Dark Blood Core"!

Just then, Kahn, who had been unconscious, let out a weak groan. Aji quickly returned to his side.

"Uncle Kahn! You're awake?" Aji exclaimed in surprise.

Kahn struggled to open his eyes, his gaze momentarily dazed before being replaced by terror: "Aji—where—where is this?"

"We're safe for now in a cave on the cliff."

Aji quickly explained and briefly recounted the discovery of the carvings and the stone platform deep within the cave.