Ruminas treaded carefully with each step. There was only one path here, which meant the monster could be waiting ahead. If she encountered it, her only option would be to flee backward—but that would just lead her back to the pit she started from.
"The best course is to avoid it entirely. I was too busy escaping earlier to appraise it, but judging by its size, it didn't quite resemble the giant hand."
"Could it… be a third-stage monster?"
"It didn't look like the usual monsters either. There were some peculiar traits on its body, though I couldn't see them clearly."
After mulling it over, she let out a sigh.
"For now, I need to fully recover my strength and find a suitable place to evolve. I also have to figure out a way back up there… So many troublesome things…" Ruminas grumbled softly before continuing her journey.
Along the way, she maintained a state of high alertness, even employing "Stillness." She had achieved it, though not at its maximum potential or able to sustain it continuously—but at least she was making progress.
After what felt like an eternity, Ruminas finally emerged from the dark, one-way tunnel into a wider area illuminated by natural light from glowing crystals. Miraculously, she hadn't encountered any monsters on the way.
"What kind of place is this…?"
Ruminas opened her map to check.
According to the map, her current location was quite far from her starting point. To reach the dungeon where the others were, she'd have to take a detour at least twice as long as her original route.
"Nothing ever goes smoothly, does it?"
Ruminas found a secluded spot to rest and eat while studying the route. Unable to predict where monsters might lurk, she could only choose the shortest path.
"Hmm, there's a chasm here. Crossing it might lead to an ambush, and if I'm unlucky, I could fall even deeper. But it's the shortest route…"
By her estimation, taking the path through the chasm would only double the original distance. Any other route would be three to four times longer.
"Are you kidding me? This is deliberate!" Ruminas cursed aloud.
In the end, she chose the path through the chasm.
"There's bound to be monsters there, but I have to take the risk. Delaying too long might mean the others won't wait."
Ruminas quickly finished her food and set off again.
"Don't you want to rest a bit?" the Demon Umbrella suddenly asked.
"Can't afford to delay any longer," she replied curtly, continuing her march while staying highly vigilant and maintaining her "Stillness" ability.
"When did terrain like this even form?" she wondered aloud. The cave's architecture was unlike anything she'd seen before—utterly alien.
Occasionally, spiral patterns of varying sizes appeared on the walls. For some reason, looking at them sent chills down her spine.
"I really hope these are just natural markings and not left by some creature…"
Ruminos shivered, unease creeping up her back. The spirals didn't look natural; they followed a certain deliberate pattern. Their sizes varied, yet they were eerily uniform—as if something had intentionally carved them.
She pushed the thought away and kept moving, keeping her distance from the spirals.
BOOM…
A dull thud echoed from the distance, like a massive boulder had toppled. Ruminas froze, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
The air grew deathly silent.
Closing her eyes, Ruminas focused on her surroundings.
No footsteps…
No breathing…
But something was there.
The sensation of being watched.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over a nearby stone wall.
Empty.
Yet her gut screamed that something was clinging to the rock, blending into the spirals.
"…This isn't good."
Ruminas took a step back.
Swish—
At that moment, a black shadow shot out from the wall!
A bizarre creature, flat-bodied and parasitic, clung to the rock like a giant parasite. Its pale gray body blended perfectly with the stone, and its back was covered in spirals identical to the wall's markings.
Its glowing red eyes locked onto Ruminas. It made no sound, but the way it slithered across the stone sent goosebumps up her skin.
Ruminas drew her weapon instantly, eyes brimming with caution.
The creature observed her for a few seconds before lunging again. Its speed wasn't overwhelming, so she dodged, slashing at it with her dagger.
The monster screamed, but no blood spilled—only fragments of stone dust. Then, suddenly, more of the creatures began emerging from the other spirals. They didn't attacking aggressively or in waves; instead, they lunged, retreated, and lunged again after a brief pause.
"What's their mechanism…?"
Ruminas didn't attack recklessly, only striking when they lunged. Though nothing seemed too dangerous yet, an unshakable unease gnawed at her.
"Run!" the Demon Umbrella urged suddenly.
Without hesitation, Ruminas sprinted toward her chosen path. The spiral monsters abandoned their waiting game, now charging at her frenziedly.
Ruminas dodged and weaved, avoiding attacks without striking back—she knew she needed to escape this place area as quickly as possible. Suddenly, the cave trembled, and the ground beneath her feet began to shift. The ceiling and walls quivered too, too.
They undulated softly, not rigidly, as if alive. More spirals appeared, multiplying rapidly. One even materialized under Ruminas's feet, trying to suck her leg in, but she dodged just in time.
"What the hell is this thing is this…?"
Ruminas's confusion deepened.
"Haven't you realized yet?" the Demon Umbrella asked, floating beside her.
"You know something?"
"This place… is a living entity," she said slowly. "This… is a living entity," she said slowly.
Ruminas's face paled with shock. She picked up speed.
"A living creature? What the hell!?"
Ruminas gritted her teeth, a chill running down her spine as she realized she wasn't in a cave but inside something alive.
The ground, the ceiling, the walls—they were breathing.
The spirals weren't just markings—they were part of this colossal being. Each pulse felt like the contractions of a living tissue, like the insides of a digestive tract.
BOOM!
A section of the ceiling caved in, revealing a gaping black void right in front of Ruminas.
She leaped aside, narrowly escaping the pull of the abyss.
Swish—
The spiral creatures kept coming, no longer retreating but now crawling along walls, their bodies twisting grotesquely, as if merging with the entity.
"If this is a living being… where am I? Or rather, am I inside its body?"
Ruminas didn't dare think further, only running harder.
The Demon Umbrella smiled faintly.
"It's not easy to escape, but… we've reached the exit."
Exit?
Ruminas looked up, her sharp eyes locking onto the path ahead.
There, a large fissure loomed—an apparent way out.
But the problem was—
It was closing.
"Damn it!" she cursed.
With no time to hesitate, Ruminas surged forward, channeling energy into her legs, sprinting toward the gap. The spiral monsters screeched, chasing her.
But they were too slow.
Whoosh—she slipped through the fissure just as it sealed shut.
THUD!
Ruminas rolled onto the ground, gasping for breath.
But before she could even catch her breath, she froze at the sight before her.
Ahead of her…
Was a bizarre structure, like a massive cocoon, pulsating faintly. Soft, rhythmic breathing sounds echoed, their source unknown.
Ruminas scanned her surroundings, spotting things she'd seen before on the surface—embryos…
"Is this… their nest?"