Outside the passage, as usual, there was complete darkness. But the first sensation Shard felt upon stepping out was an unbearable heat, accompanied by an indescribable odd feeling.
He sniffed carefully; there was no smell of fermenting grapes from a wine cellar, nor the scent of vegetables from a hotel's underground storage. As his feet left the passage, he clearly felt the ground beneath him was no longer smooth, which meant this place wasn't the underground of some man-made facility.
With his Dark Vision, he could discern some of the surroundings; he seemed to be at the inner edge of a wide cave. Listening attentively, he couldn't hear any sounds of insects or birds and beasts, not even the "Echo of the Past" could detect any sound:
"No life... Even if the way out is blocked, there should be at least some insects, right? Enhanced Spatial Awareness!"
As the Arcane Technique activated, the surrounding terrain entered his mind, significantly extending his visual range.
