Unlike the monsters found across the six continents, creatures like tree people and stone giants didn't exist elsewhere. In comparison, the monsters on the six continents were as weak as sheep and posed no real threat.
Besides knowledge, Larry gained something else from the stone giants, the core inside their bodies. The rock giant core, produced by the lowest level of the stone giant race, was the source of their massive aura.
Since Larry hadn't yet encountered other stone giants, he couldn't draw any firm conclusions, but this discovery hinted at much greater power hidden within. Larry was certain that the most important and valuable part of the creatures they were studying was their core, followed closely by their rocky bodies.
While these parts had previously been valuable mainly for collection and research, the arrival of the steel snake had added countless new uses, especially as food. This development made Larry even more
curious about the rocky terrain, eager to see what other surprises it might hold.
After about an hour's walk from where they had encountered the three giants, they stumbled upon another new discovery.
Standing on a slightly elevated rock, Larry narrowed his eyes and focused intently on the ground nearby.
Everyone else did the same, their movements surprisingly synchronized, as if they were all facing some huge monster.
Even their gazes were strikingly similar.
Meowth scratched his face with his claws and exclaimed, "Is that... a hole, meow?"
"Such a big hole, meow?"
Following their gaze, they saw a vast black pit ahead, about 180 units in height.
The ground, which should have been flat, had a large section missing, leaving behind a deep, dark chasm that looked like a black hole.
It was clear that this hole was not only massive but also incredibly deep, something unusual for the area.
The edges of the hole were neat and well-defined, indicating it wasn't caused by random impacts like meteorites.
Instead, it seemed more like something deliberately made.
Given what they had seen before, Larry's first thought was that this might be the stone giant's cave, the largest pit he had ever come across.
Such a large hole didn't seem like the result of a meteor strike or battle, making that explanation unlikely.
With a calm expression, Larry asked the others, especially Ging and the group, "Did you see anything?"
Beyond stroked his smooth beard thoughtfully and said slowly, "It's too flat, almost like it was born this way."
After a pause, his face showed some hesitation as he added, "Honestly, I have a theory... This huge cave is probably connected to the stone giant we met earlier.
If there are creatures living inside, then the stone giant would fit perfectly in such a large space."
"Stone giant?" someone echoed, intrigued.
"This matches what I was thinking."
Larry nodded in agreement but quickly shifted the conversation.
"Whether this cave has anything to do with the stone giant isn't really the main point. What matters is the choice we make: do we want to go in or not?"
At first glance, the massive cave looked anything but simple.
Anyone could sense the danger lurking inside.
But danger often comes hand in hand with opportunity, especially in a place like the Dark Continent, where that saying holds truest.
What caught Larry's attention was the possibility that stone giants might be inside, which could be a valuable resource to help the giant steel snake continue growing.
As for the others, Biller frowned initially but, after some thought, shifted his stance.
"I'm in favor of it," he said, carefully watching Larry's subtle reaction.
His decision came after weighing all factors.
First, having Larry as their leader significantly lowered the risk; none of them had died so far under his guidance.
Second, their main goal in heading to the Dark Continent was exploration, an endeavor full of challenges and rewards.
For someone like Ging, the thrill of the challenge might be the biggest draw, while others might be more interested in tangible gains.
Either way, venturing into the cave seemed likely to satisfy everyone.
Most importantly, they knew there were ores buried beneath this rocky ground, a fact long established.
Logically, ores are found underground, so caves that lead beneath the surface would almost certainly hold valuable minerals.
That kind of potential gain was hard to ignore.
Of course, all this hinged on safety, and Larry represented their best chance at staying safe.
After a brief discussion, the group reached a unanimous decision to explore the cave.
They held high hopes for this mission, especially regarding minerals.
With everyone on board, Larry led the team to the edge of the huge opening.
From a distance, the cave was impressive, but up close, it was even more massive.
Standing on its rim, they felt dwarfed, so vast that even a building could be tossed inside like a toy.
Through the daylight filtering in, they could clearly see marks and traces on the cave's surface, hinting at what might lie within.
The large hole wasn't a straight vertical shaft but slanted at an angle, creating a gentle slope inside the cave.
Because of this incline, there was a path that wasn't too steep, making it easier to navigate.
The ground, like the cave entrance and the surrounding area, was made of dark earthquake rock, which gave the interior a dim, shadowy feel.
Light barely reached deep inside, only illuminating small patches near the surface, while the depths were shrouded in near-complete darkness.
It almost seemed like wisps of black mist lingered in the shadows, purposely hiding what lay further in.
Looking down from the edge, they noticed the path near the entrance was marked with chaotic signs of disturbance.
The once solid black seismic rock now looked more like ordinary dirt, covered with overlapping pits and indentations.
For such hard rock to be so damaged, it had to be something massive, like an elephant trampling over soft soil.
They had seen similar traces not long ago, and while before it was just a guess, now they were more certain: a stone giant must be inside.
Unlike the tree men they'd encountered, these stone giants had three heads.
If the tree men could be seen as unique individuals, then these stone giants seemed to be a whole species.
Since there was a three-headed giant, it was possible that others existed as well.
Larry, already making up his mind, reminded the team, "I don't need to say much more about what to watch out for. Everyone be extra alert and put on your glasses."
He wasn't talking about regular glasses but special gear invented by Meowth.
These "daytime glasses" absorbed a bit of their aura and made everything look like it was broad daylight, even in total darkness.
As they went deeper, the cave's light would only grow dimmer, plunging them into pitch black.
Using normal light sources could be risky, since sudden darkness could catch them off guard.