The Mana Flux came and went quickly.
Perhaps because everyone had already experienced it once before, the second occurrence was met with far greater calm. Humanity's greatest strength was its ability to adapt, and this adaptability was on full display. When the Mana Flux finally subsided, there was no longer the massive, sudden drop in population that had accompanied the first one.
On the world channel, daily casualty numbers had stabilized, remaining in the five-digit range.
It was clear that people had grown accustomed to this new reality.
"This damn Mana Flux is finally over."
"Yeah. Honestly, when the temperature suddenly dropped like that, I thought we were done for."
"No! The temperature drop isn't over!"
"Huh?"
"I just went outside for a bit. The sun still has no warmth at all."
"What did you say?!"
"Could it be that the temperature drop wasn't caused by the Mana Flux? Maybe it just happened to coincide with it?"
"Damn it. I thought once the Mana Flux ended, I could finally go out and wander around. I've burned through so much kerosene these past few days."
"Don't just talk about yourself—I'm the same. I thought enduring it would be enough, but who knew this cold would just keep going?"
"No matter what, I have to go out and gather materials. The Mana Tide is coming soon."
"I'll go too. Even freezing to death is better than facing the Mana Tide unprepared."
On the first morning after the week-long Mana Flux ended, people celebrated—only to quickly realize that things were far more complicated than they had hoped.
Snow was still falling.
Though it was lighter now, there was no sign that it would stop anytime soon. The sunlight remained pale and cold, completely devoid of warmth. Thick layers of snow blanketed the ground, burying not just the land, but also the hopes of those who had dared to expect better days.
It was as if the world itself were mocking them.
Still, some people chose to step outside despite everything.
They had no choice.
Because staying put was no longer an option.
Yet among those who left their homes out of desperation, there was another group whose purpose was entirely different.
Today was the day they had agreed upon.
After several days of rest and preparation, Smith, accompanied by John, Cam, and Lisala, arrived at the cave entrance. Each of them carried a large hiking backpack packed with supplies.
These companions had been carefully selected by Smith.
All three possessed combat-related Talents and real combat experience. In addition, Lisala had a reconnaissance Talent known as [Sense]. Though it was only D-rank and its range was limited, it was still invaluable in an unknown environment like this.
The cave entrance was almost completely buried under accumulated snow, yet the vines used for concealment remained intact.
At the very least, that meant no monsters had escaped from inside.
Of course, it was also possible that there had never been any monsters there to begin with.
"When will that external support arrive?" John asked, rubbing his hands together as he looked around.
Smith shook his head. "I'm not sure. Shang Chuan only told us to gather here at eight."
With no other choice, the four of them waited in the biting cold. If they hadn't all taken anti-freeze potions before leaving, they would have been forced to stomp their feet and huddle together just to keep warm.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept past.
Smith instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes and squinted into the distance—just in time to see a figure descending from the sky.
The newcomer looked to be in their thirties, dressed in a well-tailored suit that seemed completely out of place in the harsh environment. Yet there was an unmistakable sense of pressure about them, as if they carried power effortlessly.
"Hello," the person said calmly. "Are you Mr. Smith?"
Smith stepped forward immediately. "Yes."
The newcomer nodded, then turned their gaze toward the cave. "Shang Chuan already briefed me. This is the cave, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go in and take a look."
With a casual wave of their hand, a fierce gust of wind surged forward, slicing through the vines at the cave entrance. The darkness beyond was instantly revealed. Without hesitation or fear, Natasha stepped inside.
John hesitated. "Smith… should we follow?"
Smith grimaced slightly. "We don't really have a choice. Let's keep up."
Natasha's boldness left Smith with little room to argue. As he entered the cave, however, he deliberately glanced back at a nearby tree before pulling a magical lantern from his backpack and lighting it.
The group disappeared into the darkness.
Moments later, a figure slipped silently out from behind that tree.
He was thin, armed with a compact crossbow, and his movements were precise and cautious.
His name was Otto.
He was Smith's contingency plan.
If Natasha had harbored any malicious intentions—if she had tried to harm them—Otto would have been their final safeguard.
Smith acknowledged that the wind-based move Natasha had shown earlier was incredibly powerful, easily befitting an S-rank Talent. Still, he believed that if the worst came to pass, Otto would be able to intervene.
Inside the pitch-black cave, Natasha and the others advanced carefully.
An hour passed.
Then another.
They encountered no monsters. Not even a single blade of grass.
The cave was barren—desolate, even—yet undeniably wild, as though it concealed something far deeper.
Click.
John planted a glowing iron rod into the ground, marking another fork in the path.
This was done at every branching point to prevent them from getting lost or unknowingly retracing their steps. They hadn't spent the past few days resting idly; knowing they would be exploring a cave, they had prepared thoroughly.
Naturally, all of this equipment had been paid for by Young Master Shang.
"When is this going to end?" John muttered under his breath after setting the marker.
"It really is boring," Natasha agreed with a sigh. "Smith, have you noticed anything?"
She had been hoping for an intense battle or at least some excitement, but the emptiness was beginning to frustrate her.
Smith lifted his lantern and brought it close to the cave wall, illuminating a section of stone.
"No concrete discoveries yet," he said slowly. "But there's a high chance this cave is actually a mine."
Natasha blinked in surprise. "A mine? Not a passage leading somewhere else?"
From her perspective, the cave walls were far too regular. They didn't resemble the uneven surfaces of a natural mine, nor were there any visible support structures.
By all appearances, it shouldn't have been a mine at all.
Yet Smith sounded confident.
"I can't really explain it," he admitted. "Just think of it as intuition."
Despite being seven or eight years older, Natasha didn't feel any generational gap between them. In this world, survival had erased such distinctions long ago.
"Well, if it's intuition, there's not much I can argue against," Natasha said with a shrug.
Talents in this world were strange and unpredictable. Intuition-based abilities were not unheard of.
"And there's something else," Smith continued.
"Oh?"
"Don't you think this area is much larger than the cave entrance we saw outside?"
Natasha paused, then looked around carefully.
"…You're right."
Only then did she truly realize it.
The space they were standing in was far more expansive than it should have been, given the size of the entrance.
Something was wrong.
Something was hidden.
And their investigation had only just begun.
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