"...Although I've known for a long time that you're quite obsessed with cultivation, I hope there won't be a next time if possible." I tried to smooth my furrowed brow. "I need to reiterate that I'm just an ordinary mage, not a swordsman like you who excels in physical combat and swordsmanship."
"What if that knife had actually hit me? Are you really sure you could control yourself completely? If I got hurt here, would I be able to get help in time?"
I tried to put myself in the victim's shoes to analyze the situation, which made the icy female swordswoman, who was focused solely on cultivation, show some unease after deep thought.
For martial artists, injuries are commonplace, but for mages who are mostly in safe positions, the likelihood of injury is often lower than the probability of death. The reason everyone seems so lively and energetic is usually due to the sheer number of resurrection techniques and alchemical advancements unique to mages.
After all, before you do something reckless, you should prepare for how to start over.
Of course, Miyuki wouldn't know this.
"I apologize again for my recklessness; it was indeed my fault."
Then I received her sincere apology and a promise of possible compensation.
In other words, during the subsequent exploration, they will assist me in taking care of the others, and if they find anything useful, they will give a larger share to this group.
No matter what, this side made the profit.
Then came a pleasant breakfast time.
The hot spring cabin has ample clean water resources, and the food has been prepared well in advance. Some of it is leftovers from the hunting here, and some is what Shenxue hunted in the forest while staying here—for example, a rock bear with thick ice armor on its back.
It's hard to imagine how this giant beast climbed up such a high mountain; whatever the reason, it eventually became our food.
Hikari, full of enthusiasm, volunteered to make breakfast. Although eating fatty meat so early in the morning would be a serious burden on her stomach, it was a worthwhile measure to replenish the necessary energy and calories, given the freezing weather outside.
Incidentally, Annie and Eleanor didn't seem to be in very good condition, but fortunately, they both ate as much as they could, so at least they didn't have to worry about going hungry.
"Why don't you rest here?" I suggested to the two of them. "Compared to exploring caves that may still be dangerous, staying here is at least safer, and there are hot springs to soothe your nerves. We can go back to the caves after we've dealt with that one."
After much hesitation, the two agreed to the proposal.
As a result, the expedition team was quickly reduced from the initial five-person team to a familiar three-person group.
Having worked together before, we are more familiar with how to help each other.
"Shall we set off then?"
As she spoke, Miyuki's hands moved swiftly, completing the assembly of three saddles. Judging by the quantity and quality, she had likely finished them hastily the previous night.
We bid farewell to the two who remained behind and the Pegasus group led by the Pegasus leader, and embarked on our journey.
Compared to previous experiences, this time it was uneventful. Not only was the flow of magic chaotic, but we didn't even see any beings like the Great Roc.
We breathed a sigh of relief, and soon, guided by Shen Xue, we headed to the back of a slightly lower mountain peak.
Amidst the perfectly placed concealment of the rocks, following the guidance, one can barely make out a narrow, deep black crack that seems to be embedded in the rock face.
"That's it."
After squinting and trying to figure it out for a while, Shen Xue pointed to my guess and confirmed my guess: "I also discovered it by accident. I was looking for a place to take shelter from the rain, but when I was running down to look for it, I suddenly stepped into thin air and fell down. I found that there was a hollow passage leading directly to a cave."
"Why is the entrance straight up and down? Who would go through all that trouble?" I wondered.
Miyuki shook her head in denial, gesturing for the celestial horse she was riding to move closer to that spot: "No, that's not the entrance. It's probably just a gap that was accidentally overlooked during the development of the environment. The entrance to that cave is at the foot of the mountain, connected to it by a long passageway. I've been there, but it's much more dangerous than this crack."
I nodded, indicating that such a statement was acceptable for the time being.
"So, are we going to enter from here too?" Hikari looked somewhat uneasy. "Just how long is that crack?"
Looking at the approaching crack, Miyuki hesitated: "I don't know, but it should be more than ten meters deep. Perhaps you could try to land safely using the methods you have?"
It seems this isn't a convenient route either. Luckily, I didn't bring two other people along to cause trouble.
All I could do was turn back and reassure Hikari: "I'll take you with me when I fall, so don't worry about leaving you with me."
Hikari nodded, her bright expression returning.
After a smooth landing, I first rewarded the Pegasus that had flown all the way here, and reassured them to wait in the area where the defensive spells were set up. Then, as we had agreed beforehand, Miyuki went in first, while I followed behind with Hikari.
The flame I casually tossed in could only illuminate a small area, which was enough to confirm that there were no more dangers or accidents lurking nearby. The only thing I was sure of was that I had gone too far in and was almost out of my range of perception.
After taking a short, deep breath at the edge of the crevice, Miyuki jumped down without hesitation. Soon, a crisp sound of her landing echoed from the bottom of the cave, and a thin layer of frost covered one side of the gray-black rock wall, indicating that she had landed safely with the help of her sword strike.
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