In the underground caverns – I

"BAAAM…"

Hugo's joy was short-lived after another explosion of battle noise went off right outside the cave. It seemed that another battle had just commenced.

Without any further checking of the changes happening within the Grimoire, Hugo activated the Cloak of Thanatos and made a beeline for what appeared to be the entrance of another underground tunnel situated opposite to where he had initially entered the cave.

Meanwhile, cracks began forming on the rocky cave walls. At the same time, dust and debris began dropping from fissures on the ceiling above him.

Hugo frenziedly channeled more mana into his legs and dashed madly into the tunnel just in time to avoid being buried by the collapsing debris that covered a large part of the cave.

By exerting a hundred percent effort, he had barely survived the gruesome fate of being buried alive underneath the debris.

"I 'm still very weak," Hugo lampooned.

He was disgruntled and dissatisfied with the results of his mystic training.

[I need to master more spells and achieve the mystic-wizard status as soon as possible.] Hugo resolved after realizing the continued state of the inadequacy of his mystic powers. Running as fast as a cheetah and invisibility were not enough to completely ensure his survival in this treacherous mystic world.

Had he been caught beneath the thick piles of sand and stone in the cave, Escape would have been next to impossible. The tests he had conducted yesterday evening confirmed that thicker objects like stone walls and metal ores would impede his movements even under the effects of the spell.

[But why are they fighting again? Is there some sort of treasure nearby? What is going on?] Hugo was deeply confused by the series of pointless fights he had witnessed on the outskirts of the Dark Forest.

He couldn't help but shudder after imagining the severity of the battle scenes at the center of the Dark Forest where the most powerful creatures dwelled.

"This is the true meaning of the phrase; survival is for the fittest. Comparing Earth to here is like comparing a kindergarten to a university." He whispered.

But Hugo was getting impatient as time seemed to pass so slowly within the cavern.

[I'll just have to wait for the battles outside to end. I should be able to burrow out after that.] Hugo reassured himself.

In the few minutes that followed, battle noises including suppressed screeches and grunts, punctuated with the occasional grunts of humans increased, and more damage was done to the thick walls of the cave.

The battle was on a scale that Hugo could barely comprehend.

However, he could easily deduce that the tunnel walls would possibly collapse soon, leaving the entire cave dozens of feet under a mountain of debris. The light filtering into the underground cavern would then be extinguished, leaving Hugo in a complete state of darkness…

And maybe, a creature or two nesting underground would pop out from the darkness and swallow him whole in a single gulp. And that would be the end of his journey.

Hugo calmed himself and started visualizing a flame forming in his hands whilst also channeling mana from the aorta and vena cava esoteric channels into his arms and hands.

This was a way to weave a fire spell that he had learned through trial and error during his routine morning training. In a matter of seconds, a small red flame materialized within his hands and lit up his surroundings.

However, the small flame kept flickering like a candle in the wind, casting eerie shadows on the tunnel walls that scared him enough to raise goosebumps all over his body.

[Why is my heart still palpating? I seem to have escaped from the danger.]

Hugo brushed his hand across the wall only to pick up dust and grime.

But, there appeared to be no sign of wind or life in the tunnel. He couldn't ignore his instincts which were already finely tuned to the world of Gaia.

[There must be another way out of here.] He thought while observing the surrounding walls. The tunnel extended for a few meters before snaking away coldly into the infinite darkness. Hugo could feel his brain starting to lose focus just by gazing into the darkness. It looked just like a beast waiting to swallow him.

[I should start by looking for another route to the outside.] He thought while transitioning into a light jog while heading further towards the glowing lights.

In his invisible status, Hugo went unnoticed by the weak underground creatures. And since he needed to put some distance between himself and the battle, his light jog soon transitioned into a full-blown sprint.

In his state of complete focus and alertness, the dark world of the tunnel flashed by quickly as Hugo passed by many caterpillars, arachnids, and insects of all shapes and sizes.

In a matter of a few dozen minutes, Hugo made it to a fork in the tunnel. The passage split into two; one ascended most likely leading to the jungle above, while the other descended and probably led into the belly of the earth.

[Do I investigate this or do I continue escaping?]

There were two voices in Hugo's mind; one his ego and ambition prompting him to explore the descending tunnel, while the other, the voice of reason, urging him to follow the ascending path and run to safety.

Hugo was at a loss. Was he to pick ambition or safety?

His instincts were already tingling with unease. On gazing into the eerie darkness of the descending path, Hugo was sure he would be filled with immense regret if he left without exploring it.

This was a fight between instinct and intuition.

Hugo practiced the Psykhe-Mental-Exercise for a few dozen seconds to calm his mind and suppress the 'fight or flight' instincts urging him to run towards safety.

But alas, instinct prevailed over his keen curiosity after going through a process of careful deliberation. Chances could only be utilized when one had a life. With life there was hope, but death would end his journey in this life or maybe the Universe.

[Does this voice belong to the higher power or whatever so-called universal source out there?] Hugo was tickled by his thoughts as he cast one last glance at the darkness of the descending passage.

"If this is destined, I will explore the caverns another time." He mumbled while raising his hand to caress the barrier.