Out of the Cave

Jessica watched as Ranav lightly touched the box, his fingers barely grazing its surface. For a few seconds, he remained completely motionless. At first, she thought he was just hesitating, but then she realized something was wrong.

"Ranav?" she called out, but he didn't respond.

She tried to urge him to open the box, but it was as if he wasn't there at all. His body was functioning normally, his breathing was steady, and his heartbeat was strong. Their connection was intact, yet she couldn't establish a mind link with him. Panic surged through her as she tried to take over his body, but her efforts failed miserably.

"Ranav! Ranav! What happened to you? Come back to me!" she cried out, fear gripping her heart.

The thought of being left alone again in the void of existence, without her only companion, terrified her.

Then, suddenly, the box creaked open. A brilliant explosion of multicolored lights burst forth, illuminating the cave in dazzling hues. Jessica instinctively shielded herself from the blinding glow, sensing the powerful presence of hundreds of mana crystals inside the box. Several pieces of high-level magical equipment radiated intense energy lay quietly in the box. Under normal circumstances, she would have been ecstatic. But right now, her only concern was Ranav.

She turned her gaze back to him, still frozen in place. Tears welled up in her imaginary eyes as she screamed, "Ranav, don't leave me alone! Come back to me!"

At that moment, Ranav gasped sharply as if he had been holding his breath for a long time. He blinked rapidly, adjusting to the flood of colors around him. His mind was still reeling from the strange encounter with Kuldeep Krushna and the shocking revelation about his true identity. He was almost certain now… Camilla, his adopted sister, was the lost daughter he had to find.

As soon as he heard Jessica's cries, he snapped back to reality. "I'm here. Don't cry," he said, his voice a little hoarse.

Jessica's aura enveloped him like a warm embrace, and in an instant, she calmed down. A wave of relief flooded her.

"We hit the jackpot this time," she said, excitement replacing her worry. "This box alone could be worth a kingdom's treasury! We're rich!"

Ranav smiled faintly. "I know. But we need to get out of here first."

He reached forward and firmly closed the lid of the vault. As soon as he did, the cave was plunged into darkness once more.

Ranav stored the vault in his storage ring. And said, "It's called the Eternium Vault."

Jessica's eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know that? And why couldn't I reach you earlier? Did you gain knowledge from the previous owner?"

"It's more than that," Ranav said vaguely. "I'll explain later. First, let's find a way out."

With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a glowing orb of light that hovered above his palm, casting a soft golden glow throughout the cavern.

Jessica suddenly remembered something. "Wait! The platform! It's made of Obsidian. Meditating on it will give better results than normal meditation!"

Ranav frowned slightly. "Are you sure it can be stored in the ring?"

Jessica scoffed. "Of course! The mage who died here probably carried it with him. It's completely different from the cave floor… it just looks like it's stuck because of all the dust and moss covering it."

Ranav nodded and attempted to store the platform. As he did, a soft rumbling sound echoed through the chamber, and the platform lifted slightly before vanishing into his storage ring.

"See?" Jessica said smugly.

Ranav ignored her teasing tone and scanned the cave one last time. "Do you sense anything else here?"

Jessica concentrated for a moment. "No, but we should check thoroughly before leaving."

Ranav moved the light orb around and searched the cave floor and walls. They found nothing except a few clusters of Nightshade Ferns. He collected them quickly and made his way back toward their original position.

Jessica hummed in thought. "So, what's the plan? Do we store everything for later, or should we give some of the harvest to Usha to sell?"

Ranav considered it for a moment. "We'll give snake eggs and Blackcap Mushrooms to Usha. The Nightshade Ferns are for Midnight. As for the Cragthorn Shrubs, we should hold onto them for now. If we bring too much at once, it'll raise suspicion."

Just as he was about to leave, something occurred to him. He rushed back into the smaller cave and carefully scooped up some of the ashes from the ground, storing them in a jar.

Jessica frowned. "Uh… why are you collecting someone's remains?"

"It's a long story. I'll explain once we're safe," Ranav muttered.

At that moment, a voice called down from above.

"Ranav! I'm sending the rope down. Can you climb, or do you need me to pull you up?" Usha's voice echoed through the cave.

Ranav hurried back to the main cavern and shouted, "I can climb! Just make sure the rope is secure so it doesn't snap while I'm on it."

A few seconds later, a sturdy rope came down into the cave. Ranav tested its strength and, once satisfied, began to climb. As he neared the top, he found it difficult to get a proper grip to pull himself over the edge.

"Usha, I need your help. Pull me up," he called.

Usha grabbed his arm and, with a firm tug, hoisted him onto solid ground.

Ranav sat up and pulled out a small bag from his backpack. He checked the contents before letting out a relieved sigh.

"Here," he said, handing the bag to Usha.

She took it and raised an eyebrow. "What's in this?"

"Some snake eggs and Blackcap Mushrooms."

Usha's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious?! You got attacked by a snake, fell into a cave, and instead of worrying about survival, you decided to collect snake eggs and herbs?! I was worried sick!"

Ranav scratched his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I misjudged the snake's strength and lost my footing. But I'm fine, see? The cave wasn't that deep."

Usha exhaled sharply and stuffed the bag into her storage ring. "I lost all interest in exploring after that. Let's just head back."

Ranav frowned. "But we haven't exceeded our exploring time yet."

Usha crossed her arms. "You almost died. Do you really want to keep exploring after that?"

Ranav grinned. "Of course. We still haven't found Mountain Savory. We can't leave empty-handed."

Usha sighed in defeat. "Fine. Let's take this path." She pointed toward a narrow trail leading along the mountainside.

Ranav paused. "Wait… what about the snake that attacked me? Can we sell it?"

Usha gestured to a spot near the rocks. "There it is. And yes, we can sell it." She walked over and stored the dead snake in her ring.

As they continued their journey, the path became narrower and more treacherous. Several times, they had to grip the mountainside to avoid falling into the valley below. Jessica guided Ranav carefully, ensuring he placed his feet exactly where Usha had stepped.

After getting out of the long, narrow and dangerous mountain path, Ranav stepped into a world that seemed materialized from a dream. Nestled high in the arms of the mountains, a piece of paradise unfolded. A lively expanse of greenery cuddled by the rough mountain peaks that pierced the sky. The surrounding mountains stood as ancient sentinels, their rocky faces osculated by time and crowned with glistening caps of snow. The wind whistled through this sanctuary, impatient and alive, carrying with it the mild scent of untouched wilderness. Yet, amidst the cool breath of the mountains, the afternoon sunlight cast its gentle warmth here, like a tender embrace from the heavens.