The Ancient Dragon Cave

"Go check the dock and see if the equipment has arrived. Call and urge them to transport it here as soon as possible."

Professor Han stood at the cave entrance, issuing orders to a few members of the archaeological team. This time, he had led a team of ten to the site, but despite their preparations, the discovery before them far exceeded their expectations.

"Professor, be careful," one of the archaeologists at the cave entrance cautioned. "There's a lot to transport, so the nine of us will go together. You should wait here."

Professor Han waved his hand impatiently, his gaze fixed intently on the ruins inside the cave. His flashlight swept across the relics nonstop. The archaeologists exchanged helpless glances before heading off together to retrieve the larger, more precise detection instruments. The significance of this discovery was unprecedented. The instruments had been airlifted at top speed, even alerting relevant authorities, who were already making arrangements for proper preservation and research efforts.

"An ultra-ancient civilization, defying modern human history, existing where it should have been impossible," Professor Han murmured with excitement. "In Oklo, Gabon, Africa, an ancient nuclear reactor was discovered—six sections containing approximately 500 tons of uranium ore, with an estimated output of 100 kilowatts. It operated for a staggering 500,000 years, dating back nearly two billion years. Now, what we have found here could serve as the strongest supporting evidence of such a phenomenon. This is a miracle in the history of international archaeology, an immortal monument. However…"

Professor Han could not reconcile how the remains of a Tyrannosaurus rex were linked to these ultra-ancient ruins. The stone spears, bronze swords, and suits of armor—could they have belonged to ancient dragon slayers? The notion seemed too fantastical.

"Let's go in and take a look!" Gritting his teeth, Professor Han crouched down and entered the cave.

"Professor!" Qin Chuan exclaimed in shock, unable to stop him in time.

"There's nothing to worry about. We'll just examine the entrance. Don't you want firsthand information for our report?" Professor Han shot a glare at him before beginning to sift through the ruins at the cave mouth.

"Let's go," Su Jing said indifferently. She was a woman of few words, yet she reacted the quickest. Xiao Yi frowned slightly. He glanced at the ground, where a thin crack had formed in the soil. A chill ran through his heart. His peripheral vision caught sight of the T. rex remains, particularly the dragon's claw, where fine fractures were spreading. At that moment, another crack appeared—silent, but unmistakable in Xiao Yi's eyes.

Something was wrong!

A surge of alarm shot through him as he reached out to grab Qin Chuan, who was the third person crouching into the cave. But it was too late.

A sudden collapse!

A tremendous force wrenched Xiao Yi off balance, dragging him into the depths of the cave. Wind roared past his ears. Moments later, he plunged into icy water. A bone-chilling cold surged up his spine, his limbs numbing almost instantly. Struggling to the surface, he gasped for air and took in his surroundings—an underground cavern more than twenty meters high, its dark depths stretching into the unknown like the gaping maw of a giant beast, exuding an eerie, bone-chilling aura.

Luckily, the shore was only a few meters away. Professor Han and the others had also fallen in but were skilled swimmers. However, the freezing water had taken its toll, especially on Professor Han, who emerged looking pale.

"Get to shore!" Qi Yong shouted. Despite his stout frame, he moved quickly, reaching the shore in just a few strokes.

One by one, they climbed onto the bank. A dim glow trickled down from above, casting a half-moon glow on the cavern floor. Summer heat had no place here. Su Jing's silk dress clung to her soaked body, outlining her graceful curves. Qin Chuan and Qi Yong's eyes gleamed momentarily, but they quickly looked away, knowing better than to stare. Even Xiao Yi, after a brief glance, shifted his focus—ensuring survival was far more pressing.

Su Jing's expression darkened, but she held her temper. Professor Han, shivering, struggled to his feet. Fortunately, their flashlights had survived the fall. One by one, they flickered on, illuminating the cavern floor—marked with dark, human-sized stains, as if enormous droplets of blood had once seeped into the stone.

"What is that!" Qin Chuan suddenly exclaimed, his flashlight fixed on a massive stone pillar, as thick as a water barrel and five meters tall. The upper portion was clearly fractured. Following the light, they saw that the base of the pillar was a gigantic spearhead, encrusted with the same dark stains. Even after eons, an overwhelming sense of battle-worn ferocity radiated from it.

"A broken giant stone spear! Could it be… a weapon of giants?" Qi Yong inhaled sharply, his eyes filled with shock.

Xiao Yi's heart pounded. This broken spear was enormous. Did a race of ancient giants once exist, capable of wielding such colossal weapons?

They ventured deeper, their flashlights revealing immense iron lances, thick copper whips, and unknown towering shields. Fist-sized gray-white stones lay in small mounds—each pile containing nearly a thousand pieces. Among them, half-meter-long stone clubs and foot-long bronze swords resembled the weapons of dwarves. Mysterious relics lay scattered throughout, leaving even Professor Han at a loss for explanation.

After a hundred meters, they finally reached the cavern's end. Amidst the rubble lay a half-meter-high fossilized dinosaur egg. Professor Han hesitated before murmuring, "A fossilized T. rex egg? Was this once its nest?"

A chilling realization dawned upon them. Xiao Yi speculated—could this be an ancient dragon's lair? Had the weapons been trophies of a victorious T. rex?

That thought sent shivers down his spine. If true, then Earth once harbored civilizations unlike any known today—giants, dwarves, and more, wielding weapons beyond comprehension.

"Wait, the texture of this fossilized egg is strange. It's different from other T. rex eggs we've found. The stone is fine and almost jade-like," Professor Han noted with surprise.

"There are murals!" Qin Chuan's sharp voice cut through the silence.

Their eyes locked onto a vast mirror etched into the stone wall—ancient, simple, its surface marked by primitive patterns. Below it, the wall was blank.

"What the hell? Just a mirror?" Qi Yong scoffed before pausing. "Wait… did they even have mirrors back then?"

Xiao Yi pondered. The irregularities of this ultra-ancient site defied history. Almost instinctively, he directed his flashlight beam onto the mirror's surface.

Crack!

A fracture appeared where the light touched, and a small piece of stone fell away. A burst of golden light, pure and flawless, flared from within. The air grew thick with the scent of blood, and in the distance, an ancient melody echoed.

"The sky collapses, the earth shatters, man stands defiant, life and death entwined..."

Xiao Yi could no longer hear his companions. The golden light consumed his vision. When it faded, he gasped.

Before him was a radiant cavern, as if he had stepped into a divine realm. The air was unnaturally pure, invigorating his very being. The fossilized T. rex egg had transformed into a luminous golden gemstone, pulsating with vibrant life force.

Turning, he saw the battlefield—blood-soaked land, shattered weapons, and a revived, awe-inspiring aura. He trembled.

"Have I traveled back to the Mesozoic era?" he whispered.

The ruins were no longer ruins.

And he was utterly alone.