Chapter 85.
Chapter 85. The mysterious cube.
There isn't any drastic change inside the mouth of this cave it still looks the same as before. But as we go deeper inside of it, the temperature drastically changes as it continues to plummet down, until it reaches below zero as everything around us becomes covered in ice.
"This isn't what it looks like before." Michael says in alarm as he illuminates our path with a torch in his hands.
We're just about halfway through our journey inside the tunnels of this cave when we noticed the ice around us has expanded beyond the strange ruins.
The stalagmites and stalactites growing in this cave are now covered in a thin sheet of ice, the same for the water dropping from the ceiling as they now froze on their beaded form.
Making it seems like there are countless beads of pearls embedded in the ceilings of the cave as they keep on sparkling every time our torch light illuminates them.
It also didn't help that some of the cave floors have become slippery because of ice, making it harder for us to walk through them.
"We haven't even reached the flooded sector of the cave and yet, the coldness has already spread half of this area." As I looked at the markings on the cave's wall that we have previously left when we first discover this place.
"But we're still far from that huge dome. Something is wrong in here." Michael uttered in worry as he carefully walk beside me, as he stands guard against any danger that might appear.
The last time we went this far this place was still relatively warm. We only encountered this icy cold feeling once we get into the flooded area of the cave, where we need to submerge our bodies into bone-freezing water.
"I told you it's not a good idea to go into this cave, just look around us. Everything is now covered in ice. Something must have happened here while we were gone." Michael exclaimed to me as we walk through the passage of this cave with only a small light coming from our torch.
"Everything might be covered in ice but look at us, we're still fine. And besides, look at our surroundings, something has happened here and we need to find out what's causing this." I said in order to persuade Michael to continue our journey.
"I don't know. I don't have a good feeling about this, and it's already been half an hour since we left the city we need to hurry up. If we can't still find something within an hour I would drag you back home, whether you like it or not." Michael strictly said to me as he looked at me in distress.
After several minutes of walking, we finally reach the flooded part of the cave where we need to activate our aura in order to protect our bodies from extreme cold.
Despite the freezing temperature in this place, the water in this section of the cave remains unbothered by it and not even any signs of ice can be seen on them.
It looks like just normal flood water at first glance, but once you touch it a bone-freezing cold would immediately invade your body. The only way to resist it is to activate our aura cover, but doing it would also make us noticeable in dark.
As our aura would release some glows making it easier for anyone to spot us in the dark. But I guess that's not important anymore as our torch alone shines much brighter than us.
"W-Why d-does i-i-it fe-feels like this w-water have become colder than the last time?" I said while shivering as every breath I take quickly turn into smoke.
Even the fire in our torch has almost died from extreme cold, with only a small fire remaining on its head. It's not even submerged in this water but it was still affected by its extremely cold temperature.
There are even some signs of ice forming on its handle. And even some of our luggage like my backpack is now covered in frost.
"The extreme change of temperature in this place is not normal at all. I remembered that there is still some magic equipment that is operational in these ruins, Don't you think it was because of that?" I ask towards Michael whose body is now covered in a thin sheet of frost, despite his aura covering his body.
I'm also not in a better condition as frost is now quickly forming in my hair and eyelashes making it harder for me to open my eyes.
"Maybe, but we should hurry up, staying in contact with this water is starting to affect our body despite our aura covers," Michael replied as we quickly run our way despite being submerged in a knee-deep flood.
This doesn't feel like ordinary water at all, any liquid exposed to this extreme cold should have frozen a long time ago but it still remains in its liquid form.
The coldness in this water reminds me of a coolant we often used in our machines. But even those coolant doesn't even have a close resemblance to our drinking water so this shouldn't be the case for this one.
When we finally reach the dried land we are astounded by what we saw.
The huge dome is still above our heads with a big light crystal hanging on the very center of the dome lighting up the entire place with its weird bluish light.
But this is not what surprised us the most, it was the plants and fauna-like things that shocked us. They are spread around this dome everywhere you look.
It's an entire ecosystem of plants. Design to deal with freezing temperature.
All of the plants and trees around us have this crystallized look on them. If not because of their unique shape and forms then I would think that they were indeed ice crystal that grows in the ground.
But the thing that amazed us the most is the bio-luminescent light they release once in a while, giving us some wonderful light show.
Since their body is transparent, you can easily see how these colorful lights travel and spread on them. Like how it starts on its roots from the ground as it traveled upwards.
"What the heck is this?" Michael asks in awe.
The last time we went here this place isn't this crowded, there were only a few trees, grasses, and flowers, all made out of ice crystal. But now looking at it, the entire space in this dome is almost occupied by these strange plants.
This is a huge dome-like structure, with several hundred meters of occupied space.
The huge light crystal hanging on the center of this dome serves as the main light source of this huge cavern, and the stone-like jewels embedded in this cave's ceilings look like stars twinkling in the night sky.
And yet, this is still not the most attention-grabbing sight in this place. It is the lush giant ice crystal tree standing in the middle of this huge cavern.
This huge tree now bears colorful flowers made out of some kind of ice crystal growing on its branches, blooming underneath this frozen world.
"This place is thriving with life." Michael uttered in his breath, as he cautiously roam his eyes carefully inspecting everything around us.
"This is far from what it looked like the last time we were here." I stated in shock.
As Michael responds to me with a nod as a form of acknowledgment.
I quickly turn my gaze around us expecting to see any creatures that possibly live in this place. But only deafening silence greeted us, as there were no other things living in this place other than these strange plants, thriving in this forest of ice.
"It looks like there's no other creature here besides us." I said as I quickly walks towards one of the ice flower crystals near us.
It only takes me a quick poke on one of its buds to know that this ice flower is alive and real. Quickly opening up all of its petals as if welcoming my arrival.
"What are you doing?" Michael asks in alarm as he quickly pulls me away from it.
"I'm just curious to know if this thing is really alive." I said calmly as I turn my head to him.
"We don't even know if they're safe to touch." Michael exclaimed as we walk through the center of this cavern.
"Well, at least now we know they're safe to touch."
Hearing this, Michael immediately glares at me.
"Don't forget what you promised to me before we went inside this place." Michael said strictly as we arrive at the root section of this huge crystal tree.
To a passage where a huge metal door was embedded on it, that would lead us to one of the rooms full of glass tanks containing those unknown corpses.
"We don't have that much time left, so we need to hurry. I'm sure that sir Kiel would start looking for us anytime soon." Michael said as he pushes this metal door open.
And as we enter this door a huge and vast empty hallway welcomes us. And despite the freezing temperature, this place remains relatively clean without any build-up of ice.
"I'm aware of it, but can you blame me for this? Many things have changed in this place in just over a month since the last time we were here." I stated in frustration.
Michael nodded in agreement. "And that is also the more reason why we need to be cautious in this place. We have no idea what we're up against. Have you already forgotten about those corpses in that room? All of them died without a fight because of carelessness." He uttered in a low voice, his eyes scanning the hallway as if expecting danger to appear at any moment.
Hearing it immediately makes my mood fluctuates, and I replied to him with a grim look on my face. "I haven't forgotten about them. That's the sole reason why we are here, to check that room once again." I said in a solemn voice.
As we continued walking through this hallway, the temperature dropped even further as we got closer to that room.
And when we finally reached the only working door with glowing lines, we were shocked by what we saw as soon as this door opened.
Inside the room, is a frozen world. Every glass tank is now destroyed, with destroyed corpses of unknown creatures frozen on the floor, and at the back of the room is an open wall leading to a secret room with a mysterious cube floating on a platform.
"What is that?" Michael asks in shock as he stands there with a confused look on his face.
That cube is not there the last time we inspect this room. We don't even know that there was another room hidden in this place. It is only now that it revealed itself to us for an unknown reason.
"I don't know, but I think that's the thing that we are looking for" I whispered in response, my eyes fixed on the glowing cube, as I began walking toward it.
"I told you my hunch is right. We really overlook something. But first, we need to secure it and bring it back to the city as soon as possible." I said as I approach the floating cube to retrieve it back.
"WAIT!" Michael shouts in alarm as soon as he saw me touch it.
And I wish I have listened to him. To be cautious with every decision I made because as soon as I touch the cube, it immediately releases a blinding light as it disintegrates on its own, turning into some kind of powdered specs of dust before sinking into my skin.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" I shouted in pain as Michael runs towards me in a hurry.