Chapter 71: Initial Exploration

"Tsk tsk, this is my first time inside a cave. No amount of descriptions or books can truly recreate this scenery!" 

Cysper excitedly looked around, levitating some magic light orbs. The sights before him were an eye-opening novelty that he couldn't stop marveling at.

"Our purpose is search and rescue, don't let your guard down."

I quickly reminded him. Though unique, these formations were still within normal bounds - I'd seen similar scenes on TV and videos back on Earth, of course.

"Ah yes, of course!"

Cysper snapped out of his reverie.

"I sense an abnormal light elemental aura here. Logically, this sunless place should have very little light essence. There must be something amiss in this cave!"

"You're right, and it's not just light essence..."

Accounting for the pool below, the water elemental levels still seemed unusually high. I suspected other elemental anomalies we couldn't detect lacking the respective affinities.

If Nicola were here, she could have clarified the wind elemental situation.  

This space didn't seem natural, with signs of artificial excavation - the suspiciously smooth rock walls alone were peculiar enough. But the circular stairway descending gently to the pool's edge from where we stood was truly bizarre.

Though heavily eroded, the stairs' existence alone raised many questions.

"Let's proceed!"

Cysper noticed too but didn't comment, simply nodding before heading down the stairs to explore further.

The cavern floor was littered with intricate footprints, confirming our predecessors had passed through here. For now, we seemed in relatively safe territory, though clearly not the final destination.  

"Perhaps Brennan and Yulanda could take shelter here if needed. Even if we also run into trouble, at least the phoenix won't be a worry."

I suggested thoughtfully.

"Let's explore further before deciding..."  

Cysper pondered briefly before pointing ahead without objecting.

At the pool's edge, we found another small opening - the only exit from this cavern besides the entrance tunnel.

"From the looks of it, the path ahead isn't complex. The others must have gone through here."

Exchanging a glance, Cysper and I unhesitatingly entered, trailing the safety rope.

The passage was better than expected - narrower than before but not treacherous. Aside from occasional water dripping on our necks, nothing was particularly uncomfortable so far, with our precautions proving unnecessary yet.  

However, the smooth going didn't last long. Illuminated by our magic lights, we soon reached a fork where the rope also ended its stretch.

"With only two paths, how could they possibly get lost..."

Staring down the branching tunnels, Cysper seemed perplexed, referring of course to Ron and Mike.  

From what we'd explored, the cave didn't appear overly complex so far, making their unexplained disappearance all the more bizarre.

"Mike! Ron! Can you hear me?"

After hesitating, Cysper took a deep breath and shouted ahead. The deafening echoes reverberated slowly down both pitch-black tunnels, fading into silence.  

But as expected, we received no response.

"Maybe we should turn back..."

The eerie silence sent a chill down my spine. Being this deep underground with only two of us, surrounded by complete darkness but our illumination orbs - even as powerful as we were, a sense of vulnerability creeped in.  

Moreover, proceeding further exceeded the safety rope's reach. With such precedents, I didn't dare rashly advance. We needed to regroup first, especially to update Brennan and Yulanda on our findings so far.

"Alright!"  

Cysper didn't object, taking the lead back. But just as we turned around, I thought I heard some strange sound drift from somewhere - one moment like shifting sand, the next like branches rubbing in the wind. 

The noise came and went in an instant. But Cysper showed no reaction, likely not hearing it at all.

Perhaps just my imagination?

I silently wondered, shaking my head to catch up behind him.

Thankfully, our return journey remained uneventful, contrary to my worries. As we exited the cave entrance, the waiting Brennan and Yulanda immediately approached.

"That's great! Did you find anything?"

"Nothing special..." 

I shook my head and briefly recounted our findings inside. Upon hearing about the fork, Brennan deduced it was likely just the beginning - more branches probably lay ahead, explaining why the others couldn't find their way out.

"So what do we do next, give up?"  

I asked worriedly. With the safety rope exhausted, further exploration risked facing unknown perils. But abandoning our comrades potentially trapped and awaiting rescue was unacceptable.

"Well it's getting late, let's rest and figure it out."  

Our safe return from the second foray renewed everyone's confidence. Unable to devise a solution immediately, Yulanda suggested resting first.

Since we confirmed the front cave section was relatively safe, we could camp inside instead of outside tonight.

After dinner around the campfire, we sat in contemplative silence. Stalled by this seemingly mundane obstacle, nobody knew how to proceed while awaiting suggestions.  

The cave's lack of overt strangeness was paradoxically more unsettling - it seemed too ordinary given the disappearances within. People don't just vanish into thin air.  

The exhausted safety rope was also problematic. Though of limited use in an emergency, it provided a psychological safeguard. Without it, weren't we as vulnerable as the missing Ron and Mike now?  

"There's wind picking up..."

Suddenly, Cysper seemed to notice something amidst the night mountain breeze. He immediately stood and headed into the cave entrance.

"Huh?"  

Puzzled by his intent, I watched him go as Brennan and Yulanda hurriedly followed.

The inky blackness inside remained unchanged from daytime. By the time we caught up, Cysper stood alone by the pool, eyes fixed on the inner tunnel mouth.

"Did you find something?" 

I asked, his purpose evident.  

"There's airflow in this cave, meaning another exit exists!"

Cysper nodded, gesturing ahead.

"Another exit? Impossible!"  

Brennan protested in disbelief. We had considered this scenario before - if so, Adrian and Vivianne should have escaped long ago. Why no word until now?

But Cysper was right - though lacking wind affinity, I could still sense basic airflow. Unnoticeable earlier, it grew stronger now by the entrance with the outside winds, undoubtedly indicating an exterior exit deep within.

"So Adrian and Vivianne noticed this too? They tried finding an alternate route after the phoenix blocked the entrance?"

Yulanda excitedly deduced, her doubts assuaged.  

Our lingering question of why they ventured further despite the phoenix's deterrence now had an elegant answer - they discovered another way out.

"I say we don't even need to wait for Cyra and the reinforcements! Just follow this airflow and we can reach the other exit to find them."

Cysper rubbed his hands enthusiastically, about to charge inside.

"Hey wait up, we're doing this together remember?"

I swiftly grabbed his arm. Letting him proceed alone seemed unwise, better we move as a pair.

Truth be told, I agreed with Cysper's reasoning. Even with support arriving in three days, the path revealed so far gave little advantage. Sending Cyra for reinforcement was an unavoidable contingency for a seemingly complex maze. But that no longer appeared necessary. We might as well venture ahead promptly!

With this guiding airflow, we risked less chance of getting lost too - an opportunity not to waste.