Chapter 45 Dark Spirit

Powerstones people.

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A large area on the rock wall caved in and began falling inward, the area under his feet following in its footsteps.

Seeing this, Luca hurriedly leaped backwards in retreat. The Rasengan dissipating and his body moving away from the caving wall.

The loud sound akin to a small explosion resounded throughout a large area of Kolau. Luca didn't mind this.

Once the dust settled, he walked back up several steps to see a large hole big enough for a human to fit into and stepped in.

The damage caused by the Rasengan was concentrated inward, effectively creating an area with a height of seven foot and length of three to four meters.

'It's kinda lacking'.

Truth be told, the destructive power wasn't as great as he expected it to be. At least compared to the Chi Razor blades, it paled in comparison.

Of course, that could be attributed to the fact that one had a wider range while one was concentrated on a specific area. At least, that's what he thought.

Taking two steps, Luca took a better look.

Bending would have been more practical.

Seeing the space created wasn't ideal, another ball of spiraling Chi began to gather in his right hand.

It wasn't big enough, so he had to open it up even more. Once the ball was formed the first time, subsequent formation was easier.

However .....

Rumble!

Luca's movements came to a halt at the sound of rumbling earth.

'Huh?' Dissipating the rasengan, he turned to look out the hole he had created.

He could feel another area of the mountain shaking, despite him not doing anything yet. What could. ….

Turning his head, he could see small amounts of rubble falling past the hole. Eventually, the shaking stopped.

'It came from higher up the mountain ….'. His curiosity getting the better of him, Luca stepped out of the small hole he had created, attached himself to the mountainside once again and moved upward.

The rubble had fallen from above, meaning whatever had happened had taken place higher up the mountain he was currently on.

A lot of phenomenons could explain the shaking he felt.

After all, he just slammed a ball of raging energy into its side. Rockfalls, Landslides, aftershocks, perhaps even structural instability.

Of course, there was also another possibility, one he was currently looking at after reaching the area.

"A cavern".

Higher up on the mountain side, a large gaping hole could be seen leading into a dark, dreary cave, dust in the air from the rumbling.

Thud, Thud, Thud .....

Taking several steps forward, he stood at the entrance of the hole that led downwards Into the mountain.

It was dark. Really dark.

Nighttime was approaching, and the dark clouds had blocked out the sun way earlier in the day,

Without sunlight to illuminate, Luca could barely see beyond several meters deep.

Regardless, it didn't matter.

'A dark, spooky cave leading into the inner parts of a mountain'.

Luca raised an eyebrow. Why did this scene feel so familiar?

Crack-Boom!

Thunder crackled through the skies. A scene that caused Luca to frown heavily.

It would soon rain, and he needed to take shelter as soon as possible. With his, his gaze shifted back towards the tunnel before him.

While trying to make a small area in the mountain side to rest, he had inadvertently caused another opening higher up the mountain.

Both were caves and while his wasn't complete, this one looked like it led deeper into the mountain.

Normally, it would be a good choice to take shelter.

That was, of course if this was a regular cave.

'These walls'. The darkness didn't allow his sight to go far, but from what he could see, he quickly made a deduction.

'These walls' aren't natural. They were carved by something'.

Luca thought with narrowed eyes.

If that were the case, it meant something or someone had been here before.

The whole shape didn't look like a naturally formed cave, but rather artificially made.

As for whether it was the handiwork of a human or an Animal creature, Luca didn't know. But one thing was certain, and that was the fact that he wasn't going to go inside to find out.

Unlike back on earth, monstrous beasts existed in this world. Some with huge sizes, even larger than the Avatar's flying bison.

Their habitats varied, and it wasn't rare for some of these creatures to live inside caverns.

In the Si Wong Desert, a group of large flying insects known as buzzard wasps lived inside tunnels at the top of a huge rock formation.

Luca didn't know what a regular person's reaction would be, but in the movies and novels, such a scene was usually followed by someone or a group of people rushing into a cave of unknown origin.

The reasons for such would vary.

Perhaps a group of adventurers or mercenaries hired to locate and retrieve a lost artifact.

Or a group of ignorant teenagers out on some sort of survival trip, stumbling into something they most likely shouldn't get involved with.

And worst of all, pure natural overwhelming curiosity.

The outdoor wilderness horror movies from Hollywood typically had similar settings, with the point being that the characters would all step into the dark and spooky cave due to different reasons for plot convenience.

That was why it felt familiar.

As someone who loved movies and novels in his past life, he could list out a bunch of movies with similar settings if given enough time.

Unfortunately, while it might have been entertaining with a bowl of popcorn in front of the TV, Luca wasn't going to go that route.

One thing all those works had in common was that the future of those who did never end well.

With prime examples being multiple people getting killed and protagonist group members getting cut off one by one in gruesome, horrifying ways.

It was a joy to watch, but no way in hell was he going to consider the possibility of such a thing happening to him in here and now.

This was real life, not a horror show.

And Luca could come up with a hundred and one ways going into that tunnel could mess him up. You would think he was just exaggerating, but what everything he had experienced in less than a month, he wasn't willing to take any chances.

This wasn't a fanfiction novel.

And so, he turned his gaze away from the hole and looked into the far distance. What came into view were large mountains, rocky earth and ….

Luca was slightly surprised.

Far into the distance, what looked to be a small settlement about several miles away.

Did this mountain range have any inhabitants?

The thought of going over came upon him momentarily at the sight of a human settlement. After all, who would prefer to sleep in a cave instead of living alongside other humans?

Of course, it was only for a moment.

The storm was rolling in and would definitely hit before he could make it there.

'Let's wait out the storm. Perhaps sleep the night and start heading out in the morning'.

Finalizing his thoughts, he turned around and left without hesitation.

Attaching Chi to his feet and descending the mountain to the place where he started.

The seconds elapsed.

Boom!

The whole mountain side shook again as Luca expanded the initial cave to make it wider for accommodations.

Meanwhile, a gust of cold, chilling wind emerged from the dark and dreary cave entrance.

Hours later ….

Rumble.

Night fell as the thunder in the sky rumbled loudly with heavy rain.

After many months, the barren soil of Kolau welcomed the fresh water of heaven.

Up on the mountain side, a small man made cave illuminated with the blaze of fire could be seen.

'If I remember right, this should be the episode of the Storm'.

Looking at the thundering weather outside, Luca's mind drifted.

In the Avatar series, Katara, Sokka and Aang would stop at a small town to get supplies. There, the group would encounter a harsh man who would scold Aang for abandoning his people and the world.

Aang would then get depressed, run away and hide in a cave similar to the one he was currently in now.

Then have a session with Katara revealing his hidden scars of how he abandoned his people just like the man said.

Eventually, they would go out to save the stupid Sokka who ignored the warnings and was about to drown in a storm.

While Iroh explains to his men what exactly happened that made Zuko who he was today.

How was he able to deduce all this? Because the storm was the first episode in the series that actually rained.

Although that couldn't be used for an accurate basis, it didn't really matter much, so Luca didn't care. Anyway, just assume that way.

It hurts no one.

'It will take several days to transverse Kolau. If I can find an ostrich horse, carriage, or some mode of transportation that isn't my two feet, I might just shorten the time'.

Due to the large mountains blocking the way, it was impossible to see Omashu from afar.

But it shouldn't be that far from here.

Once he got to the town, he could make some inquiries and know exactly how far away he was.

'Sleep first'.

Reaching out to his bag, he took out the Earth Kingdom uniform he had gotten from the Haican Stronghold.

The Fire Nation rebel rolled the uniform into a ball and placed it on the floor before placing his head on it as a makeshift pillow.

The campfire was put out, plunging the cave he had created into darkness while providing residual warmth.

On the side of the mountain away from the ground, Luca could rest assured and gain a good night's sleep.

It would be quite difficult for something to attack him from his current position.

Or so he mused.

Outside, the rain continued to fall under the night sky.

Thunder struck once again, illuminating the mountain for a split second.

As Luca slept, the stormy night wore on, darkness shrouding the mountain like a mourner's veil. Rain lashed against the rocky terrain, drumming a relentless beat. Within the cave Luca had created, the Fire Nation rebel slept fitfully, exhausted from his ordeal.

Higher up the mountain, a cave loomed, its entrance a maw of darkness. The same one Luca had left behind.

It happened then.

At that moment, within its depths, an otherworldly glow seethed, the dreary cave that was plunged into utter darkness with the disappearance of daytime lighting up with an unnatural glow.

The air around the cave seemed to ripple and distort, heavy with a sinister energy that repelled the storm's fury.

As lightning flashed, the cave's interior revealed twisted, nightmarish rock formations, like grasping fingers. Shadows danced upon the walls, conjuring visions of ancient, forgotten rituals.

Then, a presence stirred.

A grotesque, monstrous form began to take shape within the cave's entrance. Twisted limbs, like gnarled tree branches, unfolded from the darkness. The eyes glowed with an unnatural green light, casting an unholy radiance across the surrounding rocks.

The creature's body, a mass of writhing, pulsing tendrils, seemed to shift and writhe like a living thing. Its maw, a twisted parody of a mouth, yawned open, revealing jagged teeth.

For an instant, the creature's horrific form was bathed in the purple glow.

Then, it began to dissolve.

Its limbs stretched, elongating into dark, amorphous tendrils. The green eyes faded, replaced by an abyssal darkness.

The creature's form submerged into a shadow, its presence still palpable.

With each lightning flash, the shadow crept forward, inching down the mountain side ever so slowly.

Boom! Thunder shook the air.

The shadow continued its relentless advance.

As the shadow drew closer, the rain intensified.

Seconds elapsed, until it appeared at an opening.

Inside the man made cave, a figure could be seen resting sound asleep.

The moon tonight refused to grace the lands with her light as the dark clouds hindered them.

With the Campfire put out, everything in the cave was pitch black, making it difficult to see what was inside.

Crackle!

Thunder struck again, revealing a monstrous creature standing at the entrance of Luca's cave as Luca laid fast asleep.

Unfortunately, thunder was but a moment. As with its disappearance, the cave was once again plunged into darkness.

Several seconds later. It reappeared again, the creature now several feet closer than it was before, giving out no sound whatsoever as it advanced.

Luca's cave, once a sanctuary, now seemed vulnerable as the shadow drew closer under the intensifying rain.

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