19 Chapter-19 Escape into the Dark [Part-1]

"You really think that I..." Turukhan was about to mock Karna's petty scheme, but the next moment he shut his mouth.

"Surprise M******cker!!" Suddenly hearing these words in his mind, he, like anyone else would, also started to look around him, and when he turned his back towards Karna, that's when it happened. 

In that very small moment, Karna without any hesitation, jumped from the edge of the cave, falling with the water, deep into the vortex of water created by the waterfall,

Turukhan, seeing that there was no one behind him, hurriedly turned back to see that the human was gone.

"Human!!" Roaring in anger, the demon hurriedly walked to stand near the edge of the cave, and just then he heard the sound of something falling in the water.

Looking downward with his black and blood-red eyes, he saw nothing other than the water vapor created by the waterfall.

Deep within the swirling water vortex, Karna exerted all his strength to propel himself out of its clutches.

Gasping for breath, he fought against the powerful current and swam determinedly away from the cascading waterfall, veering in the direction of the second river.

As he pushed through the water, Karna's acute ears caught the distinct sound of water splashing behind him, echoing with a familiar yet amplified resonance, reminiscent of the disturbance he had caused when initially plummeting into the treacherous water vortex.

Instantly recognizing the source of the sound, Karna's resolve intensified. With a surge of adrenaline, he quickened his swimming pace, determined to create as much distance as possible between himself and the pursuer who lurked behind.

"Haa, System!" Karna shouted aloud while taking a mouthful of air.

(First-Person POV)

[20 feet to your left, host]

Upon hearing the system's voice guiding me, I swiftly swam towards my left, following its instructions.

The distance between me and the Turukhan steadily decreasing even when I ventured deeper into the water with the help of system.

[5 feet downward, it should be precariously behind a large rock, Host.] The system's voice echoed in my mind again, indicating that my destination was approximately 5 feet downward, concealed behind a sizable rock formation.

Without hesitation, I steeled myself and took a deep breath, preparing for the demanding feat that lay ahead.

With all my strength, I propelled myself downward, fighting against the water's resistance. The strain on my body was immense, but determination fuelled my every stroke.

Finally, I arrived at the hidden location —an underwater cave nestled within the wall of the underwater mountain part.

It was veiled by a massive rock, allowing only a small crack as an entry point. Relief washed over me seeing it as I went back up to refill my lungs with air. 

Emerging from the water's surface, I cursed under my breath as I caught sight of the relentless demon, Turukhan, swiftly closing in on me.

Time was running out, and I needed a desperate plan. Taking a final gulp of air, I plunged back into the water, resolute in my decision to head towards the underwater cave for refuge.

Navigating through the depths, I swam with determined strokes, pushing myself to the limit. The entrance to the cave loomed ahead—a narrow crevice that barely afforded enough space for me to squeeze through.

Ignoring the searing pain in my shoulders and back, I gritted my teeth and forced my body through the tight gap, squeezing every last ounce of effort.

Just as I slipped into the sanctuary of the cave, I felt the chilling sensation of Turukhan's hand graze the edges of my escape route.

However, my timing proved fortunate as I had managed to swim beyond his reach, evading his grasp by mere seconds.

Straining my neck, I twisted my body to steal a glance behind me, observing Turukhan's futile attempts to force his way through the narrow gap of the cave.

Despite his relatively slender build, it became evident that his body was still too wide to navigate the restricted opening, unlike my own lean frame that barely managed to slip through.

A terrifying grimace contorted the demon's features as he bared his teeth and emitted a muffled roar, the underwater environment muting the full impact of his rage.

With a smug smile playing on my lips, I deliberately disregarded his futile struggles and refocused my attention on the mysterious depths of the dark underwater cave.

Ignoring the echoes of Turukhan's relentless strikes against the unyielding rocks near the entrance, I ventured further into the ominous abyss, determined to leave the demon's wrath behind and uncover the secrets that awaited me within the enigmatic depths.

My lungs were desperate for air, the precious oxygen depleting rapidly. Time was running out, and I had to find the elusive air pocket that the system had mentioned.

Plunging deeper into the depths of the underwater cave, the darkness enveloped me, intensifying the sense of isolation.

With each stroke, guided by the system's instructions, I pressed forward, determined to reach my destination.

And then, like a beacon of hope in the abyss, I discovered it—a hidden air pocket nestled within the confines of the cave.  Relief washed over me as I surfaced, gasping for breath, grateful for the momentary respite.

This miraculous air pocket served as a gateway to a tunnel that delved further into the heart of the mountain. It was as if the cave held a clandestine passage, beckoning me to explore its depths.

"Huff-huff-huff"

Coming out of the water, I took a deep breath of air. The air inside the dark tunnel was a little dank, almost musty. But I didn't care. I kept breathing, trying to calm my mind and throbbing heart.

My body felt sore from all the walking, climbing, and swimming; I could really use a good rest. But I clenched my teeth and forcefully got up from the ground.

In the damp darkness of the tunnel I couldn't see anything but I could hear and feel drops of cold water flowing down from my body and falling onto the rocky ground. My surroundings were devoid of any light. Sighing, I spoke.

"Sigh… System"

[Scanning users surrounding]

[Scanning complete]

[User location found]

As those words reached my ears, a smile curved upon my lips. In a flicker of light, a translucent map screen materialized before me.

The vibrant green background served as a canvas, upon which a thick, sinuous line snaked across the surface. This line, etched in darkness, represented the tunnel that lay ahead.

My attention was drawn to a tiny, luminous blue dot at the beginning of the line. It pulsated gently, indicating my current position within the vast labyrinth.

It was a humble representation of myself, a solitary traveller navigating the treacherous path.

With this map as my guide, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and direction. It offered a glimpse into the unknown, revealing the path that awaited me.

"Good, I can see the screen." The screen didn't light up the tunnel or anything, but at least Karna could see the direction he needed to walk in.

Karna knew that what he was doing was complete madness. Walking in a dark tunnel all alone with nothing to protect himself, only a crazy person would do something like this.

But Karna was not crazy; he was desperate. He was desperate to survive, and he desperately hoped that he would get out of here alive.

The tunnel led to an area of the mountain, which the system had told me was a large cave deep in the heart of the mountain.

Soon after I began to walk carefully, I had to constantly make sure to walk while carefully perceiving my surroundings with my other senses. The system had warned me that there could be monsters in here too.

The feelings of tiredness and hunger accumulated with each passing second. I had drunk a good amount of river water before leaving the underwater cave area. So I wasn't feeling thirsty for now, at least.

*****

After some unknown amount of time had passed, I had covered most of the tunnel and was about to reach the cave. That's when I say there's a small light coming out of the other end of the tunnel.

Seeing the light, I picked up my speed, walking a little faster towards it. My eyes hurt a little due to the abrupt increase in light, but I didn't care.

Feeling a surge of excitement and anticipation, I walked toward the light.

Reaching the end of the tunnel, my pupils had adjusted to the bright blue light, and now I was able to clearly see my surroundings.

Just like the system had said, the tunnel led to a cave deep in the mountain.

I could see ash-colored rocks everywhere I looked. The walls, floor, and ceiling are all made of solid stone. But what attracted my attention the most was the source of light in the cave.

It was the three giant, blue-glowing crystals proudly rising out of the ground. The size of the three crystals was nearly 10 feet tall and 2 feet thick. There were also some smaller blue crystals in the cave, but these three crystals were the main reason for the blue glow in the cave.

"What the heck is this thing?" I said that while I slowly walked inside the cave towards the nearest giant crystal. As I was about to touch it, the system's voice rang inside my head.

[A high density of pure mana is detected in the host's surrounding area.]

[Scanning the host's surrounding area]

[Pure-grade mana crystals are detected].

[Medium- and low-grade mana crystals are detected.]

[Warning! It is recommended that the host try not to come into direct contact with the Pure-grade mana crystals, as his body is currently weak to mana.

[It is also recommended that the host try not to stay in this place for more than 1 hour, as the host can suffer from mana-poisoning.]

"???" Hearing the words of the system, I hurriedly backed away from the crystal, which, according to the system, was a pure-grade mana crystal.