The moss-covered rocks were wet and slick under the drenching force of the waterfall.
The group braved the lashing currents, scrambling over the slippery stones. With great effort, they finally pushed through the cascade and arrived at the cave entrance.
Without the water curtain obscuring their senses, the faint scent of Paintberry wafted through the air once more, allowing everyone to breathe a small sigh of relief.
It seemed that the Star Butterfly had indeed flown through the waterfall and entered the cave; their efforts had not been in vain.
"How did a Star Butterfly even fly through a waterfall like that without getting smashed into the ground by the current? How did it manage it..." Erik muttered to himself, rubbing his aching shoulder.
While the Hunters clad in armor had fared reasonably well passing through the falls, he and the Professor, wearing light Scrivener robes, had nearly had their bones snapped by the weight of the plummeting water.
It was hard to imagine a Star Butterfly beating its wings to dive through the falls. Any other insect of similar size, such as a Vespoid, would have been utterly unable to break through that curtain of water.
Nymera's Cohoot had been left outside for this reason; if its feathers became waterlogged, it wouldn't be able to fly. Furthermore, the dark, complex terrain within the cave was ill-suited for a Cohoot's flight.
The Professor didn't answer his disciple's question immediately. Instead, he did a quick sweep of their surroundings before making several hand signals.
Clawdia and Athos nodded in unison, sprinting dozens of meters deeper into the cave to stand guard.
With the waterfall curtain behind them at the entrance and two Palicoes watching the path ahead, they had secured a temporary safe zone.
"Hurry and recover your strength. Light the gas lamps," the Professor said, his voice slightly raised.
The group quickly straightened their clothes and armor, which had been knocked askew by the waterfall, and poured the water out of their boots.
They pulled portable, windproof gas lamps from their packs, assembling and lighting them.
The nimble Professor was the first to finish. He hung a glowing gas lamp from his waist.
"Star Butterflies aren't as fragile as you think. Although the Guild named them 'Star Butterflies,' their physical structure is much closer to that of beetles like the rhinoceros beetle.
When they fold their wings and close their elytra, they can turn into shuttle-like projectiles. Piercing through a waterfall is no difficult feat for them.
The Estrellian can even command them to ram and attack enemies in this manner. You'll need to be careful of that once the battle starts later."
"So, something like a Seltas?" Altaïr asked.
"More or less."
"Look at that!" Isis suddenly raised her hand, pointing toward a specific spot.
"Keep your voice down," the Professor reminded her before looking in the direction she indicated.
Protruding crookedly from the cave ceiling nearby was a section of a square stone pillar.
The pillar bore clear marks of masonry; it was obviously man-made.
The Professor narrowed his eyes, studying it for a few seconds. He then stomped firmly on the ground before hurrying to the cave wall, wiping away the slimy moss to inspect the quality of the stone.
"As I thought..."
"Could this entire massive mountain that diverted the river actually be a complete ruin?!" Erik hurried over, looking excited. Although his interests leaned toward biology and he didn't care much for ancient civilizations or ruins, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement at the prospect of discovering a massive site. After all, it was the kind of thing that landed your name in research papers and textbooks.
The Professor's expression soured. "I warned you before: don't only attend the ecology classes you like and let your other subjects fail miserably. If you had paid any attention during your archaeology and geology courses, you would know this isn't some complete, massive ruin, but a classic 'interwoven ruins'."
"Interwoven, huh..." Erik's interest evaporated instantly.
Altaïr, however, was intrigued by the unfamiliar term. "What does 'interwoven ruins' mean?"
The Professor glanced at him. "You can think of it simply as ancient fragments becoming mixed with surrounding strata due to violent geological shifts. Like impurities kneaded into dough, they are eventually pushed to the surface, forming a cluster of fragmented ruins. Heaven's Mount and the Ancestral Steppe are famous examples of large-scale interwoven ruins."
"So you're saying this is still just an ordinary rocky mountain, but geological activity caused it to be combined with bits of ruins?"
"I wouldn't necessarily call it ordinary. It depends on the quantity and type of fragments. To give you an example you Hunters should be familiar with, the Volcano. Interwoven ruins exist there as well, and there is a chance to dig up ancient relics like Talismans."
Hearing the Professor say this, the Hunters perked up immediately, even the composed Olivia. Could they take this to mean that if they were lucky, they could find things like Talismans here too? Given that the Volcano region had been mined for so many years that Talismans were becoming increasingly scarce, if they could take this opportunity...
"Stop daydreaming about nonsense."
The Professor's cold voice shattered the Hunters' fantasies. "Finish the mission at hand. If you want to come back later and try your luck, no one will stop you. Now, everyone should be ready. We're moving out. Stay alert."
At his word, the Hunters sharpened their focus and tightened their formation. Following the trail of the scent, they escorted the two scholars deeper into the cave.
As the group moved away from the entrance, the light inside the cave vanished almost entirely. Only the sparse Brightmoss growing on the damp rock walls provided a faint shimmer that was better than nothing. The portable gas lamps hanging from their waists could only illuminate a small area around them, forcing the group to slow their pace again to guard against Monsters lurking in the shadows and to avoid falling into dangerous pits or a Fissure.
The terrain inside the cave was incredibly complex, with the ground rising and falling abruptly and countless branching tunnels. Initially, Altaïr tried his best to memorize the route and record every passageway they passed in his memo to avoid getting lost.
But he was quickly overwhelmed. In such an extraordinarily complex underground cave system, getting lost was practically inevitable without a detailed map.
Fortunately, they weren't alone. Along the way, the three Gajalaka left numerous markers. These signs varied in shape, seemingly corresponding to different types of terrain. The Professor's pen never stopped moving. He declined Nymera's offer to ride on the Palamute's back, instead measuring the distance with his own stride, sketching a topographical map of the passed areas as they walked.
With them present, the Hunters relied on their guidance to press forward boldly, free from the fear of becoming lost.
And so, they wound through the twisting paths for nearly a full hour.
According to the Professor, they were generally ascending and had now reached a position roughly near the waist of the rocky mountain.
"The scent is growing stronger. That Star Butterfly is just ahead, and it has been stationary for some time," Altaïr whispered, his voice barely a breath.
The Professor nodded. "Prepare to breach. Once we pass through this tunnel ahead, we should see our target, provided it truly is here."
The Hunters adjusted their formation. The group, which had been guarding the scholars in a diamond shape, began to push forward. The three Blademasters entered the tunnel first, with the Gunner following close behind.
Only the Palamute, Hibiki, remained behind to guard the two scholars, the elder and the young. In the event of an emergency, he could immediately carry both of them to safety.
Before stepping out of the tunnel, Olivia raised her hand to stop Isis, who had instinctively moved to the front of the line, ready to be the first to charge out.
She gestured with her eyes toward Isis's back.
Now you are a Long Sword user, not a heavy vanguard armed with a Gunlance and a Large Shield.
Isis nodded and fell back a few paces behind Olivia along with Altaïr, keeping watch over her flanks and rear.
Olivia signaled a countdown with her hand. Three, two, one, go!
The moment Olivia dropped her palm, the Blademasters, led by her, burst out of the tunnel in a simplified assault formation and stormed into the cave ahead.
Their hands gripped the hilts of their weapons tightly, yet the anticipated attack did not come.
As far as the eye could see, the place was empty; there was no sign of any Large Monster whatsoever.
"It's up there!" Isis suddenly called out a warning.
Altaïr and the others immediately looked up. There, they saw the Star Butterfly, still stained pink by the Paintball, clinging quietly to the rock wall at the edge of the cave, motionless.
It was as if it were mocking the long and arduous journey they had made to find it.
(Translated by yourtl.app)