Zario did not hesitate, since the very nature of his thinking did not allow him to stand for long in front of the unknown, and therefore, having barely lingered his gaze on the black passage, he immediately headed into the cave, where the thick darkness almost instantly swallowed up the outlines of the outside world.
One.
Two.
Three.
He counted his own steps with cold precision, not allowing himself to lose track even for a moment, because in this depth, devoid of the slightest sound, where absolute silence pressed more heavily than any noise, he had to navigate solely through calculations and the perception of space.
He couldn't hear his own breathing. He couldn't hear the sole touch of the stone.
He couldn't even hear an echo.
And that is precisely why every step he took turned into a unit of measurement for him, from which he gradually built a complete projection of the cave in his mind, calculating distances, the width of passages, changes in the surface and possible turns.
His mind, accustomed to analyzing the battlefield down to the smallest detail, now replaced his lost senses, turning movement through the darkness not into blind wandering, but into an almost mathematical process, where every distance covered was immediately recorded and took its place within the emerging map.
The darkness inside the cave grew denser with each new step, gradually absorbing the remaining landmarks and turning the space around into a formless emptiness. At some point, it even seemed to Zario that he was beginning to lose his very perception of the world around him, as if, along with the light, the usual points of support for consciousness were disappearing.
There was no sound. No movement of air.
There was not the slightest visual reference point to catch the eye.
Only an endless, oppressive blackness, within which even one's own body began to feel less real.
And yet, even under these conditions, his mind continued to work with frightening precision, because the projection of the cave inside his consciousness did not disappear, but on the contrary, gradually became clearer, consisting of distances, counted steps, angles of rotation and changes in the surface under his feet.
While the world around him dissolved into darkness, he continued to rebuild it in his head.
***
About twenty minutes after Zario entered the depths of the cave, the endless darkness no longer seemed alien to him, gradually turning into a familiar environment, within which he continued to move with the cold patience of a predator methodically exploring the territory.
"Yeah, right... I've already explored five branches, and everything's empty... there aren't even any insects..." The thought that flashed through his mind carried more irritation than surprise, since the absolute absence of life was beginning to feel like something intentional rather than a natural feature of the cave.
And this was alarming.
Because places like these are never completely empty.
Even the deadest caves are usually filled with small signs of existence - moisture, small creatures, rustling sounds, organic remains - but here, literally everything was absent, as if the space itself had been cleared of life.
But something else was much more important.
Zario's memory truly went beyond human comprehension, and now this was especially evident, since in these twenty minutes he had already completely constructed within his mind an exact projection of the explored part of the cave, remembering not only the directions of the passages and the distances between them, but even the shape of the protruding stones, the unevenness of the walls and the areas of the surface under his feet.
Every divarication. Every turn. Every step.
All of this was already recorded inside his mind in frightening detail, as if the cave itself was gradually being copied into his memory, turning into a map that existed more precisely than the reality around him.
***
About forty minutes after Zario entered the cave, its internal structure was already almost completely imprinted on his consciousness, since in the intervening time he had managed to explore three more huge branches, each of which went deeper into the darkness, branching out into new passages and dead ends.
Despite the monotony of the surroundings and the absolute absence of any sounds or living creatures, his concentration did not weaken for a moment, because Zario's mind continued to continuously analyze the space, building connections between passages and recording even the smallest changes in the terrain.
He didn't summon the Lunari anymore.
Not out of caution. And not out of fear of rejection.
But because he already understood that every conversation with this creature only introduces new contradictions, causing thoughts to scatter in different directions, whereas now he needed the utmost clarity of perception.
And that's why he chose to rely only on himself.
On his own analysis. On his own memory. On his own conclusions.
He continued to count the time with almost inhuman precision, not allowing himself to lose the sense of duration even within this endless darkness, where the very concept of hours gradually began to fade.
And that is why, when all the necessary elements finally came together in his mind, Zario realized...
The purpose of his research was achieved.
The seven separate branches of the cave, each of which diverged in different directions like an underground labyrinth, were by this point already completely fixed within Zario's consciousness, turning not just into memories, but into precise spatial projections, where every passage, turn, and dead end occupied its own strictly defined place.
The empty branches, despite their apparent uselessness, had still taken up a considerable amount of time, forcing him to methodically comb through the dark corridors one after another, but now that the exploration of the upper level was complete, the structure of the cave itself was finally beginning to come together into a coherent picture.
"So the first line of the chain ends..." the thought sounded calm, almost mechanical, as for him everything that was happening was gradually turning not into a simple exploration, but into a consistent analysis of the territory.
Now there was only one direction left.
The narrow passage, which he had deliberately left for last, continued straight ahead, gradually narrowing and leading deeper underground, to where the structure of the cave changed abruptly, and the path itself ended in a cliff from which he would have to jump down into the lower part of this underground space, hidden even deeper under the cliff mass.
He had already tested this area earlier by throwing a stone down and timing its fall, which made him realize that the depth there was not too great, but at the same time, it became clear that climbing back up would be significantly more difficult, especially in conditions of complete darkness and confined space.
That was why Zario had first fully explored all the branches of the first level, not wanting to leave behind unexplored passages that could later turn into a problem or a trap, and only now, when the upper part of the cave was completely fixed in his memory, he finally returned to the narrow passage leading further down.
Stopping before the descent, Zario stared motionless into the blackening void that concealed the lower level of the cave, although the very concept of "looking" here almost lost its meaning, since absolutely nothing was visible ahead.
Only darkness. Thick. Impenetrable.
And yet he knew exactly where the edge was.
Because he had already felt the surrounding space, calculated the dimensions of the passage, the angle of the surface and the location of the ledges, thanks to which, inside his consciousness, this place had long ceased to be an unknown, turning into a clear part of the general projection of the cave, where the descent downwards already occupied its strictly defined position.
"I told myself that there is nothing more dangerous than the unknown... well then, we'll find out for ourselves what's hidden there..." The thought that sounded coldly in his mind contained neither bravado nor an attempt to cheer himself up, since Zario was perfectly aware of the situation he was getting into.
He understood this very clearly.
If there really was something hidden down there that was connected to everything that was happening, if a monstrous entity were to emerge from the depths of this cave, surpassing his current body in size and physical strength, and especially if there was magic or other unknown abilities in this world that he had no idea about yet...
He will die here. Without his former strength. Without his hearing.
Without the ability to properly navigate in battle.
That was precisely why what was happening simultaneously irritated and excited him, because for the first time in a long time, he was faced with a threat that he could not fully calculate, and the very unknown lurking below forced his mind to work at the limit, looking for options even before the danger revealed itself.
"Magic, I think, really does exist here, I just haven't encountered it directly yet, because so far, besides those people and this whole abnormal situation, I haven't seen anything truly supernatural..." Zario's thoughts flowed calmly and consistently, while his gaze remained directed into the black depths of the underground descent.
The very existence of the Death Festival made such a conclusion almost inevitable, since the idea of a game in which thousands of participants from different worlds or realities collide simply could not be limited by the boundaries of ordinary human capabilities.
That would be too primitive. Too predictable.
And therefore, Zario had almost no doubt that magic, abilities, or something similar definitely existed, but had just not yet shown itself directly to him.
"Well then… I have nothing to lose anyway, so let's jump…" the thought arose without hesitation, after which he slowly took a step forward, allowing his body to sink down, straight into the depths of the lower level of the cave, hidden by the darkness.