Awakening (I)
A winding tunnel stretched through the area, with quite a few branches along the way, resembling a maze. If someone who knew nothing about it barged in blindly, they would probably be trapped inside.
"Clack—clack—clack—clack."
Another bout of slow footsteps rang out. In the cold, silent tunnel, they carried an eerie quality, as though each step followed some strange rhythm, giving the sound an unusual flavor.
Suddenly, a withered old face appeared in the tunnel. With a head of disheveled white hair, it would truly startle anyone at first glance. The already chilly, secluded tunnel now sent an even colder shiver down the spine.
The old man wore ordinary cloth garments. His withered, stick-like hands carefully covered an opening in the clothing over his chest, where something extremely precious seemed to be hidden.
This was precisely the old man who had gone to the center of the karst cave for the Divine Liquid.
Only, his steps were no longer as tottering as before. Instead, he advanced with some inexplicable footwork. The tunnel looked exceedingly complicated, yet the old man moved through it with ease. He clearly came here often—or perhaps this maze-like tunnel had been made by the old man himself.
Gradually, some light began to appear in the tunnel, dispersing its original gloom and chill.
Suddenly, dazzling sunlight shone over. Anyone accustomed to the darkness of the tunnel would have found it unbearable to receive such intense daylight all at once, and the old man was no exception.
The old man's wrinkled eyelids narrowed slightly. His eyes, which had almost been reduced to slits, now seemed completely shut. To the old man, however, he was merely squinting.
"Ah! I'm getting old!"
After briefly adjusting, the old man opened his eyes and gazed at the clear blue sky