Deep in a dark, damp, cramped underground cave.
An ecosystem utterly unlike the one aboveground had evolved here.
Underground rivers and geological upheavals had carved countless passages and caves into a vast, chaotic subterranean maze.
No sunlight reached this place. It lay in perpetual darkness, with only faintly glowing moss and fluorescent mushrooms providing a meager glimmer.
Deep underground, the temperature and humidity remained constant year-round. Only in geothermally active areas did underground hot springs bring the slightest change.
Food and resources were scarce belowground, but this world was home to the remarkable life-forms known as chemoautotrophic bacteria. They formed the very bottom of the food chain.
They broke down inorganic substances such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia in the caves, converting them into organic matter. Tiny crustaceans, insects, and other animals then fed on them, laying the foundation for the underground ecosystem.
Crunch!
A water bug had barely crawled out of a puddle when a boot crushed it.
The newcomer stepped over the puddle and stopped before a rock wall.
Xiao Wu adjusted the backpack on his shoulders. His brow furrowed slightly as he studied the path ahead.
He looked carefully for any danger.
He had to be careful. Though he had come here many times, he had always entered through a broken passage deep in the mine. He had only taken this narrow crevice path a few times.
The terrain here was complicated, and one careless step could lead to disaster.
This area was also the Ghost Shadow Bat's territory.
The Ghost Shadow Bat was a Spiritual Creature. It flew silently and at astonishing speed, had exceptionally sharp senses and a special attack, and was fiercely territorial. Once it spotted an intruder, it would attack. It was a nightmare to deal with.
Xiao Wu had fought the Ghost