To ensure my safety, Number 2 provided me with another Fire of Karma. This time, he contained the Fire of Karma in a small vial, instructing me to keep it in my pocket to prevent it from being cumbersome. After exchanging methods for rendezvous and bidding each other farewell with sincere wishes, I proceeded alone down the broad avenue illuminated only by a faint blue glow.

Venturing into the darkness by myself was not a new experience, but none of the previous times had felt this cold. Though this subterranean world, constructed entirely of ice crystals, was spared the ravages of blizzards, lending it a relative quiet, the temperature was scarcely higher than the world above. Fortunately, I had been exceedingly careful to preserve the Fire of Karma that Number 2 gave me; whenever my body felt overwhelmingly chilled, it provided the necessary warmth. Clutching this ball of Fire of Karma, a measure of assurance settled in my heart.

In truth, my exploration required little difficulty, for I faced a path that stretched dead straight ahead. However, sometimes even aimless exploration is more comforting than the current situation, because superficial calm can often be a form of numbing agent; danger might strike precisely when one lets down one's guard—that is the most difficult kind of threat to anticipate. Thus, even though I could have sprinted forward, I continued at a slow pace. After walking a distance, I would pause to survey my surroundings, looking for any clues worth investigating.

The result was that I discovered nothing out of the ordinary. Yet, I knew that the more uneventful the circumstances, the more vigilant I needed to be; relaxing my caution now might mean stepping directly into my doom. Indeed, thanks to my meticulous observation, after advancing perhaps five or six hundred meters, I suddenly detected a barely discernible, minute sound ahead.

Humm... humm...

It was the sound of a swarm of insects in flight; it seemed I had once again crossed paths with those detestable bugs. I heightened my awareness, immediately conjuring a shield of psychic energy around my body. Then, I resumed walking forward as if nothing were amiss. Sure enough, as I listened intently, the insects seemed to cease their humming when I neared, as if they had deliberately vanished to find a place to ambush me. I strode forward with a brazen air, though I was already prepared for an attack.

As I continued my advance, I heard another strange sound—the scraping of countless legs against the ice surface, the source emanating from directly above me. I deduced that the insects must have climbed onto the icy dome overhead, positioning themselves for a surprise assault. But even though I feigned complete unawareness, the insects refrained from launching their attack. Just as I began to suspect my theory was flawed, I noticed the surrounding air felt peculiar, carrying a sharp, acrid odor, as if someone had spilled vinegar nearby. My vision ahead also began to blur, obscured by a creeping, eerie green mist. Then I observed the ice pillars standing beside the avenue rapidly melting, being eroded away like candles consumed by flame. And the shield above my head began to emit a sizzling sound, clearly succumbing to corrosion.

At that moment, I understood: the insects overhead were deliberately atomizing their acidic secretions into a spray to slowly kill their prey. What a sinister tactic. Had I not taken precautions, my internal organs would surely be corroded by now. I wondered if they had employed this same technique against the people of the ancient civilization. If so, their casualties must have been devastating. As this thought crossed my mind, I saw, not far ahead, the sprawled forms of numerous ancient corpses. These corpses all bore terrifying and distorted visages. Though they still wore masks, the masks themselves had been entirely dissolved, leaving only a viscous residue clinging to their faces.

I cautiously reinforced my outer shield and murmured to myself, "It seems these insects have laid ambushes like this before. They are organized, strategic." Despite the horrific appearance of the corpses, I listened closely and detected no breathing sounds; they were thoroughly dead. Mustering my courage, I moved closer to examine the condition of these individuals. I discovered that they all wore identical attire: black outer coats, similar in appearance to what we might call wool greatcoats today, though lacking the large round buttons—they bore a slight resemblance to police uniforms in our current society. It seemed human aesthetics transcended civilizations. Furthermore, I found additional evidence suggesting these people were military or security personnel: each one clutched a strange weapon. This was a major discovery, as the previous civilization appeared even more advanced than ours, meaning their weaponry must be superior. Driven by curiosity, I cautiously picked up a weapon from one of the fallen soldiers. The object was peculiar-looking, resembling a flute: a black cylindrical tube covered in numerous minute openings. At the far end, however, was an opening shaped like a horn or bell.

Everyone knows the danger of accidental discharge. It was said that after wars, many people went to battlefields to scavenge firearms, but these guns could easily fire without warning, killing over a thousand fools in the process. I had no desire to be one of those fools, so despite my intense curiosity, I did not point the muzzle toward myself. My caution proved warranted once again. When I accidentally pressed a tiny hole on the flute-like device, the bell-shaped tip suddenly emitted a doo sound, and something—I couldn't tell what—was launched, instantly blasting a deep circular trench into the ice on the ground.

I was genuinely stunned. Observing the mark left amidst the flying ice shards, I realized this device truly seemed capable of inflicting damage via sonic energy. This was incredible; what kind of focused sonic energy concentration could cause such destructive force? Before I could process this, the insects, struck by the reverberation of the sonic blast, became frenzied. Startled, they streamed down from the ice canopy above, reassembling into formation and circling agitatedly overhead. This commotion seemed to have disturbed other entities hidden in the darkness; I dimly perceived many smaller shapes darting about in panic in the periphery.

My heart tightened, and I muttered to myself, "Could those be the Progenitor Beasts?" Then I reconsidered; the Progenitor Beasts should not be this timid; they were the undisputed sovereigns of this age. After a brief observation yielded no answers, I turned my attention back to the soldiers, hoping to find anything else of value.