As Tom reached the source of the sound, he stumbled upon something utterly disgusting. A fat, slimy maggot was wriggling on the ground, its gelatinous body swaying up and down. The creature appeared to be feasting on something, its movements deliberate and rhythmic.

  Curious, Tom edged closer, his nose wrinkling at the pungent, earthy smell emanating from the creature. Upon closer inspection, he realized the maggot was eating rocks. "Nothing too crazy," he thought, considering the barren environment. There wasn't much else for such creatures to eat in these desolate tunnels.

  Tom briefly contemplated killing it. However, the thought of touching its slimy upper surface made him hesitate. Deciding against it for now, he slowly backed away, careful not to disturb its meal. He turned and ventured deeper into the cave, eager to find what he had come for.

  The network of tunnels proved frustratingly complex. Progress was slow as Tom navigated countless dead ends. Each time he reached a blocked path, he had to retrace his steps to the last fork he hadn't yet explored. His frustration mounted as he wasted precious time wandering aimlessly. The dark, damp air and the echoes of his footsteps added to the oppressive atmosphere.

  After nearly two hours of searching, Tom finally found a tunnel with a steep slope. The incline seemed promising, and he felt a surge of hope. Quickening his pace, he descended deeper into the cave. His torch illuminated only a few meters ahead, the flickering light casting shifting shadows on the uneven walls.

  With each step, the tunnel widened, and soon Tom could barely make out the walls on either side. The ceiling, once just a few meters above his head, disappeared into the darkness above. He realized he was standing in a vast, cavernous room. The sheer size of the space was overwhelming, the emptiness stretching endlessly before him.

  Tom pressed northward, his ears picking up the faint rustling sounds of scarabs nearby. Unfortunately, his torchlight seemed to draw the creatures like moths to a flame. The chittering of their legs grew louder, and more scarabs began emerging from the shadows. No matter how carefully he moved, the number of scarabs increased steadily, as if an invisible force was guiding them toward him.

  Soon, he was surrounded. Fighting ten at a time, Tom found himself unable to push forward. The scarabs swarmed relentlessly, their sharp legs clattering against the rocky floor. Panic began to creep in as he realized his progress had stalled completely.

  He needed a plan. Retreating would mean abandoning his mission, but staying put could lead to being overwhelmed. Tom decided to test his surroundings. He extinguished his torch and stored it in his spatial pouch, plunging the cavern into pitch-black darkness. To his dismay, the scarabs continued their assault, though the absence of light made them slightly less aggressive.

  Adopting a defensive stance, Tom waited for the scarabs to come to him. As they drew close, he used the vibrations of their movements to pinpoint their positions. Each punch was carefully aimed, and he watched for damage numbers to confirm when he hit their weak points. Gradually, he began to gain the upper hand.

  After several tense minutes, the last scarab fell, and the cave fell silent once more. Tom exhaled deeply, his shoulders relaxing for the first time in what felt like hours. With no immediate threat, an idea struck him. How could he efficiently collect the materials from the scarab corpses?

  He retrieved his mana battery from his pouch and activated his inspection skill, a gift from Pech. The glowing outlines of the scarab bodies appeared in the darkness, allowing him to locate each one easily. Working methodically, he harvested their materials, casting the inspection skill repeatedly to ensure no corpse was missed.

  Once he had collected all the loot, Tom took out his compass and inspected it. The inspection skill revealed the direction of the needle, and to his relief, he could determine north. He began walking again, holding the mana battery in one hand and checking the compass regularly to stay on course.

  Another benefit of the inspection skill became apparent as he advanced: it allowed him to spot scarabs hiding along his path. When possible, Tom avoided their perception entirely, moving around them silently. When avoidance wasn't an option, he launched precise sneak attacks, taking them out swiftly.

  Progress came steadily, but suddenly, Tom noticed the glow of his mana battery fading. It had run out of energy again. With his small mana pool unable to recharge it, Tom had no choice but to continue in near-total darkness. He steeled himself, relying on his growing familiarity with the cave's oppressive blackness.

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  After what felt like an eternity, a faint shimmer of light appeared in the distance. Tom paused, narrowing his eyes to confirm what he saw. The light was real, and it lay in his direction. He quickened his pace, his curiosity and hope reigniting.

  Fifteen minutes later, he reached the source of the light. It illuminated a massive hall filled with glowing red crystals embedded in the walls. Scarabs scuttled about, using their bodies to excavate the crystals. Nearby, maggots writhed, feeding on the luminous fragments. As Tom watched, the maggots began to glow faintly red after consuming the crystals, then wriggled away, disappearing deeper into the cave.

  Fascinated, Tom approached the crystals. He bent down to pick one up, examining its smooth, glowing surface. Though he considered inspecting it, he decided to conserve his mana. These crystals weren't the pitch-black ore he was searching for, but their rarity might make them valuable. He pocketed several before turning his attention back to the maggots.

  Following their glowing trails seemed like the best lead. Tom carefully moved deeper into the cave.

  As Tom ventured further, an extraordinary sight came into view. The walls ahead resembled a gigantic honeycomb made of stone, each cell carved out by the maggots. The creatures wriggled inside the holes they created and began to excrete silk-like threads, spinning glowing red cocoons around themselves. The process repeated all across the walls, a mesmerizing and eerie display.

  Tom decided to remain hidden and observe. His patience paid off when one of the cocoons began to split open. From the small chamber emerged a scarab, slightly larger than the ones he'd encountered before. Its faint red glow set it apart from the others. The creature crawled out of the cocoon, down the wall, and disappeared into the shadows beyond the glow of the crystals.

  What caught Tom's attention even more was the honeycomb wall itself. It appeared darker than the rest of the surrounding cave, almost unnaturally so. He wondered if the material it was made of might be connected to the ore he was searching for.

  Determined to find out, Tom moved closer. The ground beneath him grew increasingly uneven and bumpy, slowing his progress. He couldn't tell if the scarabs had been eating into the floor or if the terrain had always been this way, but he was forced to tread carefully to avoid tripping.

  Guided by the wall, Tom eventually reached a smaller cave that seemed to have been excavated some time ago. A faint glow from the nearby honeycomb illuminated the interior, making it easier to look around. However, despite his search, Tom found no sign of any rocks or ore in this cave. He also realized that mining the ore might prove difficult if it wasn't already loose, as he had hoped to find larger fragments lying around.

  Just as Tom was about to move on, a noise echoed from deeper in the honeycomb. He peeked around the corner of the tunnel he was hiding in and saw fresh excavation underway. He also noticed something peculiar—the maggots seemed to favor newly created caves and rarely ventured into older, used ones.

  Tom decided to wait near the freshly dug caves, hiding in the shadows as the scarabs finished their work and left. Once the last scarab scuttled away, Tom made his move. The new cave was about four meters above the uneven ground, forcing him to climb the steep cliff to reach it. Though the ascent was tricky, he managed to pull himself up and enter the chamber.

  Inside, the cave was entirely different. There were no traces of maggots, meaning it was unlit except for faint beams of light spilling in from nearby caves. This made it difficult to see, but Tom's eyes gradually adjusted. As he scanned the ground, he spotted a few pieces of rock scattered about. He picked them up and used his inspection skill, despite its drain on his mana.

  A smile spread across Tom's face as the notification appeared:

  [Normal Babronium Ore]

  Used by blacksmiths as crafting material.

  This was exactly what he was searching for! The only issue was that these were normal-grade ores, and he needed rare ones. Still, this was progress. He continued searching the cave for more fragments, hopeful for better-quality materials.

  As he combed through the chamber, a sound from behind startled him. Instinctively, Tom pressed himself against the darkened end of the tunnel, staying as silent as possible. Peering into the shadows, he saw a large maggot, glowing faintly red, squirming into the cave. It was one of the creatures he'd seen earlier.

  Tom held his breath, his muscles tensing as he waited for the maggot's next move. To his surprise, the creature paid him no attention. Instead, it began eating the rocks scattered across the ground. Tom watched in shock as the maggot's wide mouth consumed not only ordinary rocks but also pieces of ore.

  His jaw tightened. When the maggot reached one of his precious Babronium fragments, Tom couldn't hold back. Without thinking, he charged forward and struck the maggot with a heavy blow to its head. The impact was far more effective than he expected—the maggot slumped over and stopped moving entirely.

  It seemed these creatures were far less resilient than the scarabs, a fact that gave Tom a small sense of relief. The faint glow from the maggot's body now illuminated the entire cave, making it easier for him to search for more ore.

  Before he could move on to the next cave, an idea struck him. He turned to look back at the fallen maggot, and a shiver ran down his spine as he considered what he was about to do.