"Let's go in. This time, we will be more careful. I will hold the flashlight," Xiaolang said as he put on Bob's watch. He turned to Lazarus. She could be a little soft, but here, such things were not allowed. "Lazarus, I know you might pity the beast, but if you spot them, shoot them. This monster is fast. If we let it go, we will be next."
"Alright. I will do it. I can do it. If not, Laurel and the others will be put in danger." Lazarus nodded.
The group tiptoed into the cave. The beam of light from Xiaolang's watch shone upon the eerie cave. Now that they knew this cave held a predator that wanted to eat them, the children were more vigilant than ever.
"There!" Lexus and Xiaolang pressed the triggers of their guns. Beams of light shot at the moving shadow but missed.
"Ugh… This gun has a weird handle." Lexus complained.
"It's an alien gun. Bear with it. It was a miracle we had a gun at all in this desolate place." Laurel said.
"That spidercat was quiet. I couldn't hear anything at all last time. Watch your back." Xiaolang said.
The group explored the cave. Xiaolang kept his back against the wall, hoping it would at least cover his blind spot. The children followed behind him. As time passed, the group heard a cry. Then, a hiss. The huge spidercat growled when it saw Xiaolang, and the others inched closer.
"It's their nest." Laurel said. Her body shuddered as those small spidercats had once tried to eat her alive.
"Be careful. These animals are venomous. One bite and you will be paralyzed for a day." Xiaolang said.
"…Why didn't we fire at it?" Lexus asked. For some reason, the group paused, and so did the spidercats. The atmosphere was reaching its tipping point when the spidercat moved toward its children. Xiaolang and Lexus were ready to fire their guns, but Lazarus interrupted.
"Wait. It was just carrying its children." Lazarus hesitated. Should she kill it right now, or should she let it go? It might harm them in the future, and that would be terrible. But on the other hand, she didn't want to kill it.
The group froze as the spidercat's spawn climbed onto its back. Then, it sped toward the other end of the tunnel, leaving the group alone.
"…Let's continue." Xiaolang said. He didn't know why he had stopped. His hand had just frozen. He should have fired and killed the predator. Yet, for some reason, he didn't. He knew the cause. It was because of those snakes and the salamander. He was worried that if he harmed this cat, it might call its bigger friend.
"Hell. After what you just said, we just let them go?" Lexus complained.
"We didn't know whether the guns would be effective against the spidercats. If we can do it without fighting, then it's fine." Xiaolang sighed. He felt he was getting soft.
"Yes!" Lazarus brightened.
"Say. The monster went that way. Won't we meet again? What are we going to do then?" Lexus said.
"There is a high chance that this cave has two or more exits. If it only had one exit, that spidercat would blitz past us even if it had to risk its life. It's smart." Xiaolang analyzed its behavior. Of course, there was a chance that he could be wrong. After all, it was a monster. Who knew what it thought?
The group tiptoed into the darkness. The tunnel went downward, leading deeper into the abyss. That's when the group stopped in their tracks. A wall stood at the side of the cave, distinct in color. It gleamed green beside the dirt.
"We found it! There really is another ruin! Yes! We can finally leave this place!" Lexus pumped his fist, his cheers echoing through the cave.
Laurel cheered with him. In a rare stroke of luck, they hugged and even raised their hands together.
"Hmm…" Xiaolang muttered. "Do we have to dig around this cave just like we did with that spire? That would be… inconvenient." His words knocked Laurel out of her celebration.
"No, that's impossible. We can't dig in this cave. The cave could collapse." Laurel said. She had heard about accidents at mining sites from her father. Even with USF's top geologists, sometimes accidents still happened. How could children like them even try to dig safely in this cave?
"Huh? What are you talking about? If we don't do it, we won't get off this island!"
"It is not certain that there will be a boat, submarine, or ship inside." Xiaolang sighed. He doesn't want to risk their lives for something uncertain.
"How can we even get in?" Laurel muttered. She remembered that the spire had its doors hidden. These alien civilization doors looked like walls to her.
"Won't Auscella be able to open it?" Lazarus said.
"Great idea!" Lexus, who was frustrated that the team wasn't going his way, brightened at Lazarus' idea.
"I think we are done for today. Let's return. We have found a new ruin. That's enough." Xiaolang said. When they returned, the cave was empty. Even the cloud reapers didn't come for them this time.
"That's odd. I thought those cloud reapers would watch us from a distance or something." Lazarus wasn't the only one who noticed the difference. Xiaolang noticed it as well.
"Hmph! They probably knew we had guns now, so they're scared." Lexus said.
"I see. They reminded me of a certain bully. Often picking on the weak and then running off once the teachers got involved." Laurel smirked.
"Hey! Are you talking about me?" Lexus chirped.
"Who knows? Do you feel that way?" Laurel challenged him.
The tense atmosphere lightened as they trudged down the hill and into the lake. In the distance, they saw a scarab munching on a fleeing pig. A gentle reminder that nature moved on regardless. But with guns on their side, they felt safe.
Then they also saw Anna and Shingo on the bank of the river before the lake, the place where they usually boiled water to drink.
"AAAH!!" Anna yelled. The children snapped their heads toward the source of the voice and found Anna being chased by a scarab.
"HELP!" Shingo yelled, running toward the forest.
"Shoot it!" Xiaolang said.
"Wait! Be careful! We might hit Anna instead! It's too far," Laurel raised her hand at Lexus and Xiaolang, who eagerly aimed their guns at the monster.
"Anna!" Lazarus ran forward. She aimed her gun at the scarab, a little farther to the side to avoid hitting Anna, and pulled the trigger. The beam of light went wide, hitting the ground beside the scarab. She pulled the trigger again. Then again, hoping to scare the scarab into hiding.
"Calm down. The scarab couldn't catch us on land. Let's run and shoot it when we are closer." Xiaolang said as he ran downhill, leading the children toward the scarab.
The children ran. Despite Xiaolang's calm demeanor, Lazarus could feel his urgency. She ran, hopping from stone to stone, trying to catch up to him.
"Help!" Anna cried out. She didn't look back. She ran as fast as she could. Luckily for her, she saw four figures on the hill: Lazarus, Lexus, Laurel, and Xiaolang.
"Run here, Anna!" Xiaolang yelled. He ground to a halt and knelt. Then, once again, he aimed the barrel at the scarab. Now that they were less than a hundred meters away, Xiaolang could aim properly. He took a deep breath, then pulled the trigger. This time, the shot hit. It grazed the scarab's leg, peeling scales off its skin.
"Xiaolang!" Anna dropped beside him. Her legs grew weak as she found solace beside him. Xiaolang fired again. This time, the shot landed squarely on its back. The scarab roared in pain.
"Damn it." Xiaolang cursed. The gun could penetrate the scales, but it couldn't deliver the finishing blow. Xiaolang dropped his gun and took out his knife. If the gun didn't work, he would have to get close. Its underbelly was the soft spot.
Just as the scarab was about to lunge at him, three more blasts shot at it. The barrage drove the scarab back. The pain made it stumble during its leap, falling a little short of where Xiaolang stood.
Xiaolang froze, judging whether he should leap and aim for its underbelly or grab his gun and give it another volley. The four-legged crocodile seemed to have a similar question. It hesitated, unsure whether to continue the assault or retreat. Even if it could lunge at Xiaolang, his teammates would come to kill it.
A single second seemed to stretch into infinity. Xiaolang chose neither. His gaze moved to Anna. He dashed forward, scooped her up from the ground, and carried her on his back as Laurel, Lexus, and Lazarus aimed their guns at the scarab. It was a risky move, exposing his back like that. If the scarab chose to attack, he and Anna would die. But he trusted his team.
Another barrage of beams rained down upon the scarab, peeling away its scales as small explosions dotted its back. The scarab turned and dashed for the water.
"Phew! That was intense." Lazarus sighed as she watched the scarab run for its life.
"Are you okay?" Xiaolang asked Anna.
"Yes... I'm fine… Sorry. It's my fault." Anna then explained how she had gone too close to the lake, hoping to find edible fruit for their dinner.
"It's fine. Let's return to the lifepod. I have news. We found another ruin inside the mountain." Laurel said. She wanted to share the news as soon as possible, but decided to let everyone take a break. They had been running all this way to save Anna.
After a short break, they returned to the lifepod, only to find Shingo and Bob running toward them while carrying guns.
"Anna! Thank God you are okay! I returned to the lifepod to grab some guns." Shingo said. He hadn't meant to leave her when the scarab attacked.
"Why didn't you bring guns in the first place?" Xiaolang asked. He didn't judge Shingo for leaving Anna. It was the right thing to do. It would have been suicidal to confront a scarab empty-handed.
"Well… I thought it was safe. We had never been attacked during our water duty, so… I thought we would be safe…" Shingo pouted.
"That was reckless. You should never go anywhere without weapons." Laurel said.
"I'm sorry." Shingo muttered.
"It's fine. We all made it in the end. Let's return. We found a ruin in the mountains!" Lazarus said.
I feel better here than in the colony. It feels as if my work matters. I can see my work bearing fruit. It is unlike the colonies, where I have to make friends and do nothing but play around. I feel guilty toward my father and mother, who had to work hard for me. ~Bob