The interior of the cave was damp and cool, completely different from the warm beach outside under the setting sun. The passage formed by seawater erosion was narrow and tortuous, with jagged and bizarre stalactites above and slippery reefs and shallow puddles underfoot. The only light source was the portable searchlights carried by everyone, and the beams cast shaky shadows on the uneven rock walls.

"Lilia! Rosalia! Xier!" Theresa's voice echoed in the empty cave, with obvious worry. Jizi followed closely behind, scanning the surrounding forks with a searchlight in her hand. Zijing, Kevin, Mebius, Alicia, Velvet, Yaezakura, Yaezin, as well as Gresh and Kosmo followed in. Those who didn't come here were searching in other places in the reef area.

"No, there are too many forks in the road!" Ji Zi stopped and illuminated three almost identical dark passages ahead. "It's too inefficient to search like this, and it's easy to get lost in it."

Wei Wei immediately stepped forward and slid her fingers across a multifunctional electronic screen on her wrist. The screen showed a complex scan of the cave, with dots representing their location flashing, but there was no signal representing the missing girl. She coughed lightly, "According to the preliminary scan, the structure of this cave is more complicated than expected, like a natural maze! It is recommended to act in groups to cover more areas! Maximize efficiency!"

"Into groups?" Theresa hesitated.

"Great, great! It's most fun to explore in groups~?"

Alicia almost immediately jumped out to express her support, with a bright smile of "this is a great idea" on her face, not giving anyone else time to comment, "It's decided! Theresa and Himeko will be in one team, responsible for the wider one on the left! Amethyst, Kevin, and Mebius will be in one team, responsible for the middle one! Yaezakura and her sister will be in one team, responsible for the narrow one on the right! Grayshu and Kosmo will be in one team, responsible for exploring the main passage we came in from to see if there are any missed forks! As for me and Velvet..." She winked playfully, "We'll provide mobile support! We're ready to support any group with Velvet's super equipment at any time~?"

She made all the arrangements quickly, then pulled Wei Liwei to stand a little further back.

Theresa looked at Alicia's unquestionable attitude, then looked at the bottomless fork in the road, and finally nodded: "...Okay! Everyone keep in touch, and report any findings immediately! Stay safe!"

"Understood!" Ji Zi nodded, and walked towards the left passage with Theresa.

Zijing glanced at Alicia and felt something was a little strange. Kevin took the lead and walked to the front to lead the way. Zijing had no choice but to follow along with Mobius, who was staring at Alicia with his arms crossed and a sneer on his face.

Yae Sakura and Yae Rin, Grayshu and Kosmo, the two groups were also completing their assigned tasks well.

……

The air in the narrow passage was even more stagnant, with a strong smell of the sea. The searchlight beam in Yaezakura's hand moved steadily in front of her. Her footsteps were light, and her pink fox ears moved slightly.

"Sister..." Yae Rin's voice was filled with a barely perceptible nervousness, "I... I always feel... there seems to be something behind me..." She couldn't help but look back frequently, but the light from the searchlight could only illuminate a short distance behind her.

Yaezakura stopped and listened. There was nothing else except the sound of their breathing, the "tick-tock" sound of water dripping from the top of the rock, and the faint sound of waves in the distance. She shook her head slightly and squeezed Yaezakura's hand soothingly: "It's the echo of the wind and the waves. Don't scare yourself."

Yae Rin nodded and took a deep breath, but the feeling of being watched in the dark lingered. She was almost walking close to her sister's back.

After walking a little further, the passage became more winding. Yaezakura felt Yaezakura's body tense up. She stopped again, her fox ears fully erected, and listened carefully.

Tick-tick...tick-tick...whoosh...whoosh...

There is still the sound of water drops and waves.

"Rin?" Yaezakura was about to comfort her sister again.

at this time!

Yae Rin took a sharp breath and let out a short scream. Her body shrank back violently, as if she was pulled by something! "Sister...!"

Yaezakura reacted extremely quickly, turning around instantly, and the searchlight beam pierced into the darkness behind Yaezakura like a sharp sword!

The beam swept across - nothing! Only the jagged stone walls and shallow puddles on the ground. Yae Rin stood there in fear, her face pale, pointing at the puddle where she had just stood: "There is...something...grabbing my feet...it's cold...slippery..."

Yaezakura squatted down and used the light to carefully illuminate the puddle and the surrounding rocks. There was nothing but slippery moss and a few small pieces of gravel. She dipped her fingertips in the water in the puddle and twisted it. It was just ordinary sea water.

"It could be water plants or small crabs." Yaezakura stood up, trying to speak in a relaxed tone.

Yae Rin looked at the empty ground, then at her sister. Although she still had doubts in her heart, she nodded and moved closer to Yae Sakura.

Yaezakura patted the back of her hand soothingly, turned around again, and prepared to move forward. Just as she completely turned her back to the darkness and focused her attention on the passage ahead—

A cold, slippery touch suddenly wrapped around Yae Rin's ankle! The force was much greater than before! Yae Rin didn't even have time to call for help before she was dragged backwards by a huge force!

"Ah——!" Yae Rin only uttered half of her exclamation!

Yaezakura almost simultaneously sensed the abnormal flow of air behind her and her sister's disappearing breath! She turned around abruptly!

The searchlight beam tears through the darkness!

however--

Wherever the beam of light reached, there was only an empty, wet rock wall passage. Yae Rin's figure seemed to have evaporated into thin air, completely disappearing without a trace! As if she had never existed!

In the puddle where Yae Rin last stood, there was only a circle of ripples that quickly spread and disappeared, and... a few strands of her pink hair that were left behind, floating on the turbid water.

"cold--?!"

……

At the same time, Grayshu and Kosmo, who were exploring deeper in the main passage, also stopped.

"Kosmo, did you hear anything?"

Gray asked quietly.

"Well……"

Kosmo heard it and knew it was the voice of the girl named Yaezakura. Could it be that there were other threats in this ordinary cave that even caused trouble for the powerful Yaezakura?

He became more serious, but then he heard Grayshu next to him say in surprise: "Kosmo, there is light ahead."