Chapter 106: Hanging Vines Cave

The next day..

After walking quite a distance away to the north of the Green Horn Village, Kayn was eventually able to spot the Hanging Vines Cave over the distance.

It was a naturally made cave on the bottom of a small hill. The cave isn't that big, but it was also not that small either. To be exact, the hole is twenty meters in diameter.

There's a deep slope leading straight to the entrance of the Hanging Vines Cave.

Looking closely at the Hanging Vines Cave, he instantly notices a dense cover of vines blocking the entrance of the cave and preventing him from getting a close look at its internal structure.

Nevertheless, he could see the obvious signs that it is a spider's lair just from the countless cobwebs hanging almost everywhere before the cave's entrance.

"This is it," Gilbert tapped Kayn's shoulder.

"Since we are here, let's begin setting up our camp before we enter," Friedrich started giving the first squad things to do.

Unfortunately, Natasha and the other members of the second squad can't come with them because they have to meet up with their leader to assist with the relocation. They were very excited about it, but Old Chief George informed them last night that their leader requested assistance.

Roshan, Cedrick, Gilbert, and Kimberly quickly began setting up their tent and other necessary kinds of stuff they needed like a dirty kitchen.

Meanwhile, Kayn and Friedrich gathered on a table that the latter had taken out from his Storage Ring along with three maps that show the entire structures inside the Hanging Vines Cave.

"The Hanging Vines Cave has a total of three different floors inside. The first floor is where the ordinary spiders and Green Stripe Spiders are, the second floor is where the Green Stripe Elite Spider and Green Guardian Spider, and lastly the third floor is where the Green Stripe Broodmother and her eggs are," Friedrich explains.

"The entire structure of each floor is a wide open area, instead of a cramped up space that you would expect inside a cave. There are dozens of pillars supporting the ceiling, some underground rivers, and small tunnels leading to the nearby small caves around,"

In other words, there's a small ecosystem inside the Hanging Vines Cave that can maintain and support any living creatures that choose to reside.

"On the first floor, we won't be intervening much on what you want to do. So, you can basically do whatever you want and we will keep you safe throughout the entire way,"

"Depending on your performance on the first floor, we will decide on how we should take care of the second floor,"

"And on the last floor, only Cedrick and Gilbert would be assisting you regardless of how you operated on the second floor. That was the bottom line that Old Chief George informed me about. We can only intervene when you tell us you give up and that would instantly mark this Monster Lair Raid as a failed attempt,"

Friedrich informed Kayn of how the entire Monster Lair Raid would play out on their side.

"I don't know if you have prepared plans yesterday on how you will take care of this Monster Lair Raid nor do I even care about it. This is your mission and the only reason we are here is to protect you and make sure Chief Kylo doesn't kill you,"

"As for completing the mission, that would be entirely your job with only Gilbert and Cedrick as your aid,"

"I understand," Kayn nodded his head in understanding.

"Here's all the map in case you need it," Friedrich handed all the maps to Kayn.

"I actually don't need it,"

"Do you already have a map?"

"I've already memorized it,"

"You serious?" Friedrich felt doubtful.

"Trust me,"

Kayn has conducted countless Monster Lair Raids in the past. He is practically the most knowledgeable person present right now when it comes to dealing with such matters.

"Prove it,"

"There are twenty-four pillars in total on the first floor alone. Six pillars each on the north, west, east, and south directions of the compass. There are thirty-two tunnels, twenty-five of them have small entrances and seven have medium size entrances. There are three small underground rivers. I have to go straight north to enter the second floor,"

"....."

Kayn started summarizing the layout of the entire map from the first floor to the third floor.

"How?" Friedrich felt disbelief. "Do you have some sort of photographic memory or something?"

"You're overreacting," Kayn chuckled. "Here's a fun fact, you can actually just take note that there are thirty-two tunnels on the first floor without needing to know where they are exactly located,"

"Question. If you don't know where the tunnels are, then how exactly would you find them? As long as you reach the edge of the cave and you follow the wall, you'd eventually find a tunnel,"

"So, what you are trying to say is, just take note of the important details and leave the unnecessary stuff behind?"

"That's right. Because during a Monster Lair Raid, things could get out of control and you wouldn't necessarily be able to do exactly like how you want it to play. So, what you need to be more focused on is how to respond and react to those situations, rather than memorizing the entire layout of the map,"

"Why would I need this drawing if I would have to memorize everything on it anyways, right? If I don't know which way to go, I'll just take this map out and look for the direction I have to follow,"

"Then what if you are in a bad situation and you desperately have to find a way out?" Friedrich wonders.

"Then go to the edge of the cave, follow the walls, and then we'll eventually be able to find a tunnel leading to another exit,"

"What if it's a dead end?"

"Find another way,"

"It will take a very long to do that. Who knows if you'd be able to survive until then,"

"Are we in that kind of situation right now?"

"No,"

"Then why are you preparing for it already as if it's going to be unavoidable that we'd be put in that kind of situation? Let's only make plans for that if ever we are indeed in that kind of situation, because we'd be wasting plenty of time overthinking various different possibilities with no certainty whether it would really happen or not,"

"And besides, that's why you are here, right? To help me deal with that kind of situation,"

"Gilbert is indeed right, you are truly very different from people of the same age as you. What's even stranger is, it's as if you've experienced more things than all of us,"

"I do," Kayn said inwardly. Instead, he responded to Friedrich, "You're just overthinking it,"

There's no way that he'd be able to avoid showing signs that he has more experience than almost everybody. And he is also not going to try and hide that fact.

However, he can always deny it whenever they start suspecting it. After all, there's no way they'd believe that someone who is younger than them, still wet in the ears, and hasn't even entered the 'Tower' yet knows and experienced more than them.

They'll just believe that he is a genius and something similar, which is the outcome he is aiming for.

"We're done here!" Gilbert informs Kayn and the others.

"We've done this multiple times, so you know what to do," Friedrich muttered before starting to walk inside the Hanging Vines Cave first. Deep inside, he was contemplating hard about what Kayn had said to him just now. As much as he tries to deny it, what the latter had said is indeed very insightful.

"I've already done putting up a note to inform any passersby that there are people inside the Hanging Vines Cave," Cedrick responded.

The tents were only set up in advance so that once they are done with their Monster Lair Raid, they won't have to waste any more time and push their already exhausted bodies to the limits just to set it up.

And as for the note, that is actually an unwritten rule in 'The Bridge'. If there's a note informing them that someone is doing a Monster Lair Raid, one shouldn't interrupt them unless they want their Monster Lair Raid in the future to be interrupted by someone else as well.

Although the note is not enough to possibly hold back the passersby from stealing anything from the camp. That's why other than the tents and some other necessities they would require once they finish the Monster Lair Raid, they aren't leaving anything else with value behind.

"Rest for thirty minutes before we begin the Monster Lair Raid," Kayn understood that Friedrich's mind is currently preoccupied with what he had said.

"Where's Friedrich going?" Gilbert can't help asking.

"He's going to scout the place first,"historical

"Shouldn't that be my job?" After all, he is the assassin in their party.

"There's probably a reason for that. If you want, you can ask him later on,"

"Alright," Gilbert returns to Cedrick and the others to start preparing their equipment.

Kayn also did the same as he started checking all of the equipment and consumables he brought for this Monster Lair Raid.