I, Yuhaka, am hungry!

"The task you need to complete is [Survival Training], so try to survive in this place for ten days with your equipment. Also, don't cross that tree over there, otherwise it will be considered an escape."

After saying that, Olsen turned around and walked back the way he came, saying to Riko and the others with surprised expressions:

"Alright, that's all. I'm going back now."

Then, as if remembering something, Olsen stopped and walked back, saying:

"Oh right, I almost forgot about this guy."

Olsen reached out and grabbed Yuhaka by the back of her collar like he was picking up a cat, tucked her into his arm, patted Yuhaka's little bottom, and said:

“This child has lived in the Abyss for much longer than you have, and this is exactly what you lack most. If she stays here, it won’t be too difficult for your training.”

As Olsen left, he said to Rico and the others:

"Alright, I'll come back to check in occasionally. That's all. And that robot brat, do everything in your power to protect that crybaby from turning her back into a corpse."

After saying that, Olsen left, while Yuhaka, who was tucked under Olsen's arm, waved to the bewildered Riko and the others and said:

"Rico, Reig, bye-bye~"

...After a long ten days...

After a long ten-day survival training period, Riko and Regu returned and rested for a day before starting to prepare new equipment and some secrets that had been passed down among the White Whistles of the Ages.

Inside the surveillance base, Olsen tossed a pickaxe, which looked like it was used for mining, to Rico and said:

"Take it."

Regu and Yuhaka, who were standing nearby and felt the object looked somewhat familiar, looked curiously at the iron pickaxe-like relic in Riko's hand and said:

"this is?"

"For mining?"

"[Endless Hammer]"

When Riko called out the name, Olsen nodded and said:

"That's right, Annihilation Ryza used this loot to suck a lot of blood, it's actually just a tool for exploring the cave..."

"In a place where fragrant plants have been growing for centuries, it stands there like a tombstone."

Rico looked at the Endless Hammer in her hand, her face a little complicated, and said:

“Mom’s… belongings…”

Orson, looking at the Endless Hammer in Rico's hand, said to her:

"Although the [endless gunpowder] inside is fine, the outside is already tattered and broken, and it can probably only be used a few more times."

Olsen twirled his finger at Rico and said:

"Well... it used to be a piece of junk that occasionally wouldn't fire. Since it belongs to Ryza, she must have found a new weapon."

Then Olsen turned to look at Rico and said:

"Let me teach you how to use it; it should be able to replace the cremation cannon."

……………One day later……………

Near the Great Fault, Riko, Regu, Yuhaka, and others watched as Maruluk and the cave explorers from Orson's subordinates came to see them off.

Riko grabbed Maruluk's right hand and said to him:

"Well then, goodbye... Maruluk, take care."

Regu grabbed Maruluk's left hand and said to him:

"Ma Lulu Ku..."

Yuhaka took out a small jar containing Meru Cat's special barbecue sauce and handed it to Maruluk, saying:

"Lulu, this is a farewell gift."

Maruluk looked at the tears streaming down the faces of Riko, Reig, and Yuhaka, and said with a sad expression:

"I... I really hate saying things like that..."

"But if you said, 'It's really too much of a stretch,' and then turned back... wouldn't that be wonderful..."

Maruluk wiped away the tears blurring her vision and said to Riko and the others:

"I've seen so many people embark on a journey of no return from here... but today is the saddest day..."

Chapter 57 [Reencounter with the Rock Dragon]

In the complex cave tunnels within the Great Fault, located on the third level of the Abyss, Yuhaka, Riko, and Regu were slowly crawling on all fours in a relatively narrow cave tunnel.

Riko looked at her large tail that was currently swaying back and forth and said to Ehaka with some discomfort:

"YuYu-chan, how much longer until we get to a more spacious place..."

"Hmph, hmph ╯^╰"

After sniffing the air, Yuhaka, who was crawling ahead, spoke up:

"Almost there, Riko, it's just ahead."

Hearing Yuhaka's words, Riko breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they had been crawling like this for 15 minutes.

Hearing Yuhaka say that they were almost there, Riko felt that her aching knees could finally rest.

Soon, Yuhaka jumped out of a burrow. The carpet rats living there saw Yuhaka and quickly ran away, watching this uninvited guest from a distance.

After observing that there were no dangerous creatures around, Yuhaka said to Riko and the others inside the cave:

"It's safe here, you can come out now."

Rico poked her head out to look at the slightly wider cave and then crawled out of the narrow cave tunnel.

"Hmm~ Ah, it really feels good to stretch out in a more spacious place."

Regu climbed down from the cave, looked at the spacious cavern, then at Riko stretching and exercising, and finally at the carpet mice watching them warily, and said:

"There are so many blanket mice here..."

After finishing her workout, Rico nodded and said to Regu:

"Well, there are indeed a lot of carpet rats living in the third layer [Great Fault Zone], but thanks to these kids, we don't have to worry about food right now, but..."

Rico looked at the several holes in front of her and immediately felt a headache coming on, saying:

"Ah... so many caves! By the way, which one is the correct path down there?"

Although there are many caves and tunnels in the Great Fault, some of them lead to the outside, or are dangerous or dead ends.

"Chirp chirp~"

Yuhaka squatted in front of the Blanket Rats, making sounds just like them. Riko, seeing Yuhaka making Blanket Rats' sounds as if communicating with the Blanket Rats, was a little puzzled and said:

"Hey, Reigu, what's Yuu doing right now?"

Regu glanced at Yuhaka and then said to Riko:

"Oh, Youyou is currently interacting with those blanket mice..."

Riko was stunned for a moment upon hearing Reig's words, then looked at Reig with a surprised expression and said:

"Huh!? I've never heard of this before!?"

Regu looked at Riko's surprised face, scratched her head, and said to Riko with some confusion:

"Huh? Really? Well... it's normal that Riko hasn't heard of it. After all, Yuu rarely talks to other animals either. I only found out about it a few dozen days ago."

Upon hearing Reig's words, Riko looked at Eohaka, who was communicating with Blanket Mouse, with an envious expression and said:

"That's wonderful... I want that ability too..."

Soon, after communicating with the blanket mice, Yuhaka returned to Riko and the others and said to them:

"The route down here has been found."

Upon hearing Yuhaka's words, Riko immediately became excited and said:

"Great! This will save a lot of time!"

However, what Yuhaka said next surprised Riko and Regu.

"Down there, there's a dangerous guy."

Hearing Yuhka's words, Riko and Reg exchanged a glance, then looked at Yuhka and said:

"A dangerous guy? What is he?"

"The Bloodstained Rope? Or Madkajack?"

Hearing Riko's words, Yuhaka shook his head and said:

"do not know."

"I don't know..." Riko was a little troubled. Although their current combat strength could easily deal with most of the dangerous creatures living on the third level, if they didn't know what kind of dangerous creature the other party was, they might be caught off guard and confused when they encountered it later.

However, after thinking for a moment, Riko asked Yuhaka:

"Yuyu-chan, are the other caves and tunnels safe?"

Yuhaka glanced at the other cave tunnels, then shook his head at Riko and said:

"No."

Riko was completely speechless.

........................

"Hey~"

Yuhaka jumped out of the cave, and after checking and finding nothing amiss, he told Riko and Regu to come down.

"Hmm...this place looks pretty normal."

Rico looked at the very spacious cave and said this, while Regu looked at the surrounding environment and said:

"Yes... we didn't see any remains of bones and animal droppings..."

Regu and Riko saw that the cave was just rocks. Riko scratched her head and said:

"They've probably gone out to find something to eat. Let's take this opportunity to go out!"