''Whew…'' Isaac took a deep breath after managing to complete his errand without any problems.
He put the bag down on the ground and the Flintlock Pistol next to it.
The leather pouch was hanging from his waist, so that he doesn't have to carry it by hand.
But, now, he untied it and put it next to the Flintlock Pistol.
''Haahh…'' He sat down and leaned on the rock wall. He used his sleeve to wipe his sweat and felt surprisingly exhausted.
Isaac had to stay on full alert during his run and had to run almost half an hour without stopping.
Also, digging the hole was perhaps the most exhausting part.
He glimpsed at his fingers, which were dripping with blue blood.
He had to use his nails to increase the digging speed, which unfortunately caused him to bleed.
The pain was even more vivid after the 1% increase in pain, and it felt very uncomfortable.
Also, the temperature was decreased to such lengths that he thought he was on an ice bath.
The cold air in the cave didn't make his situation easier.
He started rubbing two palms together, trying to warm himself up, but then he remembered that there was a campfire ready to be lit up.
He knows a neat trick that he learned accidentally.
If he rubs a Musket Rifle's bullet on a hard surface, it will be lit in a fire.
He tried to do the same with Flintlock Pistol's bullets, but it didn't work.
Isaac's hand went inside the leather pouch, and soon, a bullet was on his palm.
He put it down on the hard ground and started rubbing it.
Soon, sparks flew, and small fire signs started appearing on the bottom of the bullet, but that caused Isaac to increase the speed of the rubbing, and soon half of the bullet shell was on fire.
For some reason, it won't explode like he expected to happen. Instead, it manages to survive the fire fairly well.
He threw the bullet in the middle of the sticks, and soon, a fire started.
The few-meter radius around Isaac was lit up in a yellowish hue, and a heatwave assaulted his body.
Isaac put his two hands closer to a campfire and started warming up his body.
The sound of crackling and cold air was tickling his senses, but then, he heard something else.
*Crack!*
Isaac's head snapped towards the direction of the sound, and he was almost sure that it came from the entrance.
He slowly picked up his Musket Rifle and made sure there were bullets inside the chamber.
After making sure, he aimed the gun towards the crossroad of the cave.
The crossroad had only one way to go, and that was towards the left, which led to the entrance.
In his position, he had cover but also no way to escape.
He was on a dead end.
'I shouldn't have stayed here… This was a mistake.' Isaac blamed his own lack of experience and knew that staying here was a mistake, but finding another cave was even more dangerous.
He didn't want to say outside, where the temperature was decreasing.
Also, he had to somehow survive, while he could get attacked by almost every direction!
He kept breathing softly; the sound of fire crackling subdued the sound his breathing made.
Isaac knew that whoever appeared from the entrance knew that he was in the cave; acting won't do any good.
But, that person might not know that he was aware of someone entering.
After waiting for five minutes, no one came.
He was still looking at the empty crossroad and didn't see any sign of life.
After becoming impatient, he decided to look at what caused the sound.
Slowly, he approached the crossroad and was pointing the Musket Rifle at the ceiling so that his weapon won't reveal his position.
Once he reached the end of the wall and got to the crossroad, where only from turning left would he see the entrance.
Isaac slowly peeked until only his right eye was visible to anyone in the entrance.
The first thing he saw was surprisingly an empty entrance!
He narrowed his eyes and looked towards the distance but didn't see anyone.
'I have to find out…' Isaac thought inside his mind.
The things he had to find out was that did someone step on the sticks.
It would tell him that someone visited and knows that Isaac was currently in the cave!
It has risks trying to find out. He didn't know whether that Player had the entrance on his sights and was waiting for Isaac to peek to get a shot in.
But then, he had an idea.
The only reason why she couldn't see the sticks was because of the darkness around him, but if he had something that could allow him to see them, he didn't need to risk his life.
And, he has precisely the thing he needed.
Isaac went back to the campfire and took a stick that had its tip on fire.
It illuminated the area around him nicely.
He soon returned to the crossroad and stretched his hand, holding the flaming stick.
The light was approaching the place where the sticks were, and soon, half of the sticks was illuminated in light.
But Isaac couldn't stretch his hand any further. Otherwise, he has to expose himself.
He started hoping that enough sticks were visible.
He peeked from his hiding spot, used his great vision to look at the sticks, and widened his eyes in shock.
Two of the sticks were snapped in half, which told Isaac everything he needed.
He pulled his hand back and threw the stick back to the campfire.
His heart was beating rapidly.
'Someone was here… But where could that Player be?' Isaac closed his eyes and started thinking, 'That person obviously retreated after making enough noise to attract my attention, but it is also certain that person is still near… But, where…'
Outside the cave.
On top of a small snowy mountain.
Right on top of the cave where Isaac was.
LotusOfDeath was sitting on top of the snow pile and had a serious look underneath her hood.
''He is good…'' She murmured, and a butterfly landed on her shoulder.
A first skill she chose was called Butterfly Call!
It allows her to control the Butterfly perfectly, and she can see the exact same things like the butterfly.
She saw how Isaac used a flaming stick to see if the sticks were broken, and only a moment before that, she was foolish enough to enter the cave without any care.
She almost felt like slapping her because of her stupidity.
''I can't believe I underestimated him and almost lost my life because of it… Lion shouldn't go easy when hunting a rabbit— instead always go all-out!'' She once again had another valuable lesson, and she grew even stronger because of this experience.