He’d often heard stories like that.

The protagonist would fall off a cliff, only to land right in front of some cave—and hidden inside would be secret manuals and techniques left behind by some mighty master!

After getting his hands on them, the protagonist would rise to greatness, reach the pinnacle of life, and even fuck the damn heavens!

Standing at the cave’s entrance, Li swallowed. Was he really going from the worst luck imaginable to a sudden stroke of fortune?

But...

This was the Abyss of the Underworld. For all he knew, this could be the lair of some powerful magic beast.

He couldn’t get ahead of himself. If this was a magic beast’s lair and he went in recklessly, he’d die without even a proper grave.

After hesitating for a while, Li didn’t go straight in. He backed away a few steps instead. Whether this was a magic beast’s lair, a treasure-filled cave, or just an empty hole, he couldn’t afford to charge in right now.

He could go in once it was safe. There was no rush.

Even though he was dying to know...

Just rub a little. Don’t go in!

Curiosity would get him killed! He had to keep it in check!

That alluring fragrance, that tempting cave... Li shut his eyes and tried not to think about it, but the cave seemed to be saying, Come on in...

“I have to resist! Resist! I absolutely have to resist!”

It was dangerous in there. If he went inside, he might never make it back out. He had to calm down. Now wasn’t the time to do something reckless. Whatever happened, he had to stay calm...

That’s right. Stay calm! Calm down!

Gulp~

Li swallowed.

That fragrance... He was close to giving in to its temptation. Li turned away. It was all too familiar to him. The scent was like a pair of gentle hands, constantly teasing him, softly caressing every inch of his body...

“Calm down. How can I invite Hell in!”

But that rich fragrance, that scent constantly teasing him, that tempting cave... It was just like...

Smack!

He slapped himself! Li hurriedly backed away.

That smell was bad. Very bad...

Since he’d spent so long making medicine, Li could tell what ingredients a potion contained just by its smell. And this strange scent really did have ** mixed in with it.

He chewed on a bitter twig. Bitterness filled his mouth, and the taste shot straight to his brain!

The foggy feeling in his head began to fade, little by little. If he let that smell keep tempting him, he might really walk right into the cave. And that wouldn’t end well.

The juice of the bitter twig could clear his head. It wasn’t just bitter; its juice was also a key ingredient in the energy tonics people used all the time.

Once his head had cleared a little, Li carried Phoebe to one side and buried her in a pile of grass. He didn’t know what was going on, but there was no doubt this place had been left behind by humans. At first, it had seemed to smell only of medicine—perhaps there were all kinds of medicinal herbs inside. But the moment ** appeared, Li no longer needed to wonder...

Still, he wouldn’t go in recklessly. Instead, he slowly moved the vines away from the entrance without damaging them. This place might yet become a shelter for him.

No need to rush. One step at a time. If there was some great treasure in here, he could dig it out once he’d made sure it was safe. No rush.