Primordial Sage: Plight of Immortality

  The moment Stone got into the cave he only saw kids getting worked up seeing the entrance of the cave while Kaoran stood there with an ignited torch in his hand. There is still light from the outside but once they get deeper the torch will be the only source of the light they will have. Fortunately, Kaoran had few spare ones so there was no need to fear getting lost in the dark unless they separated from him. The lack of light and the fact that the cave was narrow and moist made many children uncomfortable as they looked around. Only a few waited for Kaoran's next instruction.

"Well then, this was the last one if I count right." Kaoran counted the kids if there were all of them. Then he continued." Follow me closely and never distance yourself from me. There are some branch paths in this cave. Actually, the cave wasn't completely explored even now thousands of years after discovering it. So getting lost here isn't what would you like to do..." said Kaoran grimly to make the children, who started to be more rowdy, be more obedient. And it fulfilled its mission.

Children stopped to make a fuss and became silent. They didn't want to get lost here. The older ones already knew the atrocities this world contained and were prepared to fall one day in battle as that is the highest glory and honor in their tribe. But the imagination that their life would end so soon and here in the darkness slowly draining the life from them... That was just terrifying. On the other hand, younger ones had simpler thoughts. They just feared to be alone in the darkness.

When Kaoran saw everyone was waiting for him he nodded to himself and ventured into the tunnel which led to Kennera Lake. Children went behind him in line close to each other so they wouldn't lose someone along the way. The tunnel was moist as water dripped from the ceiling on walls and ground and was very narrow making the path more uncomfortable. Also during the few minutes Kaoran passed there were over five new paths already which were promptly ignored by him.

Stone was going last which Kaoran approved of since he thought Stone was sensible. So Stone could go leisurely while looking around. All those walls weren't plain but instead were always covered in some crystals or plants adapted to living here. Some walls had kind of blue veins passing them looking intriguing. Stone who always had a curious spirit was enjoying this as a tour causing a lot of his nervousness to disappear.

Kaoran went slowly so the children could follow him and see properly since he had the only torch here. He also controlled every few minutes if there were all of them. After all, there is always one child who doesn't go with the crowd. Literally.

"Urchin! What did I say? Do you think I won't beat you up ?" shouted Kaoran at the one kid who lingered behind all the kids watching with curiosity the walls around and the other paths branching out of the main one.

The kid named urchin was just as his nickname indicated. The little rascal who always gets up to mischief in the tribe. He was already fourteen years old yet he was still the same.

Urchin who heard Kaoran turned towards him with a slightly annoyed expression as he groaned.

"Come on, old man. It is not like I can get lost when you can be seen from a distance with your torch. I just don't understand why the other parts are not explored. What if there were actually something even better than that lake? Hmm ?" the more Urchin thought about it the more excited he became when thinking about it.

*Sigh*

"Now is not the time for this. If you want to explore the other paths in a cave you need to wait to grow up or gain permission from all elders, me included. Right now we need to go or else if the Cold Energy dissipates it will be your share that will be cut off." Kaoran said this and then continued towards the lake. He didn't watch Urchin anymore as he already warned him. He is already old enough to choose what is good for him.

"Tch. No fun." Urchin shrugged as he rolled his eyes but went with the others obediently. He may be a troublemaker but usually, it was only about trivial things. He would never really go against his elders. He is a free-spirited troublemaker but the filial one indeed!

After this incident, there were no other incidents. Kaoran managed to guide all of them through the labyrinth of tunnels full of puddles, in some parts walls greatly narrowed while in others the ceiling rapidly descended. It was no wonder that other adults didn't want to come here. As most of the tribemen, even women, are actually mass of muscles it would be a hassle to come through these tunnels. The only fortune is that the shaman namely Kaoran was small in frame and was perfect for this despite also being quite muscular for his age.

When Stone saw this he wondered who guides the children when the shaman is also big in frame. Or maybe that is one of the criteria to become one?

As he thought so suddenly the walls around them opened up and they entered a very big domed cave. It was illuminated by weird crystals hanging in the center of the ceiling so Stone and others saw everything inside. There was only a little space for them to stay on as most of the space was filled with a beautiful lake of the same color as the crystals.

It was a very calming scenery and the only sound was the water drops dripping from the crystals on the ceiling. When Stone looked properly at these he realized that those were not crystals but just ice formations or maybe even the condensed Cold Energy Kaoran talked about.

Stone only thought so since he didn't really know what normal crystals are supposed to look like. He only heard about them from Granny Meddie. That thought made Stone melancholic once again and he felt a pang in his heart.

Meanwhile, other children were visibly dazzled by the cave's appearance and were hyped up. Some of the bolder ones already started to strip as they prepared to submerge into the lake.

Kaoran who saw this chuckled and then said quickly before the kids would recklessly jump in.

"Listen up, from now on all of it is on you. There is only one chance for everyone so once you sink in try to withstand the Cold Energy and the pain it will bring. The best method for absorbing the energy is for your body to relax and your mind to be clear through the meditation you learned in childhood. That way your efficiency will be many times higher. Of course, in this state, it can become dangerous so be careful." Kaoran looked deeply into each of their eyes and continued." I will be able to take you out once you won't be able to continue but still, the only one you can always depend on is you. Try to not sink too deep and try to be conscious enough to understand what is happening around you."

Then Kaoran talked a little more about safety as this event could turn fatal real quick. After a while, he finally ended when most children were already impatient. "That is all there is to it. Now let us begin. There are 44 of you but there could arise some problems if you all go at the same time since the lake isn't big enough so you will go 11 at a time. Every time someone gets out I will send another one."

Afterward, everything happened quickly as the children waited for their shaman's orders. Then Kaoran chose the first batch who then submerged into that glacial water. Most of them were already stripped so they could go inside faster. Even a few who still waited started to take off their clothes. Both boys and girls without any care for the opposite sex. Of course, some of the older ones who already started to get interested in the opposite sex looked at their peers who were just as god made them.

Kaoran who saw this shook his head but ignored it. They would get colder sooner if they do this but fortunately for them the baptism doesn't take long and this won't affect them at all.

Of course, not everyone is that impatient and some waited with their clothes on as they looked at their eager peers with little mockery or pity.

'Why would you strip yourself in this cold? Is it not enough for you that a few minutes later you will be in water which is probably colder than ice ?' thought the youngsters.

Stone was obviously among them. He doesn't feel the excitement as much as others so he can control his emotions just fine. Although...

'I wonder how I will feel after this baptism.' He still had his expectations as he waited.

After a while, some children started to emerge from the water. Some just took another deep breath to sink yet again while others went towards the land. Unfortunately despite Shaman's warning, there were still ones dazed as they absorbed the energy. So Kaoran who watched them closely interfered once he judged that those kids won't make it out otherwise.

He did take off only some accessories that were on his body and then jumped into the lake. Shaman was one exception that came to the lake where he could come and leave whenever he wanted. Obviously choosing a shaman was very important for the Bakur tribe. Even more so than choosing their leader.

Kaoran who sinked quickly swam towards the kids who seemed to lose consciousness and took them out.
In the end, he woke up those kids and heavily reprimanded them for not following his warning. They seemed to be very pale as they could have died there and wouldn't be able to do anything.

Stone who watched all of this wondered why Kaoran did all of this. It seemed like a hassle. Can't he just tie them up with rope which he will then pull when something happens? But then he looked at the clothes the shaman wore. They seemed to be stiff and not as malleable as before.

'That is probably because of the cold. Well, obviously they would have already thought of this...' thought so Stone with ridicule at himself.
Within a few minutes, seven out of 11 children already got out. Meanwhile, Kaoran chose the other seven children who went inside. Then he did check those who got out. Most of them were in a semi-conscious state as their body was still adapting to the energy. It will take them several days before they will turn normal and at that time most of them will be at least twice as strong!

The temperature in the cave which was noticeably lower than outside was really beneficial for them as sudden changes in temperature could create some unwanted side-effects. That is one of the reasons why they let the children recover in the cave despite the end of their baptism.

Things were calm for a while.

Most of the children talked with suppressed murmurs with their friends or family members while Stone, the newest one of the tribe, was daydreaming.

He was watching the cave and its structure. He saw how the ice of the waterfall fell off outside and wondered how this place hadn't collapsed yet. It seems like this happened every time the weather got hotter ever since thousands of years ago. And that is not considering the time before the Bakur tribe found it. The normal cave would collapse by this time a hundred times. Of course, the Cold Energy could be the reason for this but Stone didn't know why but he thought otherwise.

'There must be another secret or something.' as he was lost in thought suddenly most of the children were already after baptism. Six were still inside and three, himself included, still waited, and now was their time.

What was worth mentioning was the fact that some of those children were there for a much longer time. The main example is the Urchin who has been there ever since the first batch!

That means that once he gets out his power will be much higher than others! Some of the children were envious while others were happy that their tribe had a genius who would turn out to be a strong warrior in the future.

Stone slowly stripped off and went towards the lake under the eyes of others.

He heard all kinds of whispers from those who were already baptized and now rested on the ground. Only a few were not able to have a conversation since they were still recovering. They were whispering about his fair and pale skin devoid of any scars and being extremely smooth. Those who already noticed his smooth hair back then sneered in mockery.

"I heard about this from my mother. Aren't people like that in the South? Those so-called aristocrats and what-not who can't do anything and need dozens of servants to do their bidding so they stay with smooth skin. He is just like the princesses of those lands ha ha ha. I wonder why would the tribe take in someone useless like this." most of them giggled as they misunderstood Stone's background since his body devoid of any blemishes was actually because of his gift.

But Stone didn't care. He came towards the Kaoran who handed him with a smile the paste made from the poisonous herb.

"It has the best effect when you smear it on the body but since you will go into the water it would be washed away. That is why you should swallow it.

"Understood," said Stone as he took the paste in the bottle and immediately gulped it down. The children around were curious as they watched him getting something they did not get.

Stone didn't feel any different but he knew that was normal as it takes time to take effect. He then went towards the lake.

"Don't forget to once in a while get to the surface to breathe. I know you can survive for a long time but it won't be beneficial for your health to not do so."

Stone, who was already at the edge of the lake, looked at Kaoran who nodded at him with a smile and then slowly entered the water...

I posted on my ko-fi an image of the monster from the proloque if there is someone interested.