In the blink of an eye, twenty more days had passed.
That left Artemis with only four days before the death duel with Luke, for the fifth day would mark the thirtieth, the fated day.
Twenty-five days trapped together inside the cave had changed much between him and Rue.
Even though Artemis had been unconscious for the first five, the bond they shared had grown closer with each passing day.
Artemis had taken a liking to calling her Little Rue.
Don't call me that! I'm thirteen already, I'm not little anymore. I'll turn fourteen just next month!
She would complain, her cheeks puffing out as she glared at him.
But Artemis would only grin, teasing her endlessly without ever backing down.
In return, Rue began calling him Big brother. Unlike her protests, this she said happily, almost proudly.
Deep inside, she liked having this new brother in her life.
When they weren't cultivating, they were dueling.
At first, Rue held back, afraid of hurting her precious big brother. But Artemis told her not to.
From then on, every time they sparred, Artemis ended up beaten badly.
After all, Rue was a medial-grade Cosmo Adept, and not an ordinary one either, she was a prodigy from the very moment of her birth.
Artemis, on the other hand, was only a Cosmo Initiate.
Rue, however, found herself enjoying the practice more and more.
It gave her a chance to punish him for all his teasing. Yet, beneath the playful satisfaction, there was something else.
After spending so many days together, Rue had also learned about Artemis's coming death duel with Luke.
That knowledge made her train him even harder, striking him with more ruthless force than before.
She wanted to prepare him for what lay ahead, but every time she thought of him possibly losing, of him being killed, worry gnawed at her heart.
___
Artemis's spiritual affinity was the lightning attribute. That gave him a natural advantage destructive, explosive power that could not be ignored.
A direct hit from him, or one that caught an opponent off guard, could deal immense damage.
Worse, the remnants of thunder Cosmo lingering inside the opponent's body were very difficult to dispel.
If not removed quickly, they would continue to cause damage from within until they finally subsided.
The lightning attribute also enhanced his speed, sharpened his reflexes, and cloaked him in a fierce, overbearing aura.
Yet there was still a problem. Even before he awakened his Cosmo, Artemis had collected many combat manuals.
But not one of them was lightning attribute. He was forced to train with techniques of other attributes, which could never bring out the full might of his thunder Cosmo.
Rue noticed this. One day, she gave him a superior-grade Earth-rank movement technique manual as a gift for his successful awakening of the Cosmo.
The technique was called Lightning Steps, and it suited him perfectly.
It allowed him to move with explosive bursts, resembling teleportation, leaving only dust and afterimages behind.
It could be very useful for fleeing from stronger cultivators, or for sneaking attacks on unsuspecting opponents who believed they were safe.
One moment the enemy thought he was too far away; the next, he would already be at their side.
Though it had taken sixteen years for Artemis to awaken his Cosmo, that delay did not erase the fact that he was talented.
He was still a genius cultivator, a quick learner. He could even mimic many of Rue's combat techniques just by watching her, though because of the difference in their attributes, the effects were not the same.
---
After finishing another round of practice, Artemis drew in heavy breaths, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion.
"I think it's time," he said to Little Rue. "We need to find a way to get out of here. We can't just sit around doing nothing, expecting someone might come to rescue us."
Artemis refused to let someone else write his fate. Staying here in blind hope was pointless.
Who knew how long they would have to wait for someone to come? He wanted to carve his own path, to seize his fate himself.
But Rue frowned. "But the rocks are too slippery. How are we supposed to climb up there?"
Artemis fell silent for quite some time, deep in thought.
For a long moment, only the echo of water droplets filled the cave. That sound sparked an idea in him.
"How about if we follow the water outflow?" Artemis suggested. "I think it might lead us to some water body — a river or lake where we can swim up and out."
"I already tried," Rue admitted. "It leads into an underground tunnel that connects to the lake."
Artemis's eyes lit up. "Then that's our way out. Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"Because it's even more impossible that way," Rue said seriously. "There are abundant Phantom Freshwater Kelp down there."
Phantom Freshwater Kelp were plants that lived in deep waters.
They swayed like living serpents, waiting for prey to pass by.
Once they wrapped around a body, it was almost impossible to escape.
Anyone caught would be dragged under and drowned, their corpse used as fertilizer.
"That's not a problem. We'll slash our way out," Artemis said firmly, his eyes glinting with determination, as though the danger meant nothing to him.
"No, you don't understand," Rue protested, her tone sharp with worry. "There's plenty of them. It's impossible to get past."
"Yes, I heard you. You said there's an abundance of them," Artemis replied, his voice steady, almost unshakable.
"But so what? We can't just stay here waiting to die. It's already been almost two months since you were trapped in here.
And even if someone does come, it's too dark out there. They'll just trip and fall the same way we did.
This is our only chance now. Let's take it while we still can."
He paused for a moment, breathing heavily, his eyes unwavering as they met hers. "My food is almost finished. At best, we can endure another month without supplies.
Once we start getting weak, that's when it'll be truly impossible to push through those Phantom Kelp. So let's go now, while we still have our strength, right?"
Rue's lips parted, but the words caught in her throat.
"But… but…" she stammered, her usual quick tongue faltering for once. Fear was written across her face.
"There's no but," Artemis cut her off, his tone sharper this time.
"Or you can wait here, and I'll go. Once I make it out, I'll bring help and come back to get you."
Her eyes widened. The thought of him leaving alone struck something deep inside her chest.
"No! No, I won't let you go through those monstrous plants alone. Let's—"
But before she could even finish, Artemis interrupted, his voice resolute. "Then let's go together."
Rue froze, her body tense, her small hands clutching the edge of her dress. She was still reluctant, torn between fear and resolve, not knowing what to say.
Her heart pounded wildly. She had seen those plants, their movements were like serpents, their grasp deadly. And yet, looking at Artemis, at the unshakable determination blazing in his eyes, she felt her resistance weaken.
Should she go, or should she keep waiting?