"Is it settled?"

The others had been watching the events unfold here. Seeing Cysper get dressed, they immediately gathered around asking questions.

"Don't worry, in this situation, it will slumber for several days at least."

I nodded in assurance. The hypnosis spell I used earlier consumed a lot of my light elemental power.

"But what if it wakes up then, will it continue guarding this cave entrance? If we haven't escaped by that time, won't we have to fight it again?"

Cyra asked with some concern.

"No choice but to deal with it then. At least for now we have enough time for a rescue operation."

Brennan shook his head.

"If we're lucky, maybe we can get Adrian and Vivianne out before it wakes up."

He's right, so what if we fight again? It would still be an easy victory. Now the priority is the rescue.

Based on our earlier observations, this cave likely hides some unknown secret or even danger. Adrian and Vivianne may have encountered some mishap inside, otherwise with all the commotion we made out here, they should have come out to investigate.

Of course, there could be another exit they escaped through, but that possibility is low.

So even though we subdued the phoenix guarding the entrance, we can't all rush inside blindly. That would be walking into a trap.

Thus our next action was quickly decided - explore the cave!

As for who would do the exploring...

With Adrian and Vivianne being below 5th rank, their disappearances inside indicated that Yulanda and Brennan of similar strength would face the same fate if they went in. As the strongest in our group, this task naturally fell to Cysper and me.

However, there was disagreement on how to proceed.

"Why don't I go in alone first? If both of us get stuck inside, then we're completely out of chances. Plus with the phoenix lying there, it's not very safe. Better to have a high-level fighter stay outside in case it wakes up."

Cysper volunteered to take the lead, emboldened by his recent victory against the phoenix. But I immediately rejected his proposal.

I insisted we enter together. I was confident about the phoenix's state, but the situation inside was completely unknown. If we encountered formidable foes, we could support each other. Cysper's strength was impressive, surpassing me in many areas, but he was not invincible yet.

However, he remained adamant about going alone.

"Why not have your two knight guards join too?"

Seeing our argument drag on, Cyra couldn't help butting in. Four people would make assigning roles easier, and the two knights were certainly qualified.

"What knight guards?"

Yulanda and Brennan were completely baffled, unaware of the two papal guards accompanying us! It was only after Cyra briefly explained that they understood.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Going by the light elemental aura, Mike and Ron were hiding in the nearby trees as ordered. During the earlier battle, they didn't reveal themselves since Cysper wasn't in danger.

"No way! This rare vacation can't be ruined by involving them."

Here the arrogance of the long-reigning Pope resurfaced, as he rejected even Cyra's suggestion.

Ah I see now, Cysper simply wants to venture alone! The dangerously mysterious cave exploration holds immense allure for this ancient monster confined to the Holy City his whole life. Having company would vastly reduce the "thrill".

"This isn't child's play, didn't your long life teach you we only get one chance?"

I massaged my temples. Has he wasted all those centuries? To not understand this simple wisdom! I thought he was wisely humble, but it seems he's truly naive.

"Even a short life holds value if one deems it worthwhile! Though I've lived long, it hasn't been the blissful existence you imagine. Have you considered my feelings? To endure the same tedium day after day, no matter the lifespan, is utter torment!"

Cysper insisted passionately, a rare melancholic look crossing his face.

"At times I've wondered if I committed some grave sin that the Lord punishes me for with this existence...this vacation is a millennial opportunity to truly live..."

In that moment, I felt thunderstruck - his words made profound sense.

Perhaps we overlooked the Pope's true feelings about being confined to Jethrobaines for thousands of years.

Thousands of years! Not a short few decades one can fathom. Moreover, even if he can leave now, it's temporary. Cysper must rely on Cyra or us angels to go anywhere, a situation that cannot last forever. Eventually we'll part ways and he'll return to the Holy City to remain its Pope indefinitely.

Jethrobaines is his home, his base, yet also his eternal cage!

Cyra clearly recognized this too, standing silently with a pained look.

As for Brennan and Yulanda, unaware of the Pope's past inability to leave the Holy City, they simply watched our exchange in confusion.

"Uh..."

Seeing everyone's silence, the mood turned somber. Perhaps feeling he went too far, Cysper calmed down and backtracked awkwardly.

"Maybe I overstated things. You raise fair points - even the phoenix feared entering this cave. Venturing in alone does carry risk."

"How about this - have your two guards enter first to scout ahead. If it's safe, then you can follow alone as the second wave. What do you think?"

Though unclear on Cysper's background, Yulanda understood his desire for solo adventure. As long as the serious risks were minimized, a compromise could be reached.

"No problem!"

This time Cysper agreed amiably. And so the dramatic plan was set.

The rest was straightforward - the two knights readily accepted the scouting task.

"May the Lord be with you! Stay safe, and if you return unharmed, don't reveal what's inside!"

Before Mike and Ron entered the cave, Cysper specifically instructed them not to "spoil" anything. In a large cave system, there were likely forks, so they may not encounter the same "storyline".

"Yes sir!"

Just like before, Ron had a dog-tail grass blade in his mouth as he gave a simple reply. Then he and Mike headed into the cave.

"Now we wait."

Watching their figures disappear into the darkness, we had nothing to do but rest up and kill time outside.

Having played too many card games recently, even Cyra was bored with poker. Out of boredom, she set her sights on the sleeping phoenix, actually wanting to pluck some feathers as souvenirs! This gave me quite a fright and I quickly stopped her mischief. The sleep spell wasn't a stun - too much external stimulus risked disrupting its effects.

Time trickled by slowly...

"It's been hours, why aren't they back yet?"

Brennan checked his portable magic clock, frowning at the tranquil cave entrance.

"Don't tell me something happened? Those two guards are 6th rank fighters..."

Yulanda worriedly added.

"What's the actual level of your two guards compared to you?"

I asked the resting Cysper. Though all 6th rank, there were sub-tiers - like my recent strength certification assessed me at the low 6th rank by examiner Wozwal Hus. Though far below me in magic ability, Cysper's combat technique and physique were unmatched, placing him solidly in the mid-6th tier at least. Likewise, that phoenix, while weaker than him, was probably in this tier too.

"Ron is a bit weaker than me, reaching 6th rank not long ago. But the brat is very clever at applying his skills. And his roguish attitude hides his absolute loyalty to me - in tricky situations, I always bring him along. As for Mike..."

Cysper mused for a moment before elaborating candidly.

"A year ago he was barely 3rd rank. But his faith in the Lord is unquestionable! Then in an accident he awakened his battle qi, so I specially promoted him to lead knight of the Star Glory Knights as a priority trainee. Now he should be mid-6th rank? Going all out, he's perhaps a notch below me, but given time he'll definitely surpass me and even have a slim chance at 7th rank. Though his age limits him to peaking there..."