Boonie Bears: Another World Fantasy

"Oh my god—"

Su Luo gasped in surprise, the beam of her flashlight flickering in the darkness as if it might go out at any moment. Her eyes widened as she nervously looked around.

The scene before her eyes shocked her. The place had changed drastically since she arrived. The once bustling mine shaft was now deathly silent, the empty tunnels echoing only with her own breathing and footsteps. The massive steel frames that had once supported the mine had collapsed, scattered haphazardly on the ground like the skeletons of dead beasts, exuding a suffocating stench of decay, utterly devoid of life.

A chill ran down her spine, and she took a cautious step forward. The ground beneath her feet no longer seemed solid and reliable; with each step, she could feel a slight tremor, as if the entire mining area was about to collapse. Fear and uncertainty enveloped everyone present.

"Ah!" Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed past like lightning, causing the unsuspecting Su Luo to cry out in surprise. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed Salta's arm tightly beside her.

Seeing Su Luo's terrified expression, Salta's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, as if he had anticipated this reaction. He spoke in a strange, mocking tone, "What, scared?"

Su Luo's face flushed red instantly when she was exposed, but she still tried to remain calm and retorted, "Nonsense! I'm just feeling a little unwell..." However, her voice was visibly trembling.

Salta could easily see through Sulo's bravado, so he deliberately provocatively pressed, "Oh? So now you want to back out and go back?"

“No need!” Su Luo suddenly raised her voice, trying to make it sound more resolute. At the same time, she quickly released her grip on Salta’s arm, as if to prove that she was not dependent on him.

He shook his head slightly, seemingly finding the situation somewhat comical, but he didn't linger. Instead, he quickened his pace and followed closely behind his teammate who was leading the way.

The group walked past the dilapidated, unattended drilling rig and continued onward until they finally arrived at the enormous crater. Preliminary measurements indicated that the crater was over 300 meters in diameter, resembling a gaping, menacing maw of the earth, its depths unfathomable.

The deep cave entrance stretched straight down, its end invisible at first glance. A few faint rays of moonlight shone through the holes in the dome, casting shadows on the cave walls and adding to the sense of mystery. Standing before such a colossal structure, they felt awe and a profound sense of their own insignificance.

Salta slowly approached the edge of the large hole, a chilling wind blowing up and stinging his cheeks like a knife. "There's definitely something unusual that went down there," he said to the soldier beside him.

At this moment, a young man responsible for clearing obstacles muttered, "Even if you paid me more money, I would never work in a place like this, even if you killed me." As he spoke, he was intently operating a drone that was detecting signs of life, carefully searching for possible survivors in the ruins.

"Should we go down?" Su Luo asked.

The words Wei had once spoken to her fueled her growing curiosity about the ancient deer-tribe ruins hidden beneath the ice. These ruins seemed to hold endless secrets, silently awaiting the day they would be revealed to the world.

Salta shook his head and replied, "No need. Our task is merely to search for any remaining people. Besides, with our current capabilities, we simply cannot descend that deep." With that, he bent down, picked up a stone about the size of his palm, and threw it forcefully towards the cave entrance. The stone traced an arc in the air before disappearing into the darkness.

Sulo stared at the cave entrance. She knew Salta was right, but after so many strange events, it was hard not to be suspicious of Wei's ultimate purpose.

Just as Sulo was lost in thought, Salta stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder, signaling her to leave.

"We've searched everywhere, but there's no one here. It's unbelievable." Not far away, the second team, who had just finished scouting the situation on the other side of the tunnel, appeared at the entrance of the mine tunnel on time.

Have you made contact with the search and rescue teams ahead?

"No, Captain, there's nothing there, it's like they vanished into thin air." The communications officer's words undoubtedly added insult to injury, and an inexplicable sense of tension spread among the group.

Salta looked around with a serious expression. He knew that something unexpected had happened here, and it was no place to stay for long. So, without hesitation, he gave the order: "Let's end the mission here. We can't stay here any longer. Let's get out of here."

A chill ran through everyone as they realized the gravity of the situation. The remaining troops at the rear were too weak to hold off the ferocious monster for long. The search and rescue mission had to be abruptly ended.

"Doctor, we have to go." Noticing that Su Luo was still standing there, Xiao Luo carefully reminded him.

She looked away from the pile of parts in the corner, rubbed her eyes, wondering if she had just seen things wrong.

Suddenly, an extremely faint silver light flashed by, like a thin silver thread winding and twisting in the air. In the blink of an eye, the silver light disappeared, vanishing in a flash under the beam of the flashlight.

......

Inside the solemn and majestic temple, Naya keenly sensed an unusual aura rapidly approaching, an aura that was swift and chaotic. However, Naya didn't take it seriously; perhaps it was just a lost snow animal. Just as she was about to resume her search of the hall, the thin, seemingly frail stranger reappeared beneath a massive stone gate.

This time, the woman didn't disappear as quickly as before, but stood there quietly for a long time. Naya finally realized that something was wrong and began to pay attention to the mysterious woman's every move. Time passed by, but the woman remained motionless, as steadfast as a statue.

Suddenly, without warning, the woman dashed forward and disappeared around a bend in the road. It seemed as if she was deliberately guiding Naya.

She followed the mysterious man closely once again, and this time they arrived at a long and quiet corridor. The corridor was exceptionally spacious, with armor of various sizes and colors neatly arranged on both sides, resembling a huge armory.

Naya's eyes were sharp and keen; with just a glance, she immediately recognized that these suits of armor were custom-made for those brave and fearless expeditionary cavalrymen. Their ingenious design and exquisite craftsmanship clearly aimed to help warriors survive and fight in extremely harsh environments.

However, among the many exquisite suits of armor, one piece particularly caught her attention. It was a lightweight yet sturdy suit of armor, its overall appearance a deep, dark gold hue, radiating a mysterious and alluring glow. A delicate relief was inlaid on its chest—the familiar inverted triangle symbol. Its red hue against the matte metal complemented the metal perfectly; the lower body was paired with a shimmering silver skirt armor, making the entire look both elegant and powerful. Furthermore, this armor featured sturdy and durable forearm guards, as well as metal gaiters and leg armor to protect the legs, conjuring images of the wearer's dashing figure charging across the battlefield.

Naya gazed at the magnificent armor before her, a powerful longing welling up within her, as if the armor itself were beckoning her. This feeling was so real that she couldn't help but reach out, wanting to touch its cold, smooth surface…

“Maviya—”

Suddenly, like a thunderclap ripped across the sky, a deep and gentle voice rang in Naya's ear. This murmur seemed to possess some kind of mysterious magic, causing Naya to involuntarily take several steps back.

After calming down a bit, Naya looked closely and realized that the stranger standing in front of her was actually the woman who had been leading her forward! At this moment, the woman was looking at Naya with a loving and caring gaze, a faint smile on her lips.

Faced with such a strange yet familiar face, Naya felt an indescribable surge of emotion. It was a feeling of being surrounded by warmth and being cared for, like finding a roaring campfire on a cold winter night, bringing a sense of peace and security.

“This is the armor of Mavia, the first generation of the Deer Clan Templar Knights.” She gazed at it and smiled sadly. “My God, I never thought I would see this day.”

"Who are you?" Naya stared at the person who seemed to know her very well.

“When you were seven, you were forced to leave us, Naya.” A thousand threads of guilt flickered in the woman’s eyes. “I am your mother… Nayuan.”

Mother?

Is she really Mom?

Naya stared wide-eyed at the woman before her, her face filled with disbelief, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Because her childhood memories were fragmented and blurred, Naya had almost forgotten what her birth mother looked like. However, at this moment, when she saw this person with whom she shared blood ties, the emotions buried deep within her surged up like a tide, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

At this moment, her mother stood quietly, gazing at Naya with gentle and kind eyes. Time seemed to have left few marks on her face; instead, it had added a touch of maturity and grace. Naya looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face before her, a thousand words swirling in her mind, yet she didn't know where to begin…

“I have so many questions to ask you…” Naya murmured to herself, her eyes gleaming with endless doubt and longing. She stumbled forward, as if she had lost her balance. A surge of longing for her mother overwhelmed her, making it impossible to suppress the urge to be close. Naya opened her arms, trying to embrace the familiar yet unfamiliar figure before her—she wanted to feel her mother's warm embrace, to hear her recount the mysteries that had long troubled her; she wanted to tell her about the grievances, the pain, and the deep confusion she had endured.

However, the instant Naya's arms touched her mother's body, a strange force suddenly surged forth. To her horror, she discovered that her hands passed right through her mother's body without any resistance, as if they had never existed.

Naya's eyes widened, her initial joy instantly swallowed up by despair.

So, her mother didn't survive that war, she thought. I'm still all alone.

Nayuan watched everything silently, knowing full well the extent of the blow her daughter was suffering. But despite this, she still decided to tell Naya the cruel truth: "Naya, I am her shadow, her consciousness, or rather... her obsession as a mother."

Naya stood there, stunned, her mother's words echoing in her ears, as if her soul had been ripped out. This news had completely shattered her last hope and sustenance.

“This temple still bears the incantation cast by the previous High Priest, Saint Hilderfeh. Its power is enough to construct an illusory realm that draws people in, guiding anyone who steps into this place to see the person they yearn to see deep within their heart,” Na Yuan said calmly. “And that is why you have met me here, Naya.”

Naya's voice trembled slightly: "So, you're just my illusion..." As she spoke, a shadow swept by, obscuring half of Naya's face, which made her look even more dejected.

"Mom, please tell me, why did you send me to that forest?" Naya asked anxiously. She didn't know where to begin. "I've forgotten so many things... and my sister, what happened to her?"

"Don't worry, Naya, I'll tell you everything." Her mother's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, becoming the last bit of warmth to soothe Naya's wounded heart.

A massive, blood-red sun suddenly appeared in her field of vision, like a giant eye that sees through everything, silently gazing upon all things in the world.

A majestic stag, clad in leather armor, strode gracefully alongside her in the golden twilight bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun. In the distance, valiant cavalrymen from various tribes stood in neat, imposing formations, silently awaiting the impending brutal civil war.

At the summit of a towering, precipitous cliff, a magnificent domed fortress stands majestically, like a guardian of this land. Above, countless stars connect to form a shimmering Milky Way, illuminating the entire sky.

Naya knew that this was the eve of the war between heaven and earth.