A/N: Everything in italics are Yibo's thoughts.

This cave passage is about two meters wide and three meters high. The walls look like there are smaller sharp-edged rocks. Not much room to maneuver if I want to target the men. Also, this cave passage seems to be infinitely long as well. And I don't know if the other 4 have noticed, but it looks like the passage is going down. Only very slightly, but we are moving down deeper.

If this passage continues like this, it will be hard to kill the men one by one. Since there are so few of us, if there's one less, it's immediately noticeable. And there's nothing here to hide the bodies. Damn! Maybe there'll be a chance when we're asleep. I could offer to stand guard and then get rid of them all at once!

Somehow I have doubts that we are in a cave passage that once belonged to the castle. Even though I don't know much about caves. But I can see how primitive the passages here were created. No lord of the castle would use such a passage if he planned to escape. Besides, we are moving downwards and not upwards!

I also doubt that any of the other four cave passages were used to escape from the castle. After all, if there had ever been escape tunnels in the castle, they would have been found much earlier.

"Sir?" Asked one of the men.

"Yes? What is it?" Replied Mao Wan.

"Do you realize we've been going deeper and deeper all this time? And what is the commander really hoping to find here?" Mhhh, at least one of the four doesn't seem completely ignorant. That's interesting.

"Our task has been clearly explained. If there are survivors, we are to help them. And if we find any artifacts, documents or anything else, we mark them with a tracker. That's all. And yes, I've noticed we're going deeper and deeper."

"Sorry. But I hardly think we're here for a rescue mission or for any ancient relics. These cave passages have nothing to do with the castle. I'm sure of that." The man replied. Mao Wan didn't answer and just shrugged his shoulders.

Mhhh, no answer what? Well, don't worry. I'll figure out what you're trying to hide. Either I'll hear it from you, or I'll find out on my own. After I kill you! I guess I'd better keep an eye on this one man. He doesn't seem like an easy soldier. And he's not shy about pissing off a supervisor's leg.

As they walked silently down the passageway, Yibo noticed the man, who Yibo thought he remembered was called Rin, eyeing the others closely. Yibo wondered if this Rin might also be an assassin? There are not many of them left in this country. But those that do exist usually don't know each other. So he could be an assassin. Or maybe he just has a good intuition.

Apparently Rin had noticed that Yibo was staring at him. Because the latter turned to Yibo and asked in a whisper, "Do you want to know why I doubt our mission?"

"Sure." Replied Yibo.

"First, hikers disappear here. Then armed policemen with their sniffer dogs. Only one dog managed to get back to the exit. But he died because he was badly injured. Who injured him and why? Why didn't the policemen defend themselves with their weapons and flee in case they were attacked? Why didn't they send robots into the cave passages if there was danger here? And why do they think five men per passage would be enough? They know far more than they're admitting!"

"I see. Well, I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right. It annoys me that we're being sent in here without knowing what to expect."

"I suppose we'll know if we find what they're really looking for."

"My friend, I don't think they intend to let us leave here alive."

"So you think whatever we find might be important enough that they want to prevent any of it from ever coming out?"

"Yes. I'm absolutely sure of that. When I got the order to go here, I heard my commander complaining. Because, and this is proof enough for me, they said my position was going to be reassigned because I wasn't coming back."

"So that's how it is. Mhhh. Well, I guess you're right in your guess then." Yibo replied in a whisper. They ended their conversation when Mao Wan turned to them and wanted to know what the two were whispering about.

I have to agree with him. This is more than suspicious! He is ordered here and his place in his unit is immediately filled because they say he is not coming back. His assumption that they will make sure he really doesn't come back is probably correct. Even if he makes it out of here alive, they're certainly not going to let him leave.

So for me, that means I have to find another exit if possible. I'm pretty sure there will be another exit here. The only question is, where is it? Right now, I don't even know where I am or where this cave passage leads. I only feel that we are going deeper and it is getting colder and colder.

That ass Mao Wan doesn't seem the least bit concerned. Too bad I didn't hear what the commander was talking about with the team leaders. It would be helpful to know what their plans are and what they are really looking for. It probably won't be artifacts.

Maybe what they are looking for is, alive? After all, someone killed the hikers and the policemen, including their dogs. Could they be after whatever killed them? What could I be dealing with here? It probably won't be an animal, like a bear.

For the first time, Yibo finds himself in a situation where he has more questions than answers, and is also worried about himself. After all, he is not outside or in a building. But in a so far unknown cave, with partly quite narrow corridors and an unknown possible danger.

It is difficult for him to concentrate on his work if he does not have all the necessary information. Not knowing what might be lurking in the darkness. Not knowing what they are really looking for. Not knowing if there really is a second unguarded exit and he can find it. All of this makes it hard for him to concentrate on his task.

Normally, before Yibo completes a mission, he scouts out everything in detail. To be prepared for every eventuality. But here this had not been possible for him. And so he can only act spontaneously. And since they are all in a cave, or rather a cave passage, he does not have much leeway.

When Yibo was deep in his thoughts, Rin brought him back out of it by tapping him and asking him, "Did you ever wonder why they sent a computer pro in here? I mean, there's not even electricity here. And our cell phones don't work here either."

"Honestly, I haven't thought about it. I don't know who's from what unit." Replied Yibo tiredly. Slowly, the sleepless night was making itself felt on him. Although he is used to it, it still weighs on him at the moment. He suspected it was because of the darkness and the light of the flashlights.

"So I'm kind of a scout you know?"

Yibo interrupted him before he could say anything else. Smirking, he said, "I figured that. Because you seem to be better informed than the rest of us here."

"Mhm, that's my job. So me as a scout. Him as a computer nerd. The guy next to the team leader is an IED operator. The one behind the team leader is a regular soldier. Our team leader is just like you, a sniper."

"How do you know I'm a sniper?"

"I overheard our commander talking to the museum curator. He said to the commander that he knows you and knows that you are an excellent sniper. Because the commander didn't know who you were."

"I see. I was sent at the last minute for a chamberlain who was supposed to come here. Because he got sick." Damn, he's nosy! I really have to watch what I say.

"Ah, I see. That's why the commander didn't know who you were. As far as I know, he chose all the soldiers personally."

"I know." I wonder who should be here instead of me. I guess he's long dead. Anyway. The main thing is that no one finds out who I really am. And Sniper, well, somehow that's true.

"You, I'm still wondering something, though."

"And what?"

"Well, why are you here as a sniper? Even more so, without your gun."

"I have other qualities that qualify me for this job."

"Ah okay." Rin replied thoughtfully. Does he suspect something? Does he perhaps know who I really am? I think I need to get rid of him first. I can't risk him blowing my cover.

I'm going to get rid of that nosy pain in my ass and the others tonight! As soon as they are asleep, I will kill them!