Death's Minions

The hunting team that Rein had infiltrated had not yet reached the ruins area.

Meanwhile, deep in the desert, in the pyramid-filled area outside the capital of the Ancient Monkel Kingdom, a group of people were enthusiastically excavating the ruins.

It was a square temple with statues hundreds of meters tall on all four sides. Each statue was dressed similarly and wore a crown, but their faces were different. They seemed to depict the kings of the ancient Ancient Monkel Kingdom.

The temple has nine dark entrances on each of its four sides leading to the underground.

At this very moment, in front of the obelisk in front of the temple, George Rosas, the young lord of "Black Wind Territory," and a group of core members were watching something.

In the open space not far away, a Red Robe Archmage holding a skull staff was setting up Magic Array, preparing to dispel the curse. This man was none other than Borlag Hogg, the most powerful mage in City of Radiance's "Cursed Domain."

Breaking a curse with a spell is a very complicated process, and everyone was getting a little bored.

The excavation of the ruins has not progressed as well as expected, resulting in significant losses for the Knights of the Rosas Family.

Several high-ranking officials were whispering to each other.

"Thirty-six gates, and we've only explored one passage and already suffered such heavy losses. It's simply impossible for us to fully explore them all on our own in a short time."

"Yes, not to mention the ubiquitous insects, those Kobold Monsters in the maze are too eerie. They can only be killed after sucking human blood. I wonder how many there are in this tomb."

"That is the legendary Hell Creature, Osiris, the henchman of death. Legend has it that it is formed from the condensation of death energy, a pure Elemental Body. Only after consuming the blood of living people will it become a killable flesh and blood body."

"But to kill a monster, one person has to die. Where do we find so many slaves to fill this pit? But if we don't clear out those elusive elemental monsters, we simply can't penetrate this tomb."

"Hehe, who says it has to be slaves? Anyone can go as long as it's not one of our own to die."

"Oh?"

"Not now, but probably tomorrow. His Excellency the Duke has already ordered the recruitment of unaffiliated hunters from the territory. Five teams, a total of over 30,000 people. This blood food should be enough to feed those monsters. Also, haven't those hunters on the outskirts been clamoring to go to the ruins? Tomorrow, let them all go in and help us clear out those monsters."

"."

The green-haired youth and his confidants were still discussing something when, at that moment, the Red Robe Archmage who was performing a shamanistic ritual suddenly shouted.

"Bring me the 'Curse Spirit Blood'!"

"Yes."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than someone grabbed a sharp knife and headed toward the iron cage with the special inscription engraved on it not far away.

Inside the cage, a thin little girl was trembling as she looked at these strangers.

The white-robed mage with the knife roughly pulled out her arm, stabbed her wrist with the knife, and then released a large bowl of scarlet blood.

Before long, the blood was handed to the "curse mage" Borlag and splashed onto the Magic Array he had set up.

Nareta's face turned a sickly pale as she was bled out, her eyes trembling with terror.

What no one noticed was that as she gazed at the temple, a dazed expression appeared on her face; the place seemed vaguely familiar in her memory.

After the bowl of blood was splashed onto the Magic Array, a mysterious reaction seemed to occur, and golden light shone brightly.

The surrounding foul and gloomy energy was instantly dispelled, and everyone present felt a sudden sense of relief from the oppression in their hearts.

Most noticeably, the ghostly figures that used to roam around the temple every night have also vanished completely.

"Call"

Seeing this, the Red Robe Archmage breathed a sigh of relief. He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps explaining something to someone else, saying, "The curse on this temple has finally been broken. Without this 'Curse Spirit Blood,' it would have taken a hundred times more effort to break the curse on the tomb."

Upon hearing this, Young Master George asked curiously, "Archmage Borlag, is this tomb curse really that sinister?"

Borlag nodded and said, "Those 'phantom soldiers' are actually the 'spirit manifestation' of the curse, a high-level curse technique that has been lost. Moreover, this ground temple and the Underground Palace below are only the Tomb Entrance, and the curse is already so strong. Without breaking the curse, venturing into the tomb will surely lead to certain death."

His tone was filled with awe for the ancient super-level powerhouse, and he said with great emotion, "The curse has not dissipated even after so many tens of thousands of years. One can only imagine how brilliant the super-level powerhouse who set up this Underground Palace curse was back then."

"Curse Technique" is far beyond the reach of ordinary Transcendent; it is a very niche Extraordinary Sequence, characterized by its bizarre and powerful methods.

The crowd listened with a sense of awe and wonder, but they all showed expressions of joy.

Everyone understands that those ancient people were definitely not idle when they set up so many elaborate methods on their tombs.

The greater the danger, the more it proves that there must be great treasures in this Underground Palace!

Then, Archmage Borlag glanced at Nareta, who was imprisoned in a runic iron cage not far away, and said, "I didn't expect to encounter such a 'treasure' on this trip. If we really want to be absolutely safe going deep into the tomb, we'll have to bring this little Curse Tribe girl with us."

The following day, several groups of people arrived at the temple one after another.

The "Prince Harper" team, to which Rein belonged, was the last team to arrive, arriving close to dusk.

This sandy site has been transformed into a large archaeological excavation site, with a significant portion of the surrounding ground cleared of sand. The pyramids are now completely exposed, along with obelisks, strangely shaped Dog-headed Man statues, and the ruins of a palace of unknown purpose.

It must be said that although the centralized feudal system was outdated, it had an absolute advantage in the excavation of large-scale ruins.

Ordinary Scavenger Gang, upon encountering such large ruins, would at most dig a small tunnel and become tomb raiders. Only nobles could mobilize so many people and large excavating equipment in such a short time to brute force their way through.

Rein, who was mixed in with the crowd, was also quite surprised when he saw the brightly lit hunting camp in front of him.

The tents stretch out in a continuous line, and preliminary estimates suggest that there are at least fifty to sixty thousand people here.

Upon seeing the magnificent temple, he was taken aback. "There really is a temple?"

However, upon closer inspection, the human-shaped sculptures on the temple did not seem to be the kind of temples specifically for worshipping deities that I had seen before.

Looking again at those dark, gaping cave entrances, Rein had a vague feeling that the temple was like a snarling demon, ready to devour any human who dared to intrude.

Outside the temple, in the open space, piles of ancient artifacts were laid out, mostly gleaming gold objects: gold coffins, gold scepters, gold masks, gold wine cups, gold water jugs, as well as various gemstones and countless coins.

These "trophies" were displayed in the open air, immediately captivating the eyes of all the newcomers to the wilderness.

At this moment, the members of the "Mountain Antelope Squad" around Rein also became excited.

"My God, they actually unearthed so much gold!"

"Haha, I knew it! With so many people involved in the excavation, this site must be huge! I was right!"

"We might strike it rich this time. I just heard them say that this is only a small part of the Underground Palace they've excavated, and they've already found so much treasure. There are still huge areas underground that haven't been explored yet."

"Hehe, if we just find some gold, we'll make a killing on this trip."

"."

It wasn't just the "Mountain Antelope Squad" that was captivated; all the hunters' eyes gleamed at the sight of the mountain of treasure. Their faces flushed, and they couldn't contain their eagerness to enter the ruins immediately.

The ruins were right in front of them, as if the treasures would be within their grasp if they simply dug them up.

Moreover, not far away, Scavenger Gang have already begun entering the ruins!

This made the hunters who were still observing a little anxious, as if they were afraid that if they went in too late, the benefits would be snatched up by others.

Rein wasn't interested in gold artifacts, but he was slightly suspicious when he saw the piles of gold outside the temple and the hunters who were eager to enter.

This feels like a scene from a past life, a large-scale scam, complete with "shills" and "prizes".

But the ruins are real, and the treasures are real too.

This trick really works.

Seeing this, the fatigue of a day's journey vanished instantly for all the hunters. No one complained about needing to rest for the night; instead, they clamored to immediately begin exploring the ruins.

The nobles seemed to be "reasonable" and planned to start the excavation that very night.

Upon receiving this news, the members of the "Mountain Antelope Squad" couldn't wait to get started.

After a brief discussion, everyone agreed to enter the ruins tonight.

Since they were preparing to set off, Captain Bart naturally asked Rein, the only outsider, "Brother Nicholas, we plan to go into the ruins now, what about you?"

After all, this exploration is bound to be fraught with danger. Currently, Sister Pasha is the only medical professional in the group. Having another doctor would greatly increase their chances of survival.

"Sure."

Rein nodded and readily agreed.

He originally came for the temple.

Although it was his first time here, if anyone knew the most about this temple, it would be him.

Because he can read "Monkel Ancient Language"!

Besides the pyramids and temples, obelisks stand everywhere in this ruin.

The material of these Stone Tablet is unknown; they resemble neither gold nor jade. Even though the surrounding pyramids have weathered away considerably, they remain remarkably well-preserved.

The key point is that this thing is covered with clear ancient characters.

These words were just incomprehensible symbols to others, but Rein could read them all.

Each obelisk is inscribed with the major events of a king's life.

After looking at a few pieces, Rein immediately gained a general understanding of the well-preserved timeline of the Ancient Monkel Kingdom.

"The Pallas Temple?"

He looked at the name of the temple on the Stone Tablet and a strange expression appeared on his face.

The surname Pallas is the same as that of Arurete, the 36th ranked among the "Seventy-Two Divine Generals" and known as the "Thunder Nightmare".

Then, looking at the most conspicuous obelisk, the glorious deeds of Pallas the Fifteenth recorded therein were none other than the "Thunder Law" god general, Arurete.

It turns out that the deity was actually a king!

The artifacts brought out by the zombies during the previous siege really did point to this place!

Rein and the rest of the "Mountain Antelope Squad" lined up to enter the ruins.

As he walked and looked around, he matched the sculptures at the temple entrance with their names. From "Pallas I" to "Pallas XVI," the deeds of each king were recorded.

Of course, I also saw the warning on the Stone Tablet: "[The tomb of the Pallas royal family, those who trespass will be cursed to death]".

Rein didn't pay much attention to the warning.

After all, he has an "Mind Core," which will reveal any energy intrusion that affects his body, so he will never be affected inexplicably.

The essence of a curse is the invasion of some special negative Transcendent forces.

Not to mention his own healing abilities, which can resolve most negative Transcendent energies, the various high-level potions he carries, and the exorcising items he got from Elder Kolman, are enough to deal with most curses.

In terms of dealing with curses alone, probably no one present was stronger than him.

Long queues formed at the sixteen entrances of the temple, where noble guards from the Rosas Family were distributing bracelets at the gates.

At each entrance, someone is giving a simple "science popularization introduction".

"The curse has been broken by Archmage Borlag, so everyone can enter the ruins without worry. However, there are still some insects and monsters in the Underground Palace, so the risk is high. We don't force anyone to enter; any hunters willing to enter the ruins can come to me to receive a [Amulet Bracelet]."

"The surface of the Underground Palace contains a very complex maze of passages; please observe the passages carefully."

"After leaving the ruins, all items must be inspected, and our Duke's Mansion has the right of first refusal."

"."

The guard's voice was loud, and he appeared to be acting without any coercion; everything was "voluntary." He even thoughtfully provided everyone with magical bracelets to prevent them from being tainted by the curse.

Furthermore, to reassure the hunters as they entered the ruins, the higher-ups of the Rosas Family each led their own teams to enter the ruins first.

Rein didn't listen to those people's nonsense; she was determined to go anyway.

His gaze roamed through the crowd, naturally spotting the few conspicuous Red Robe Archmage and High-tier Extraordinary. These individuals were mostly prominent figures in City of Radiance, and the system had identified some of them as well.

"One fifth-tier mage, and three Fourth Tier"

Rein silently listed the threats he posed.

The mages' attire made their rank easily identifiable. Similarly, other Transcendent individuals could generally be identified by their equipment.

And thankfully, after scanning the area, he didn't see any top-tier Transcendent like "Grandmaster" Rocky Lefar.

Those guys might be hiding, or they might be in the ruins.

But Rein felt that the most likely scenario was that he wasn't actually there.

Now that they "know" that Bazel and his group might be nearby, those guys probably won't dare to go down into the tomb rashly.

Then, among the group that entered the temple first, Rein saw a familiar face, and his pupils contracted slightly.

"Huh?"

Looking around, the little girl Nareta, a member of the "Curse Tribe," was bound by a Runic Chains and led into a passage in the temple by a white-robed mage.

Rein frowned as he looked at it.

Although he knew that the "Curse Tribe" were tough and wouldn't easily die no matter how much they were tormented, his gaze still turned cold as he saw Nareta being led around like a slave.

And it wasn't just this familiar face; in another group calling themselves the "Sunflower Merchant Guild," Rein also saw another familiar face, also being led by chains.

He looked slightly surprised. "Gannix? He's still alive?"

However, apart from Gannix, Rein did not see Catherine, and did not know whether she was killed or escaped.

Moreover, neither the guild leader Madam Fia the guy who resembled Uhm were seen in the group.

"Why are those guys exploring the ruins with Gannix?"

Rein had just had a question in his mind, but then he suddenly understood.

Although Gannix's Extraordinary Rank was not high, he was a genuine "ancient civilization scholar" with in-depth research on the Monkell Civilization.

"Those guys probably thought he still had some use, which is why they didn't kill him."

With that thought in mind, Rein looked away.

Because at that moment, the guards had already handed him the [Amulet Bracelet].

Rein followed the "Mountain Antelope Squad" into one of the thirty-six doors of the temple.

The underground was pitch black, so the group lit torches and filed in.

After walking along a long, sloping sacred path, you enter a large, unexpected Underground Palace with stairs leading to the underground.

Once inside the temple, Rein was no longer careless.

His gaze carefully swept over every corner of the temple, the system automatically scanning and identifying everything there. There were some faded murals on the walls, but most had oxidized and peeled off, making it impossible to discern what they depicted. Along the sacred path stood strangely shaped stone sculptures of monsters—jackal heads, human bodies...

Once inside the tunnel, freed from the constraints of queuing, the eager hunters rushed down the dark staircase ahead, as if afraid that if they were late, the treasures would be looted by others.

Those who can't keep their composure are mostly inexperienced newcomers.

The more experienced the hunter, the more cautious they are.

Bart, the captain, was a seasoned and experienced hunter. Instead of rushing ahead, he led his team members to carefully explore the area.

In this kind of the Underground Palace, not to mention the hidden passages and mechanisms, we absolutely cannot be careless, especially since we haven't seen any of the insects and "monsters" that the knights warned us about before.

But while he remained calm, the younger members of the team couldn't contain themselves.

After descending the steps, we entered a secluded passageway.

Not long after walking for a while, they saw some broken pottery jars and earthenware pots, a gold-threaded coffin, and even a few coins found lying in the yellow sand, as well as some obvious signs that the objects had been moved.

It's safe to assume that this must have been someone who went there before and already looted the place, taking away all the valuables.

Seeing this, a young member of the group spoke up somewhat anxiously, asking, "Group leader, shouldn't we hurry in? If we keep walking like this, we might not even get a sip of soup."

"Yeah, the good stuff always gets snatched up by the fast ones."

"."

Hearing this, Bart smiled and shook his head, saying, "If the treasures were so easy to obtain, why would those nobles give up such a bargain? Don't worry, judging from the scale of this Underground Palace, the ruins are definitely larger than we expected, and it won't be easy to excavate them all. Although those who go in first might get the first treasures, is that really getting them? The real gain is coming out of these ruins alive."

"But."

Although everyone understood the reasoning, the young members were still a little anxious when they saw their treasures being taken away first.

Seeing this, Bart added, "Didn't you see that none of the large Scavenger Gang are in a hurry? Especially the official Scavenger Gang from the Duke's Mansion, didn't you notice that they came in before us, but now they've fallen behind us?"

"Those guys are waiting for us to go and test the waters."

After a pause, Bart said solemnly, "I brought you here to hunt in the wilderness for riches, and I also want to get you out alive. From now on, everyone must be extremely careful, watch out for traps and unusual noises. We must be wary not only of monsters and insects, but also of our fellow hunters!"

"Yes, Commander."

Everyone responded in unison.

Bart is the only Second Tier Transcendent in the group, and he still holds considerable authority within the "Mountain Antelope Squad".

After his explanation, no one said anything more.

The team members can scold them, but as for the doctor who is the "foreign aid," you have to consider his opinion.

Turning his head, Bart also noticed the study of the tunnel carvings by Rein, and seeing his unhurried demeanor, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He smiled and asked, "Brother Nicholas, you seem quite interested in these sculptures?"

Rein withdrew his gaze and replied with a smile, "Yes. Although I'm a doctor, I've also done some research on the Monkell Civilization. I was looking at what was carved on it."

Bart was slightly surprised. "Oh? You study ancient civilizations? That's great! Can you tell what's carved on this?"

Rein shook his head. "I didn't quite understand it. But after analyzing it, the patterns seem to indicate that there is a monster guarding this tomb. I think we'd better be careful."

He shrugged as he spoke, though he understood the message: "The Emissary of Death, 'Osiris,' guards this tomb. Intruders will pay a bloody price."

Upon hearing this, the members of the "Mountain Leaders Group" remained unconcerned, revealing expressions of "I knew it."

Bart responded politely, "Yes, we should be careful."

Do you understand?

Naturally, no one could possibly understand it.

After all, the Monkell Civilization was a discontinuous civilization, and no one from either of the two great empires could decipher its script.

This site is probably the most complete one ever discovered, and also the one with the most written records.

Some content may be deciphered in the future, but not now.

Moreover, the hunters weren't archaeologists; they cared about the real treasures they could hold, not the content of these murals and inscriptions.

Although they knew long before entering the temple Rein the underground ruins were very large and had a complex layout like a "maze".

But after walking for so long, they were still in the dark and cramped passageway, which was something no one had expected.

Moreover, the further you go, the more branching routes the passage will branch out.

Gradually, there were no more traces of other hunters around them. Several thousand people had entered through one gate, yet they were slowly disappearing from sight, which was very puzzling.

Before entering the Underground Palace, Rein never worried that he would "get lost".

Even in the most complex maze, the Mind Core will automatically record all the paths he has taken. In case of danger, he believes he can return the way he came.

But gradually, he began to sense that something was wrong.

This passageway is strangely long; the system has recorded a walking route that is nearly ten kilometers long. This far exceeds the coverage area of the ruins on the ground.

But they still couldn't see the end, as if the passageway was endless.

Before long, the group arrived at a stone chamber.

Rein finally realized where the unease in his heart came from.

These stone chambers, less than ten square meters in size, were perfectly normal; there was one every hundred meters or so along the passageway. Moreover, the sculptures and inscriptions were all very similar, appearing almost identical.

But in this room, Rein noticed something was wrong.

No, to be precise, the "Mind Core" detected that something was wrong.

They had been to this stone chamber before!

Although to the naked eye, this stone chamber looked no different from the previous one, the "Mind Core" discovered through comparison that this stone chamber was exactly the same as one of the ones they had passed through before!

No two leaves in the world are exactly alike, nor can any two stone chambers be exactly alike.

This can only mean that this stone chamber is the same one they passed through before.

But problems immediately arose.

Even though the group hadn't retraced their steps, why did they end up in a stone chamber they had visited before?

There are still five extra chapters left to repay for last month's monthly pass bonus, and I also need to make up for the daily update of less than 8,000 words. I should be able to repay them normally in the next two days.