Running her fingers over the patterns carved into the wall beside the stone steps, Helene soon reached a level stretch.
Based on the Underground Mausoleum map she had found in Underground Mausoleum Construction Examples and William had then reconstructed, she knew this was the mausoleum's true entrance. Ahead should be a straight passage sloping downward.
Carrying the lantern, she felt around with her free hand, advancing cautiously like someone truly blind, and soon touched a damp stone wall fitted with corroded lamp holders.
It's exactly like those dark, deep passages I saw in my nightmares. Could I really have visited this mausoleum in my dreams... As she considered this, she found her bearings and crossed the boundary between the cemetery and the actual mausoleum.
At that instant, an icy presence surged toward her like the darkness already enveloping her, surrounding her completely. The chill from deep underground reached its peak, making Helene feel as though her vitality was draining away with it. Only the hand holding the lantern could feel a trace of warmth from its light.
If I hadn't brought the lantern, would this power have swallowed me instantly... Helene struggled to remain calm, thoughts racing through her mind. She felt as though monsters were watching her from every direction.
This gave her the urge to pull off the black cloth covering her eyes and look around to reassure herself, but the fate of one group of "lab rats" after another kept her from acting on it.
Then the "darkness holy emblem" tied to her left wrist released an equally cold yet reassuring presence, dispelling the chill and darkness surrounding her.
"Praise the Evernight Goddess, and praise Miss Angelica, who bestowed this holy emblem upon me..."
Helene murmured, withdrawing the hand that had been touching the wall and pressing