Death Crisis

Litter layer, humus layer, illuvial layer, calcic layer, ash layer...

Richard passed through layer after layer of soil, sinking about a meter before entering the rock.

The effortless sensation of swimming through water vanished, replaced by the sticky feeling of moving through glue. There was more resistance and discomfort, but he could still move freely.

Steadying himself, he traced the source of a mental fluctuation within the mountain and continued sinking. As he did, Richard tried to find any possible cracks or passages. After all, only by finding a crack or passage could he later bring his physical body in from outside. But after searching for quite some time, he found nothing. Instead, the fluctuations from the mental source grew stronger and stronger.

After sinking several dozen more meters, the sensation of moving through glue suddenly disappeared. His consciousness form abruptly felt lighter, and a space within the mountain appeared before him.

The space was not large, only about the size of two rooms, but it was square and orderly, with obvious signs of artificial construction.

That was strange.

"There's no passage connecting it to the outside, yet there's an interior space. How was this built? Did they build a secret chamber first, then pile a mountain over it? Or did they use some kind of spell?" Richard thought as he looked ahead.

At the very center of the space stood a two-tiered altar. A Crystal Skull rested atop it, clear and translucent, lifelike in every detail.

At the sight of the Crystal Skull, Richard's heart stirred, and he could not help recalling some related legends from Modern Earth.

According to legend, there had once been twelve Crystal Skulls on Modern Earth. They could speak and sing. These Crystal Skulls contained knowledge about humanity's origins and death, and could help mankind unravel the mystery of life in the universe. Before the end of the world, humanity had to gather all twelve Crystal Skulls; otherwise, when the 5,126-year calendar cycle ended, the world would be destroyed.

Another legend claimed there were fifty-two Crystal Skulls scattered throughout the world. Twelve of them had movable jaws and were called "singing skulls." They stored vast amounts of knowledge and were gifts from a mysterious civilization. The other forty had immovable jaws and were called "speaking skulls." They contained no knowledge, but could use their power to help humans improve certain abilities, such as strength, endurance, agility, and intelligence, turning them into guardians who would help spread the knowledge within the "speaking skulls."

There was also a legend that the Crystal Skulls were offerings made by the Aztecs, the indigenous people of Mexico, to worship the sun.

Yet another legend said the Crystal Skulls were sacred relics of the Maya, and that gathering them all could summon the powerful Feathered Serpent God.

In short, there were all kinds of legends. The Crystal Skulls in those tales were said to be half the size of a normal human head, but the one before him was even smaller, less than a quarter that size. It could easily fit in one hand.

At that moment, the seemingly miniature yet actually dangerous Crystal Skull continuously released waves of mental fluctuations into the outside world. Richard cautiously approached, attempting to study it.

Five meters, four meters, three meters...

Suddenly! As he neared the altar and reached a point three meters from the Crystal Skull, it began shaking violently, as if it had sensed some threat. A far more powerful mental fluctuation erupted, part of it charging straight at Richard's consciousness form.

This! Startled, Richard used his own Mental Strength to block it while rapidly retreating.

But in the next moment, something strange happened. Richard discovered that his consciousness form seemed to be bound by some force, making him unable to retreat. Under the effect of an invisible power, his consciousness form was continuously pulled closer to the Crystal Skull atop the altar.

Three meters, two and a half meters, two meters! Increasingly powerful mental fluctuations battered him, trying to erode his consciousness. Richard resisted with all his strength. After a while, he realized this could not continue. With a thought, he tried to use the transparent strip behind his neck to return to his body, but the method that had never failed him was suppressed at this moment.

Richard could clearly feel a tremendous force coming from the transparent strip behind his neck, trying to pull his consciousness form backward. But the Crystal Skull also released an even stronger force, continuing to drag him toward the top of the altar.

The two completely opposing forces were like opponents in a tug-of-war, fighting over the consciousness form in the middle. Waves of pain, as if he were being torn apart, spread through him.

This won't do! Richard thought. In the next moment, he deliberately weakened the transparent strip's force, allowing his entire consciousness form to slide toward the top of the altar.

Two meters, one and a half meters, one meter! The eroding mental fluctuations grew stronger. Richard could feel bloodthirsty, furious thoughts constantly trying to take control of him, but at the same time, the pulling force eased slightly.

Now!

Richard concentrated his Mental Strength and controlled the transparent strip with all his power, pulling backward. His consciousness became nothing but a single thought: return to the body, return to the body, return to the body!

Whoosh! An unprecedentedly powerful force descended, enveloping his consciousness form.

At that moment, the Crystal Skull seemed to be enraged and unleashed an overwhelmingly powerful mental fluctuation.

Bang!

In the next instant, the Crystal Skull's mental fluctuation slammed viciously into the surface of the consciousness form. It was blocked by the powerful force that had descended, then violently rebounded.

With a crack, a tiny fissure appeared on the flawless surface of the Crystal Skull. Ghostly wails and howls came from within, and the entire altar began to tremble, showing signs of splitting apart. The binding force on his consciousness form vanished instantly.

The transparent strip behind him finally took effect. His consciousness form was violently pulled out of the mountain, and then Richard felt as though he had fallen into a wormhole. One second, he was still in midair outside the mountain; the next, he had crossed space and time, instantly appearing in a room within the ancient castle before crashing back into his body.

The change came so quickly that he had almost no time to react. At the instant he returned to his body, his consciousness form still retained its extreme speed before abruptly stopping. A force similar to inertia erupted. Richard, who had been sitting cross-legged on the wooden bed, had barely opened his eyes when his whole body fell uncontrollably toward the floor.

Bang!

He hit the ground hard, pain spreading through him. Only then did Richard realize just how terrible his situation was.

His consciousness form had merely explored the mountain, yet his physical body now seemed to have suffered a fatal injury. Blood flowed uncontrollably from his nose and mouth. His entire body felt as though it had been torn apart, with no part of him free from pain.

Of course, that was not the most important thing. The most important thing was his heart. Even while he was at rest, it was beating uncontrollably fast, his heart rate nearing two hundred.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!

At that moment, Richard could clearly feel a tightness in his chest, swelling in his neck, darkness creeping across his vision, followed by dizziness. His body was too weak for him to stand at all. If this continued, he would very likely lose consciousness and die.

This!