185. Underground Maze

The cold, dry underground passage was already oppressive, and Lu Ban's words added an extra layer of urgency to the atmosphere.

The one who is most anxious is probably Iron Fist.

He knew very well that if what Lu Ban saw was indeed the Saint's Remains, then it meant that the secrets here might have exceeded his original expectations. Something that could be guarded with the Saint's Remains was truly unimaginable.

"The Saint's Remains here are those of Achilles, who disappeared from people's sight 132 years ago. That is to say, he was active for at least 130 years after his death."

Iron Fist made a point that wasn't just directed at Lu Ban and his group, but also at his own subordinates.

"Achilles possessed immense strength, which even the strongest Wasteland Hunter could not confront head-on. He was proficient in all known weapons, and during his lifetime, his city-state waged hundreds of wars in just a few decades without ever suffering a defeat."

"And what about his city-state now?"

Lu Ban asked out of curiosity.

"After his death, his remains left the city-state, which was subsequently attacked by countless enemies and eventually disappeared from the map."

Iron Fist said awkwardly.

"I see. When they were alive, they made too many enemies. After they died, everyone settled their scores and grievances."

Lu Ban nodded repeatedly.

A nation that sustains itself through war will become the common enemy of the nations it once conquered when its fighting power weakens.

"It can be said that Achilles is almost invincible in close combat, and we should try to avoid fighting him. However, the condition of the Saint's Remains may have changed, so we need to be more cautious."

Iron Fist glanced at Lu Ban.

"Flash, you go first, Echo, you bring up the rear, I'll be second, you two follow me."

He gave the order.

Flash was a young man whose eyes were crystallized, and his jewel-like eyes could emit a bright light that illuminated the passageway.

Echoes seem to emit some kind of sound, and can be used to probe.

"Ultrasound?"

Lu Ban secretly conjured up the [Last Words] in his hand to enhance his hearing, and heard the voice coming from the young man's crystallized mouth and throat.

The broken door bore only illegible characters. Lu Ban glanced at it, but the Silent Land seemed to have no intention of translating it for him, so he had no choice but to give up.

The passageway narrowed, allowing only two people to walk side by side. There seemed to have been paintings on the walls, but they had long since peeled and faded with time.

Holding a crowbar, Lu Ban looked over the shoulder of the person in front of him. He could see the dark road illuminated by flames. Perhaps, hundreds of years ago, the priests of that lost civilization walked on this road, heading towards the deepest part of the altar, where they performed rituals and offered their lives to the gods.

"Wait, this is an altar."

Lu Ban suddenly spoke.

"You don't need to remind me."

The faceless figure behind him replied.

"No, what I mean is, this is an altar, it's used in rituals. These paths are clearly for people to walk on, and it requires blood to activate, meaning this sacrificial ritual should involve offerings."

Lu Ban organized his thoughts.

"Is it possible that these complex tunnels were actually used for sacrificial offerings? These paths weren't decorations or cumbersome features, but rather there to trap something beneath?"

After he finished speaking, Iron Fist paused in surprise.

"That is indeed a possibility."

Iron Fist had some guesses, but he didn't say them aloud.

"So, does activating this tunnel with blood just now signify the start of the ritual?"

Lu Ban spoke out what Iron Fist was thinking.

"You mean, we're all sacrifices?"

When Xiya realized what was happening, the entire tunnel began to shake violently.

"Turn around."

Lu Ban called out, but the path behind them had changed. The original passage back was blocked by a wall, as if the maze had its own will.

Even the rope they used to find their way broke, leaving only a small section on the ground.

"We're trapped."

The echo from the rear produced a muffled, deep voice.

"Don't be nervous."

Lu Ban said something and then extinguished the torch.

"Put out all the fires, don't waste the air."

He wasn't panicked for two reasons: first, he wasn't actually facing any additional danger, and it was far from the worst-case scenario; second, he had seen similar situations in many adventure movies, where some clumsy teammate would trigger a mechanism, causing changes in the tomb or secret realm and sealing off the escape route.

This usually means that if they keep going, they will most likely reach the core of this underground labyrinth.

The group extinguished their torches, leaving only the Flash light, and continued onward.

Xiya used her Detection Spell to check her surroundings from time to time, but found nothing unusual.

Lu Ban thought of the pyramids. He had previously watched a documentary about a group of people exploring the pyramids. At the end of the story, most of these explorers died due to various accidents, adding a lot of mystery to the tombs of the pharaohs.

Thinking about this, Lu Ban suddenly felt that everyone's footsteps were no longer so chaotic.

"Wait a moment."

He said something, turned around, saw Xiya, faceless, and nothing seemed amiss. He turned back and continued forward.

"Wrong."

Lu Ban spoke again, causing Iron Fist to stop as well.

"What happened?"

Iron Fist turned around and saw Lu Ban and Faceless. He was somewhat puzzled.

"Something feels off; it's too quiet."

Lu Ban muttered to himself.

"You should leave now."

Faceless urged Lu Ban from behind, and Lu Ban could only continue forward, following behind Flash.

"Tell me, at what age did you start doing this?"

Lu Ban then struck up a conversation.

"Twelve years old."

Flash replied.

"That's very early, it must be very tiring."

Lu Ban suddenly felt that the surroundings had darkened.

Who are you talking to?

The faceless figure behind him asked.

"Of course I'm talking to you."

Lu Ban answered as a matter of course.

He didn't say anything more, but took two steps forward.

Speaking of which

In the darkness, according to Lu Ban's [True Sight], there was no one else in the dimly lit passageway except for him.

"Is that so?"

Without his knowledge, his teammates had all disappeared, but they were completely unaware.

"Is it the influence of the extraordinary power of this underground city? Or the power of the Saint's Remains?"

Lu Ban remained calm. He picked up a crowbar and tapped on the wall.

Several muffled thuds sounded; the wall seemed to be real.

He then took out the "Last Words," switched to ultrasonic mode, and probed ahead.

"A straight path, about two hundred meters long, diagonally downwards, leading to a room?"

Lu Ban roughly figured out the situation.

Just as he was about to walk forward, he saw the white-robed, black-haired "Saint's Remains" standing in front of him, his eyes, devoid of white, staring straight at him.

*

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