Exploring the Tomb

Tuesday night, White Cliff Town.

This is an ordinary small town on the outskirts of Backlund. Its only distinctive feature is probably the white stone cliff outside the town. The River Stratford flows through this area from the east, but is forced to change course when it hits the white cliff, creating a bend in the river.

The presence of the river bend caused silt to settle, creating fertile fields. However, thanks to the repeal of the Grain Act, many farmers went bankrupt, selling their land at rock-bottom prices and fleeing with their families to Backlund in search of a living. As a result, much of this fertile land has been abandoned and overgrown with weeds.

A crimson Moon hung in the sky, and several figures appeared silently at the bottom of the cliff, on the gentle slope of the river bend.

"Is that shitty cemetery right here?"

The speaker was a woman with a rough voice; she was physically strong, carried a Greatsword on her back, and had a noticeable scar on her face.

"Built against the mountainside, this is indeed the standard for the burial of the Amon Family in the Fourth Epoch."

Beside her, a slightly thin man with glasses spoke rapidly, sounding both excited and nervous, "We can learn from recent articles published in archaeological journals about the exploration of related remains."

"Save all that nonsense for when you get home."

The woman carrying the Greatsword interrupted rudely, "We're about to explore the tomb, so let's talk about something useful, otherwise there's no point in calling you here."

"."

The bespectacled man's expression froze. He glanced at the other person with considerable displeasure but did not utter a rebuttal. It wasn't just out of fear, but also out of a Pride and contemptuous sense of "disdain for communicating with such a person."

"Alright, you two."

A middle-aged gentleman with his hair slicked back chuckled kindly, "Arguing doesn't benefit either of us; let's all get along amicably."

"."

Luther turned his head to look at Sharron, who was floating in mid-air beside him. He didn't speak, but his eyes asked a question:

Is this the reliable teammate you found?

"The hidden entrance to the cemetery is located at the junction of the river bend and the cliff."

Sharron was still wearing a black court dress and a small hat. Her features were exquisite, and her voice was ethereal and dreamlike. She looked as if she had come from some ancient Ancient Castle and had existed as Wraith spirit for countless years.

She didn't respond to Luther, but instead drew the attention of the three men with a few brief words.

She floated ahead, guiding the way, and the others followed, arriving at the river bend.

The River Stratford continued its tireless flow through the night, its waters gurgling. The riverbank was damp, and a chilling cold seeped into everyone's bodies through their clothes. Fortunately, they were all extraordinary beings and were unaffected by this, focusing solely on finding the entrance to the tomb.

Luther lagged a few steps behind, scrutinizing the members of the exploration team.

Needless to say, he and Sharron were both Sequence 5 Beyonders. Furthermore, he could sense similar levels of souls from the middle-aged man and the woman with the Greatsword, indicating that they were likely also Sequence 5 Beyonders.

As for the young man with glasses, his Sequence should be lower, probably around Sequence 6 at most. However, judging from his performance just now, this young man should possess similar knowledge, which can provide theoretical support for the exploration of the cemetery.

Just as they were thinking this, Sharron led them to the tomb.

"Boom--"

The half-hidden rocks were roughly pushed aside by the burly woman with her Greatsword, revealing a black marble staircase leading downwards. Since the town was some distance away, and with the sound of the river, there was little worry about the noise attracting attention.

"This is a tomb from a thousand years ago."

The bespectacled young man, Best, remarked with admiration upon seeing the smooth, even staircase, "It looks like it was just made yesterday."

The others didn't share his sentiments; they simply observed their surroundings cautiously.

There are no traps or dangerous creatures on the stairs.

Sharron, now in Spirit Body Transformation, appeared before everyone. She had already walked back and forth along the stairs once. "At least this part of the path is safe."

The group descended the steps until they reached the bottom of the ground at the end of the staircase.

What came into view were the asymmetrical stone pillars, a hallmark of the Fourth Epoch, and the peculiar patterns on them, as if cut by a knife. Luther had seen similar patterns in that underground ruin.

I'm reminded of that place again; it's so unlucky.

Luther cursed inwardly and strode forward.

Behind the stone pillar lies the tomb's main gate. This dark gray stone gate is enormous and heavy, yet it remains slightly ajar, with a crack wide enough for two adult men to pass side by side.

"What's going on? It's already been opened?"

The woman carrying the Greatsword, Kate, couldn't help but let out a complaint.

"It looks the same as when I found it, so no one should have gone in. Even if someone did go in, they probably haven't come out."

Sharron said calmly.

As if startled by her words, Best, who wore glasses, blinked slightly and swallowed.

"I can't see inside clearly."

The middle-aged gentleman with slicked-back hair walked to the door, raised the lantern in his hand, and tried to shine it inside. The orange light only illuminated a very small area, and where the light reached, there was only the same stone floor as outside.

During our initial introductions, this gentleman identified himself as "Soroa".

The extraordinary individuals chatted amongst themselves, but remained vigilant, and none of them dared to venture inside.

"Get out of the way."

Luther for the middle-aged gentleman Soroa, to Door Opening, and then went over himself.

"Boom!"

Several crimson fireballs formed around him, which he then threw into the tomb one by one, where they landed on the ground and burned steadily.

The antechamber of the tomb was larger than they had imagined, and the flames illuminated only a portion of it. Even so, they could still see many things in the firelight.

With crimson exteriors, deformed limbs, and shapes imbued with Curse, many bizarre creatures moved about in the anteroom. When accidentally illuminated by the flames, they were either terrified or enraged, but they all quickly darted into the end of the light and hid.

"Shapeshifter, red-blooded lizards, Curse straw men, and some other strange creatures I don't recognize."

Best adjusted his glasses and said in a low voice, "Although their overall strength is average, they're all very Distortion individuals. Once you get entangled with them, it'll be difficult to escape."

Everyone fell silent.

Of these Monsters, Luther had only heard of the Red Blood Lizard. It was said that wounds inflicted by such lizards would not heal but would slowly Corrosion until the person melted away and became nourishment for the Monster. It seemed that the other extraordinary creatures were similarly troublesome.

"Let's just wipe them all out in one go."

He thought to himself, then pulled out a knife and slashed his wrist. With a "whoosh," the Blood Fog immediately spread into the tomb.

Thank you to reader Lanshanxue for the 100 reading coins!