It wasn't until their figures had completely vanished around the corner of the stairs that the two relaxed slightly. They glanced back at the still-flickering crimson runes and prepared to follow.
“You don't actually think you can escape, do you?”
Just as they were about to step onto the stairs, a sinister, cold voice rang out abruptly in their ears, like a bone-chilling wind.
A prickly sensation ran down their spines, as if they were being targeted by a hidden beast. Their hair stood on end, but when they looked back, the passage was deathly silent and empty.
“Po Kong, you heard that too, right? That voice... it wasn't just my imagination!” Starlight asked in a low voice, scanning their surroundings.
Po Kong shook his head and said slowly, “I heard it. It definitely wasn't an illusion. Someone is definitely watching us.”
As they spoke, several blood-curdling screams suddenly erupted from the stairwell behind them.
“Damn it! Those guys must have run into something!” Starlight looked back anxiously, about to rush up the stairs to find out what was happening.
“Wait! Little Star! It might be a trap!”
Seeing Starlight about to charge up, Po Kong reacted quickly, grabbing his arm and shouting a warning.
“But they're in danger! If we don't help...”
Before Starlight could finish, the stairs leading to the upper floor collapsed before their eyes, completely blocking the way up.
If Po Kong hadn't pulled him back in time, he would have been buried under the rubble.
“Calm down. Think about it. The owner of that voice hasn't shown himself. Doesn't that mean he isn't confident he can take us both down? Maybe his goal is to separate us and pick us off one by one!”
Po Kong’s expression was grim as he stared at the vanished staircase, analyzing the situation calmly.
“But...”
Although Starlight felt he was right, if they didn't help now, those injured adventurers would likely meet a grim end.
“Whether as adventurers or soldiers, one must be prepared to face death at any moment! I feel bad for them, but digging through this rubble right now just isn't realistic!”
Po Kong clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, but his voice betrayed a deep sense of helplessness. This was the harsh reality they had to face.
“Fine, I’ll follow your lead... Let’s keep searching along this corridor. Since the overall layout is circular, there must be more than one exit.” Starlight sighed, accepting the situation.
The two continued forward through the passage, but the journey was eerily quiet. Not only did the voice not return, but they didn't encounter a single living creature.
The only change was the pulsing frequency of the runes on the walls, which seemed to be speeding up. To Starlight, this was not a good sign, and the sense of unease in his heart grew more pronounced.
As they anxiously searched the tomb for another exit, the sound of clashing metal echoed from a distance. Someone was clearly fighting.
“Are there other adventurers ahead?” They looked at each other and spoke in unison.
They quickened their pace and soon found the source of the commotion.
Two massive treants occupied almost the entire corridor, swinging their heavy wooden arms. Facing off against them was a group of people dressed in black robes.
“What’s going on now? Are treants even supposed to be in a cemetery?” Po Kong asked, stunned by the sight.
Starlight narrowed his eyes at the black-robed figures. Dark bolts of energy were raining down from their hands onto the two treants.
Starlight recognized those spells all too well. They were clearly with the same group of black-robed mages who used corrosion magic earlier; they were definitely up to no good.
However, he wasn't sure about the two treants charging the black-robed men. The worst-case scenario was that both sides were enemies. If they intervened rashly, they might end up being attacked by everyone.
However, they soon noticed something strange.
Although the two treants blocking the passage had incredible regenerative abilities, their attacks were quite weak. It was as if they existed solely to stall the black-robed figures.
The black-robed men cast dark spells with strong corrosive properties, blasting branches off the treants with every hit. Yet, those wounds seemed to have lives of their own, healing at a visible speed.
Even the dark energy that should have spread through the wounds vanished without a trace in a flash of green light.
Despite the treants' tenacious vitality, the green light on their bodies began to dim under the relentless, concentrated attacks of over a dozen people, and their recovery slowed.
“Po Kong, get ready to move! We can catch them off guard before they notice us!” Starlight whispered.
Po Kong raised an eyebrow. “Sure, but aren't you afraid those two treants will turn on us next?”
“It's fine. Even if they do attack, I'm confident I can take them down. Besides, look—they're already at the end of their rope.” Starlight shook his head, silently gathering mana as he prepared for the upcoming battle.
Seeing Starlight's confidence, Po Kong hesitated no longer. Raising his sword and shield, he lunged forward.
The black-robed mages, focused entirely on the treants, clearly didn't expect two uninvited guests to strike from behind.
With no defenses to the rear, they were instantly scattered by Po Kong’s charge. Several fell in the first encounter. Only then did they realize they were being pinched from both sides.
Just as they planned to divert some men to deal with Po Kong, they discovered with horror that a layer of thin ice had formed on their legs. The frigid aura made it impossible for them to move properly, as if they were frozen to the spot.
Next, Po Kong went through them one by one with his shield, knocking the black-robed mages unconscious and leaving them coughing up blood.
After easily dealing with the group, Po Kong didn't dare lower his guard. He quickly turned back, warily eyeing the two massive treants.
While casting his spells, Starlight also kept a close eye on the treants. As soon as the black-robed men were incapacitated, he immediately bound their dark green bodies in shackles of ice.
Thanks to the previous drain from the black-robed mages, the massive treants were already showing signs of fatigue; otherwise, given their size, they wouldn't have been so easily restrained by Starlight's magic.
Just as Starlight was pondering his next move, the two frozen treants suddenly lost their strength to resist. They began to wither and disintegrate, soon turning into a pile of broken wood on the floor.
“Not bad, Little Star. Those big guys that these guys couldn't handle for so long were taken out by you with just one spell.” Po Kong breathed a sigh of relief and turned to smile at Starlight.
“I only temporarily restricted their movements; I didn't actually destroy them. If I'm not mistaken, these treants were someone's summons. Their disappearance is just because the summoning time ran out.”
As the caster, Starlight naturally knew the effects of his magic. He shook his head and stepped forward, looking at the scattered wood as he spoke calmly.
Suddenly, Po Kong’s eyes sharpened. He swung his sword arm forward, hurling his longsword like a bolt of lightning.
Starlight felt a cold breeze brush past him. By the time he recovered, the silver longsword had flown right past his body, accurately piercing a black-robed man who had just stood up.
The sword pierced through the man's right hand as he was about to cast a spell, pinning him firmly to the nearby wall.
“Aaaaaah!! Damn it! Those two women actually had reinforcements?! Wasn't everyone else on this floor supposed to be dead?!”
The pierced man screamed in pain, revealing his true face beneath the black robe as he struggled.
Both were shocked upon seeing his face. Wasn't this the merchant who had sold them the fake holy water and map near the entrance?
Rate on N.U.
