The Secret Room

Suddenly, a stifled exclamation came from the depths of the stone wall on the left.

“Here! There seems to be something here!”

The voice came so abruptly, echoing through the empty burial chamber, sounding even more piercing than the group’s previous conversation.

Matthew had been observing the bases of several nearby broken stone statues. Upon hearing the shout, his brow twitched slightly, and he immediately turned to look.

The one who had cried out was Barton.

He was standing before a secluded section of the stone wall, holding a cold-light stone. His expression was a mix of pleasant surprise and slight uncertainty. The spot was originally inconspicuous, located behind a row of half-collapsed stone pillars at the side of the tomb. If one hadn't walked close enough, it would have been impossible to notice anything unusual.

“What is it?” Sutton was the first to turn around, his single eye narrowing slightly.

Barton didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached out to grope along the stone wall for a moment before pressing down firmly on a slightly darker stone brick.

A very faint sound came from inside the wall.

The group’s expressions shifted instantly.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a thin needle pricking everyone's hearts. Having just encountered the golems and traps, they had instinctively become wary of any sudden noises.

“Don’t move!”

Herbert’s voice sank as he immediately shouted a warning.

Barton’s hand froze in mid-air, and the joy on his face receded somewhat. He looked back at Herbert and said somewhat awkwardly, “I just felt like something was off here. I didn't expect it to actually react.”

“Step back a bit,” Herbert ordered.

Barton immediately took two steps back, but his eyes remained glued to the stone wall, clearly unwilling to miss whatever he had discovered.

Matthew followed the others over.

As he got closer, he saw the nature of the spot.

It wasn't a complete stone door, nor was it a secret room entrance in the conventional sense. There was a vertical line on the stone wall that almost blended in with the cracks. It was barely taller than a person and very narrow, looking like some hidden small passage or a niche specifically used for storage. If Barton hadn't pressed the mechanism and caused the edges to loosen slightly, it would have been difficult to notice even if one walked right past it.

Matthew’s gaze fell on that crack, and his heart stirred.

This place...

On the fragmented map in his mind, there seemed to be a similar marker.

Previously, he hadn't known what those tiny symbols represented, thinking they were just decorative lines or hidden drainage grooves within the tomb. Now it seemed those markers weren't meaningless; they represented these types of hidden storage rooms.

At the thought, a faint surge of excitement rose in Matthew’s heart.

However, he showed no outward abnormality. He simply stood quietly to the side like the others, watching Herbert and Sutton step forward to inspect it.

Barton seemed somewhat unwilling to give up, whispering, “I already tried earlier. There’s definitely a reaction inside, but it won’t open. I can’t push it open with force, and injecting Spirit didn’t have much effect either.”

“You injected Spirit?” Sutton glanced at him.

Barton nodded. “Just a little, not too much. I was afraid of triggering some trap.”

“At least you’re not completely stupid,” Sutton said flatly.

Barton’s lip twitched, but he didn't argue.

Herbert reached out, his palm pressed against the stone crack as he closed his eyes to sense it for a moment.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, his expression relaxing slightly.

“It’s not a lethal trap. At least there’s no danger on the surface.”

Hearing this, the tension among the others eased slightly.

Sutton also stepped forward, a flash of interest in his single eye. He didn't act directly but took a long, thin metal needle from his waist, pressing the tip against several nearly invisible small holes at the edge of the stone crack.

Those small holes were hidden very deep. Without careful observation, one would simply think they were pits left behind by time and erosion.

Sutton watched for a while and suddenly laughed.

“So that’s how it is.”

Herbert turned to him. “Did you figure it out?”

“This isn't a simple stone door,” Sutton said slowly. “It should be some kind of small storage room left by the tomb owner. The outer layer uses a Spirit lock, but not entirely. To open it, brute-forcing it with Spirit is useless; instead, it'll easily lock the internal structure tight.”

Barton was stunned. “Then how do we open it?”

Sutton pointed the metal needle at several depressions on the stone wall. “Here, here, and here. There are three Spirit nodes in total. You must first use Spirit to stabilize them, keeping the lock patterns inside at the same frequency, and then toggle the mechanisms in order. If the order is wrong, it won’t open. If the Spirit is unstable, it won’t open either.”

At this point, he glanced at Barton.

“You were just pouring Spirit inside earlier. Of course it didn't work. Luckily you didn't pour too much, otherwise this thing might have locked up completely.”

Barton’s face flushed with embarrassment as he muttered, “How was I supposed to know there was so much to it?”

Matthew stood to the side, listening intently.

He didn't interject.

He didn't know much about this kind of mechanism. If it weren't for Sutton’s analysis, he would have also thought it was just a hidden door that required Spirit to open. But listening to it now, the complexity was clearly far greater than he had imagined.

Spirit nodes, lock pattern frequencies, opening sequences...

These things sounded simple, but actually performing them would likely be a significant test of experience.

Matthew couldn't help but glance at Sutton.

For this one-eyed man to reach his current status among grave robbers, he clearly didn't rely solely on ruthlessness. His understanding of tomb mechanisms was significantly deeper than that of the others.

Herbert pondered for a moment and said, “You give the orders.”

Sutton didn't decline and nodded. “Fine, but I need someone to be responsible for stabilizing the Spirit.”

“I’ll do it,” Herbert said.

Sutton looked at Barton. “Since you found the place, you come over too. Do as I say.”

Barton was startled for a moment, then a trace of joy appeared on his face.

This was the secret room he had discovered, after all. As long as it could be opened, according to their previous contract, he would get a larger share. With that in mind, he immediately stepped forward, his tone becoming more serious.

“Alright, tell me what to do.”

Sutton pointed to the first depression.

“First, press your Spirit in, but don't surge. Like pressing down on the surface of water, keep it flat.”

Herbert didn't speak. He simply extended two fingers and lightly touched the stone wall.

In the next moment, Matthew felt a stable and condensed Spirit fluctuation spread from Herbert, slowly seeping into the stone wall. The fluctuation wasn't sharp, but it carried a heavy sense of pressure, like an invisible hand slowly pressing down on something floating inside the wall.

Sutton sensed it carefully. After a few breaths, he said, “Second spot.”

Herbert’s fingers moved slightly.

Barton also followed Sutton’s instructions, injecting a bit of Spirit into the third node. His Spirit was clearly not as stable as Herbert’s. As soon as it entered, a faint vibration came from within the stone wall.

“Slower!” Sutton barked immediately.

Cold sweat broke out on Barton’s forehead as he hurriedly lowered his Spirit output.

“Don’t rush, don’t use force. You aren't prying a door,” Sutton said coldly. “You’re telling it that the person opening the door knows the rules.”

Those words sent a slight shock through Matthew’s heart.

This seemed like a screening process left by the tomb owner.

If it were ordinary grave robbers who only knew how to use brute force to destroy things, they would likely never be able to open these storage rooms. But if one understood Spirit control and the sequence of the mechanisms, they could open them.

This perhaps wasn't simple theft prevention, but more like a secret method left only for their own kind.

“Alright,” Sutton said suddenly. “Now press the third stone brick on the left. Don't press it all the way, only halfway.”

Barton did as he was told.

A second light sound came from inside the wall.

“That one on the bottom right. Twist it. Don't push, twist.”

Barton gritted his teeth and reached out to twist the edge of the stone brick.

The brick actually turned slightly by half an inch.

The eyes of everyone nearby lit up.

“Last one.” Sutton’s voice dropped lower. “Herbert, pull back your Spirit by thirty percent, but don't break the connection.”

Herbert’s gaze remained unchanged, but his fingers lifted slowly.

The vibration in the stone wall suddenly became steady.

Sutton raised the metal needle and accurately pierced it into an inconspicuous small hole at the very top.

In the next moment, a crisp clack sounded. The entire stone wall seemed to have finally shed some kind of support, slowly sinking inward by an inch.

Immediately after, the narrow crack slid open to both sides.

A heavy, dry scent surged out from within.

Everyone immediately took half a step back.

Herbert raised his hand to signal everyone to stay back, scanning the area with his Spirit first. After confirming there were no new dangers, he nodded slightly.

“You can look now.”

Barton was the first to lean in. As the cold-light stone in his hand illuminated the interior, his breathing quickened instantly.

“Magic stones!”

As soon as those two words were uttered, everyone’s gaze changed.

Standing in the back, Matthew also saw what was inside.

The secret room wasn't large; it couldn't even be considered a real room. It was more like a storage compartment carved into the interior of the stone wall. Several dark grey stone boxes were neatly placed inside. Two of them had already cracked due to age, revealing the crystalline, dim magic stones within.

The quantity wasn't particularly exaggerated.

Most were ordinary magic stones, with a few medium-quality magic stones mixed in. Besides those, there were some bottles of withered and spoiled medicinal powder, as well as a few black stone slabs of unknown use. The only truly valuable things seemed to be those magic stones.

Even so, everyone’s breathing had clearly changed.

Because it wasn't a matter of quantity.

It was the fact that there was actually something here.

Although they had entered the main burial chamber and seen the daunting main sarcophagus, it was precisely because that sarcophagus was so eerie that no one dared to act rashly. The vast burial chamber, the heavy stone statues, the unknown traps, and the omnipresent sense of oppression had kept everyone’s nerves on edge.

They had come looking for benefits.

But before actually seeing those benefits, fear would always outweigh greed.

Now, the opening of this secret room was like a fire being lit in everyone’s hearts.

The light from the magic stones wasn't dazzling, but it was enough to illuminate the desire in their eyes.

“There really are...” someone murmured softly.

“This is just one storage compartment in the side wall, right?” another person couldn't help but say. “Does that mean there might be more than one in this tomb?”

As soon as those words were spoken, the atmosphere became subtle.

Barton’s face was flushed as he couldn't help but laugh. “I said something was off here! Good thing I took a closer look.”

Sutton ignored his gloating and simply looked at Herbert.

Herbert’s gaze swept across the secret room and then toward the main sarcophagus in the distance, which remained eerily quiet.

He fell silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, “The main sarcophagus is not to be touched.”

Everyone, who had been getting a bit restless, immediately quieted down upon hearing this.

Herbert continued, “That thing is too dangerous. At least for now, we don't touch it. You can search other places, but no one is allowed to unauthorizedly destroy large mechanisms, and no one is allowed within three yards of the main sarcophagus.”

Sutton nodded in agreement. “Search for these secret rooms and storage compartments first. Since the tomb owner left such places, it shows they had a habit of storing supplies in scattered locations. The main sarcophagus is the final item; don't touch it unless absolutely necessary.”

“Then these magic stones...” Barton couldn't help but ask.

“Divide them according to the contract,” Herbert said flatly. “The one who finds it, gets it. If two people find it together, divide it based on contribution.”

Hearing this, the smile on Barton’s face widened even further. After all, he was the first to discover this secret room.

Even though his harvest belonged to Lord Sutton, opportunities to show off in front of Lord Sutton were rare.

This opportunity was as if the heavens were favoring him.

The others were somewhat envious, but they had no objections.

The contract had been written clearly: whoever found something would get an extra share. Furthermore, in a place like this, turning against each other over a few magic stones would be truly foolish. Compared to fighting Barton for this one spot, it was clearly more meaningful to continue searching for the next one.

Matthew took in everyone’s expressions, and the excitement in his heart became more and more apparent.

He finally understood what those tiny markers on the map meant.

Secret rooms...

Storage compartments...

There were likely many more similar hidden spaces.

And most importantly, he knew where they were.

Others needed to grope around bit by bit, using cold-light stones to check walls, tapping on stone bricks, and relying on luck.

They would even waste a massive amount of time!

But he was different...

Those locations were already marked in his mind. He just hadn't known their true value before, so he hadn't paid much attention. It was different now. Since it was confirmed that these places could hide magic stones, those markers in his eyes were now equivalent to pockets of unexcavated wealth!!!

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