Sutton sensed this, and the force in his hand grew heavier.
“Don’t look.”
Noel closed his eyes in pain.
But once his eyes were closed, that voice became even clearer instead.
“Come back.”
“You have already seen it.”
“There is a place for you here.”
Noel’s entire body trembled, his teeth chattering.
He practically squeezed the words out of his throat.
“Lord... it’s still calling me.”
Sutton didn’t offer any comfort.
He only said coldly, “Then hold it in.”
A miserable smile surfaced on Noel’s face.
Hold it in.
It was easier said than done.
If he could hold it in, he certainly wanted to.
But that voice wasn’t a simple temptation.
It wasn’t just telling him there were treasures in the coffin, nor was it using fear to force him over.
It was more like it was changing his perception of that empty coffin bit by bit.
At first, he thought the coffin was terrifying.
Later, he felt the coffin was calling him.
And now, for a brief moment, he actually felt that the inside of that coffin was very quiet.
So quiet it felt like a place where he could hide from all danger.
The moment this thought appeared, Noel was chilled to the bone with fright.
How could he think like that?
How could lying in a coffin be hiding from danger?
Yet that feeling grew stronger and stronger.
It was like an utterly exhausted person seeing a clean, soft bed.
It was like someone who had walked in the darkness for a long time finally seeing a corner that could accommodate them.
That empty coffin wasn’t using fear to drive him away.
It was using a bizarre sense of peace to induce him.
This was far more terrifying than fear.
Noel knew he was being changed.
But he had no way to stop it.
He could only grab Sutton’s sleeve like grabbing the last rope that could keep him anchored in reality.
“Lord...”
Noel’s voice trembled.
“Don’t let me go over there.”
Those words caused Sutton’s eyes to shift slightly.
In an instant, he thought of many things.
Noel hadn’t been following him for just a day or two.
This man wasn’t very brave, and his strength wasn’t great, but his merit lay in being obedient. Many dangerous and tedious tasks were handled by Noel.
Sutton didn’t like him, and he didn’t necessarily trust him, but such a person was very convenient to use.
Normally, Sutton wouldn’t care about Noel’s fear.
But at this moment, with Noel clutching his sleeve and saying “Don’t let me go over there” in a voice that was practically begging, the scene still caused a very brief moment of discomfort in Sutton’s heart.
It wasn’t pity.
It was more like the irritability of being forced to face reality.
If he couldn’t even protect an obedient subordinate like Noel, what would the others think of him?
If he appeared powerless before an empty coffin, how much of the deterrence he had always maintained would remain?
Sutton hated this feeling.
He abruptly shook off Noel’s hand, his voice cold and hard.
“Shut up.”
Noel’s body stiffened.
Sutton stared at him, saying each word deliberately, “If you want to live, hold yourself together. No one can do it for you.”
Noel lowered his head, his fingernails digging deep into his palms.
He didn't speak again.
Herbert glanced at Sutton, a very faint trace of dissatisfaction flashing in his eyes.
But he didn’t speak either.
Because although Sutton’s words were cold, they weren’t necessarily entirely wrong.
There was very little an outsider could do about this kind of spiritual pull.
If Noel couldn’t hold on himself, no matter how others blocked him, something would go wrong sooner or later.
After the group retreated to the edge of the main burial chamber, the gray light in the center had already spread across nearly half of the room.
The runes on the ground that were originally covered by dust were now completely revealed, looking like a complex and massive web firmly supporting the central sarcophagus in the middle.
Herbert stared at that runic web, his expression growing darker and darker.
He was understanding more and more.
But with every bit he understood, the chill in his heart deepened.
This main burial chamber was not an isolated ritual site.
It was only the core.
The surrounding secret rooms, stone platforms, passages, and even some of the mechanisms they had passed along the way were very likely extensions of this ritual.
The magic stones and materials in the secret rooms weren't necessarily just burial goods.
They might also have been the reserve resources used to maintain the ritual back then.
When they opened the secret rooms and took the resources, they might not have simply taken treasures; they were destroying certain nodes that maintained the balance.
When enough nodes were opened, the central sarcophagus would reawaken.
This was the most troublesome part.
Because if this deduction held true, then the current anomaly was not an accident.
They had caused it themselves, step by step.
Herbert’s gaze shifted slightly.
He didn’t voice this judgment immediately.
Because saying it would be meaningless.
Trying to determine who opened how many secret rooms or who took how many resources now would only cause the team to completely fall into chaos.
Furthermore, he had participated in the exploration himself.
No one was entirely innocent.
Seeing that Herbert had been silent for too long, Sutton couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, “What else did you see?”
Herbert turned to look at him.
The two men’s gazes met in the dim light.
Only after a moment did Herbert whisper, “This tomb might not have been accidentally triggered by us.”
Sutton’s brow furrowed.
“What do you mean?”
Herbert glanced at the central sarcophagus, then toward the directions of the secret rooms that had already been explored.
“We opened too many secret rooms.”
Sutton’s expression changed slightly.
Herbert continued, “The resources in those rooms might not have been ordinary burial goods, but sealed objects used to maintain some kind of balance in the main burial chamber. Now that they’ve been taken, the balance is broken, and the central altar has begun to operate again.”
The expressions of several Class holders who heard this immediately shifted.
Someone instinctively reached for the magic stones in their breast pocket.
The movement was small, but it was seen by Matthew.
It wasn’t just that person.
Many people made similar movements.
Because every one of them was carrying things found in the secret rooms.
If what Herbert said was true, then the gains they carried might not just be wealth, but one of the reasons for the empty coffin’s awakening.
A young crossbowman asked in a trembling voice, “Then... if we put the things back, will it be okay?”
No one answered.
Because the question was too naive.
Something that had already been awakened might not necessarily go back to sleep just because you put things back.
Moreover, who would be willing to hand over all the resources they had already obtained now?
Even if they said they were willing, their hearts might feel otherwise.
Greed and fear constantly alternated on everyone’s faces.
Matthew also touched the leather pouch at his waist.
His heart rate accelerated slightly.
If Herbert’s judgment was correct, then his consecutive exploration of three secret rooms and removal of a large number of magic stones and materials might have also accelerated the tomb’s awakening.
This thought caused a moment of unease in his heart.
But soon, he forcibly suppressed it.
Thinking about this now was useless.
The things had already been taken.
The coffin had already been opened.
Instead of regretting it here, it was better to find a way to get out alive.
Matthew was never the type of person to stop because of regret.
He would only turn mistakes into the basis for his next judgment.
He couldn't continue being greedy.
He couldn't continue approaching the central area.
He had to find a way out.
These three thoughts became incomparably clear in his mind.
But just as everyone’s spirits were wavering, a very faint sigh suddenly came from the depths of the burial chamber.
The sound was very soft.
So soft it sounded like air flowing through cracks in the stone.
Yet everyone heard it.
“Sigh...”
This sigh came from the direction of the central sarcophagus.
Everyone in the burial chamber froze instantly.
Noel, in particular, jerked his head up, an indescribable terror appearing on his face.
He heard the most.
After that sigh, the voice in his mind suddenly became gentle.
It was no longer just repeating “Come back.”
Instead, it was like a very tired, very lonely person who had finally received a response in the long darkness.
“It’s been too long.”
“I’ve waited for too long.”
Noel’s gaze began to wander.
His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to respond to something.
Herbert immediately noticed something was wrong.
“Cover his ears!”
Sutton’s reaction was also extremely fast; he grabbed the back of Noel’s neck and pushed him down.
But it was useless.
Noel suddenly began to struggle violently.
His strength was actually much greater than before.
Sutton was caught off guard and nearly let him break free.
“Let me go!”
Noel shouted in a raspy voice.
“It’s waiting for me!”
“It’s waited for a long time!”
“I have to go over there!”
His voice grew increasingly high-pitched, and the mixture of fear and longing on his face made it look extremely distorted.
A cold light flashed in Sutton’s eyes, and he backhanded Noel across the face.
Slap!
The crisp sound echoed in the burial chamber.
Noel’s head was knocked to the side, and a trail of blood immediately seeped from the corner of his mouth.
This strike caused him to regain clarity for a brief moment.
The frenzy in his eyes dissipated, replaced once more by terror.
“Lord...”
He seemed to realize what he had just said, and his entire body shook even more violently.
“I didn’t want to.”
“I really didn’t want to.”
Sutton didn’t speak.
He only held onto him firmly.
Herbert said with a grim expression, “The influence is intensifying.”
This no longer needed explanation.
Everyone could see it.
Just moments ago, Noel was only hearing a call, but now he had already begun to actively want to approach the empty coffin.
And this process was happening too fast.
If they continued to stay here, Noel would completely lose control sooner or later.
Even worse, no one knew when the second Noel would appear.
Suddenly, an adventurer standing at the edge of the group let out a low chuckle.
The laugh was very light.
But it caused several people around him to instantly turn to look at him.
That adventurer had a dazed smile on his face, his eyes staring straight at the central sarcophagus.
He was originally one of Sutton’s men responsible for hauling and clearing paths; he wasn't tall, he had ropes and a short sword hanging from his waist, and a bulging leather bag on his back.
Previously, while searching the secret rooms, he had been very quiet, barely saying a word.
But now, he seemed to have suddenly seen something others couldn't see.
“Can’t you see it?”
He murmured.
The shield-bearing adventurer’s expression changed.
“See what?”
The adventurer’s smile became even more pronounced.
“There’s something inside.”
“So many magic stones.”
“And scrolls.”
“An Official Wizard’s legacy...”
“It’s right inside.”
As he spoke, he actually lifted his foot to walk toward the central sarcophagus.
The person next to him immediately grabbed him.
“You’re crazy! It’s empty inside!”
But that adventurer suddenly turned his head, his eyes filled with a kind of resentment at being disturbed.
“Let go of me.”
The person holding him was startled by that look, and the force in his hands involuntarily loosened slightly.
The adventurer immediately charged forward.
“Let go of me!”
“That’s mine!”
“I saw it first!”
Chaos erupted instantly.
Two Class holders stepped forward to try and stop him, but that adventurer seemed completely consumed by some kind of greed; he actually swung his short sword frantically, nearly slashing someone’s face.
Sutton roared, “Pin him down!”
Only then did several adventurers react, teaming up to tackle the man to the ground.
The man was pressed against the floor, his face against the cold stone, yet he still struggled desperately, his fingers clawing toward the central sarcophagus as he shouted repeatedly:
“Mine!”
“That’s mine!”
“Don’t take it!”
“Don’t you dare take it!”
Looking at the man’s state, Matthew’s heart turned completely cold.
The empty coffin wasn’t just calling Noel.
It would show people different things based on the desires in their hearts.
What Noel saw was a place of belonging.
What this adventurer, influenced by greed, saw were magic stones and a legacy.
What about the others?
Would someone see what they feared most?
Would someone hear the voices of their loved ones?
Would someone see an escape route?
Matthew suddenly realized that the greatest danger next might not be the empty coffin attacking them directly.
It was that they could no longer trust what they saw.
In a tomb, if one couldn’t even trust their eyes and ears, they had essentially lost their most basic ability to judge.
Sutton understood this as well.
His expression was terrifyingly grim.
“Everyone, close your eyes!”
He barked sharply.
“Don’t look at the coffin!”
Herbert immediately added, “And don’t believe the voices you hear! It will use what’s in your hearts!”
But this warning came a bit too late.
Once fear spread, it wasn't something a simple sentence could suppress.
Some people closed their eyes but became even more afraid.
Because after closing their eyes, the voices they heard became clearer.
Some didn't dare close their eyes because they worried that the moment they did, the person next to them would suddenly pounce on them.
The order in the burial chamber was teetering on the brink of collapse.
And that central empty coffin remained quietly open.
It didn't move.
Nor did it make any louder sound.
But everyone could feel that it was “waking up” bit by bit.
It wasn't a lifeless thing.
At least now, it was no longer just a lifeless thing.
Matthew’s palms were completely covered in sweat.
He quietly retreated half a step, letting his body fully recede into the shadow of the stone pillar.
He couldn't wait any longer.
If they continued to wait, the entire team would completely collapse sooner or later.
But leaving directly now also carried risks.
Because Sutton was still observing the situation.
Herbert was also still clear-headed.
If he left alone before everyone else fell into chaos, it would be easy to be discovered.
He had to wait.
Wait for a greater chaos.
Wait until everyone’s attention was completely drawn by the empty coffin.
Wait for the true escape route to appear.
Just then, a dull boom came from the edge of the main burial chamber.
Boom...
The sound came from far away, yet it vibrated all the way through the stone walls to the feet of the group.
Immediately after, there was a second sound.
And a third.
Like heavy stone doors falling one after another in the depths of the tomb.
Herbert’s expression shifted drastically.
He suddenly looked toward the main passage.
Sutton also realized something, the cold light in his single eye flaring up.
“The passage!”
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