The tall, thin scout didn't respond.
He bent down, his body almost hugging the ground, as he slipped into the opening like a long, thin shadow.
Everyone held their breath.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three breaths.
There were no screams from inside the hole.
There was no sound of fighting either.
Only the lowered voice of the tall, thin scout drifted back to them.
“It’s passable!”
“It’s very narrow inside; we can only go through one by one!”
Just as joy began to rise in everyone’s hearts, another loud thud echoed from the central main burial chamber.
“Thud!”
This time, it wasn't the sound of a stone door falling.
It was a sound coming from inside the empty sarcophagus.
It sounded as if something had lightly tapped against the bottom of the sarcophagus.
Everyone’s bodies stiffened simultaneously.
Noel suddenly collapsed to his knees, his hands clutching his head tightly.
“Stop screaming...”
His voice was breaking.
“Stop screaming!”
But the empty sarcophagus paid him no mind.
“Thud.”
A second sound rang out.
The gray light on the ground surged.
In that moment, countless shadows seemed to be forcibly grabbed and yanked violently toward the center.
Although the young crossbowman was unconscious, his body actually began to slide across the floor.
The female axeman reacted quickly, stepping on his clothing with one foot.
“Grab him!”
The old adventurer immediately lunged forward, pinning the young crossbowman’s shoulders down firmly.
The shield-bearing adventurer grabbed Noel.
Noel was pulled almost horizontally, the shadow beneath his feet like a taut black rope connecting him to the central empty sarcophagus.
Sutton’s eyes turned cold, and his dark mana slashed down once more.
But this time, the shadow wasn't cut as easily as before.
The dark mana fell, only causing the shadow to twist violently without completely breaking.
Sutton’s expression finally changed.
“Herbert!”
Herbert gritted his teeth and said, “We can’t delay any longer! Get people inside!”
“Order!” Sutton barked.
“Shield-bearer, take Noel in first! Old man, take the crossbowman, and axeman, follow them!”
The shield-bearing adventurer was stunned.
He hadn't expected Sutton to let them go first.
But he soon understood.
It wasn't that Sutton was being generous.
It was because Noel and the young crossbowman were already in the most danger.
If they continued to stay outside, they would likely be dragged away by the empty sarcophagus, potentially dragging others down with them.
Letting them enter the secret passage first was both a way to move the danger and to prevent the empty sarcophagus from succeeding immediately.
The shield-bearing adventurer didn't think twice, dragging Noel toward the opening.
Noel, however, suddenly stopped in front of the hole.
His body trembled violently, his eyes fixed on the central empty sarcophagus.
“No...”
“I can’t go...”
The shield-bearing adventurer cursed.
“If you want to die, don’t drag me with you!”
After saying that, he raised his hand and punched Noel in the stomach.
Noel let out a muffled groan, his body doubling over.
The shield-bearing adventurer took the opportunity to grab him by the back of the collar and shoved him forcefully into the opening.
The voice of the tall, thin scout came from inside the hole.
“Push him over!”
The shield-bearing adventurer leaned half his body into the hole, pushing Noel inward with all his might.
Noel’s hands were still clutching the edges of the opening, his fingernails making a piercing sound as they scraped against the stone walls.
He cried out, “It’s behind us!”
“It will be angry!”
“It won’t let us leave!”
The veins on the shield-bearing adventurer’s face bulged.
“Then let it be angry!”
With a violent shove, Noel was finally pushed into the hole.
In the next moment, the old adventurer arrived, dragging the young crossbowman.
The young crossbowman remained unconscious, yet a strange smile appeared on his face as he mumbled incoherently, “The exit... the door is open...”
The old adventurer’s face was grim. As he dragged him, he muttered under his breath, “You’d better shut up, or I’ll really leave you here.”
The female axeman stood guard nearby, her axe held horizontally in front of her, ready to hack away any gray light patterns that approached.
Matthew stood to the side of the opening.
His position was very far forward.
As long as the old adventurer sent the young crossbowman inside, it would be his turn next.
But Sutton’s voice rang out at that moment.
“Matthew.”
Matthew’s heart sank slightly.
He turned his head.
Sutton was looking at him.
That single eye held coldness and an undisguised scrutiny.
“You go last.”
Matthew’s fingers tightened slightly.
Last.
Matthew knew exactly what those words meant.
If he went last, it was equivalent to handing his life over to the situation.
Once the empty sarcophagus erupted again, the person left behind would be in the most danger.
And Sutton making him go last wasn't necessarily a simple command.
It could also be suspicion.
Suspicion that he knew something, suspicion that he wanted to flee first.
Thoughts raced through Matthew’s mind, but he didn't show much emotion on his face.
He simply said in a low voice, “I understand.”
Sutton stared at him for a moment.
He seemed to want to see a hint of dissatisfaction or panic on his face.
But Matthew remained very calm.
So calm that it made Sutton even more certain that this young man was not simple.
However, Sutton didn't say anything more.
Because the empty sarcophagus sounded again.
“Thud.”
The third time.
This time, the light in the entire burial chamber dimmed for a moment.
Matthew felt as if his ears were being pressed by something, and the surrounding sounds suddenly became very distant.
A momentary image even appeared before his eyes.
It wasn't the burial chamber.
It was a path.
A path extending out from the hidden passage in the northwest corner.
At the end of the path, there was light.
There was wind.
And there were mountains of magic stones and materials.
He even saw himself standing outside the tomb, a heavy leather pouch hanging from his waist, the short staff in his hand, and that ring with mana fluctuations on his finger.
Safety.
Harvest.
Future.
Everything seemed real.
Matthew’s pupils constricted slightly.
In the next moment, he suddenly bit the tip of his tongue.
The sharp pain brought him back to his senses instantly.
A faint taste of blood spread in his mouth.
The image before him shattered.
He was still standing by the opening.
The central empty sarcophagus was still glowing with gray light.
And his right foot had, at some point, taken half a step forward.
Not toward the hidden passage.
But toward the central empty sarcophagus.
A sudden chill ran through Matthew’s heart.
It had targeted him too.
In that instant, the empty sarcophagus hadn't used fear to influence him.
It hadn't used sound to call him either.
What it showed him was the result he wanted most.
Leaving safely.
Leaving with resources.
Living on successfully.
This was exactly Matthew’s strongest thought at the moment.
And because of that, it was even more dangerous.
If he hadn't been constantly alert for hallucinations, and if his reaction hadn't been fast enough, that half-step might have been followed by a second and a third.
Cold sweat broke out on Matthew’s forehead.
He finally understood why the young crossbowman had slammed into the stone door.
Because at the moment a hallucination appeared, a person truly believed that what they saw was the way to survive.
Herbert suddenly glanced at him.
“You saw it too?”
Matthew didn't deny it.
“I saw a path.”
Herbert’s face darkened.
“Don’t believe it.”
Matthew whispered, “I know.”
Herbert gave him a deep look.
In that moment, it was as if he was getting to know Matthew all over again.
To be able to wake up so quickly from such a hallucination was not easy.
Especially since Matthew’s strength wasn't much greater than the others.
This showed that his alertness and self-control were even better than Herbert had originally anticipated.
But now wasn't the time for such thoughts.
The old adventurer had already shoved the young crossbowman into the opening, and the female axeman followed closely behind.
Outside the opening, only Matthew, Herbert, Sutton, and the old adventurer—who hadn't completely entered yet—remained.
The voice of the tall, thin scout came from inside.
“Hurry! The passage ahead is narrowing!”
Those words caused everyone’s expressions to change.
The passage was narrowing?
Matthew immediately realized that the tomb’s rearrangement had already begun to affect the hidden passage.
Although this path wasn't the main road, it wasn't completely independent.
If they delayed for too long, it would also be sealed off.
The old adventurer gritted his teeth and tried to crawl in, but he was older after all, and his movements weren't as fast as the young people.
Combined with the narrow opening and his many pieces of equipment, he actually got stuck for a moment.
“Dammit!” the old adventurer cursed under his breath.
The female axeman reached out from inside to pull him.
Matthew, who was outside, immediately stepped forward and gave the tool bag hanging from the man’s waist a push inward.
The old adventurer finally managed to scramble inside.
Only three people remained outside the hole.
Matthew.
Herbert.
Sutton.
The gray light from the central empty sarcophagus had completely spread to the northwest corner.
The pile of rubble also began to be stained with a grayish-white layer.
Matthew’s shadow was stretched long once more.
This time, the pull was even stronger than before.
Sutton glanced at the opening, then at Herbert.
“You first.”
Herbert didn't stand on ceremony.
He knew now wasn't the time for polite refusals.
He bent down and crawled into the opening, but before going in, he suddenly looked back at Matthew.
“Keep close.”
Those words were very short.
But Matthew understood.
Herbert wasn't commanding him.
He was warning him.
This hidden passage might not be safe either.
If he fell too far behind, he might be swallowed by the tomb’s changes.
Matthew nodded.
Herbert crawled inside.
Only Matthew and Sutton remained outside the hole.
The gray light drew closer and closer.
The fourth thud from the empty sarcophagus was already faintly brewing in the center of the burial chamber.
Sutton looked at Matthew.
Matthew also looked at Sutton.
In this moment, neither spoke.
Matthew could feel that Sutton was hesitating.
Not hesitating about whether to kill him.
But weighing whether to let him go first.
According to Sutton’s original plan, Matthew should be last.
But now, the pull from the empty sarcophagus was growing stronger, and the passage was narrowing; the risk for the person left behind was too great.
Sutton, of course, wouldn't be willing to bear that risk himself.
But if he let Matthew go in first, he wouldn't feel at ease either.
Because this hidden passage was first discovered by Matthew.
Matthew might know things that others didn't.
In a brief instant, many emotions flashed through Sutton’s eyes.
Suspicion.
Wary respect.
Coldness.
And a trace of reluctance.
Matthew didn't rush him.
He knew that rushing at this time would only make Sutton more alert.
He simply stood there, gripping his short staff, pressing down on his shadow that was being tugged beneath his feet.
Finally, the central empty sarcophagus let out the fourth sound.
“Thud!”
This sound was heavier than any before.
The floor of the main burial chamber shook violently.
A grayish-white line of light suddenly shot out from beneath the central empty sarcophagus, spreading straight toward the northwest corner.
Sutton’s face changed.
“Get in!”
He shoved Matthew hard.
Matthew used that force to dive into the opening without hesitation.
Almost the instant he entered the opening, that grayish-white line of light brushed past the soles of his boots.
A feeling of extreme cold surged up from the bottoms of his feet.
Matthew gritted his teeth, propping himself up against the narrow stone walls with his hands, and crawled forward rapidly.
Behind him, Sutton also immediately scrambled into the hole.
But just as he entered, the gray light outside slammed into the opening.
“Boom!”
The opening shook violently.
A large amount of rubble fell from above.
Matthew heard Sutton’s suppressed groan from behind him.
But he didn't look back.
He couldn't look back.
This hidden passage was too narrow.
It was so narrow that he could only move forward by half-squatting and half-crawling.
The stone walls on both sides were rough and cold, scraping the backs of his hands until they stung.
Ahead, he could only see a faint glimmer left by Herbert.
Behind him were the approaching vibrations and gray light.
Matthew’s breathing began to quicken.
His chest felt tight from the cramped space.
The magic stones in the leather pouch at his waist clattered against each other, making fine clicking sounds.
In a place like this, the heavy harvest had instead become a burden.
But Matthew didn't discard them.
Not a single one.
He gritted his teeth and continued forward.
These were things he had risked his life to get.
As long as he still had a breath left, he wouldn't give them up easily.
Herbert’s voice came from ahead.
“Hurry! This path is shrinking!”
Matthew looked up.
Sure enough, the stone walls on both sides of the hidden passage were slowly squeezing inward.
It wasn't a normal collapse.
It was as if the structure of the entire tomb was re-closing, intending to press this originally hidden interstitial passage back into the stone walls.
The people in front had already crawled quite far.
The female axeman was dragging the young crossbowman, her movements clearly slower.
Noel was being half-dragged and half-tugged by the shield-bearing adventurer; he had almost lost his ability to judge, merely moving forward mechanically.
The tall, thin scout was at the very front scouting the way, constantly calling out directions in a low voice.
The old adventurer was caught in the middle, panting heavily, yet he still didn't stop.
Herbert was not far ahead of Matthew.
Sutton was behind Matthew.
This order made Matthew feel very uncomfortable.
Sutton was behind him.
This meant that if Sutton wanted to do something, it would be difficult for Matthew to notice immediately.
But right now, he had no choice.
Sutton’s voice suddenly came from behind.
“Matthew.”
Matthew didn't stop.
“What?”
Sutton’s voice was very low, echoing in the narrow hidden passage, sounding exceptionally gloomy.
“Did you know there was a path here all along?”
Matthew’s heart tightened.
But his movements didn't falter.
“I only saw that there was a draft.”
“Only saw it?”
“Yes.”
Sutton let out a cold laugh.
The sound of that laughter felt very close in the hidden passage.
“Your luck... truly has been quite good all along.”
Matthew didn't respond to those words.
He knew that Sutton already suspected him.
But suspicion was just suspicion.
As long as there was no evidence, Sutton wouldn't act now.
Furthermore, the thing behind them was still chasing.
This tomb was the greatest enemy.
Just then, a piercing sound of friction came from deep within the hidden passage behind them.
Matthew didn't need to look back to know that the passage behind them had begun to close.
Sutton heard it too.
He didn't ask any more questions.
“Move!”
Everyone quickened their pace.
For a time, the hidden passage was filled only with rapid breathing, the sound of clothing rubbing against stone walls, and the roar of the structure constantly contracting in the distance.
Several bloody scrapes appeared on the backs of Matthew’s hands from the stone walls.
His knees also throbbed with pain from the impacts.
Yet his gaze grew increasingly calm.
The more dangerous it was, the more he couldn't afford to panic.
His consciousness once again sank into the mental map.
The main burial chamber on the map had been almost entirely swallowed by black dots.
The hidden passage they were in was like a thin, weak line, struggling to extend along the edge of the darkness.
The latter half of the line was constantly turning gray and snapping.
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