Sacrifice

Did I see it wrong?

Using this ability for the first time, Lynch was somewhat unconfident, so he reactivated it.

His vision returned to that eerie state, and he once again saw the scene of the six blurry figures slamming themselves to death against the cliff face.

Due to the limitations of his ability, this scene could not have occurred more than twenty-four hours ago. Judging by the layout of the camp, it had probably happened only ten or so minutes prior.

But...

Deactivating the ability once more, the bare cliff face still stood empty before him.

Lynch raised his lantern and looked around. Behind him was the woods they had just passed through, and beneath his feet lay a patch of bare ground. The cliff face in front of him rose vertically at a ninety-degree angle, reaching a height of a hundred meters, as smooth and flat as a wall.

“What is it, beautiful lady?”

Karl Jones caught up, stopping five or six paces behind Lynch. He looked left and right as he asked.

“I can see deaths. Six people...” Lynch briefly described the vision he had seen. “Theoretically, they should have all slammed themselves to death right here. But as you can see, there isn't a single trace...”

“You must have made a mistake,” the fraud Salin muttered half-heartedly. But he didn't even pay attention to his own nonsense. He picked up a stone and threw it against the cliff, watching it bounce off and vanish into the darkness. He muttered, “Were the corpses dragged away by wild beasts?”

“There's definitely a chance of wild beasts in these mountains, but... it couldn't have been beasts,” the bearded Jack's gruff voice sounded from behind him.

“Why?”

“You'll find out if you try slamming yourself to death,” the antique hunter grumbled, scratching his beard in irritation and sounding somewhat uneasy. “There might be beasts that carry off corpses, but no beast in the world could lick blood and brain matter completely clean.”

That was true.

Reminded of this, Lynch realized that if what he had just seen had truly happened, there should have been a significant amount of blood, shredded flesh, and bodily fluids left on the cliff face. Yet, the cliff face was dry and clean, without a single trace.

Had I really seen it wrong?

“It's not an illusion.”

The grave robber Karl interrupted Lynch's self-doubt. By this time, he had already retreated back into the woods, kneeling on one knee with his fingers dug into the soil. He closed his eyes, listening to something, before suddenly rising. After lingering briefly at several spots nearby, he walked out of the woods along a straight path.

“The beautiful lady is right. Someone indeed collided with and trampled the plants here not long ago. I heard the complaints of my little darlings.”

Karl reflexively rubbed the hilt of his sword, licking his lips as he said in a deep voice:

“Someone did indeed run through here in a panic, and then...”

He did not continue, merely turning his gaze toward the pristine cliff face.

The corpses, the blood, the shredded flesh—all of it was gone, as if... this cliff face had swallowed them whole.

Lynch wanted to get a closer look, but the bizarre implication sent a shiver down his spine. The cliff face before him suddenly seemed sinister. He retracted the foot he had already stepped forward with, taking a few steps back instead.

With a soft clack, the refined Mr. Rooney walked past Lynch, cradling an ancient book. Under Lynch's admiring gaze, he walked straight up to the cliff face, inspected it closely, and then raised his hand to touch the rock wall.

Holy crap, are you professionals all this brave?

Lynch was startled by the sight. Without even considering breaking his cover, he blurted out, “Wait.”

Rooney stopped mid-motion and turned to look at him with a puzzled expression. “What's wrong? Haven't you already tested it to ensure it's safe? According to your description, the one who didn't die instantly crawled around for a bit, so blood should have splattered everywhere. But since there's none now, it means if there's a problem with the rock wall, the surrounding ground must also be problematic. Weren't you testing that just now by staying right on the edge of the theoretical blood-splatter zone?”

???

Did I think that much? How come I didn't even know? People in this world really are experts at overthinking things.

Lynch maintained a calm expression and said smoothly, “I just feel that this level of visibility is not suitable for the test you want to perform. Besides, I have other concerns.”

“No wonder our employer, Mr. Howard, specifically told us there was no need to worry about your safety. You know how to look after yourself better than any of us. I thought he was exaggerating, but it turns out you really do consider everything,” Rooney said approvingly. “True, effects caused by abilities like illusions or concealment can't be accurately distinguished through a simple test like that. There's still a risk. Besides, without being able to observe the target's overall environment under bright conditions, checking just a single corner doesn't mean much. Your concerns are very reasonable. It seems you truly are exceptionally capable.”

Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.

Lynch sighed, watching Rooney heed his advice and stop using his hands. Instead, Rooney picked up a branch and tapped on various parts of the cliff.

But every strike returned a solid, physical sensation. This was indeed a real rock wall.

That was strange. Could the victims really have vanished into thin air?

“I suspect this is similar to those bizarre disappearance cases from before,” Karl Jones muttered, scratching his head and swinging his lantern as he looked around. “It's likely due to the influence of the mysterious filth radiating from the ancient tomb, or they simply triggered the tomb's defense mechanisms.”

“Then we...” bearded Jack pressed.

“They triggered it, which has nothing to do with us. That's why they're dead and we're fine,” Karl explained. “Since we don't know what they did, it's hard to say for sure if they died from the tomb's influence, but the probability is very high.”

“How about we check the entrance to the ancient tomb first?” Rooney pondered. “Maybe we can find some clues.”

“The entrance...” Karl showed a troubled expression, turning his gaze toward Dr. Jenna.

“Actually, little Karl and I aren't sure of the exact location of the entrance either. Walker intentionally hid it from us when he brought us to survey the camp,” Dr. Jenna sighed. “Later, Howard said that the entrance's location is difficult to describe. As long as everything goes according to the established plan, we will naturally know where it is tomorrow morning. Before then, they can't let us see the entrance ahead of time.”

For a moment, this unreasonable condition plunged all seven of them into silence. Aside from Judy, everyone else had somewhat subtle expressions.

Even Lynch had realized that this was practically giving away the answer. The six people who had suddenly died without leaving a trace behind were likely the sacrifices to open the door. It was just that Howard, unable to fully trust the attitudes of those six, had acted before everyone arrived to prevent any complications.

“Should we withdraw the ordinary people first?” The first to suggest this was the crude Jack. The bearded man said solemnly, “They are just ordinary people, after all. We have our authorities to protect ourselves and strong enough wills, but they don't. It's very easy for something to go wrong.”

“No. In theory, whatever was bound to happen has already happened. Withdrawing now won't change what has already occurred; instead, it would mean those who died before died in vain.” Even though human lives were at stake, Dr. Jenna's tone remained completely indifferent. “Besides, we relied on the twilight when we entered the mountains. Now it is pitch black, and walking the mountain roads is too dangerous. It would be better to stay here for the night and see if the entrance opens tomorrow. This operation was always going to be unusual. Surely you didn't think we could complete it peacefully without anyone dying.”

Under the lantern light, Karl Jones's expression shifted uncertainly. However, the unsociable fraud Salin suddenly spoke up: “I am definitely going to complete the mission, no matter what happens.”

With that, he walked straight back toward the camp without waiting for the others' opinions.

“Sigh, I guess that's our only option.” Karl Jones and the bearded Jack Adams exchanged a look, and Karl sighed. “Then everyone should get some rest early tonight. Try your best to avoid doing anything that might trigger unknowable consequences. Once the tomb's entrance opens tomorrow, let's hope nothing else goes wrong—at least, let's hope no one else dies.”

Let's hope so. I'll stay alert tonight as well and try to prevent any mishaps—or at least keep the body count as low as possible.

Lynch suppressed the unease in his heart and returned to the camp with the others. By now, the camp had grown lively. The workers, still unaware that six lives had just been lost, were cheerfully unpacking their belongings and gathering around the bonfire one after another.

The atmosphere was boisterous, but Lynch, who knew the truth, still felt a heavy weight in his heart. The others, however, were highly experienced. Karl stepped forward to lie, claiming that the six people who had arrived ahead of them had already departed after setting everything up.

The workers were mostly rough men, and none of them noticed anything amiss. Dozens of people sang and danced in the camp, filling the entire valley with a festive air. Yet, in the darkness beyond the fence, no one knew how many vague, shadowy figures were hidden, coldly peering at the joyful crowd.

But the seven members of the archaeological team no longer had any desire to join in the fun. After assigning the barracks, they retired to their rooms early. Karl Jones and Dr. Jenna went into one room; Lynch and Judy, being the remaining two females, shared another; Rooney and Jack shared a room; and finally, Salin, the Rangers' mole, took a room to himself.

As the night grew later, the bonfire gradually burned out, the rowdy crowd dispersed, and peace finally returned to the courtyard.

Everyone had returned to their rooms, leaving only two groups of watchmen wandering the courtyard with lanterns in hand.

Returning to the barracks was somewhat awkward for Lynch, especially since the room was not spacious, and the two beds were pushed almost right against each other. The moment Lynch entered, he peered out the window on the door to ensure no one was watching. When he turned around, he saw that Judy was already sitting on her bed, staring blankly in his direction.

Although this girl always looked like a living corpse, her natural features were actually quite decent. This left Lynch feeling a bit lost. More importantly, she knew he was a man, which made him feel even more uneasy.

Has my useless otaku nature really not changed at all?

Forget it. I've had to guard against surveillance from the mayor and the others these past few days, so we haven't had a chance to talk in detail. I should take this opportunity...

“There's more than one.”

Before Lynch could speak, the light suddenly returned to Judy's eyes, and her voice became normal:

“There are at least two people who have private connections with our employer—one in the open, and one in the dark. We can't rule out the possibility of even more.”

“I won't drop my disguise, just in case we're discovered. What exactly is going on with you?” Having held it in for days, Lynch finally found an opportunity to ask. “Do you mind satisfying my curiosity?”

“When the Lady shoved forbidden knowledge into my mind, she accidentally gave me too much, and my mind completely collapsed. In the end, I had no choice but to use this method, splitting my mind in half so I can occasionally come out for a breath of fresh air. I don't know how long I can last like this—probably a few more years. Actually, it's quite nice inside with the Lady's protection, except that my soul is constantly being burned, which hurts terribly.”

Hiss, eternal torment.

A strange sense of familiarity stemming from his mystery relics made Lynch feel a twinge of sympathy, yet he didn't know how to comfort her. The girl, however, seemed quite open-minded about it and merely smiled casually. “It's fine. Aren't we all the same? Before we die or go mad, we have to do everything we can to survive. I'm no exception. Anyway, let's talk about what's happening this time.”

“Alright.”

“This time, Howard and the Rangers posted information on the black market to privately excavate this ancient tomb. I only applied because I learned through the Lady that the Swelling Daughter was involved behind the scenes. Those people are all professional explorers, but their backgrounds are deeply hidden. As I said just now, there are at least two people—one in the open and one in the dark—who are completely controlled by our employer.”

“Salin is the obvious one,” Lynch added. “As for the hidden one, those other four all look suspicious to me. I will continue to observe them and do my best to keep the ritual within controllable limits.”

“As for the cipher you showed me earlier, if it's from Norin, I know that Jack Adams moved to Rhine from Norin ten years ago. I don't know about the others. I... Hm?”

Judy wasn't the only one who was puzzled; Lynch saw it too. A flash of light had flickered briefly in the darkness, seemingly coming from the lakeside on the other side of the valley.

Someone already couldn't hold back this early and is going to stir up trouble?

What are they plotting? Should I go take a look?

Hesitating for a moment, Lynch steeled his resolve, stuffed his round fan into Judy's hands, and made a silencing gesture. He then took two steps back, his figure vanishing from the room.