Alliance

Millions of tons of lake water hovered overhead. At this moment, Lynch felt as if he were witnessing the parting of the sea from the myths of his past life.

A mere rank four mid-tier Soul Severer could part a lake with a wave of her hand, displaying power akin to moving mountains and filling seas. Lynch could not even begin to imagine how powerful those high-tier or truly legendary Soul Severers would be.

Actually, he should probably consider what would happen to him if these abilities were used on his own body if those two mid-tier experts turned out to be enemies and discovered his true identity.

Lynch sighed, pushing the stray thoughts from his mind. He hid behind Judy—no, he bravely used his body to shield Judy from any danger coming from the unoccupied space behind them, and together they approached the mist-shrouded entrance.

The entrance of the cavern was massive, at least five meters in diameter, plunging straight down. Accompanied by the intense, deterring pressure of mystery filth, a thick scent of death drifted out of the opening.

As expected of a tomb. With such powerful death energy, the interior was likely filled with mysterious perils. However, to Lynch, this place felt like the perfect stage.

Rooney followed closely behind Karl and Dr. Jenna, being the third to approach the pitch-black entrance. He cautiously looked back at the lake water overhead and asked, “How long before we are drenched in lake water?”

“Don't worry. This is just a trick, but it will easily hold for a few hours,” Dr. Jenna replied.

Dr. Jenna had already reached the entrance, and Karl Jones beside her cooperatively raised his lantern.

The effect was far inferior to a Torch of Light, but it was just enough to peer through the mist and see the situation inside.

Just like the cliff side, a long corridor lay below, its floor and walls constructed of heavy stone. The damp ground reflected the light, and the rhythmic dripping of water echoed from deep within the dark corridor. The monotonous sound felt exceptionally eerie and chilling in the darkness.

“Stop, little Karl.” Dr. Jenna stopped Karl Jones as he tried to stick his arm into the entrance. “We aren't sure if entering from only one side is safe yet. Don't be reckless.”

“Let me try.”

The bearded Jack Adams whistled. Soon, his clothes writhed, and a small gray mouse scurried out of his trouser leg, circling his leather shoes and nibbling on them occasionally.

【Authority, Wildness, Ability, Command】

The small mouse suddenly stood on its hind legs, squeaking at Jack a few times before slipping into the hole along the edge. Its gray fur was instantly swallowed by the darkness, and only the faint sound of squeaking rapidly faded into the distance.

“It doesn't seem to have triggered anything,” Jack said slowly after closing his eyes and waiting for a moment. “I didn't let it go too deep, but everything inside looks normal. Perhaps our judgment was wrong, and we don't need to enter from both sides simultaneously.”

“Perhaps?” Dr. Jenna sneered. “You rely on 'perhaps' in the world of the occult?”

“It is indeed unwise,” Karl Jones agreed. “There is still a massive difference between the souls of mice and humans; they can't be compared. But at least it proves there are no toxic gases or ordinary traps inside. To be safe, we should still enter from both sides together.”

“How about this: we go back to camp first,” Dr. Jenna said calmly. “We'll have the workers enter from both sides to set up light sources.”

Hiss, how ruthless. She clearly intended to use ordinary workers as cannon fodder to test the way, showing absolutely no scruples. No wonder she was expelled from the Archaeological Association.

While Lynch's mind was in conflict, Rooney, the suspected agent of a major god's church, spoke up slowly:

“That's not a good idea. One is already dead and six are missing. If another accident occurs and a few more die, the workers' already strained minds will snap, and they'll scatter and flee. If we have no one to help with the physical labor, how long will it take us to explore such a massive ancient tomb on our own? Besides, our resistance is far higher than the workers'. Rather than sending them to their deaths, it's better if we lead the way. It might be a bit risky, but at least it ensures everything progresses smoothly.”

Lynch had been secretly observing everyone's expressions, so he noticed that Dr. Jenna's face remained gloomy and quite displeased when she heard Rooney's suggestion. However, Lynch felt that there was a deeper meaning hidden in her eyes. Before he could fully decipher the doctor's thoughts, she relaxed her tense expression and nodded.

“Fine. If everyone agrees, then we'll do it this way. However, you must bear the risks yourselves.”

At the mention of risk, silence fell over the group again, but it quickly returned to normal. As Soul Severers with warped souls, facing risk had long since become a part of their daily lives.

“Since I have to maintain the water control on this side, I will lead the team here. Little Karl, you will be in charge of the cliff side.” Dr. Jenna's gaze swept across everyone's faces. “The two ladies will come with me. It just so happens that Ms. Selene is unfamiliar with tombs, so we can look out for each other. You men will go to the other side. Our specific actions will depend on the situation. If you encounter any problems, send someone back to the camp to leave a message for the other group. But we must ensure that not everyone in a group retreats from the tomb.”

They were all experienced veterans, so no one objected to such a reasonable suggestion. The three men quickly retreated out of the lake's range, leaving the three ladies behind to wait for the men's firework signal so they could enter simultaneously.

“Actually, the risk of letting the workers enter wasn't high.” Seeing that the others had left, Dr. Jenna suddenly sneered and shook her head. “I'm not some cold-blooded archaeological machine. Since I dared to let the workers enter, it means I was highly confident that nothing would go wrong.”

Lynch looked toward the cliff and replied with a half-smile, “But what if something did go wrong?”

“Pfft, then it goes wrong. Which archaeological expedition hasn't had deaths? If you can't treat them as reasonable losses, you shouldn't lead archaeological teams, or else the entire team might never make it out.”

Lynch asked with interest, “Was your departure from the Archaeological Association because of 'reasonable losses'?”

“On the contrary, only after that did I understand the meaning of reasonable losses.” Dr. Jenna smiled mockingly. “Unfortunately, Rooney and the others don't understand this. Perhaps they will one day. Heh, I hope they still have the chance.”

“Oh? Then why were you expelled from the Archaeological Association?”

“Because a reporter caught wind of that accident and kept publishing articles about it. To avoid being affected, the Archaeological Association had no choice but to abandon me. I never liked the Association anyway, so I took the opportunity to leave, and I even gave them a good tongue-lashing on my way out. It was very satisfying, hahaha. Although on the surface I've left, I still maintain some contact with them. After all, everyone in this line of work has some ties to the Association, and those guys are no exception.”

Lynch sighed. The current information was still insufficient to determine her identity. Although he didn't dislike this woman, he had to maintain the utmost vigilance for the sake of his own life.

Otherwise, Salin, who had died so inexplicably, would be his precedent.

“Return to the Association? That's definitely impossible, and there's no chance of it anyway.”

Hearing Lynch's inquiry, Dr. Jenna waved her hand lazily, a look of yearning appearing on her face:

“As long as I complete this task, I can secure a bright future for Louise. When that time comes, I'll retire, settle down in Rhine City, and live a good life with her, watching her grow up.”

Wait, don't you guys feel guilty when raising such flags? And why did you bring it up so suddenly and uncontrollably? Lynch was startled and quickly changed the subject. “Is she your daughter?”

“Yes, she's only this big.”

This was the first time Lynch had seen a soft smile on her face. Just as he was about to say something, a burst of colorful light exploded in the sky.

The cliff group was in position.

The smiles on both of their faces vanished at the same time. Lynch pulled Judy, and Dr. Jenna released a firework in response.

“Follow me. Don't worry, at least this initial section will be fine.”

Leaving behind those meaningful words, Dr. Jenna jumped into the corridor with her lantern. Lynch gripped the round fan in his hand, pulled the dazed Judy, and jumped down as well.

As expected, the surroundings were filled with heavy, uniform stone blocks. The environment was cold and damp. The long corridor stretched forward and backward, with occasional corners leading in other directions. The air was relatively normal, though it was unclear if it was because the other end had been open for several hours or if the ancient tomb was naturally like this.

The mist here was thicker than outside. Through the beam of light, one could see it billowing out from the interior. The heavy, deathly air rushed at them along with the mist, making Lynch feel a wave of oppression.

Once his eyes adjusted to the light inside the corridor, Lynch noticed Dr. Jenna leaning against the wall, her gloved fingers gently tracing the stone. Lynch copied her and touched it, but only felt that the surface was rough.

“This way.” Dr. Jenna, however, seemed to have discerned the direction and walked straight toward a corner.

“Oh? You know the way?”

“I did some preparation. After all, I truly want to complete Howard's task, for the sake of Louise's future.” Jenna smiled and pointed toward the cliff. “So you don't need to keep staring at me. We have a common goal. Right now, there are two things you need to pay attention to. First, someone among the three of them doesn't want to see the ritual completed and intends to sabotage it. And the method of sabotaging the ritual...”

Lynch held his breath and listened.

“The actual ritual can be completed even if only one person remains. Therefore, sabotaging the ritual means killing everyone else, leaving only oneself as the most reliable option.”

Lynch's face stiffened slightly. The credibility of this statement was not low, which meant that the enemy might indeed kill everyone indiscriminately, regardless of their faction or whether they were friend or foe.

“The second thing to watch out for is that the ones sleeping here are not just the dead, but also the servants of Glaaki. They wander the pitch-black catacombs day and night, serving their terrifying master.”

“So, on the outside, we face the threat of the servants of Glaaki and the ancient tomb itself, while on the inside, we must guard against the secret targeting of one of those three. The only ones I can guarantee are absolutely safe are the two of you. What do you think? Would you consider forming an alliance with me to survive this mission together and ensure the ritual is completed smoothly?”

“Alright, as long as you truly think the two of us are safe.” Lynch showed a subtle smile, feeling a bit apologetic in his heart. “I agree to the alliance, and I agree on Judy's behalf as well. Now, what do we need to do?”

Dr. Jenna grabbed Lynch's hand. “Take her, don't get lost in the mist, and follow me.”