Huff, huff, huff.
Short, hurried breaths echoed through the dark passage.
Thick fog permeated the air, and the lantern's monotonous beam diffused into the mist, leaving only a hazy halo around them.
Beyond three meters, everything was dim; the lantern swayed in vain, unable to add any color to the darkness.
Rustling sounds followed them like shadows in the pitch black, interspersed with countless eerie, fragmented whispers. Shifting shadows flickered in and out of sight within the enshrouding mist, sometimes close, sometimes distant.
Following the underground catacomb courtyard of the Arke Dynasty, and passing through the symmetrical catacomb gates, the three women of the ladies' group had entered the outer layer of the catacombs.
This place was like a palace buried deep underground, with long passages connecting numerous tomb chambers. The three women had to navigate the labyrinthine chambers, like a spiderweb, to quickly find the path to the front tomb, enter the main part of the catacombs through the front tomb, and rendezvous with the gentlemen's group. Perhaps then they could still find a last glimmer of hope for Dr. Jenna.
Huff, huff, huff.
The passages were as intricate as a maze, and the rustling sounds, like maggots clinging to bone, constantly followed them. The thick fog carried an invisible, eerie pressure. Lynch carried the doctor on his back, Judy protected them from the side, and the three supported each other, stumbling through the passages. Amidst the shifting light and shadows, for a time, only their heavy breathing filled the air.
“What exactly is chasing us?”
Lynch looked back, but the darkness was too profound to discern anything. Yet, the unknown was far more terrifying than the known.
“I’m not sure.” The doctor’s head hung limply by Lynch’s ear, her weak voice, accompanied by gasps, sprayed into his ear. “My mistake just now activated the catacombs’ defense mechanism. Although it was interrupted in the end, what has been activated cannot be stopped.”
“They’re likely servants of Glaaki. Humans who worshipped Glaaki in the Third Age always liked to create servants of Glaaki to protect their tombs,” Judy explained without turning her head, as she walked ahead, holding the lantern to light Lynch’s way. “We just don’t know the specific type or number of servants of Glaaki buried in this catacomb. If there are too many, it’s hard to tell, so it’s best not to be caught.”
“Doctor,” Lynch patted Jenna’s arm, rousing the semi-conscious doctor back to her senses. “Which way at the next intersection?”
“No, my vision is blurry, I can’t see anything, and the visibility here is too low.” The doctor struggled to lift her head and look around, but in the thick fog, all the passages looked identical. “Unless we increase the brightness, we’ll have to stop and carefully discern the way. I’m truly sorry.”
“Stop with the excuses. What does that have to do with you?”
Lynch sighed, contemplating a solution, when suddenly a brilliant light flared in the corner of his eye, stinging his eyes which had adapted to the darkness.
【Authority, Flame, Ability, Summon Servant: Flame Spirit】
He forced himself to look through the tears and stinging pain, and saw several fireballs suddenly appear around Judy.
The fireballs floated up and down in mid-air; on closer inspection, they even had eyes and mouths, revealing comical expressions. This group of fireballs circled Judy like children, emitting eerie and piercing shrieks. Then, six fireballs flew to the rear, leaving only one hovering in the passage. Its scorching flames caused the temperature in the passage to rise abruptly, making it difficult for Lynch and the weakened doctor to even breathe.
“I’ll hold off whatever’s behind us, Jenna, you find the way.”
“Left.”
The doctor wiped away the black mist overflowing from the corners of her eyes, struggling to keep them open. Lynch didn’t waste a second, dashing into the left passage.
Just two steps in, a wave of heat swept past him. The fireball, a flame spirit, excitedly darted past, soaring up and down in the dark passage. The rolling heat almost set Lynch’s hair on fire.
“Your Blazing Lady’s servant is a bit too excited, isn’t it? And we can’t handle this high temperature.”
Lynch’s face was beet red from the heat. For the first time, he sympathized with crabs in a steamer. Unfortunately, in response to his glare, Judy merely wore a blank expression, as if her lucidity and reason had retreated into some crevice.
Seriously, just because you’re an evil god worshipper, you can just abandon all shame? Just run off like that?
Lynch secretly gave the seemingly feigning or genuinely foolish Judy a friendly middle finger, but still endured the scorching heat, following closely behind the fireball.
“It’s getting darker and darker before my eyes. I might not be able to help anymore.”
The faint voice in his ear made Lynch’s heart sink. It meant Dr. Jenna’s vitality was fading fast. It wasn’t just a matter of a life about to be lost; if the doctor lost consciousness, they would lose their sense of direction in the ancient tomb, a truly fatal outcome.
“Thank you for not giving up on a burden like me. If I truly survive this, I’ll thank you properly when I wake up. But… heh, I don’t think there’s much hope left. Ah, it’s a pity I won’t get to see Louise again. Such a regret.”
Lynch felt a dampness on his cheek, a sensation from Dr. Jenna’s face. He could only sigh softly to himself and try to quicken his pace.
“Don’t worry about getting lost. I’ll show you the way.”
However, no sooner had she spoken than Lynch felt his body sink. Dr. Jenna’s head was now resting on his shoulder, her body completely limp and devoid of strength. He could still hear her hurried breathing, but his calls went unanswered.
This was troublesome.
Lynch glanced at Judy for help, but she merely shook her head, indicating that she, too, couldn’t discern the path. Their steps became momentarily disorganized as they gazed at the dense network of passages, lost in confusion.
Doctor, you just collapse after saying you’ll guide us? That puts us in a tough spot. How about we negotiate? You wake up first, fulfill your promise, and then pass out again?
As if the doctor agreed, just as Lynch was in a predicament, a beam of colorful light shot from her body, directly hitting Lynch’s face and startling him.
What the hell was that?
But this was the third time, and he immediately realized that the Ocean Currents in a Dream were at work.
Moreover, he quickly noticed that the mystery relic hadn’t emitted one beam of light, but five. Two splattered onto his and Judy’s faces, while the other three sped off in the same direction.
Hiss, so this is what Dr. Jenna meant. This ghostly thing, which usually only startles people, actually has a use under specific conditions.
Lynch’s breathing quickened. He exchanged an excited glance with Judy and immediately dashed in the direction the colorful lights had gone.
The colorful lights weren’t a one-time emission; beams of light repeatedly shot out at a frequency of once per minute. One could imagine how annoying this thing would be if it went out of control normally, but now, for the two of them, it was more significant than even a manifestation grade mystery relic. Following the guidance of the lights, they moved faster and faster.
This thing didn’t indicate a straight path through walls, but rather a path with at least gaps they could pass through. Following the direction guided by the lights, their journey was quite smooth.
Go straight, straight, turn left, kick open a sealed stone door. At the same time, the floating flame spirit rushed straight in, quickly occupying the space behind the door. After surveying the room to ensure no threats, it immediately darted towards the stone door on the opposite side.
The flame spirit was like a mischievous child, wildly chasing the colorful lights ahead. It would only turn back if it ran in the wrong direction and was called back. With it scouting ahead, safety was no issue. If only this thing didn’t harm itself a thousand and five hundred for every thousand enemies damaged, roasting its own allies half to death, it would certainly be of greater use.
But even though their biggest problem was solved and safety was no longer a concern, a shadow fell over Lynch’s heart.
The Ocean Currents in a Dream, such a specifically targeted mystery relic, was practically a tailor-made tool for this kind of split operation. Why would Dr. Jenna specifically bring it in?
Its usefulness, did it not precisely indicate that Dr. Jenna already knew about the situation inside? Or was she just exceptionally well-prepared?
However, feeling the heavy weight on his back, Lynch found it hard to continue pondering. What was done was done; further thought was pointless.
The flame spirit was dashing forward, passing a stone door at a corner, but the light emitted afterwards turned towards the stone door.
The flame spirit shrieked in frustration, its comical face turning backward, while Lynch and Judy had already reached the stone door. Following their habit of smooth progress, they kicked the stone door down.
The normal procedure was to kick down the stone door and simultaneously dodge to the sides, letting the flame spirit charge in first. But this time, the flame spirit was unintentionally a step slow, which caused Lynch to hesitate slightly, his movement to dodge to the side a fraction slower. At the same moment, a fist, imbued with scorching bright light, suddenly swung out from the doorway, slamming heavily onto the ground in front of the entrance.
A blinding flash of light suddenly appeared, instantly engulfing everything outside the stone door.
Rate on N.U.
