Another Partnership

Karl Jones led Lynch through the back door of the fore-chamber and into the space behind it.

It was technically still part of the fore-chamber, though the space was slightly narrower. Dozens of humanoid stone sarcophagi were lined up against the walls, making the long room feel as if it were being guarded by a legion of soldiers.

It was clearly a heavily fortified area. As the lantern light flickered, one could see the walls on both sides riddled with dense, tiny arrow slits, with the faint, cold glint of metal reflecting from within. There were also stones on the ceiling with subtle color differences, floor tiles with irregular gaps, and even the sarcophagi themselves seemed to exude a murderous aura.

Karl Jones stopped at one end of the corridor, turned to face Lynch, and revealed his true identity.

Is this a self-exposure? Or just another layer of deception?

Howard and Walker had never mentioned this to Lynch, so Lynch found Karl Jones's unverifiable claim entirely unbelievable.

He might truly be an undercover agent planted among the Watchers, and revealing his identity was his way of gauging whether Lynch was one of Howard's people, hoping to establish a common front.

But it was equally possible that he was a genuine Watcher, and this wasn't a confession but a further manipulation, attempting to make Lynch—Howard's mole—believe in his supposed allegiance.

So… why tell me this?

Is he preparing to strike at me? No, that would be too obvious; surely he wouldn't go that far.

Then he wants to use me? Or is he actually hunting for that same person?

There were too many possibilities. Lynch couldn't be certain and dared not place a bet easily. After all, they were not like Judy.

Lynch dared to trust Judy because she had an Outer God backing her—a deity that felt somewhat familiar, like an old friend—and as long as the plans of the Swelling Daughter were thwarted, the deity would be satisfied. Whether the ritual was completed or not didn't really matter.

But the remaining individuals all reeked of suspicion. Lynch's heart was filled with doubt.

Karl Jones, however, did not consider Lynch's reservations. "I have wanted to have a serious talk with you for days, but I could never find the right opportunity. Truthfully, this isn't the best time either, but after everything that has happened, we cannot afford to hesitate. If we don't find that person in time, we might all die in this tomb."

"Hmm? You said you suspected Dr. Jenna. Why are you suddenly talking about finding 'that person' instead?"

"I always believed it was her, but after Salin, she became the second target. While I can't rule out the possibility that she faked her own injury, her wounds were far too severe—they went beyond the scope of self-inflicted harm. That dispelled my suspicion."

"I see." Lynch replied with a half-smile, "I thought you suspected Salin the most."

"…It seems you saw that." Karl Jones was silent for a moment before sighing. "But in the end, he didn't die by my hand. I intended to save him at the last moment, but he was rescued before I could. Glaaki appeared out of thin air in the lake, and he happened to be conspiring by the shore. Who wouldn't suspect him? I only wanted to test his identity; his death the following day had nothing to do with me. I suspect it was the same person who awakened Glaaki—the culprit I mentioned earlier—who did it."

It actually held some credibility.

Lynch had to admit that while the man's explanation was cold, it did align with the situation at the time. If what he said was true, then regardless of whether he was a real Watcher or a true mole, his objective at least did not involve killing everyone. That made him safe to work with, for now.

But what if he was simply hiding his true motive of slaughter? He still couldn't trust him completely; he had to keep his guard up.

Lynch hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "So, why tell me all this? What do you want me to do?"

"You are the least likely to sabotage the ritual, so I believe I can cooperate with you to root out the culprit planning the massacre. I can understand wanting to disrupt the ritual, but wanting to slaughter everyone is too far. We must stop them."

"Very well." Lynch said calmly, "But first, I need to know why you suspect the doctor. Logically, for the sake of Louise, she should be the one most hoping for the ritual to succeed."

"She wants to retire, and she wants to leave a large sum of money for her daughter—those are facts. But that money doesn't necessarily require the ritual to be completed. What if someone offered her more? She has always maintained contact with the Archaeological Association. If they promised her enough benefits, she might actually go through with it if it meant stopping the ritual or protecting the ancient tomb."

Lynch's mouth twitched. He had to admit that Karl's reasoning held water. "Besides the doctor, do you have any other suspects?"

"In truth, everyone is suspicious except for you and me. But the most suspicious one, in my opinion, is Rooney." Facing Lynch's questioning gaze, Karl explained, "He is actually a Shadow Knight from the Judgment Hall of the Church of the Sun, specializing in undercover work. The people of the Church of the Sun are incredibly arrogant and hate evil. To combat it, they will stop at nothing. It is said that not long ago, to destroy a mystery document, they blew up a nobleman's home in the city. I believe they are capable of killing all their companions just to interrupt a mystery ritual."

Damn it, it really was them. I'll remember that. But why did he specifically bring this up? Was it intentional or an accident? If it was intentional, he couldn't possibly know my true identity, could he? That should be impossible; he has no way of knowing.

As he calculated these thoughts, Lynch pressed on: "Anything else? What about the others?"

"Judy is also quite suspicious. Rooney mentioned in passing that she seems to possess an evil power, not the soul manifestation of a fallen god. But her mental state is truly unstable; it's hard to imagine anyone entrusting such an important matter to her."

Tsk, your judgment is actually quite accurate. You missed the mark on everything, but if I hadn't stopped her, she might have actually taken action. Still, Lynch nodded. "And what about Mr. Adams?"

"His identity is even more mysterious. He should be a spy for some faction, but no one knows which one. I don't think he is the most likely culprit, but the final judgment will be up to you. Your movements are the least likely to draw suspicion, so I'll leave everything to you. Let me know if you need any cooperation. For me, whether the ritual is completed or not doesn't matter—as long as I can make it out alive."

Seeing Lynch nod in agreement, Karl Jones turned around, exposing his back to Lynch without any defense, and began to stroll through the long corridor formed by the sarcophagi. As he walked, he muttered under his breath, occasionally tapping on the stone lids. Lynch followed closely behind, his heart feeling conflicted.

Ding, ding, ding.

Karl tapped the sarcophagi gently, then leaned in to listen. He seemed completely unguarded against the Lynch behind him. After tapping a few more, he suddenly stopped, carefully reached into his pocket, grabbed a handful of fine powder, and blew it gently over the sarcophagus. Under the orange beam of the lantern, the fine particles danced and swirled in the air like eerie, mysterious sprites.

"Shh…"

Once the powder settled, Karl's expression turned instantly solemn. He took off his gloves, closed his eyes, and stroked the stone statue gently with his fingers, continuing to mutter to himself.

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes with a look of joy. He snapped his fingers, and with a faint click, the lid of the sarcophagus suddenly shifted.

Damn, are the zombies coming out?

Of course not. Karl reached out to open it, and Lynch realized the situation inside was quite strange.

Hidden inside the sarcophagus were numerous gears and connecting rods that extended deep into the wall. Lynch could easily imagine that once the coffin was opened, this machinery would activate, triggering the deadly traps in the corridor and tearing any intruder to shreds.

But at that moment, the machinery inside the coffin was merely twitching slightly; it could not rotate because a cluster of fine vines had completely filled the gaps, jamming all the parts and rendering them useless.

Even the coffin lid had been pushed up by the plants—a cluster of tiny, tender sprouts that had forcibly pried open the sealed stone.

"These sarcophagi are actually the control hubs for the entire tomb's defense. Most contain deadly traps; once opened, they trigger instantly, blowing the intruder to pieces. Only a few can be opened, which are connected to the tomb's defense system. But if someone forces open a hub sarcophagus, the defense mechanism in this corridor will activate."

"What happens then?" Lynch glanced at the surrounding traps, feeling a bit uneasy.

"Theoretically, tens of thousands of eyes of Glaaki will appear on the walls, firing indestructible beams from within them to slice the intruder into ribbons."

???

That sounds familiar.

"Don't worry. I've already sealed the internal machinery with plants, so the signal cannot be transmitted. This defensive measure is effectively disabled. Unless the fore-chamber itself is being invaded, it is absolutely impossible for it to—"

Ding.

Just as Karl Jones was confidently explaining, a faint, imperceptible sound of metal striking metal suddenly echoed from within the walls.

Karl's explanation stopped abruptly. The two exchanged a look, simultaneously realizing the problem.

"Damn, something happened in the fore-chamber."

"Someone is launching a sneak attack."

Without even enough time to explain, the two turned and ran toward the entrance they had just come through.

Fortunately, they weren't far. They reached the entrance in a few strides, and Karl kicked the door with all his might.

Boom.

The massive force caused the ground and walls to tremble, but the stone door that had been so easy to open just moments ago remained motionless, as if it had been fused to the very space itself.

Looking back, dense clusters of eyes began to appear everywhere in the long corridor—above, below, left, and right. They stared at the two with an eerie gaze, and a strange, ominous aura began to bleed from them.

"Whoosh."

The light beams fired in unison.