Chapter 425 - 424: Tomb

Chapter 425: Chapter 424: Tomb

The moment the five adventurers stepped through the crimson gateway...

The familiar world disappeared.

A strange sensation swept through their bodies, as though they were being pulled through an endless tunnel of distorted space.

Then, the feeling vanished.

Their boots landed firmly upon dry, cracked earth.

The first thing they noticed was the oppressive crimson sky hanging overhead.

The blood-red clouds drifted lazily across the heavens, casting an eerie scarlet glow over the barren wasteland.

Jagged black mountains pierced the horizon like the fangs of some colossal beast.

The air felt heavy.

It carried a faint metallic scent, almost like dried blood.

For several seconds...

No one spoke.

The healer, the youngest member of the party, slowly looked around with wide eyes.

"...It’s beautiful."

The twin-swordsman glanced at her before letting out a small laugh.

"Beautiful?"

"I’d call it terrifying."

The mage adjusted his spectacles as he carefully observed the surroundings.

"The Qi here is completely different."

"It’s denser... heavier."

"It almost feels alive."

The shield-bearing warrior slowly removed the massive tower shield from his back before planting it firmly into the ground.

His name was Gareth.

A veteran adventurer who had spent nearly fifteen years exploring ruins, hunting magical beasts, and escorting merchant caravans.

He surveyed the surrounding landscape with experienced eyes.

"Stay alert."

"This isn’t the outside world."

"We know nothing about this place."

The twin-swordsman, Rowan, casually spun one of his curved blades before sliding it back into its sheath.

"I know, Captain."

"But if we stay too tense..."

"We’ll end up jumping at our own shadows."

The female archer, Lyra, rolled her eyes.

"You’ve done that before."

Rowan immediately protested.

"That happened once."

"It was dark."

"The bush moved."

"It could’ve been anything."

"It was a rabbit," the healer, Mira, replied with a teasing smile.

"It was a very suspicious rabbit."

Even Gareth couldn’t suppress a quiet chuckle.

Only the mage remained serious.

His name was Cedric.

Unlike the others, he wasn’t looking at the horizon.

His attention remained fixed on the strange rock formations surrounding them.

"There are traces of ancient construction."

Everyone immediately turned toward him.

Cedric slowly pointed toward the distance.

Between several towering black cliffs...

Part of a weathered stone structure protruded from the earth.

At first glance, it resembled nothing more than another pile of broken rocks.

However, upon closer inspection. Ancient stone stairs descended beneath the ground.

Half of the entrance had already collapsed beneath centuries of sand and dust.

Only several cracked stone pillars remained standing.

Each pillar was engraved with faded runes that no one could recognize anymore.

Lyra narrowed her eyes.

"Is that..."

"A ruin?"

Cedric slowly shook his head.

"No."

He pointed toward the enormous stone doorway hidden beneath the sand.

"It resembles..."

"A tomb."

Inside a newly discovered dungeon.

No experienced adventurer would fail to understand what that could mean.

Ancient treasures.

Forgotten inheritances.

Powerful artifacts.

But also, deadly traps.

Ancient guardians.

And dangers beyond imagination.

Gareth slowly approached the entrance while keeping one hand on the handle of his shield.

The massive stone doorway stood nearly eight meters tall.

Its surface was carved with countless images of horned humanoid figures kneeling before an enormous winged being.

Time had worn away much of the artwork, but enough remained to make the scene unsettling.

Two massive stone statues stood on either side of the entrance.

Each depicted a horned warrior clad in heavy armor, holding a sword planted before them.

Although covered in cracks...

The statues somehow still radiated an intimidating presence.

Rowan whistled softly.

"Well..."

"That doesn’t look ominous at all."

Mira looked at the dark passage descending into the earth.

No light emerged from within.

It was nothing but endless darkness.

"...Maybe we should leave."

"We don’t know what’s inside."

Cedric nodded slowly.

"She’s right."

"We’ve only just entered the dungeon."

"There could be monsters far beyond our ability to handle."

The group fell silent once more.

The excitement they had felt upon entering the dungeon had gradually been replaced by caution.

None of them were fools.

Veteran adventurers survived not because they were fearless...

But because they knew when to retreat.

Nearly a full minute passed without anyone speaking.

Finally... Gareth exhaled slowly.

His gaze remained fixed upon the ancient doorway.

"We didn’t come here to admire the scenery."

He looked toward each member of his party.

"We’ve spent years taking on dangerous commissions."

"We’ve survived because we trusted one another."

"If we go inside..."

"We go together."

"If anything feels wrong..."

"We leave immediately."

"No greed."

"No heroics."

"No splitting up."

The others quietly considered his words.

Rowan was the first to nod.

"I’m in."

Lyra sighed helplessly before shouldering her bow.

"If all of you are going..."

"I’m not staying outside alone."

Cedric gave a bitter smile.

"I suppose my curiosity has already won."

Finally...

All eyes turned toward Mira.

The young healer hesitated for several seconds before tightening her grip on her wooden staff.

Then she smiled nervously.

"...Together."

"As always."

Gareth smiled.

"Together."

Without another word...

The five adventurers formed their familiar marching formation.

---

The five adventurers slowly descended the worn stone staircase.

Every step echoed through the silent passage.

The crimson light from the outside gradually disappeared behind them until only the glow of Cedric’s floating illumination spell remained, casting dancing shadows across the ancient walls.

Dust covered everything.

It was the kind of silence that only places abandoned for thousands of years possessed.

No insects.

No wind.

Not even the sound of dripping water.

Only the steady rhythm of their footsteps.

Gareth walked at the front with his tower shield raised, carefully inspecting every corner.

"Watch your footing," he said quietly.

"There could be traps."

The others nodded.

Nobody relaxed.

Even Rowan, who usually joked at every opportunity, remained unusually quiet.

Several minutes later, the narrow passage opened into an enormous underground chamber.

Everyone instinctively stopped.

"..."

"..."

Rows upon rows of broken stone pillars stretched into the darkness.

Ancient murals covered the surrounding walls, depicting horned warriors offering weapons before a colossal winged figure seated upon a throne.

Although time had faded the colors, the craftsmanship remained extraordinary.

At the center of the chamber stood dozens of stone pedestals.

Each pedestal supported a weapon.

A sword.

A spear.

A bow.

An axe.

Even from a distance, faint spiritual fluctuations radiated from them.

Cedric’s eyes widened.

"Those..."

"They’re real."

Lyra’s breathing quickened.

"There are so many..."

Gareth cautiously approached the nearest pedestal.

He carefully examined the weapon without touching it immediately.

Only after confirming there were no visible formations did he slowly lift the sword.

A clear hum echoed through the chamber.

The blade released a sharp silver glow.

Cedric immediately stepped forward.

His spiritual sense swept across the weapon before excitement filled his face.

"It’s a Tier 3 sword."

"A genuine Tier 3 spirit weapon."

Rowan couldn’t hide his grin anymore.

"For us..."

"That’s worth an entire month’s income."

One after another, they began examining the remaining pedestals.

Most contained Tier 3 equipment.

Several held Tier 4 weapons.

There were rings capable of enhancing spiritual energy.

A pair of enchanted boots.

A shield engraved with defensive formations.

Even Mira discovered a tier 4 staff far superior to the one she had carried for years.

Tears nearly formed in her eyes.

"...I’ve never even held something like this."