Chapter 545: The Bird’s Cry

At the beastkin camp, Lento Roman was sitting on a wooden crate, enjoying a massive piece of roasted meat.

The lion beastman tore off another large bite, chewing with obvious satisfaction. Despite the difficulties they had encountered over the past few days, he seemed perfectly content to enjoy his meal.

"This temple is more troublesome than I expected."

He swallowed before taking another bite.

"We’ve been here for several days, and we still haven’t made any real progress."

Beside him stood a rat beastman with sharp features and a pair of round ears and a thin tail swaying behind him. His name was Iki, one of Lento’s trusted subordinates. He glanced toward the pyramid before adjusting the small pouch hanging from his waist.

"That’s because the place is practically filled with traps. We’ve already lost several hours just trying to get past the first few chambers. And those monsters..."

Iki shuddered slightly.

"They’re unlike anything we’ve encountered before. Some of them don’t even resemble ordinary creatures. Not to mention those strange puzzles. Every time we think we’ve figured something out, another obstacle appears."

Lento took another bite of meat.

"Then figure them out faster."

Iki gave him a helpless look.

"We’re trying, Boss."

A massive beastkin with dark brown fur approached them while carrying a rolled-up map. His broad shoulders, thick arms, and rounded bear ears made his race unmistakable. His name was Glenwind, a Bear Beastkin whose enormous physique made him one of the strongest members of the group.

"We’ve examined the eastern passage again. There are several mechanisms connected to the walls, but we still haven’t figured out how to deactivate them. Forcing our way through might trigger another trap."

"Then don’t force it," Lento replied casually.

Glenwind sighed.

"That’s easier said than done."

Another subordinate soon joined them.

Unlike Glenwind’s bulky build, this beastkin had a slender physique. His skin was covered in fine scales, and his narrow, slit-pupiled eyes gave him a somewhat unsettling appearance. A long, flexible tail extended from behind him, occasionally swaying from side to side.

He was Sepo, a Snake Beastkin.

"We could try exploring the western passage," Sepo suggested in a calm voice. "It might lead somewhere different."

"Or it might lead us into another nest of those strange monsters," Iki muttered.

Lento chuckled.

"HAHA! You lot are making this sound like a funeral expedition."

He tossed the remaining bone aside and wiped his mouth.

"Anyway, what else have you heard from the city? Anything interesting?"

Iki immediately straightened up.

"Actually, I received some information through our network. Apparently, there was a major conflict between two local organizations yesterday. The Red Scarf and Edge Claw got into a bloody fight."

Lento raised an eyebrow.

"Those guys?"

"Yes. It seems five members of the Red Scarf went missing, and they accused Edge Claw of kidnapping them. Things escalated from there, and several people died."

Lento burst into laughter.

"HAHAHAHA! What a bunch of idiots!"

He shook his head in amusement.

"They’re fighting over five missing members? If they have that much free time, they should spend it doing something useful."

Iki smiled faintly.

"That seems to be the general opinion in the city. The timing is also terrible, considering the tournament is about to begin."

"Exactly. I’m planning to participate in that tournament myself, so I can’t afford to waste too much time here."

Lento leaned back against his crate, looking toward the distant city.

"Speaking of which, have you heard anything about Garrick?"

Iki thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"Not much, Boss. But from what I’ve gathered, he probably won’t be returning this year either."

"Still?"

"Well, you know how it is. He’s being hunted by the royal family themselves. Returning would be practically asking them to put a noose around his neck."

Lento burst into another fit of laughter.

"HAHAHA! Serves him right! That’s what happens when you make trouble without thinking about the consequences."

He picked up another piece of roasted meat and continued eating, apparently finding Garrick’s predicament rather amusing.

The group continued chatting casually, discussing their progress inside the temple and the preparations for the upcoming tournament.

However, in the middle of their conversation, Lento’s ears suddenly twitched.

His chewing slowed.

Something had caught his attention.

He raised his head slightly, his nose twitching as he tried to identify a faint scent carried by the wind.

"Boss?"

Iki noticed the sudden change in his expression.

"Is something wrong?"

Lento scanned the surrounding area, looking toward the rocky hills and the empty stretch of desert beyond their camp.

He couldn’t see anything unusual.

After a moment, he shrugged and resumed chewing.

"Nothing. Must’ve been my imagination."

Iki glanced around once more before returning to the conversation.

Meanwhile, Adam, who was still concealed by Deep Camouflage, quietly let out a sigh of relief.

’That lion’s senses are sharper than I expected.’

He glanced briefly toward the camp. Fortunately, he still had his Null Artifact with him. Without it, hiding from someone with such keen senses might have been considerably more difficult.

"Let’s keep moving," he whispered.

Azrynn nodded, while Sylphy floated silently beside them.

As they moved closer to the temple, Sylphy suddenly spoke.

"Why don’t we just beat them all up? That would be much easier!"

Adam gave her a sidelong glance.

"Because I know that fighting them would only make things more troublesome."

"Huh? Since when do you care about that?"

"Since I started learning from my past mistakes."

He had already caused enough trouble in various places. There was no reason to repeat the same mistakes whenever he encountered an obstacle.

Azrynn nodded in agreement.

"Even if we could defeat them, it would only create unnecessary problems. It’s better to avoid trouble whenever possible."

"Ugh... You two are boring."

Sylphy pouted but eventually stopped complaining.

The three continued forward until they reached the temple’s entrance. Several beastkin were stationed there, standing guard and preventing anyone from entering without permission.

Adam stared at them for a moment.

’Are they seriously treating this temple as their own property?’

His expression turned slightly annoyed, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

They had come here to investigate the temple’s connection to the dark elves, not to get involved in some dispute over who had the right to explore it.

Using the cover of Deep Camouflage, Adam carefully guided Azrynn past the guards. Sylphy followed behind them without making a sound.

For a moment, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Until...

Crack!

Adam’s foot pressed against something hidden beneath the sand.

He looked down.

It was a small stone carving shaped like a bird, partially buried near the entrance.

Before he could react, the carving suddenly lit up.

KIIIIIIIIIIII!

A piercing cry erupted from the stone bird. Its wings unfolded, and its entire body trembled as though it had come to life. The sound echoed throughout the entrance and reached every corner of the surrounding camp.

Adam’s expression stiffened.

’Oh, fuck...’

The beastkin immediately turned toward the entrance.

"What was that?!"

"An intruder alert!"

Lento, who had been enjoying his meal, abruptly stood up. His sharp eyes swept across the temple entrance.

"There’s an intruder! Everyone, prepare yourselves!"

The previously relaxed camp descended into chaos. Beastkin grabbed their weapons, while others rushed toward the entrance. Glenwind immediately picked up his heavy weapon, and Sepo narrowed his eyes as he searched the surrounding area.

Adam clicked his tongue.

"Shit. This is bad."

There was no point trying to remain hidden anymore. With the entire camp alerted, staying near the entrance would only make things worse.

Without hesitation, Adam tightened his grip on Azrynn’s hand and pulled her along.

"Come on!"

He immediately rushed through the entrance, with Azrynn keeping pace beside him and Sylphy following closely behind.

The moment they crossed into the temple, the massive stone doors behind them began to rumble.