Chapter 305: Tomb Passage
If only I knew wind magic. Even the simplest Gale Force would have blown away the stench, but the Witch’s Notes contained no such spells.
We waited outside for another ten minutes. Once the stench had mostly dissipated, we dared to approach. Sebastian lit a rolled-up piece of paper and tossed it down. The flame didn’t extinguish or explode. It fell below the stairs, illuminating a very limited distance.
“It seems to be fine. I’ll go first,” Sebastian said. He possessed gentlemanly demeanor and professional integrity, insisting that ladies and clients should not go ahead.
“Let me,” Jayad said, his body beginning to emit a white Holy Light. “I’ve gotten used to the smell, and I have an advantage over you.”
This would illuminate the dark environment and protect himself. Him leading the way to scout was indeed more reliable than Sebastian.
“Then, Older Brother Jayad, be careful. I’ll follow right behind you,” I agreed to his plan.
“Then Claire, wait outside. Just like before, if anyone attacks, immediately ride back to the village,” Sebastian said.
He had brought Claire out to involve her in Case Investigations and allow her to learn, but he hadn’t expected them to face things like Undead or grave robbers now. When combat was needed, she became a burden because none of us had enough manpower to protect her.
Claire nodded obediently. Although she really wanted to descend into the tomb with us, she understood she would be a burden, so she could only wait outside.
Jayad, bathed in sacred light that illuminated the path ahead, led the way down the stairs. Sebastian followed behind, equipped with an oil lamp on his waist, a mask on his face, and a flintlock gun and cane in his hands.
I only condensed a ball of Hellfire in my hand. My Hellfire could now be controlled in my palm, giving me more of a witch-like feel. With more practice over time, I thought I could develop to the point of throwing fireballs with Hellfire, and at that time, I’d show Jayad a trick.
Hellfire could illuminate and attack, but unfortunately, it couldn’t be used to measure oxygen levels. This was because Hellfire could actually burn in an oxygen-free environment and didn’t even require a combustible material, as long as magic Power supported it. I only recently learned this.
Descending the stairs led to a low passage. Although the entire passage was paved with stone tablets, many areas were cracked, and there were no decorations or reliefs.
For Pierce, building a structurally sound tomb was already quite difficult. Adding any more details would have been too much to ask, as he wasn’t a great Noble. Thus, the tomb passage appeared very Simple.
“Hmm, this is too narrow,” Sebastian said, bending over. The passage wasn’t built to normal Human height, possibly only about 1.67 meters tall. I could walk upright, Jayad could just manage, but Sebastian had to walk hunched over.
Scattered on the Ground were Corpse Bones that had not been completely gnawed. Judging by the shape of the breaks, they should be the same as the remains found around the tomb before, belonging to the same group of prisoners.
“Um, Elder Sister Shirley’s Corpse Bones, they weren’t eaten too, were they?” Jayad voiced my worst fear.
“If that’s the case, we’ll kill the Grave Robbing and Tomb Desecration guy, find a way to collect Elder Sister Shirley’s remains, and if we can’t find them, we’ll at least clean this tomb completely and bring Lorna here to fulfill one of her wishes,” I said.
At this moment, a hoarse and sharp voice suddenly came from the tomb ahead: “You shouldn’t have come in. It’s still not too late to leave now.”
This voice indeed seemed to be mixed with indistinct sounds, as if one’s mouth were leaky and filled with sand. It was different from the voice of the fat man from before; this one sounded more like it came from a non-human.
“Oh? You can actually speak? Then why don’t you come out and show yourselves?” Sebastian said.
“There’s no need. We’re just advising you. Turn back now and leave, and pretend you never came in. If you go any further, we may have to kill you.” The indistinct voice spoke again, but it seemed to have changed slightly.
“I’m afraid I cannot obey. I came for the mistress of this tomb and must see her corpse, but I suppose you’ve eaten it?” I said, gripping my Magic Wand. The tomb had already been infested, so Elder Sister Shirley’s remains were likely beyond saving.
“The remains of Madam and Miss are unharmed. You can leave,” the hoarse voice said.
This surprised me greatly. They referred to Madam and Miss? The problem was, I couldn’t trust them.
“You all feast on corpses in this grave, committing Grave Robbing and Tomb Desecration, yet claim the Tomb Master is unharmed? How can anyone believe that? Unless you let us see for confirmation,” Sebastian said.
Given his personality, he would certainly investigate these corpse-eating monsters thoroughly. However, he was on a commission now, and Claire was still outside. If conflict could be avoided, backing down was an option.
But I was determined to confirm Elder Sister Shirley’s remains. Furthermore, since this chaotic burial ground had already been desecrated, I could even consider taking the remains back to show Lorna and then find a good place to bury them.
“No way. Without the Master’s command, no one is allowed to enter the tomb. Leave quickly!” The hoarse voice became increasingly agitated.
I suddenly wondered if they were repeatedly urging us to leave because our mere presence there was detrimental to them? Or perhaps they didn’t have time to waste?
Regardless, it seemed that as long as we stayed here, we could force these unknown spirits to negotiate and compromise with us.
“Who is your Master? Where is he? How should I ask for permission?” Sebastian clearly realized this point and began engaging them in idle talk to buy time. It would be even better if he could extract some Intelligence.
“Stop the nonsense,” the being in the depths of the tomb said impatiently. At that moment, a scream suddenly came from outside the tomb entrance: “Ah!”
“Claire!?” Sebastian immediately recognized his niece’s voice and anxiously wanted to rush outside.
“There, something went in! Black mud…” Claire’s voice came through, seemingly trying to warn us of something. But before she could finish, the tombstone suddenly slid back, and the light shining in from the outside instantly disappeared.
“This is bad!” Our first reaction was that the other party had turned hostile and intended to make a move. However, at the same time, an angry voice from the depths of the tomb exclaimed: “Damn it! That ghost thing got in!”
Something seemed to be stirring in the darkness. Then, several black shadows lunged out. Only when they entered the range of the light did I see what kind of ghastly thing it was, scaring me so badly my heart stopped.
