Chapter 1563
Even though it was pitch dark underground, Andrew’s vision was sharper than most. He could just make out Axel stumbling backward, peeking around the corner with panic all over his face. Ele muttered something in a native dialect– probably a curse
or two.
A second later, Andrew understood exactly what he was running from. Thick clumps of black hair appeared at the far end of the corridor.
Clinging to the ceiling with all four limbs, the Night Hag slowly crept into view, its grotesque face twisted upside down.
Chantelle was most terrified of this ghostly creature. She was evermore panicked than when they encountered that Dire Tiger.
Andrew grabbed her hand and pulled her into the shadows, holding perfectly still.
Night Hags had no real sense of time. If nothing drew its attention, it could just stay frozen in place for ten or twenty years, even longer. After all, in this tomb, time seemed to stand still.
However, Andrew began to grow anxious. They could not just sit there, waiting it out forever. He briefly considered somehow revealing Axel’s location to the Night Hag and letting them tear each other apart.
Nonetheless, with no clear method, he had no choice but to stay hidden.
Just as frustration started boiling over, a thunderous boom echoed from the direction of the tomb’s main chamber, loud enough to shake the walls.
The Night Hag’s mouth split open in a silent shriek, whipping around and darting toward the sound.
Axel waited only a moment to make sure it was gone. Then, he bolted down the hallway and vanished.
Andrew grabbed Chantelle and said, “Let’s go quickly–something must have happened at the palace!”
Chantelle frowned. “That sound… it felt like an explosion.”
Andrew’s tone turned serious. “It was an explosion, from high–grade explosives. Looks like Rafael, Stanley, and their crew are still down here causing chaos.”
Chantelle sighed. “It’s such a shame. This tomb goes so it’s just going to be senselessly destroyed.”
deep underground–it would’ve been an incredible discovery. But now…
Andrew replied, “Holtrien has more tombs and buried secrets than we can count. Entire forgotten civilizations are hidden beneath centuries of dust. If you really care that much, maybe you’ll dig them up someday.”
As they exited the corridor, a massive underground plaza unfolded before them.
Andrew recognized the place immediately, as he had been there before. Keeping low, they dashed across the wide space and hugged the base of a stone wall. They circled a large area, yet they still saw no sign of the tomb’s main entrance.
Chantelle suddenly pointed. “There–look, there’s hair!”
Andrew immediately understood and ran toward where she was pointing. The Night Hag had been startled by the loud noise and would naturally head toward the explosion site. So, if they followed the Night Hag, they could enter the palace–it was simple logic.
The two bronze doors of the palace were indeed still standing majestically, showing no signs of being opened. However, the explosion sounds rang out again in a series.
Andrew immediately understood that Stanley and the others had entered the palace through a side entrance and were choosing to blast outward from the inside.
This ancient tomb was built to be absolutely impenetrable. It was impossible to enter directly from the outside. So, destroying it from the inside was much more convenient.
Chapter 1563
+25 BONUS
The Night Hag crawled silently along the palace eaves. Suddenly, disappeared right before Andrew’s eyes. He made a sound of surprise and climbed up onto the palace caves.
After feeling around for a while, he discovered a hidden door at the corner of the eaves. The door could move in both directions and open with just a light push.
This must have been a passage specifically designed for the Night ag by the builders. The passage secretly connected the inside and outside of the palace. This way, the creature could come and go freely, killing any tomb raiders who were lucky enough to sneak into the palace.
This was no random detail. It was the kind of calculated, brutal elegance only a royal architect could pull off.
It also showed the foresight and deep planning of ancient architects.
With silent admiration, Andrew pulled Chantelle up onto the eaves opened the hidden door, and crawled inside.
Chantelle was very resistant to crawling through tunnels. Moreover, the passage used by the Night Hag was incredibly eerie, giving off a very uncomfortable feeling. However, they had no choice–Andrew pulled her along as they crawled for another stretch.
Fortunately, this passage was not long, and after just two minutes, they reached the end.
When Andrew peeked out, a scene appeared that made even his heart race. At this moment, he fully understood what the treasure map meant by the Underworld Kingdom of the Dead.
It was absolutely breathtaking!
Chantelle poked her head out beside him and exclaimed in amazement, “T–This is like something out of a dream! The craftsmanship is unreal. The ancients were geniuses.”
