Chapter 647 - 1,000 Meters Deep.

The undead Greater Dune Scorpion raced through the narrow trench, its enormous legs moving with frightening speed as it carried Thoren deeper into the darkness.

Thoren sat calmly on its back, his posture relaxed despite the speed at which they were traveling.

He showed no signs of nervousness as the surrounding darkness rushed past him, his deep blue eyes focused on the path ahead while he released his Perception to its current limit.

On either side of him, the undead Horn Lizard King and the undead Scorpion Men King raced forward, keeping pace with their master without any difficulty.

Although his perception was being suppressed by the strange laws governing the third floor, he had no intention of allowing that restriction to make him careless.

The trenches were far from safe, and the deeper he ventured, the greater the possibility of encountering something dangerous.

Hmm?

As he passed the 1,000-meter mark, Thoren couldn’t help but furrow his brows slightly.

He could feel a noticeable shift in the atmosphere, although the difference was not immediately obvious.

The air had become heavier, and the oppressive sensation that had accompanied him since entering the trenches seemed to grow stronger with every passing moment.

More importantly, the darkness was different from before.

The walls also appeared different under his limited perception. They were rougher in certain places, with deep cracks extending across their surfaces.

Thoren narrowed his eyes as he examined the surroundings.

"I guess I’ve entered their territory," he muttered calmly.

He did not sound particularly concerned.

According to the map Draven had provided, the deeper passages contained numerous unexplored routes.

However, Thoren had not come here to follow the same cautious approach as ordinary awakeners.

’Faster!’ He commanded.

The undead Greater Dune Scorpion immediately responded to his command.

Its enormous legs struck the ground with greater force, and its speed increased dramatically. In the next instant, its body shot forward like a dark arrow.

The surrounding walls blurred as they rushed past.

The undead Horn Lizard King and the undead Scorpion Men King followed closely on either side, their movements becoming faster as they raced through the darkness.

Ordinary awakeners would have approached this section of the trenches with extreme caution.

However, Thoren did not share their concerns.

He had no intention of moving through the trenches at a snail’s pace simply because something might be hiding nearby.

With his undead creatures accompanying him, he could afford to be more aggressive in his exploration.

Besides, the two undead kings were not merely there to protect him. Their presence also made it easier to deal with any beasts that attempted to block his path.

As for the undead Greater Dune Scorpion beneath him, its speed made it an excellent mount for traversing the winding tunnels.

Rather than spending hours walking through the trenches, he could cover a considerable distance in much shorter minutes.

Of course, he still needed to remain alert.

Thoren continued releasing his Perception as the undead creatures carried him deeper into the unknown passages.

Minutes passed by and the trench gradually widened before splitting into multiple branches.

Some passages extended downward at steep angles, while others curved sharply around massive stone formations.

A few were so narrow that even the undead Horn Lizard King would have struggled to pass through without scraping its body against the walls.

Thoren briefly examined the openings as he approached the intersection.

There was no obvious indication of which route was the safest, nor could he determine where any of the passages eventually led.

He could have stopped to examine each branch, instead, he chose to continue forward.

The undead Greater Dune Scorpion raced past the intersection, following the main passage as Thoren maintained his focus on the surroundings.

The darkness grew heavier.

The air became increasingly suffocating, and even the faint sounds produced by their movements seemed to disappear into the surrounding depths.

Yet Thoren continued advancing without hesitation. Then, something caught his attention.

A strange sound drifted through the wind.

It was faint, almost indistinguishable from the subtle movements of air passing through the winding passages.

Under normal circumstances, even an experienced awakener might have dismissed it.

The oppressive atmosphere made the sound particularly difficult to identify. However, Thoren’s perception was far from ordinary.

He immediately noticed the irregularity.

His eyes narrowed as he focused on the direction from which the sound had originated.

"Stop."

The undead Greater Dune Scorpion responded immediately, its enormous legs digging into the muddy ground as it brought its body to a halt.

The undead Horn Lizard King and the undead Scorpion Men King also stopped, their massive figures remaining motionless while Thoren examined the darkness ahead.

For several seconds, he concentrated on the strange sound.

It was coming from deeper within the passage. More importantly, something about it felt unusual.

Without hesitation, Thoren activated his second talent.

[Soul Lantern of EternalCrypt]

The moment the talent activated, an illusory lantern appeared above his head.

A strange flame burned within it, casting a cold light that spread through the surrounding darkness.

At first, the change was subtle and then the light expanded.

The deep darkness surrounding Thoren began to retreat at a visible speed, as though an invisible force were pushing it away.

The oppressive shadows that had concealed the walls and distant passages gradually receded, revealing the rough stone surfaces and the uneven ground beneath them.

The lantern continued illuminating the surroundings as its pale radiance spread farther into the trench.

Thoren’s eyes widened slightly as something even more unexpected happened.

The moment the Soul Lantern illuminated the darkness, he felt the suppression restricting his perception begin to weaken.

At first, the change was small, almost imperceptible.

However, as the lantern’s light continued expanding, the restriction weakened further, allowing his Perception to extend beyond its previous limits.

The familiar sensation of his senses reaching outward returned with surprising clarity.

He could perceive the surrounding passages more accurately.

The farther the lantern’s light spread, the more clearly he could sense the environment, and for the first time since arriving on the third floor, the strange suppression no longer felt nearly as restrictive.

"This..." A rare smile crept onto Thoren’s face.

He had never expected activating his second talent to produce such an effect.

The third floor’s suppression had restricted his Perception for some time, forcing him to rely on his undead Echo Scarabs whenever he needed to investigate areas beyond his immediate reach.

Yet the Soul Lantern of Eternal Crypt appeared capable of weakening that restriction, at least while its light illuminated the surrounding darkness.

It was an unexpected discovery.

More importantly, it could change the way he explored the trenches.

With his Perception expanding once again, he would have a much better chance of detecting hidden passages and concealed dangers.

However, Thoren did not allow his excitement to distract him for long.

Under the illumination of the Soul Lantern, he could finally make out a massive figure standing within a broad section of the trench.

At first glance, it resembled a rhinoceros, but its body was far larger than that of any ordinary creature.

Thick armor-like hide covered its enormous frame, while its powerful legs supported a body that seemed capable of crushing anything standing in its path.

Its horn reflected the lantern’s pale light, and faint flashes of electricity occasionally danced across its hide.

The creature stood motionless for a moment, its massive head lowered slightly as though it had already noticed the intruders entering its territory.

Thoren’s smile gradually disappeared.

He focused his attention on the beast, and a familiar information panel appeared before his eyes.

[Thunderhide Rhino]

[Level:43]