Chapter 239: The Cohort’s Agitation

The crypt looked as though a tornado had swept through its innermost depths and then decided, for good measure, to make several more passes just to ensure nothing remained untouched.

Unlike the first time they had discovered its grandeur, the ancient tomb was now in shambles. It was almost as though some colossal battle had erupted within its walls and, rather than ending with a victor, had simply left the entire chamber as a monument to destruction.

Here and there, obsidian stones littered the ground like shattered pieces of a forgotten constellation, their once-polished surfaces dulled beneath layers of dust. Deep grooves scarred the floor in several places, making what had once been a magnificent surface appear grotesquely disfigured.

Gone was its former magnificence; in its place remained a brutal tableau of devastation.

The evidence of desolation was everywhere.

Even the Terracottas—the stone warriors that had once instilled genuine fear in the hearts of the group—now resembled relics dragged from the aftermath of an ancient war.

They were still terrifying. There was no doubt about that.

Yet the stone statues seemed to have lost some of the majesty that had once caused the eight to stare at them with the fascination of history students suddenly finding the subject of their studies standing before them in reality.

When they had first arrived, every Terracotta had maintained a regal position upon the obsidian platforms that supported them, their stone bodies facing the elevated dais where the sarcophagi rested.

Now, however, none of them remained focused on the dais.

Every single statue had turned towards the entrance of the crypt.

Their hollow, morbid eyes stared into the darkness beyond with an unnerving intensity, as though those lifeless sockets possessed the ability to see through flesh and bone.

The sight alone was enough to make the hairs on the back of one’s neck rise. As a matter of fact, it was precisely because of this that the group felt uneasy even while standing at the threshold.

It felt as though, at any moment, those hollow eyes would suddenly blaze with crimson flames, after which the statues would descend from their platforms and begin marching toward them with the slow, inexorable determination of executioners who had finally found their condemned prisoners.

Honestly, the thought was so horrifying that merely imagining it was enough to make some of them stumble from dread.

And that wasn’t merely a figure of speech because where he stood, sweat was already pooling across Veyrath’s brow.

Apparently, surviving a collection of stone men staring at him from the darkness was another area his courage decided to submit its resignation despite it being the second time he was encountering them.

Meanwhile, as the ominous atmosphere of the chamber continued settling heavily upon the eight, Aelric simply continued his methodical observation of the entire crypt.

The green-eyed youth was so engrossed in his examination that he appeared almost detached from the world around him.

Then, subconsciously, he took a deliberate step forward.

The instant his foot crossed the threshold, chaos almost erupted. Like jittery ants scattering frantically across a hot pan, the group instantly became agitated.

"What are you doing?!"

Valmyr’s voice was the loudest, partly because of his developed and bulky physique and partly because of the pronounced bulge of muscle running along his throat whenever he shouted.

The failed Vanguard was so agitated that the moment he saw Aelric step forward, he didn’t hesitate.

He lunged out, grabbed the green-eyed youth by the shoulder and violently pulled him backward.

Aelric furrowed his brows, still trying to comprehend the sudden aggression of Valmyr’s reaction, when the person in question began speaking frantically.

Valmyr’s eyes were widened by the sheer alarm of the moment, yet his voice remained low and trembling as he berated Aelric.

"Are you trying to get us all killed? Why did you suddenly go in there without warning?!"

Although Valmyr’s reaction might have appeared like an overreaction to an outsider, none of the others thought the failed Vanguard had done anything wrong.

In fact, they understood him perfectly.

The first time they had come here, they had thoroughly searched for traps and determined that simply entering the crypt wouldn’t activate some hidden mechanism or trigger a sequence of catastrophic events.

However, knowing that didn’t mean they could afford to become careless.

The previous time they had entered, there had indeed been no hidden traps waiting for them.

But on the contrary, they had still managed to tamper with things they had absolutely no business touching.

And only Aetherium knew what consequences their actions might have unleashed.

That was precisely why nobody bothered reprimanding Valmyr for his actions. If anything, they respected and appreciated the fact that he had been quick to intervene before Aelric could wander any deeper into danger.

In the meantime, the moment Aelric heard Valmyr’s question, he simply raised a brow.

"Relax. Nothing bad is going to happen."

His words had barely settled when Caelestra spoke. "And how would you know?"

Aelric merely released a sheepish chuckle.

"You are right. I don’t know anything. However, according to what you told me, there aren’t any hidden mechanisms or traps I need to watch out for besides the sudden animation of the Terracottas. So I was merely acting according to the information you gave me."

His emerald eyes suddenly sparkled with a mischievous glint.

"Besides, you were the ones who told me to come here. So why is it that the moment we arrive, you suddenly start behaving like a bunch of frightened villagers who have just discovered that the scarecrow is looking back at them?"

A few of them twitched but Aelric continued without mercy.

"Don’t tell me you were so traumatized that you decided standing at the entrance and staring at the place would somehow make it less dangerous."

It was obvious that Aelric was subtly taunting them.

Regaleon, however, ignored the provocation. The silver-haired Knight’s golden eyes remained serious as he spoke.

"It’s not that we’re scared or afraid of what the crypt may contain. As you’ve said, we’ve been here before. But that doesn’t mean we managed to uncover the mysteries pertaining to this tomb."

His gaze swept across the chamber.

"Also, the last time we were here, we happened to imitate a series of ritualistic actions that almost led to our demise. Because of those actions, we don’t know how much the crypt might have changed."

He looked directly at Aelric.

"Therefore, I would advise you to exercise caution and patience. Don’t simply take our word for it, but don’t dismiss it either. We have experienced what this place can do firsthand."

Aelric fell silent. For several seconds, he stared at the army of Terracottas standing upon their obsidian platforms before eventually turning back towards Regaleon.

He understood that Regaleon hadn’t said those words out of cowardice.

The Knight was speaking because he was genuinely concerned for the safety of everyone accompanying him.

For that reason, Aelric didn’t argue and merely hummed in response.

"Actually, you guys have nothing to worry about."

The others exchanged confused looks at his words while Aelric simply turned his attention back towards the chamber.

"You see, back when I was with the Sanctuary, scouts like myself regularly went on dangerous missions. Some of those missions involved exploring ancient ruins and the remnants of long-lost civilizations that had existed for eons."

He gestured casually towards the crypt.

"So believe me when I tell you that I have enough experience to make a reasonable assessment of a place like this."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"And according to my analysis, you guys truly have nothing to worry about."

Despite everything Aelric had just said, a faint sliver of doubt remained within their hearts; then it vanished because without hesitation, immediately after finishing his explanation, Aelric suddenly took several steps into the crypt.

This time however, he moved so quickly that Valmyr wasn’t able to react.

Despite all the ominous warnings and concerns the others had given him, Aelric simply continued forward without a care in the world, looking like someone taking a leisurely stroll through his own backyard rather than walking into a tomb filled with dormant stone warriors.

The other eight exchanged glances filled with resignation and reluctance. Eventually, after a quiet deliberation within themselves, they began following behind Aelric...