The entire tomb resembled a sprawling palace. Five Stone Golems, each enhanced with Haste, had searched the outskirts for ten minutes, yet had only explored a small area. Just as Leon expected, there was neither gain nor danger: aside from the buildings that clearly bore the style of the Third Dynasty, there was little of note in the tomb’s outer regions.
After downing another bottle of Arcane Spring, Leon estimated the Stone Golems’ remaining summon time—about two or three minutes left. He considered for a moment, then decided to interrupt the guidance of Wizard's Eye and enter the tomb himself. After all, the golems’ exploration had confirmed that there was likely no danger at the other end of the corridor…
Yet at that moment, the vision of one Stone Golem suddenly shifted.
“What’s going on!” The change in the Stone Golem’s perspective was abrupt. Just a moment before, it had been a desolate, empty building—now, in the blink of an eye, it was a lush garden, vibrant with birdsong and blooming flowers.
Leon immediately frowned…
Leon had never let his guard down with the vision of the five Stone Golems, always keeping his full attention on them. Yet even he hadn’t noticed what happened in that instant—why had the scene in their vision changed in the blink of an eye?
Could it have triggered some kind of spatial trap?
But that didn’t seem likely. If it really was a spatial trap, the moment it was triggered, the surrounding space would definitely show some distortion. No matter how subtle, Leon was confident he wouldn’t miss it.
But if it wasn’t a spatial trap, then what was it? Such a large Stone Golem had changed locations right under his nose—and to such a bizarre place, no less…
One had to remember, the entire underground tomb was shrouded in the power of the Bloodline Curse belonging to the prince. Even a mere wisp leaking from the corridor nearly caused Leon, a Grand Mage, to hallucinate. Now, with the Stone Golem inside the tomb, the power of the Bloodline Curse was at least ten times stronger than what had seeped out before…
But now, as the Stone Golem’s vision suddenly shifted, Leon was instantly reminded of that journal.
If that place really is the Death Garden...
Thinking of this, Leon quickly tried to check the Stone Golem’s vision. But as soon as his gaze shifted, his expression froze, and a bitter smile crept onto his face.
Because Leon realized he’d lost contact with all of the Stone Golems.
Not just the one that entered the Death Garden, but every single Stone Golem.
A moment’s thought told Leon it was simply because the summoning duration had ended.
It looked like, if he wanted to uncover the truth of the Death Garden, he’d have to go down and see for himself.
Fortunately, after splitting up the exploration among five Stone Golems, Leon was almost certain the tomb’s outer perimeter was safe. The only thing to watch out for was the Death Garden. But a place so strange, teetering between reality and illusion, couldn’t be judged by common sense. To know what was really going on, he’d have to see it for himself.
Having made up his mind, Leon quietly chanted a few spells. The glow of Haste and Featherfall flashed by, but this time, instead of jumping directly into the passage, he spent a bit more mana to anchor a Vine spell at the entrance. Vine was a low-level spell with little combat power; its few practical uses were things like, back in the Viper’s Nest, when that ninth-level mage used it to drag Falio out of the swamp.
Leon’s anchored Vine spell served much the same purpose—only now, the person to be dragged out was himself.
If something dangerous happened below, Leon could give a single command and the Vine anchored at the passage’s entrance would snake into the tomb, easily pulling him out of harm’s way.
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After finishing all preparations, Leon lightly leapt down, using the floating power of Featherfall to land gently on the ground outside the tomb...
The instant his feet touched the ground, Leon sensed that the power of the Bloodline Curse here far surpassed the faint trace he’d felt before. Almost as soon as he landed, the force of the Bloodline Curse surged toward him, and a bizarre scene appeared before his eyes: dozens of women in white laughing eerily at his side.
The ground beneath his feet seemed to soften, as if he were standing in a swamp. But when he looked down, he saw nothing but blood and severed limbs, as if he were in a hell of flesh and gore. Leon tried to struggle, but the white-clad women kept laughing in his ear, reaching out desperately as if trying to drag him deeper into the bloody abyss...
“Get away!” Leon snapped, his right hand shifting through gestures as he released a long-prepared Mind Ward. Instantly, silvery ripples spread out; wherever they passed, both the white-clad women and the hellish landscape vanished without a trace.
“The power of the Bloodline Curse really is sinister...” Leon wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He knew it was all an illusion, but the terrifyingly realistic scene still left him shaken.
Illusions that target the mind are the most dangerous of all. If you make a single mistake, your mind could be trapped forever, leaving you a soulless husk under the Bloodline Curse’s control.
Even with a Mind Ward, Leon dared not linger in such a sinister place. Thanks to the speed boost from Haste, he crossed the Third Dynasty-style buildings in minutes, quickly reaching the spot where the Stone Golem’s vision had changed.
"Yes, this is the place."
From Leon’s current position, he could clearly see a long corridor ahead, flanked by thick stone walls. Dim oil lamps burned on the walls, and there was no cold draft at all—the air itself seemed frozen. Yet the flickering lamps danced constantly, as if something invisible were stirring them...
Beneath the lamps, Leon’s shadow stretched long and wavering. With each flicker, his shadow swayed. He took a deep breath and walked forward slowly, remembering clearly that the spot where the Stone Golem’s vision changed was right at the end of this corridor.
A painting hung at the corridor’s end, depicting an elegant lady in ornate dress.
For some reason, Leon always felt the lady’s eyes on him, her faint, elusive smile seeming to whisper something he couldn’t quite hear...
The feeling put Leon on high alert.
Though his steps didn’t falter, Leon’s magical gear was already primed—five spell incantations, four magus abilities, all ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.
Fifty meters, forty meters, thirty, twenty...
Leon drew closer and closer to the corridor’s end...
As Leon stepped within ten meters, the dim lamps abruptly went out, plunging the corridor into darkness. At the same time, shrill, piercing laughter echoed from ahead. Leon had no time to think—an ice wall thundered into place.
At the same moment, his magical gear erupted, unleashing a surge of power that enveloped the entire corridor.
A Firestorm burst forth, flames surging—this was the only Grand Mage-level spell Leon had woven into his gear, and by far the strongest magic he could currently wield.
The extreme heat was so intense, it felt as if even the air itself might ignite.
Bathed in dazzling firelight, Leon finally saw his attacker—a cascade of red hair, now driven deep into the ice wall. And the elegant lady from the painting had stepped right out of the frame...
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Roll early, folks! This is a roll-call from 5:30 AM. Did you see it?