Chapter 624: Information on Star Tombs
Chapter 624: Information on Star Tombs
As Charles continued reading the books, he suddenly stumbled upon one written by a mage he knew.
To be precise, the author of this book was none other than Eddie Nightwind.
"Ancestor of the Nightwind Family..." Charles furrowed his brows and continued reading.
Unlike the other authors, Eddie claimed he had entered a unique land filled with beetles and mantis-like creatures and had experienced near-death encounters multiple times.
Charles was surprised to read something none of the others had mentioned in their books. It was a secret that instantly caught his attention.
"Whenever you enter the Star Tombs," Eddie explained, **"you’ll encounter the Guardian of the Dungeon, who will then transport you to a unique ’Sub-Level’ area at random. In this area, even Legendary Rank Magical Beasts roam freely. Strangely, nobody seems to have spoken about this before. I suspect the Guardian must be erasing participants’ memories when they leave the Dungeon.
Fortunately, I possess a Dream Restore skill that allows me to remember everything that happens. Additionally, magical beasts aren’t the only enemies in the Sub-Level. Participants must also be cautious of hostile humans. One can progress to the First Layer of the Original Dungeon only by successfully clearing this area.
Clearing it doesn’t mean killing a mutant monster, but rather completing the mission assigned by the Guardian. Each individual will have a unique mission, making it impossible to rely on help from others."**
Eddie also mentioned that peak Rank Legendary Magical Beasts guarded each level within the Dungeon, requiring multiple Legend Rank Humans to take down even a single beast.
He continued in the book,
**"The first four layers of the Dungeon are each unique and filled with hidden treasures. The first layer is ruled by a fallen god named Phobes. It’s home to nightmare creatures that can cause intense fear. They aren’t too hard to fight, but one wrong move can be deadly.
The second layer is controlled by another fallen god, Erebus, and is filled with shadow creatures. Interestingly, nightmare creatures appear in all four layers.
The third layer is called ’Paalai.’ I couldn’t find out which fallen god rules it, but the entire area is a vast desert. Blood-sucking creatures live there, and travelers must beware of sand monsters and sudden storms—storms strong enough to tear legendary beasts apart.
Sadly, my companions and I only made it to this layer before deciding it was too dangerous to continue."**
He then revealed:
**"The Pentagon and the Amber Church, however, have entered the fourth and fifth layers and possess knowledge of secrets that surpass those of any other church or powerful family.
You might wonder why only up to the fifth layer, right? Legends say the Star Tombs contain more than ten layers, but humans from the Edhen World have been unable to progress beyond the fifth layer due to the Boss. And the Boss of this layer isn’t a legendary beast—but a Demi-God Level Divine Beast."**
Eddie also shared additional information about the magical creatures he encountered in the first three layers, including their weaknesses.
Charles spent the next few minutes reading the book and absorbed a wealth of new information about the Star Tombs.
’He revealed more information than the other authors,’ he commented casually, continuing to read the other books.
By the time he finished, it was already 10:30. Around this time, Theo had also returned from his mission and informed him that he had successfully relayed the message to Head Deacon Colt.
But soon after his return, more than fifty people stealthily entered Crystal Lane and began closely observing the single-story house.
Charles, however, didn’t mind their arrival and began ordering Genesis to gather the personal information of every participant.
Although some of the information might be fake, he knew most of it would be authentic and decided to memorize every small detail.
While doing so, he also discovered a few hidden pieces of information about the Star Tombs from the other books. The most important revelation was the appearance of otherworldly beings from the fourth layer onward.
He also came across a rumor about the "Otherworlders’ Gathering City" appearing in the Seventh Layer, which piqued his curiosity even more about the Dungeon’s true purpose.
’Who created this Dungeon? The World’s Will? But the appearance of otherworldly beings from the Fourth Layer contradicts that theory.’
Although he didn’t yet know the Dungeon’s true purpose, he realized it was a great opportunity to improve himself.
After some time, he finally finished gathering enough information about the Star Tombs and set a few goals for this expedition.
His first goal was to significantly increase his Wisdom Power by killing Legendary Magical Beasts. Only then could he comprehend more Fire Laws and progress further.
As for his second goal, it was to steal Archbishop Victor’s treasure.
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy—especially due to the information leak.
’But if I can subdue Head Deacon Colt using Edwin’s life, I might be able to achieve it.’
Just as he muttered those words, Charles suddenly looked toward the south and felt a sense of familiarity.
"He’s here."
He let out a deep sigh, cast the [Flame Teleportation] spell, and disappeared from the room.
...
Outer Region of Northern Woods
Time: Around 3:00 A.M.
A mysterious figure appeared out of the thick darkness, floating more than a hundred meters above the ground. He glanced downward, scanning the land below with sharp eyes. Then, with a slow and deliberate motion, he lifted his hands and pulled back the hood that had concealed his face.
His reddish eyes burned with deep intensity, and his short brown hair stood out against his rough, weathered skin. A crooked nose and thick, low-set eyebrows gave his face a harsh edge, but also a sense of experience. His broad forehead hinted at deep thoughts and a calculating mind.
Most striking of all was the thick, bushy walrus mustache above his lip, stretching far to either side and giving him a bold, commanding appearance.
He was none other than Head Deacon Colt.
Although he had come alone for fear of alerting the enemy, his eyes held absolute confidence and ruthlessness.
"Where are you hiding, rat? If you don’t show me my son, I’ll kill you and your entire family!"
His cold voice echoed through the air, sending ripples through the night.
Alas, no response came.
Just as Colt was about to lose his temper, he suddenly sensed a strange spatial fluctuation a few hundred meters ahead and sharply turned his gaze.
A bluish crack appeared within the woods a second later and widened into a two-meter-wide portal.
"A Spatial Mage?"
He was stunned.
After all, not even a Legendary Mage dared to roam inside the Sacred Empire for fear of persecution. But someone had not only roamed the capital but had also kidnapped his son!
While he was still in shock, two figures stepped out of the spatial portal. One was a sixteen-year-old boy, and the other, a young man in his twenties.
Although they stood beside each other and seemed friendly, Colt felt a strange sense of unease.
Even though he saw his son, he didn’t move closer. Instead, he observed the duo from the sky.
’I don’t sense anything unusual in my son, but the boy standing next to him is definitely not normal. If I’m not wrong, he must be using an artifact to shapeshift into a completely different person.’
But he noticed something more unusual.
’That young man has no soul form... A mere clone puppet, huh? This spatial mage is certainly a crafty one.’
He snorted coldly and continued to watch.
On the other hand, Charles and Edwin walked through the woods, talking like they were discussing something important, and soon stopped at an open clearing.
Then, Charles looked up at the dark sky and smiled.
"You’ve watched enough, right? Come down. I have something important to talk about."
He spoke with a smirk.
"Oh? You sure have confidence, rat. Do you think you’re in a position to negotiate with me after kidnapping my son?"
At that moment, Edwin suddenly waved his hand and shouted.
"Father, don’t do anything reckless! The truth is—I was the one who planned this meeting!"
Upon hearing those words, doubt flickered in Colt’s heart.
’Is he really my son?’
He immediately grew cautious and asked,
"Who is your mother?"
A strange smile appeared on Edwin’s face.
"Lara Davis, a lady from a Count’s Household in the Arc Kingdom. The reason I married Evelyn was to make the fake identity more believable."
"Not bad. But it’s easy to learn Edwin’s origin if you’re a forbidden mage skilled in prying into one’s memories."
Still unconvinced, Colt made strange gestures with his hands, moving them clockwise as he chanted,
"Come out."
A small mirror appeared before him, floating in midair.
"Mirror of Honesty," Edwin muttered, looking annoyed.
"Oh? So, you really are my son... But I still can’t trust you completely."
Colt waved his hand and sent the unique mirror drifting down toward the duo.
