Outside Nazarick, in the Monster Forest.
This forest, created by Mare and inhabited by countless magical beasts, felt unusually quiet today. Several figures in black robes were making their way through it.
"Don't you think it's too quiet?"
After entering the forest, the group grew more cautious, carefully observing their surroundings.
They were retired members of the Black Scripture, commissioned by the Bloody Emperor to investigate this forest that had suddenly appeared. The goal was to help the Empire move quickly against the Kingdom.
At first, they had not paid it much attention. But once inside, they realized something was wrong.
It was quiet. Far too quiet.
Since stepping into the forest, they had not seen a single animal. Not even the faintest sound could be heard. The silence was unsettling.
In the dark corners, it felt as though countless eyes were watching them without restraint.
The retired Black Scripture members formed a circle, making sure no one fell behind or disappeared.
They walked for some time without incident, and before they knew it, they had reached the center of the forest.
A peculiar structure came into view.
"Wait. There's a ruin ahead. Is that… a tomb?"
Quaecaisse warned the others.
As the captain of the retired Black Scripture, he had the most experience in field exploration and the sharpest observational skills.
His gaze swept across the surroundings, and he quickly noticed something unusual.
The branches around the tomb were twisted in unnatural shapes. Dense foliage blocked out the sunlight, creating a gloomy atmosphere.
It might have been an illusion, but the trees gave him the feeling that they were alive.
The surrounding gravestones were arranged in a chaotic manner, as if deliberately designed to create a sense of dissonance.
"Stay alert. The grass and trees around this tomb have been trimmed."
Quaecaisse spoke again.
"We haven't encountered a single magical beast along the way. That's probably connected to this place."
"This tomb is likely under the control of some kind of force."
"A tomb… Could it be… that an intelligent Elder Lich has been born here?"
Someone voiced the bold guess, and the entire group immediately grew tense.
"If that's true, there could be a large number of undead inside."
"When we entered the forest, they probably noticed us already. But for some reason, they chose not to attack."
"Are they trying to lure us into the tomb?"
"As long as we work together, a mere Elder Lich isn't something to fear."
They exchanged theories back and forth, quickly piecing together a rough conclusion.
As retired members of the Black Scripture, the weakest among them had already reached the Realm of Heroes. While they were wary of an Elder Lich, they were not overly concerned.
"Don't underestimate it. The power that created this forest is at least Sixth-tier magic."
"And we can't rule out the presence of other high-tier undead, like Death Knights."
"If we run into multiple Death Knights, even we could be in serious danger."
Quaecaisse shook his head.
Looking at the tomb in the distance, he felt a faint sense of unease. This was unlikely to go smoothly.
"An intelligent Elder Lich and Death Knights?"
"If that's the case, this is bad. We have to destroy this tomb."
"If the undead inside pour out, it will surely lead to another massacre."
Quaecaisse's words made everyone's expression darken.
A single Death Knight was enough to cause unprecedented slaughter. They were extremely powerful undead.
According to records, they could rampage through entire armies with ease.
Death Knights were impervious to ordinary blades and arrows. As undead, they felt no fatigue. Their danger was self-evident.
And if there was truly an intelligent Elder Lich behind them, then for ordinary human armies, it would be nothing short of a nightmare.
"For the sake of humanity, we must destroy this tomb."
The Theocracy upheld humanity above all else. As retired members of the Black Scripture, none of them felt fear. If anything, their resolve only hardened.
"There's no need to worry too much."
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Quaecaisse took a crystal from his robe.
The crystal was clear and radiant, emitting a gentle, warm glow that dispelled the oppressive gloom around them and eased their tension.
"This is… a magic crystal capable of summoning the highest-tier angel!"
"I didn't expect the Cardinals to actually hand over something like this."
The group reacted with visible surprise. They were all familiar with this crystal.
It was a relic of the Six Great Gods, one of the Theocracy's greatest trump cards aside from its true divine-class items.
According to legend, it could summon the highest-tier Seraph. It was said that even the Six Great Gods themselves could not easily defeat such a being.
"Yes. It's just insurance. I won't activate it unless we're truly left with no other choice."
Quaecaisse explained calmly.
After the tragedies of the Sunlight Scripture and the Black Scripture, the Cardinals of the Theocracy had grown extremely cautious.
To prevent another disaster, they had taken out this precious relic left behind by the Six Great Gods to ensure the safety of the retired Black Scripture team.
...
"Alright. Get ready. We're moving."
After discussing their plan, the group advanced once more.
As they drew closer, the tomb's full appearance came into view.
"The more I look at it, the stranger it seems. There's no clear historical style to this structure. At first glance, it feels jarring, yet somehow uniquely cohesive."
One of the retired Black Scripture members murmured in disbelief as he studied the architecture.
"These carvings are… skulls, dragonoids, insects, demons, birdmen…"
"And that statue… It resembles something described in the records of the Eight Greed Kings' floating city."
The Eight Greed Kings.
Even the members of the Black Scripture could not help but tense up at the mention of that name.
"That has to be a mistake. No matter how unusual this tomb is, it can't possibly be related to the Eight Greed Kings."
The Eight Greed Kings were the ones who had conquered the world and slaughtered the Dragon Race, the former rulers of the era.
"Don't overthink it. Keep moving."
Quaecaisse gestured forward.
They crossed the outer perimeter of the tomb without encountering any resistance and soon arrived at the central mausoleum.
"Judging by this structure, the tomb's owner must have been a noble. Possibly even a king."
They analyzed the grand mausoleum before them.
In this world, mausoleums symbolized status and authority. Only the powerful and privileged could possess such a resting place.
"Stay sharp from here on."
After giving the order and adjusting their equipment, the retired Black Scripture members nodded and stepped without hesitation into the dark interior of the mausoleum.
The dim tunnel stretched ahead like an abyss ready to swallow them whole.
As the Black Scripture group entered, the surrounding trees began to stir restlessly.
"They've gone in…"
"Those filthy rats. Why won't the Supreme One let us deal with them…"
"The Supreme One's wisdom is not for us to question…"
Whispers echoed faintly through the forest.
After a short while, silence returned once more.