Chapter 37: Underground Contamination

Chapter 37: Underground Contamination

The skeleton stood at the edge of the light, starting to move in a way that wasn't natural.

Clatter. Clatter.

With every step, its bones clashed against one another.

Carlos's face turned pale.

The dead coming back to life—he'd never heard of such a thing!

But he quickly calmed himself, thinking that there were three of them and only one skeleton—they had the advantage!

Carlos pushed Ugo toward Lyman, snatched up his iron shovel, and charged the skeleton with a wild roar. Muscles bulging, he swung the shovel like a sword, striking at the bones.

A sharp crack rang out as the ribs split and scattered, the skull flying off and bouncing harmlessly off the stone wall.

Carlos panted heavily, a smile creeping onto his lips: "Ha, that's it? I thought it was some kinda demon or something..."

But then his smile froze.

An invisible force drew the scattered bones up into the air, reassembling them joint by joint into a complete skeleton.

Carlos stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock.

He'd been a pirate captain who'd roamed the seven seas—he'd seen plenty of blood and guts in his day. But even he was scared out of his mind by this.

Cold sweat soaked Lyman's clothes. He remembered Lunast's warning—never lose the light in the tunnel. Was it because they were underground that the dead came back to life?

But this skeleton had been lying in the dark for over a hundred years without showing any signs of coming back to life. So why did it happen the moment they showed up?

"Ah!" Ugo suddenly screamed. "My hand!"

Blood gushed from his palm, which had been cut by glass shards. But instead of falling to the ground like it should have, the blood gathered into a thin crimson thread in midair and drifted toward the skeleton.

The skeleton was already stained with Ugo's blood from before. The moment the blood thread touched it, flesh started growing on the white bones!

At the same time, Ugo's arm rapidly withered—flesh shriveling, bloodless skin clinging to the bones like he'd been drained dry.

"H-help! Somebody help me!" A gut-wrenching scream tore out of Ugo's throat. "Captain, save me! I don't wanna die!"

Carlos was drenched in sweat, at a complete loss. He didn't know how to save Ugo, so he swung the shovel at the skeleton again, even though he knew it wouldn't do any good.

Bone fragments went flying, shattering into pieces—then reassembled again.

Carlos's eyes were bloodshot with rage. This two-meter-tall, iron tower of a man was trembling like a child.

"This thing... can't be killed!" he rasped, backing up.

He turned to tell Lyman to grab Ugo and run while he held the line—but Lyman shoved Ugo at him and stepped in front of him instead.

"You two get out of here. I'll handle this!"

Carlos stared at the silver-haired young man in shock. "You wanna die?!"

"Heh, maybe I'll come back as an undead or something." Lyman forced a smile.

Carlos couldn't tell if he was joking or just being optimistic about his last words. But as a man of the sea, he knew you had to respect someone brave enough to face the storm, not waste their sacrifice.

The former pirate captain gave Lyman a firm nod, then hoisted Ugo up and stumbled toward the tunnel exit.

Lyman listened as their footsteps faded into the depths, then pulled the Blade of Revelation out of the Divine Casket.

He wiped his finger through the blood on his clothes and let it drip onto the blade.

The Blade of Revelation flared with a crimson glow.

Lyman lunged forward and slashed the skeleton in one stroke.

Bones shattered and scattered, clattering to the ground. A few seconds later, they reassembled.

A thin layer of muscle had formed on the skull, but no skin—like it had been skinned alive. It limped forward, with something like organs dangling and swaying inside its hollow ribcage.

Even the Blade of Revelation didn't work?!

Lyman stared at the twisted, weird dagger in his hand, his heart pounding.

The Blade of Revelation could "open" a wound in an enemy's body—but this skeleton was held together by some creepy force. How do you "open" something that's already in pieces?

A thousand thoughts flashed through Lyman's mind. Skeletons counted as undead—and in fantasy novels, divine power could purify that kind of evil.

If he was right, he had something that could handle this!

At this point, he had to take a gamble!

Lyman dropped the Blade of Revelation and pulled the trophy he'd taken from Captain Prew out of the Divine Casket.

—The Wonder: Light-Focusing Mirror!

He aimed the mirror at the monster, closed his eyes, and let out a desperate roar from the depths of his throat:

"LET! THERE! BE! LIGHT!"

The Light-Focusing Mirror blazed with blinding white light, like a sun rising out of nothing, lighting up the deep, dark underground like it was daytime.

The skeleton, now covered in a layer of muscle like an anatomical model, immediately emitted billows of black smoke, melting like wax meeting fire.

Flesh peeled away piece by piece, bones shattered and collapsed, letting out a piercing shriek—as if something within the dried husk was screaming.

After what seemed like an eternity, the screaming stopped.

Lyman cautiously opened his eyes.

The bones lay scattered across the ground, charred black.

Lyman carefully nudged a bone with his toe, confirming it wouldn't rise again, then finally let out a sigh of relief.

A new crack had appeared on the Light-Focusing Mirror. One more use and it would likely shatter completely.

Lyman tucked the mirror and the Blade of Revelation back into the Divine Casket, pressed his palms together, and silently prayed for the dead.

"I'm sorry, old predecessor. I had no other choice. Once Carlos escapes, he'll give you a proper burial."

Since the skeleton didn't respond, Lyman took that as consent.

He retraced his steps through the tunnel, exited the cellar, and found Carlos sitting grimly in the stable. Ugo lay slumped at his feet, wrapping his withered arm in a towel to hide it from view.

"Lyman!"

Seeing the silver-haired young man was safe and sound, Carlos rushed forward and clapped him hard on the shoulder, even giving him an enthusiastic hug. Lyman's bones nearly rattled apart from the force of it.

Ugo looked up, a flicker of surprise crossing his pallid face.

"You're alive! That thing..." He swallowed hard, not daring to say its real name. "You took care of it?"

Lyman nodded. "You've got nothing to worry about now."

Carlos was stunned. "How the hell did you pull that off?"

Not wanting to let on that he had a divine artifact, Lyman said vaguely, "With the gods' help."

The Light-Focusing Mirror was, after all, a divine artifact imbued with the prayers of a High Cleric, so saying it was the power of the gods wasn't entirely off base.

But Carlos thought, this kid's a heretic. Sure, he kept saying he was innocent, but every prisoner said that—couldn't trust any of 'em. Had he called on some darker, more sinister god to deal with that undead skeleton?

To pull something like that right under the Dawn Church's nose—this kid had some serious nerve, totally disrespecting the God of Dawn! Was he just reckless, or was his cult and its dark god really that formidable?

The way he looked at Lyman changed in an instant, and he couldn't help but feel a little afraid.

"Y-you're okay, that's what counts." The big guy forced a chuckle. "I'll take Ugo to the infirmary..."

"No way!" Ugo snapped. "The doc'll ask a ton of questions. How am I supposed to explain this? What, we ran into a walking dead guy?"

"So you're just gonna tough it out?" Carlos asked, uneasy.

"What else am I supposed to do!" Ugo shot back, glaring. "Let's put the tunnel on hold. This arm of mine might be done for."

Carlos glanced at Lyman nervously. "But Lyman wants to dig through in seven days..."

Lyman cut him off. "Better not go down there for now. Who knows what else is lurking down there."

The Light-Focusing Mirror could only be used once more. If they ran into more undead, they'd be sitting ducks. Besides, he couldn't be glued to Ugo's side every moment to protect him. Until they knew for sure the underground was safe, it was smarter not to take any stupid risks.

Carlos nodded. "Alright, we'll do it your way. I... I'll go find Nikola first."

He patted the bulging pouch at his waist—the notes they'd gotten from the old-timer.

He helped Ugo up, and the two of them staggered out of the stable. Carlos called back the three big guys on yard duty, and when they saw Ugo's arm, their faces went pale with horror.

After the day's work was done, Lyman was marched back to his dark cell. The moment the door clanged shut, he knocked on the wall urgently.

"Lunast, get out here!"

After a long pause, Luna's lazy voice floated through. "What brings you to me today? I'm flattered."

"You're so smart—why don't you take a guess?" Lyman said sarcastically.

Luna thought for a moment. "You went into the tunnel today. Run into something down there?"

Lyman laughed, frustrated. "Stop playing dumb. Tell me what the hell's going on!"

"At least tell me what happened first. I might know a thing or two about what goes on above ground, but underground? That's beyond me."

Luna let out a bitter chuckle. "This time I'm not messing with you. I honestly don't know."

Lyman raised an eyebrow, thinking, so you admit you've messed with me before, huh? All those vague, cryptic riddles were just you messing with me?

He sulked in silence for a while. Luna, noticing his silence, quickly said, "Don't be mad. I'll take a guess. Did you accidentally let the torch go out down there?"

Lyman pursed his lips and told him everything that had happened in the tunnel.

Luna muttered to himself, "So that's how it works. This time it took this form?"

"What are you mumbling about?" Lyman hadn't caught it and kept pressing. "Why did the dead guy rise? If it was because the light went out, he'd been dead for years—he should've risen ages ago!"

A barely audible sigh slipped through the stone wall, brushing past Lyman's ear.

"Under the prison, there's a curse—or you could call it a contamination. It thrives in the dark and gets driven away by light," Luna said. "I knew something like that existed, but I didn't know exactly what it could do. From what you've told me, it sounds like it drains the life force of the living to bring the dead back.

"Ugo breaking the lantern wasn't the problem. But after that, you left the bloody bones in the dark, and that's what let it get contaminated. It kept draining Ugo's life force until Ugo died—or until it was destroyed."

Lyman remembered how Ugo's blood had turned into red threads that the skeleton absorbed. After that, the skeleton had indeed grown a layer of muscle, becoming more eerie and sinister. And Ugo's arm had shriveled up, like something had sucked it dry.

"So Ugo's arm is a lost cause?"

"Let him get plenty of sun and eat well, and it might slowly recover," Luna said.

Lyman's heart sank. Who knew how long that would take? Would they still get the tunnel dug in seven days?

Maybe Nikola could decipher the ancient script in the notes and find a shortcut out of the prison?

Worried there might be other remains underground, Lyman asked, "So, as long as the dead don't come into contact with blood, they won't rise?"

"Not just blood—nothing else either. Best not to touch them at all," Luna said. "But there shouldn't be any other dead down there!"

That was hard to say. What if another senior from the trade showed up?

A new question popped into Lyman's mind. "Since the power of the God of Dawn can suppress dark evils, why is there still that contamination underground? Shouldn't it have been eradicated long ago? Doesn't the Church know about it?"

A slightly mocking laugh echoed through the cell.

"The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow it casts."

"Get lost with your riddles!" Lyman kicked the stone wall, and his foot hurt.

He puffed out his cheeks in anger. "Lunast, if I ever meet you in person, I'm going to punch you square in the face."

"I'm so scared," Luna said dryly. "But it's fine—punch away if you want. As long as you're happy."

"You think I wouldn't dare!"

Lyman stomped over to the other side of the cell and lay down, grinding his teeth, thinking that guy was insufferable. Stuck behind this wall, he couldn't do a thing. Luna had riled him up, and all he could do was storm off in a huff!

***

Dusk.

Silvermist Fortress. Church of the God of Dawn.

The transport station members, fully armed, stood ready in the cellar.

Tonight, they would raid Fergus's villa, kill its master, and free his slaves. Succeed or die trying!

Sylen stood at the table, studying the map of Fergus's villa spread out before him. It was hand-drawn by Mare, who had already planned the routes for attack and retreat.

The young man took a Message Conch from the Divine Casket and handed one to Mare.

"Use it carefully. It needs to be returned after," he said.

Winter, sitting nearby sharpening his weapon, looked up, a sardonic smile crossing his scarred face.

"If we all die out there, there's no way we're getting this thing back!"

Mare hissed, "Winter, don't jinx us."

Sylen said calmly, "I'll get it back in one piece, no matter what."

He looked around. The transport station crew was making final preparations: checking gear, going over the plan, writing goodbye letters if they had families, and praying to their own gods if they were religious.

Something stirred in Sylen's heart. He knelt right there, bowed his head, and prayed to the Lord of the Abyss.

"Great Lord, give me the courage and strength to beat my enemies. Watch over my friends—keep them safe."

He remembered seeing Sister Pauline pray at the brilliantly lit altar, so he added, "Forgive me my sins, because tonight I'm going to kill. Reward the righteous and punish the wicked."

Winter stopped sharpening his sword and studied the kid's back with curiosity.

"I heard you merfolk worship the deep-sea abyss and don't believe in gods. So what, you come to land and convert to some other religion? Which god are you praying to? The God of Dawn?"

"No, it's the—" Remembering the Lord of the Abyss liked to keep a low profile and might not want his name out there, Sylen quickly corrected himself, "A god who answered my prayers once and saved my life."

The scarred man chuckled. "Sounds more dependable than the God of Dawn. If this all goes smooth, I might just start believing in your god too. I'm a practical guy—I'll worship whatever god actually works."

With that, he admired the sword he'd sharpened to a razor's edge, the blade reflecting the unmarred half of his face.

Sylen ignored him. When he finished praying, he stood up and brushed the dirt off his knees.

With a pop, Xiaoqi appeared out of thin air, his big tail wagging like crazy.

"Ready to go?" he asked, all fired up.

Nobody else could see Xiaoqi, so Sylen couldn't talk to him out loud. He just nodded silently.

Mare glanced up, judging the time. "Almost time."

Everyone stood and gathered around Mare and Sylen. They weren't many, but their will was as strong as an army of steel.

"Alright, let's move!"

***

That evening, the servants at Fergus's villa were busy getting ready for a banquet.

Even though the villa belonged to Lord Fergus, he spent most of his time at the main house, only dropping by every week or two to spend some quality time with his mistress.

Today was one of those rare days the lord "came home," so the servants were working double-time, scared to make even one mistake. If the lord was happy, he was generous with tips. If he got mad, they'd be the ones to catch hell.

The steward was busier than ever, running around nonstop since morning. Right in the middle of the chaos, a servant came to say someone was at the door.

"The lord didn't invite anyone," the steward said, confused.

The servant stammered, "It's a slave hunter. He caught a runaway slave and wants his reward!"

The steward stiffened. Catching a runaway slave was good news, sure, but the timing was terrible—showing up now to collect a reward was just making his life harder!

He told the servant to take the slave hunter and the runaway to the staff lounge on the first floor. Once he'd finished setting up the dining room, he rushed downstairs.

The slave hunter was a big guy with a scruffy beard, all in black, with iron chains clanking at his waist every time he moved.

When the steward walked in, he let out a big laugh. "You must be Lord Fergus? Look, I brought your slave back!"

He unhooked the chains from his waist and gave a hard yank, dragging a ragged woman out from behind him. She stumbled and fell flat on the floor.

The steward shot him a dirty look. This idiot couldn't even tell the master from the steward—obviously some backwoods barbarian. Any sensible person would've taken the runaway to the main Fergus estate. Who knows how this brute even found the villa.

"I'm Lord Fergus's steward," he said, all haughty.

He grabbed the slave by the chin and forced her head up. That face, always wearing that defiant look, was all too familiar.

"Yes, this is our runaway slave, Mare."

The slave hunter beamed, rubbing his hands together, greed shining in his eyes. "The wanted poster says she's worth ten gold coins?"

"That's right. But paying out that kind of money needs the lord's approval. He's not here right now—can you come back tomorrow?"

The slave hunter's face fell instantly.

"You're not trying to stiff me, are you?" he bellowed. "I heard Fergus is a big-shot merchant in Silvermist Fort—surely he knows it's cash on delivery? Or can't you even scrape together ten gold coins?"

His voice was loud and rough, so booming it scared the birds right off the roof.

The steward, afraid the guy's big mouth might reach the servants and make the lord look bad, quickly said, "The lord will be visiting the villa tonight. You're welcome to wait if you like."

The slave hunter plopped down and crossed his legs like he owned the place. The steward winced at the muddy footprints smeared across the polished floor.

The slave hunter looked around, all crude. "So that's why you're setting up a feast—welcoming the lord, huh? Can I get in on that?"

This hick, getting above his station!

The steward was steaming, but he had to keep up appearances for the Fergus name, so he forced a polite tone: "The lord only dines with Lady Pearl. You can eat here—tonight's staff meal will be a bit fancier than usual."

"Fine, I'll wait right here. I ain't leaving without my money!"

The slave hunter stroked his scruffy chin, a sleazy grin spreading across his face. "I hear Lady Pearl's the prettiest woman in Silvermist Fort. Think I could get a peek at her? If I could steal a kiss, I'd forget the money..."

"Shut your mouth!" The steward was shaking with rage. "I've been treating you like a guest out of courtesy—watch what you say!"

"Tsk!" The slave hunter sneered. "She's just a slave girl, and you're acting all high and mighty. Think she's some fine lady now?"

The steward, done dealing with this crude jerk, turned to the captured Mare: "Look at you. You could've had a comfortable life here. Why'd you run? You just ended up getting caught anyway."

Mare gritted her teeth and turned her face away. "I want to see the lady."

"You think Lady Pearl's gonna plead for you?" the steward sneered.

But then again, Lady Pearl and Mare had always gotten along. If Mare got mistreated, the lady might get pissed. And if she whispered in the lord's ear...

"Fine. I'll take you to her."

The steward called over a servant and quietly told him to keep the slave hunter entertained and watch him so he didn't steal anything. Then he demanded the keys to Mare's cuffs from the slave hunter, grabbed the chain around her, and hauled her to her feet.

Watching them leave, the slave hunter uncrossed his legs. His sleazy grin vanished, replaced by a serious, thoughtful look.

"Sylen, it's all on you now!" the slave hunter thought.

"Mare"—Sylen, that is—followed the steward with a grim look on his face.

That was the plan: a human ally would pose as a slave hunter, and Sylen would shapeshift into Mare to get inside. Mare was Lady Pearl's close friend, so she could easily get in to see her.

Once inside, Sylen would either talk Lady Pearl into helping them or turn into her to get a shot at the kill—he'd play it by ear.

The steward led Sylen out a side door of the main villa and into the east wing.

This detached villa, crafted from pure white marble, was so exquisite it even surpassed the main residence. Slender, elegant columns supported the arched roof, their capitals carved with images of waves and sailing ships.

Stepping inside, a vast pool immediately came into view. Spring water was piped in to feed the basin, while stained-glass windows cast a rainbow of light across the water's surface. The walls were adorned with blue mosaics depicting seaweed, coral, and swimming fish, and the pool's edge was lined with real coral as tall as a person. Hand-polished artificial rocks ringed the pool, with a fine layer of white sand spread along the edges.

The entire structure resembled an underwater palace, leaving Sylen's head spinning.

On the artificial rocks across the pool sat a female mermaid, her back to them, combing her long hair. She hummed a tune, her cobalt-blue tail rhythmically slapping the water, splashing water everywhere.

"My lady," the steward said, "a slave hunter just brought Mare back."

The female mermaid turned around. She wore a pearl mask, and the sapphire necklace at her throat glimmered in the twilight glow.

She let out an "ah!" and dove in, her tail arcing through the air. Ripples spread across the surface, and seconds later, she emerged at the pool's edge.

She climbed onto the rocks, flicking water droplets from her tail. Only then did Sylen notice the towel and clothes neatly laid out on the rocks.

The steward handed her the towel. She dried off, and her tail fin split down the middle, scales contracting, and in an instant, it became two human legs. She wobbled to her feet and let the steward drape a silk robe over her.

She pointed at Sylen's shackles. "Take them off!"

The steward unlocked the shackles. The woman waved her hand again, signaling him to leave.

Xiaoqi floated above Sylen's head, curious. "This is your sister?"

Sylen's eyes welled up. He tore off his mask and rushed forward without a second thought. At the same moment, Lady Pearl flung aside her pearl mask.

"Sis, I finally found you—huh?"

"Mare, you finally made it back—huh?"

The two stared at each other in bewilderment.

Lady Pearl watched in horror as the mermaid transformed into a young man in an instant.

Sylen, equally stunned, gazed at the bejeweled stranger before him.

In unison, they exclaimed: "Who are you?"