An Extra Person?

Aseroth seemed hesitant. Its father and Miss Purr were nominal friends but practically master and servant—it was well aware of this. Although neither side had signed a master-servant contract, and Miss Purr had never placed any restrictions on its father to control him better, this tacit understanding had always existed between them. In some cases, traditions that appeared not to bind either party were actually far more binding, depending largely on the character of both sides and the momentum of history. In the end, Aseroth sprayed out sparkling droplets of water, forming a bridge of water, and said sincerely, "I shall become your dry land upon the sea; I shall take your will as my code of conduct; I shall answer your summons at all times, offering you my respect, friendship, and loyalty. Greetings, Your Highness Karen." Karen turned his head toward Purr and asked, "We didn't discuss this beforehand." Purr replied nonchalantly, "Does something like this even need discussing?" "So this counts as a surprise for me?" "Oh no, not really. Back then, Aseroth and I had a genuinely deep bond. Think of this as me giving its son a little surprise." "What should I do next?" "You've seen me use the summoning spell twice to call Aseroth. I don't believe you haven't learned it." Karen raised his hand. A red starlight flare appeared in his palm, identical to the one Purr had used before. "Like this?" "Mm-hmm. Now resonate with Aseroth." Karen cast the red starlight into midair. A blue glow radiated from Aseroth, intertwining and fusing with the red light, signifying that both sides had left their aura imprints on each other. With that concluded, Karen said, "Aseroth, carry us to our destination." "As you command, Your Highness Karen." "I don't really like the title 'Your Highness,'" Karen said to Purr. "You'll get used to it. There has to be some distinction from Alfred's 'Young Master.'" With that, Purr turned back toward Alfred behind them and stuck out her tongue at him. Aseroth opened its giant maw, and Karen led his squad inside. Since they would be diving deep soon, Karen didn't stand atop its head this time, instead entering its belly along with everyone else. This wasn't Richard's first time inside—it was his second. But having finally gotten a rare chance to show off, he sat down cross-legged on the floor, projecting an air of having been here every single day. Ashley whispered to Bart, "The sea beast Aseroth—a very ancient species of sea beast." Bart shook his head. "Never heard of it." "Because their numbers are few, and they keep an exceptionally low profile. Most live in forbidden deep-sea regions and dislike contact with humans. I really didn't expect the Captain to have one, so it took me completely by surprise." "I think it's normal," Bart said. "Nothing the Captain has would surprise me." "All right, fair point." Aseroth swam forward first, and after traveling a certain distance, it began to dive. Its massive body sank all the way to the seabed of this sea area, and a psychic ripple conveyed its message: "Miss, Your Highness, this is the spot." Purr ordered, "Aseroth, scan the surroundings. See if there are any barriers or hollow valleys." "Yes, Miss." Ripples of sound waves emanated from within Aseroth, spreading in all directions. After a long while, Aseroth replied, "Miss, I've found a rift." As it spoke, its body glided forward, quickly arriving before the fissure. "Miss, Your Highness, the current beneath the rift flows rather strangely." Karen asked, "Is it a barrier?" "My apologies, Your Highness. I cannot detect the presence of a barrier. For sea creatures, perceiving shifts in currents is like land creatures sensing airflows and spiritual energy. All I can confirm right now is that the environment beneath the fissure is rather unusual, and it is very likely the place Your Highness and Miss are searching for." Karen looked toward the back and said, "Philomena." Memphis at least had Richard keeping him company all the time, whereas Philomena had always been on her own. It wasn't that anyone took the lead in ostracizing her; rather, she preferred to keep to herself. Hearing the captain's call, Philomena stood up and walked over to Karen. "We found a rift. The environment below is somewhat unusual. Go down and scout the way. Stay safe." "Understood, Captain." Philomena didn't hesitate and agreed immediately. Aseroth cracked open a slit in its mouth, and a bubble enveloped her, sending her outside. Enclosed in the bubble that kept the seawater out, Philomena began descending along the rift. A quarter of an hour passed before Philomena surfaced. The bubble was long gone; she swam now like a remarkably agile mermaid. Aseroth parted the corner of its mouth at just the right moment to let her back in. "Captain, below the rift are two crisscrossing currents. Beneath those currents lies an isolated pocket of space containing an old castle structure. I wasn't able to inspect the castle up close because there's a defensive array around its perimeter." "Good, I understand." Karen nodded. It seemed they had indeed found the location. He clapped his hands. "Everyone get ready. Prepare to enter." "Yes, Captain." "Yes, Captain." "Aseroth, patrol the vicinity and be ready to support us at any time." "Yes, Your Highness." Karen glanced at Purr, who immediately chimed in, "I know, I know! I'm not going down. I'd just be a burden." Seeing Karen about to say something, Purr cut him off: "All right, all right, I know you're going to say it's for my own safety. Skip, skip! Go on down, and stay safe." With that, bubbles provided by Aseroth enveloped Karen and the others. All eleven members of the squad dove into the rift. "Aseroth, stay alert. Danger won't necessarily come from below the rift; keep an eye on the perimeter." "Understood, Miss. By the way, Miss, Your Highness Karen is your...?" "A junior of mine!" ... The two crisscrossing currents created an isolating effect, utilizing the power of nature to block out spiritual presence. Therefore, even at the mouth of the rift above, one could not detect any anomaly below. It was a superb form of concealment. Privacy was what tombs needed most. No matter the cultural background, there was always the understanding that the dead required quiet and eternal rest. Penetrating the currents, Karen entered an area devoid of water. With a wave of his hand, the bubble around him popped. There was air inside, surprisingly fresh. The others broke through one after another, all appearing quite calm. The old castle loomed ahead, built against an undersea mountain. Looking at it from here, it was pitch-black, but its silhouette was sharp and distinct. Ahead lay a plaza paved with gravel, flanked by four stone steles standing around its perimeter. Mars began setting up a sensing array, which functioned similarly to a detector to analyze the energy fluctuations of the opposing formation and make confirmations and assessments. Memphis stood behind Mars. Karen noticed that his hand stayed tucked inside his sleeve, quietly helping Mars with calculations and analysis. The flashiest was Richard, who held up a pocket-sized Rubik's cube in both hands and performed calculations on his own—though he was also the least competent. But he was essentially a free bonus bundled with his father anyway; taking part was what mattered. Karen chose not to get involved in the calculations, instead directing the setup of a defensive perimeter. From the moment they stepped in here, any kind of danger could strike. After a while, Mars and Memphis finished scouting the formation ahead. Mars took out materials while Memphis helped concoct and assemble them. Soon, three candles were lit. Mars came over to report: "Captain, ahead is a Disorientation Array. It makes anyone who enters lose all sense of direction toward the outside. These candles can guide the way. I suggest splitting the squad into three groups, with one candle per group." "All right. Bart, Ventura, Muri, you're Group One to clear the way." "Yes, Captain!" Holding the candles, they stepped into the plaza. Gusts of sinister wind whistled by their ears. The pebbles underfoot seemed endowed with a strange vitality, squirming like crawling worms until it was hard to tell reality from hallucination. However, though the candle flames flickered, they remained steady and clear. When there was nowhere else safe to rest one's eyes, one could look straight at the light. In short, this plaza should have been serious trouble—the Disorientation Array was merely the first layer, and getting trapped inside would likely trigger subsequent formations. But thanks to the specialists present, everyone crossed the plaza safely and arrived before the castle gates. "Well done, Mars," Karen praised. Mars smiled. "No, Mr. Memphis deserves the most credit." Only peers could truly appreciate the subtleties. After their first formal collaboration, Mars immediately recognized Memphis's prowess in arraycraft. Of course, Karen had never doubted his uncle's skill. Uncle Aisen might not be good at fighting, but in arraycraft, he had inherited the true teachings of the Guman family. Muri spoke up: "Captain, these gates are the work of Malif. It's noted in the records." Ashley added, "Captain, the solution we worked out is to first guide it, then draw it out, leaving it half-open. At that point, it behaves like an ordinary gate." "Proceed." "Yes, Captain." Ashley began to chant, "My dearest friend, I need your help now. Come forth... Sandy!" Sandy appeared once again, just as elegant and dignified as ever, radiating a holy aura. Karen knew, however, that deep down, this "sacrificial bird" was thoroughly pragmatic. Otherwise, there was no explaining why, after being sold out multiple times, it still agreed to leave its soul imprint on Ashley and answer her summons. Presumably, Ashley's parents had simply paid an overwhelming price. Having appeared again, Sandy circled above everyone and deliberately landed right before Karen. It had long figured out who the real boss here was. It tapped its beak toward Karen, then nodded toward Ashley, flapped its wings twice, and let sparkling feathers fall into the shape of a heart, after which it struck a swooning "coo-coo" pose toward the heart. "Sandy!" Ashley shrieked in embarrassment and annoyance. Karen chuckled. It seemed that even if paid handsomely, Sandy still had attitude. Ashley shot Sandy an irritated glare, then summoned a giant tortoise. "Go, Sandy!" Under Ashley's command, Sandy flew over, touched the gates, and immediately pulled back to a specific position to circle. The gates parted slightly, releasing a burst of black light. Just then, the giant tortoise appeared right near the gates. The black light began toggling back and forth between them, seemingly unable to decide which target to strike first. The scene looked somewhat ridiculous, tempting one to think the gate's designer must have been an idiot to build such a pathetic defense mechanism. In reality, both Sandy's circling distance in the air and the tortoise's position on the ground had been calculated in advance. As a famous builder of the Craftsman Church, Malif was undeniably a brilliant prodigy in his era. But over so many years, his works had been constantly studied and analyzed, thoroughly deconstructed by generation after generation. Only with the answers in advance and thorough preparation could they crack it with such simple ease. Ashley left two scrolls behind so that when everyone came back out, she could summon monster beasts from outside to help open the gates. Karen quipped, "So remember, everyone: if you ever hire someone to build a mausoleum for yourself or your family, never hire a famous architect or someone bound to become famous in the future. That's the best lesson here." Joke aside, Karen led the team through the entrance. Above the half-open gates, the black glow resembled a knot of condensed lightning, but because it was locked in an indecisive loop, it posed no threat to those walking through. The castle gates were also the tomb gates. Beyond them lay a deep, shadowy corridor lined on both sides with suits of armor guards. Most were merely decorative, though some special surprises might be concealed among them—such as... puppets. Muri unzipped his backpack, Alfred right behind him. "Heavy-armor combat puppets are the most likely," Muri said. "I put the disruption tags for those models in the outermost pocket on the left." "Right, found them." Alfred nodded, calling out to those in front, "Watch out for puppet ambushes! If you spot one, immediately pull back to a safe distance and let us throw the wooden tags first." Karen added, "When dismantling them, make sure to salvage the parts." Roughly halfway down the corridor, just as the vague outline of a new scene came into view, four suits of armor on each side suddenly sprang to life, green light gleaming beneath their helmets. Karen shouted at once, "Fall back!" Everyone pulled back; no one rushed forward to fight the puppets head-on. "Green gaze," Muri called out. "All green!" "Then we don't have enough specific tags for that model. I'll make do with the others." Alfred held a stack of wooden tags in hand and pulled all their fuses together. While the others were falling back to take cover, he hurled the tags forward with pinpoint accuracy. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Although the puppets moved with mechanical stiffness, they weren't about to just stand there like sitting ducks, so Alfred led his throws to seal off the surrounding space. Amid a series of popping bursts, rings of yellow light expanded. Seven of the eight puppets froze mid-motion. Alfred threw two more tags, and the last puppet was struck as well, crashing to the ground. "Charge!" Karen ordered. Karen himself, Ventura, Philomena, and Bart surged forward together, dismantling the temporarily paralyzed puppets. Once finished, each returned clutching components, with Ventura even cradling a puppet head. The packed parts nearly stuffed Ventura's backpack full. Karen figured that when they brought these back, Mr. Lemar would be thrilled out of his mind. At the end of the corridor was a footbridge flanked by rows of sculptures on both sides, their arms raised in prayer. Memphis and Mars worked together, using spiritual powder to project illusory silhouettes of light and shadow. They sent these decoys onto the bridge first, steering them to stand in designated spots. Suddenly, all the sculptures turned, locking onto the decoys on the bridge in batches. Rings of light emanated from the statues, enveloping the decoys. But the decoys had no physical bodies, nor would they vanish until the spiritual powder faded. And so long as their designated targets weren't obliterated, the statues would not turn to attack a secondary target. Thus, Karen and the others crossed the bridge with ease once again. Next came a few more traps and mechanisms, all negotiated smoothly. Only when the group arrived before a platform did they realize they had finally reached the core area. There was no path ahead. Beneath their feet was a jutting ledge, and below lay an abyss. The heart of this old castle was actually an even deeper chasm. However, suspended over the abyss—directly ahead of Karen and the others—strands of thread were interwoven, from which coffins hung suspended. Viewed horizontally from where they stood, the coffins looked as if they were floating and drifting across the void. Richard smacked his lips. "We're already here?" Hearing this, Ashley teased, "From the sound of your voice, you haven't had your fill of fun yet?" Richard shook his head with a grin. "It just feels different from what I imagined." Mars chimed in, "That's because our preliminary homework was so thorough. If we were still running into constant danger after all that, what were we even doing for the past two days?" Alfred turned to Karen and asked, "Young Master, is opening the coffins next?" They had come to rob a grave, and the most valuable funeral goods were usually sealed inside the coffins. "Captain, I found something here!" Bart called out, pointing toward a crevice in a nearby rock. "There's a doll underneath." "Bring it out," Karen ordered. Bart used his sword to hook the doll out. Its clothes were long tattered, but the doll itself remained well-preserved. As it was pulled free, it let out a laugh: "Jie... jie... ka-ka..." The laugh quickly jammed—it was clearly broken—but the corner of a letter poked out from its mouth. Bart drew the letter out and handed it to Karen. Karen glanced at the envelope. On it was written: "To the Great Explorer, Miss Purr." The signature read: "Piston Congers"—the very last Congers heir. He really had come here in the end after all. On the envelope was a red sealing wax imbued with the scent of fire elements, which felt very familiar to Karen. Intuition told him that this sealing wax had probably been crafted by Purr herself—something she could gift to friends to ensure the privacy of their letters. Forcing the envelope open would cause the letter inside to burn to ash. There was actually a way to bypass it, though it took some time. As a member of a fallen family, Piston hadn't understood true power and techniques. It certainly posed no challenge to Karen. A flame flared at his fingertip, and upon touching the wax, it quickly melted away. Karen opened the envelope. The contents of the letter were brief. The opening sentence read: "I believe that Miss Purr will grace this place with a visit one day, for adventure is your eternal theme." Perhaps. If Purr hadn't turned into a cat, she probably wouldn't have passed up an adventure site so close to home. "Miss, arriving here after such a journey, you must be exhausted and weary, yes?" No, it actually felt a bit dull and monotonous. "However, I have good news and bad news for you, Miss. Let me start with the good news: we were all wrong. This is not actually the Congers family mausoleum. A far greater secret lies hidden here." Reading this, Karen frowned. Well, for an explorer, that really was good news, as it meant greater uncertainty and thrill. But for grave robbers like them, this was truly bad news. Karen would much rather smoothly carry off the valuables to fence on the black market and make a fortune. "The bad news is, its mystery may exceed anything I could have anticipated. For instance, as I write these words, I find that my pen has run out of ink, and my servant has just brought me a new one. What a considerate servant; I feel guilty for never having given him a raise in the past. And then I realized... wait, that's not right. I came in here all alone, haha..." Reading up to this point, Karen immediately barked, "Alfred, count heads!" "Yes, Young Master." "One, two, three... nine, ten, eleven... twelve?" There was one extra person!