The air inside the tomb felt almost alive, thick with dust and the weight of centuries.

Each step echoed softly as boots scraped against ancient stone, the sound mingling with the flickering torchlight that pushed back the darkness just a few steps at a time.

Arthur led the group with steady determination, his black visor reflecting brief glimmers of flame like distant stars in a void.

Behind him, his companions followed in measured silence,weapons close at hand and eyes sharp, ready for anything.

It was Gunner who finally shattered the stillness, his deep voice rumbling through the passage as he glanced at Arthur's back.

"You tricked Ravik into choosing the right path earlier, didn't you?"

Arthur didn't break stride; his face remained hidden beneath his visor,cold and unreadable.

Yet his voice rang clear down the corridor.

"I did."

Gunner narrowed his eyes. "So it was all part of your plan."

Arthur nodded briefly, his tone calm and calculated.

"Caelum's pride is both a weapon and a weakness. He refuses to follow my lead, even when it would save him. I made sure he noticed me looking at the right passage; both he and Ravik believed it was my choice.

Caelum's pride wouldn't allow him to follow me,doing so would be an admission of defeat more painful than any blade could deliver. So he chose left,the closest path that allowed him to maintain some semblance of independence."

With each deliberate step, Arthur continued.

"And Ravik? He's a gambler by nature. He knows I have knowledge about this tomb. When he saw me focusing on the right path, he rushed to take it,risking everything on my bait rather than being left behind.

That brings us here: to this center passage, the true way forward and our fastest route to the main chamber."

His words hung in the stale air like smoke from an extinguished flame as they processed what he'd said in silence, their footsteps echoing softly around them.

Ethan couldn't hold back any longer; he let out a low whistle and shook his head in disbelief.

"So let me get this straight," he said with a teasing lilt in his voice.

"One's too proud to follow you, while the other is too eager to gamble,and both marched straight into danger because you merely twitched your head at a wall? Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! If we make it out alive, remind me to buy drinks for Caelum and Ravik's ghosts."

Mireille shot him a glare sharp enough to cut through stone. "Ethan," she hissed fiercely, "can you try taking this seriously for once?"

"I am!" Ethan retorted with an amused smirk. "Just…in my own way!"

Ignoring their banter, Arthur maintained his pace while Gunner pressed on.

"Boss are you absolutely sure this center passage is the right one?" Ethan's voice cut through the tension, disbelief lacing his words.

"You said it yourself,Ravik gambles. You forced his hand. But how can you be certain?"

For the first time, Arthur paused, a glimmer of something serious in his eyes.

He reached into his cloak and pulled out a folded sheet of ancient parchment, its edges brittle yet surprisingly well-preserved.

With a flick of his wrist, he unfolded it, letting the torchlight dance across its surface.

The intricate lines of the tomb sprawled across the map like veins coursing with secrets waiting to be unearthed.

"This," Arthur declared, lifting the map high enough for everyone to see, "came with my key,the internal map of the tomb."

The group froze in place, their eyes widening as realization washed over them like cold water.

"You had this all along?" Ethan exclaimed, half incredulous and half amused. A giggle escaped him as he shook his head in disbelief.

"And you let those idiots wander off blind? Boss, you're colder than I thought!"

Mireille smacked Ethan's arm lightly but couldn't hide her own surprise; she muttered curses under her breath.

Stone, the broad-shouldered commander, let out a low grunt of approval. "Efficient. Brutal. Effective."

Holt nodded solemnly but with respect in his tone. "Ravik won't forgive this… if he survives."

Lyra's voice was sharp yet tinged with admiration as she chimed in, "He won't survive,Boss doesn't make mistakes."

Vos adjusted the strap on his pack and kept his gaze fixed on Arthur's back. "Deception as a weapon,subtle but lethal. That's why we follow him."

Rask chuckled softly, shaking his head in mock resignation. "Remind me never to play cards with you again, Boss."

Marek spoke up quietly but reverently, "All this time… you've been three steps ahead."

The archaeologists had fallen behind into stunned silence until Professor Adrian finally stepped forward, adjusting his glasses as he peered at the parchment from afar.

"Remarkable," he murmured in awe. "An internal map… do you realize how significant this is? We've studied these ruins for years! To see it drawn so precisely…"

Lukas Dray leaned closer to Clara and whispered conspiratorially, "I knew he had secrets but this? Wow."

Marta Sorel clutched her notebook tightly and shook her head in disbelief. "We could spend lifetimes here and never have found this path."

"Is this all just a clever act?" Josef Brandt, ever the skeptic, muttered under his breath. Yet even he couldn't deny the undeniable precision of it all.

Dr. Ren, who had been quietly observing the scene, leaned heavily on his walking stick and rasped out,"Knowledge is the sharpest blade in these halls. And Arthur wields it without hesitation."

His words hung in the air like a challenge.

Professor Kaelen Rhys nodded thoughtfully, letting out a low hum of approval. "A true strategist," he mused.

"He's not just stumbling through this; every move he makes carries weight."

Arthur remained silent, his presence more powerful than any words could convey.

He folded the map with deliberate care and handed it to Gunner, who accepted it with both hands, his face an unreadable mask.

"Keep it," Arthur said simply, yet there was an intensity in his tone that left no room for doubt.

As they pressed deeper into the passageway, the torches flickered low, casting dancing shadows against walls adorned with ancient inscriptions,some barely legible due to erosion's relentless grip.

The archaeologists raised their cameras eagerly, capturing every step and carving while their soft murmurs echoed faintly in the stillness.

With each step further into the tomb, an almost reverent silence enveloped them as if the very stones demanded respect.

The air grew colder; it felt heavy,like a weight pressing down from above.

The only sounds were their boots echoing against stone and the soft hiss of torches slicing through the darkness.

Leading at the front was Arthur, his visor tilted slightly downward; that faint smile from earlier had vanished completely.

His focus was unwavering,a stark contrast to those behind him who followed in quiet reverence.

They knew instinctively that their leader had already played and won,the first round of a dangerous game.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.