Chapter 217: East, Hwaseong (5)

Chapter 217: East, Hwaseong (5)

Hanzo Tomb it’s a sizable dungeon, filled with traps, challenges, and wooden golems called wood soldiers.

[I see you’re hearing things. I didn’t realize my apprentice was so skilled in the art of deciphering.]

Sierra’s voice rings out as she watches me unlock the tomb.

Sierra let out an exclamation, but I couldn’t hear anything. It wasn’t like something you’d see in a movie or an anime.

No, she should be able to hear it, but maybe this door was special. I turned the dial to the correct number and tried my luck, but it didn’t give me any information.

‘Was this a five?’

Even I couldn’t remember all 16 digits.

I could remember everything else, but I couldn’t remember a single digit. I leaned my ear against the lock and scratched my head.

“Do you want to go in?”

I whispered, nudging the door to Sheddie, who looked up from my feet curiously.

“Who are you talking to?”

There was no way my whisper could have been missed in the silence of the cave, where the only sound was me turning the dial, and one of the grave robbers turned to me, squinting.

“Since I’m blind, I sometimes see things... ghosts... Spirits...”

“You’ve brought a madman with you...”

The grave robbers were not strange, but I suppose it’s inevitable that when you’re in the presence of someone who’s about to die, your tongue becomes lighter.

“Kerung.”

Sheddie ducked under the shadows on the floor and tried to reach the doorway.

A tiny shadow lodged itself in the door jamb and struggled to break through.

‘I guess that means there’s no way around it.’

I’d hoped so, but it looks like there’s something stronger at work.

“Kerung...”

Sheddie stepped out of the shadows, a few bumps on his head and a sullen expression on his face.

It was unnecessary, but he’s a good one.

“Failure again today.”

“What’s the point of bringing your gear? The door won’t open.”

“Consider it a field trip. We’re all new here.”

The grave robbers gave up early, and I was spitting out my frustration.

-Bam!

As I turned the long-awaited 13th dial, I heard a pleasant sound.

‘Seven, not five.’

With a heavy scraping sound, the giant door that separated us from the tomb was opening.

“The gates are opening!”

“Are you crazy...You unlocked it...?”

“See, I told you.”

The grave robbers went wild with excitement at the unexpectedly good news, and I stepped forward, leaving them behind.

‘What dust...’

As I ran my hands through the years of dust, a hand grabbed my shoulder from behind.

“Hey, trying to get ahead.”

It was the voice of one of the more vocal members of the group. The next thing I know, he’s holding a chillingly cold sword to my throat.

“Get lost, I don’t need your help anymore....I’ll give you a few gold nuggets for your efforts.”

“I’d be grateful, but I’ll give you the right of way, you go ahead.”

If he wants to die so badly, I won’t stop him.

“It’s Hanzo’s tomb!”

“We’re rich now!”

The excited grave robbers run up the massive passageway.

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll make sure you get your share.”

The woman who brought me to this group taps me on the shoulder.

‘Well...’

It’s just my personal opinion, but this place didn’t smell like the gold they were looking for.

“Hmmm...”

One of the grave robbers ahead of us stared uselessly at the huge passageway, questioning.

Thud.

He stomped on one of the scaffolds.

Greedy grave robber, you’re going to cross that river after all.

“Hey, what are you talking about?”

“I... stepped on... There’s a trap here...!”

The grave robber’s cries soon turn to screams.

-Boom!

A giant iron spear protruded from the wall and pierced his abdomen without any effort.

Similarly, the first thing that came to my mind was Kaen, but something was different.

She wasn’t Kaen.

Her hair was shaped differently, and she was not the mature woman I knew, dressed in those eastern clothes and exuding a dignified air.

Then her lips parted.

“Mr. West...?”

I was stunned, and Sierra was even more baffled than I was.

[What does she mean...?]

“I don’t know.”

“Have you forgotten about me already...?”

[I’m calling out to you in a plaintive voice, and you’re trying to play games?!]

“But I don’t remember getting married at all...”

“Didn’t you propose to me first, you said you wanted to have children...”

[Oh, a child...?]

“No, because I’ve never had children.”

“Well, sure...You haven’t had kids yet.”

The woman who looked just like Kaen blushed and twisted herself into a ball.

“Then perhaps today is your chance...?”

She took a slow step toward me.

“My moon. My West.”

She cupped my cheek.

[My, my......]

And just like that, Sierra and I were stuck at the first gateway, unexpectedly

***

By the time Zetto entered the first gate, the Door of Deception, the three women who had been secretly following him had arrived at the entrance to Hanzo’s tomb.

“Hanzo?”

Aizel questioned, reading the sign above the massive open door.

“Hanzo... I believe he was the first ninja, and this is his tomb.”

“Why would Cadet Zetto be in a place like this?”

“I don’t know, and I’m not surprised. Zetto doing things behind everyone’s back is kind of like Crank eating bread all the time.”

“Hmm...”

Kaen grunted as she stepped through the door and looked around at the passageway almost as large as the door.

In it were two corpses, impaled on spears protruding from the wall, and two living people.

“People...!”

“Other grave robbers? Don’t come! This is a trap field!”

“”......””

The three women scratched their heads at their cries.

“Didn’t a man with a bandage over his eyes just pass through here?”

Kaen asked them as they stood still, unable to move a single step.

“Bandages...? The handsome blind man? If so, he’s already passed by, walking casually and not stepping on any traps...”

“Of course Zetto wouldn’t step on a trap.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s Cadet Zetto.”

“Kaen, are you good at avoiding traps?”

“I don’t have any problems.”

“And Aizel?”

“As long as I’m faster than the traps can reach me, I’m good, but there might be traps that trigger faster than my speed, so I’m not gambling on that. In the Labyrinth, maybe, but here, I’d actually get my head blown off.”

The three women shrugged off the grave robber’s comment and went on amongst themselves.

“Hey, Kaen... Can’t you make way for us...?”

Yuri, who wasn’t so confident in avoiding the traps, asked Kaen.

“Then it’s better if Kaen, who is more confident in traps, leads the way here.”

“...Why are you all like this?”

Kaen glanced at the two of them in disbelief.

“Ugh...”

She sighed, shook her head, and stretched.

Feeling sufficiently warmed up, Kaen took a step forward, only to have her body shudder and immediately pull back.

“Haa... Haa...”

Kaen is breathing heavily.

“...Kaen, are you okay, or is it a trap already?”

“No, it’s not that...”

A flushed Kaen struggled to explain.

“...Cadet Zetto it’s in front of me, and I entered his range for a moment.”