Chapter 211 Decision

211 Decision

After clearing the puzzle singlehandedly, Axel, who the players initially believed was only valuable for his wealth, unexpectedly earned a newfound level of respect from the group. His resourcefulness and determination had surprised them all. As they watched the French noble lead the party through the newly opened gate, Alan couldn't help but notice a gleam of excitement in Axel's eyes. It was as though he had found a renewed sense of purpose, and Alan couldn't help but wonder if it was the respect he had gained or if Axel had stumbled upon some hidden insight within the ancient text that had ignited his enthusiasm.

Just as they all stepped through the gate, they were met with a sudden dilemma. The tunnel before them split into two distinct paths, and there were no visible signs or markings to guide their way. Cammie the Blue Blaster broke the silence by asking, "Which way should we go, left or right?"

The group exchanged uncertain glances, and Zencher, the Death Knight, said his thought, "Should we splitting up?"

Axel, to everyone's surprise, turned to Alan and asked for his opinion, "What do you think, Alan?" Alan took a moment to contemplate the situation and then replied, "I believe both paths will ultimately lead us to the same destination. We'll likely encounter one undead general on each path before facing the final one at the end of either route." The source of this material is novelbin★

Axel nodded in agreement and inquired further, "So, what do you think should be our next move?"

Alan heave a sigh and said "Well, it's currently 15 minutes until nightfall. Our decision should hinge on how much you wanted to return back to Camelot after completing this quest or not" With this statement, Alan presented the group with a clear choice. If they have no plan to return, they could take a cautious approach, systematically dealing with the generals one by one while ensuring their safety. On the other hand, if they did, they should still try to quickly finish this quest and do their best to bypass the hordes.

As the words from the ancient text were read back to him, Alan began to uncover critical information. In addition to the method Axel had used to unlock the chambers previously, he found insights into the path they needed to take inside. But there was something more concerning within the text that caught his attention.

"Dammit," Alan muttered in frustration, "it explains the Book of the Death as well." The revelation left no doubt in his mind that this was the reason for Axel's newfound excitement. Axel must have suspected that Alan possessed knowledge of the book and had kept it hidden, leading to his complete distrust and decision to leave Alan behind.

As Merlin finished deciphering the text, it concluded with an enigmatic riddle:

"When daylight's fire begins to wane, And evening's cloak shrouds the terrain. In silence deep, the threshold's sway, By midnight's kiss, it fades away."

It took Alan a moment to grasp the meaning, but by the time he did, it was too late. As nightfall descended, the chamber door that had been open moments ago suddenly closed right in front of him. Simultaneously, a notification appeared in his gamelink:

[The source of darkness has arrived in Britannia Land].

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Alan dashed outside the catacomb only see the thousands corpses that surrounded the catacombs had begun to rise, their undead forms stirring to life in response to the arrival of the final night.