Chapter 345: Chapter 344: Tomb Exploration Chapter 345: Chapter 344: Tomb Exploration In the dead of night, the graveyard on the outskirts of White Stone City.

The cool breeze fluttered, as Richard eyed the passageway that had appeared below him, his eyes slightly squinting.

The emergence of the passage had essentially confirmed a series of conjectures he had previously entertained–that the secrets of both White Stone Tower and Black Spirit King, as well as the so-called treasure, were hidden within the tomb of Alex’s ancestors.

But… Knowing where the treasure was did not mean that it could be easily obtained; judging by the difficulty of unraveling the secret of White Stone Tower and Black Spirit King, there was no telling what lay beneath the burial ground.

Of course, guesses alone would not yield results; ultimately, he still had to take a look. Additionally, unraveling the secret of White Stone Tower and Black Spirit King was a secondary priority. So far, he had invested a great deal of time and effort, and if there was no corresponding return, it would be a significant loss.

Richard thought about these things, took a deep breath, and began to walk down the passageway.

Following the simple steps of the passageway, Richard walked for several minutes, roughly estimating a descent of several tens of meters, before his feet finally touched something solid.

“I must have reached the bottom,” Richard thought to himself.

With a “snap,” Richard flicked his fingers; a faint blue fire ignited at his fingertip, casting light and illuminating the surroundings–Shape Energy Fire Magic*Zero Circle Low Level*Phosphorus Candle!

The underground space unfolded before him; what he saw was a somewhat dilapidated corridor stretching into the darkness ahead, its ends unknown.

Richard heightened his alertness, raised his hand, and sent the Phosphorus Candle flying forward to light the path, slowly proceeding.

“Tap, tap, tap…”

Richard’s footsteps echoed in the corridor.

“Rustle, rustle, rustle…”

A subtle sound arose.

“Hmm?” Richard halted, frowning as he scanned the area, but found nothing. The faint noise, as if aware it had been detected, vanished without a trace.

Richard’s frown deepened, his wariness increased, and he took another deep breath, continuing to move forward.

“Tap, tap, tap…”

“Rustle, rustle, rustle…”

“Tap, tap, tap…”

“Rustle, rustle, rustle…”

After walking for a while, Richard reached the end of the corridor and entered a large hall. The hall had an area of a few hundred square meters with a height of about four meters; the ground was uneven, resembling tilled soil.

The “rustling” sound then became highly distinct, persisting even when Richard paused, growing louder until it nearly filled his ears.

Richard’s expression grew stern; he squinted at the pitted ground, flipped his hand, and drew a heavy great sword from the Space Iron Ring.

It was a custom weapon he had specifically sought out a master blacksmith of White Stone City to create after acquiring the No.2 Ring from Suo Men, which greatly expanded his storage space.

The great sword was made exactly to his specifications and could be considered a personal customization. The blade alone was as tall as half his height, and including the hilt, it measured one meter and thirty centimeters in length, barely fitting diagonally inside the Space Iron Ring.

This great sword combined the “thrust” of a knight sword, the “chopping” capability of a cutting sword, and the flexibility of a broadsword–a perfect “hybrid.” In tests, it vastly outperformed all current popular blades in this world.

The reason it was so effective was not a mere whimsy but inspired by weapons from the late Medieval period on Earth, evolved from countless wars and battles to the pinnacle design. Now, having a master blacksmith forge it for his own use, it was bound to stand out.

In Richard’s view, armed with this meticulously crafted great sword, coupled with the enhancement of No.1 Ring and No.2 Ring, he could practically crush any existence below an Official Wizard, even Apprentice Level ones. Although rank-wise, he was the weakest among wizard apprentices–a First-level Wizard Apprentice.

“Snap!”

With the great sword firmly in hand, Richard’s aura transformed, his eyes sharply focusing on the floor of the hall.

“Rustle, rustle, rustle…”

The sound grew louder, and the ground burst open as black beetles crawled out.

Each beetle was over thirty centimeters long, akin to a small dog. Their dark chitinous shells looked as though they were cast from iron, a pair of fierce eyes emitted a malevolent glare, and six stubby legs underneath their bodies scurried rapidly towards him. Their mandibles opened wide, releasing a sour and stinking smell, as they screeched and prepared to bite.

Richard blinked and faced the beetles without any politeness, swinging his great sword down with a chop.

“Thud!”

The first strike of the great sword hit its target with precision – its sharp blade easily penetrated the beetle’s body, slicing it in two.

The remaining beetles rushed towards him, and Richard swung his sword in a sweep, sending all flies. Then, with swift strides, he charged forward, engaging in a massacre.

Slaying the beetles was like slaughtering dogs!

At this moment, Richard didn’t activate his magic rune; he simply relied on his own swordsmanship to kill the beetles, scattering them in all directions.

In no time, over a dozen black beetles were dead.

“Whew–”
Richard took a deep breath, stepped over the beetle carcasses, and was about to move forward when his ears twitched, hearing the sound of “rustle rustle rustle” once again.

This…

“Swish,” the ground burst open again, and a fresh batch of beetles emerged from underground. These were similar in size to the previous ones, and their appearance was nearly identical except for one distinction: there was a thin silver line on their backs. It was as if a marking line had been added to the solid armor.

“Evolved beetles?” Richard’s gaze hardened, but he didn’t hesitate. Before the silver line beetles could make a move, he took up his great sword and initiated an attack, chopping broadly and widely.

“Thud thud thud…”

After a short while, the floor was littered with beetle corpses.

Richard stood in place, took deep breaths to recover his spent physical strength, and then heard the sound of “rustle rustle rustle” for the third time.

Is this ever going to end?

As Richard thought to himself, he saw yet another wave of new beetles burrowing out of the ground. Their appearance hadn’t changed much, but the silver line on their backs had grown from one to two, and they looked much thicker.

“Beetles that have evolved again,” Richard guessed.

“Hiss!”

The double silver line beetles let out a sound and collectively charged, their mouths open for a bite.

Richard swung his sword, chopping them down without any psychological barriers. As he fought, Richard furrowed his brow slightly, clearly feeling resistance when the great sword cut into the beetle bodies. It was no longer possible to kill a beetle with a single strike – multiple strikes were now needed.

This!

Richard raised an eyebrow, and in the next moment, he didn’t hesitate to activate “Wind Force” from the No.1 Ring.

“Whoosh!”

Air surged toward his body, Richard clearly felt the air battle armor wrapping around his surface, power amplifying. The attack force of his great sword swinging instantly increased, restoring the easy combat rhythm he had before.

“Thud thud thud…”

In a moment, the hall regained its silence.

Richard glanced at the blade of his great sword, noticing it smeared with the viscous fluids and filth left by the slain beetles, and frowned. He took out a piece of linen from his space iron ring and gently wiped it. After cleaning, he also took out water containing a trace of salt to drink, replenishing the water and salt lost during the fight.

“Gulp gulp gulp…”

As Richard swallowed the water, he wondered: There couldn’t possibly be a fourth wave of beetles, could there?

And just as he said this…well, not Cao Cao, but speak of beetles, and beetles shall arrive!