Chapter 354: Chapter 353: Graveyard Exploration, Abandoning Once More! Chapter 354: Chapter 353: Graveyard Exploration, Abandoning Once More! The design of this virus isn’t particularly innovative; in fact, on modern-day Earth, applications more extensive than those of the medieval period were already in use, with the most famous being Tutankhamun’s Tomb.

Tutankhamun’s Tomb, predating the anno Domini era, belonged to Pharaoh Tutankhamun of the Ancient Egypt 18th Dynasty and is hailed as one of the world’s top ten ancient tombs and rare treasures. Its discovery once shocked the entire world.

During the excavation of Tutankhamun’s Tomb, many precious relics were removed, such as the golden mask, burial artifacts, and the mummy itself, which caused great excitement among the world of cultural relics. However, it was fearsome that those involved in the excavation began to die one after another following the removal of these items; some visiting archaeologists also succumbed to illnesses in succession, even collectors who had brief contact with the artifacts could not escape a ghastly fate.

The multitude of deaths led to rampant rumors of the “Pharaoh’s Curse,” with some proclaiming loudly that death would spread its wings and choke the life out of anyone daring to disturb the Pharaoh’s peace unless the Pharaoh’s treasures were returned, no one would escape death!

Many were frightened to the extreme, with some actually starting to prepare to return the artifacts to the tomb. However, subsequent scientific hypotheses provided more rational conjectures.

One hypothesis was that the deaths were not related to the curse but to pathogens: the tomb originally contained large quantities of fruits and vegetables intended as sacrifices, which inevitably rotted after the tomb was sealed. Combined with the tomb’s dark and damp conditions, this environment was highly conducive to the breeding of various pathogens, ultimately leaving both the depths of the tomb and the surfaces of the artifacts covered with these deadly microbes.

The formal excavation of the tomb began around the time of World War I when technological levels were not yet advanced, and the diggers generally lacked protective measures, at most hanging a piece of orange peel under their noses to mask the tomb’s odors.

This led to ancient pathogens, which had survived in the tomb for over three thousand years, to enter the bodies of the diggers with impunity, undeterred like robbers into an undefended village, rapidly reproducing and infecting.

As a result, it wasn’t long before the diggers and archaeological experts began to exhibit symptoms of upper respiratory infections such as high fever and chest tightness, dying after ineffective treatment. Even collectors who had direct contact with artifacts tainted with the deadly pathogens were not spared.

Similar incidents occurred numerous times after Tutankhamun’s Tomb. Once researchers repeatedly confirmed the presence of ancient lethal pathogens in tombs, everyone became cautious.

By the end of the 20th century, virtually all tomb excavations conducted took extreme protective measures, even resorting to robots controlled by computers to replace humans in digging, and no further mass casualties among excavators occurred, debunking the so-called “Pharaoh’s Curse.”

Thinking about these things, Richard’s eyebrows shot up.

When he first entered the tomb, he had considered the possibility of similar dangers, but ultimately he did not take any particular protective measures.

On one hand, after his first exploration, seeing the many beetles present, he subconsciously believed the ecological environment within the tomb to be quite acceptable.

On the other hand, if specific protective measures were taken, considering the lengthy exploration time required, spells would be hard-pressed to meet the needs, and it would be necessary to rely on some equipment. Using equipment might mean wearing a rather heavy filter mask at the least or carrying an oxygen tank at the most. Setting aside the issue of them being troublesome to make, even if successfully produced, wearing them would greatly impede one’s agility. Against creatures like beetles and other tomb-dwelling monsters, the difficulty would skyrocket.

Lastly, he truly did not expect the tomb to be designed with such meticulous care. After all, the previous Black Spirit Empire books, numerical symbols, Lickerel Number verification process, and folktales were already infuriatingly challenging. If there were yet more unforeseen and insidious traps within the tomb, it would be overreaching.

It would indeed be overreaching, as, at least in his view, it was unlikely that anyone in this medieval-like world could seamlessly resolve all the issues and reach the heart of the tomb without difficulty.

In a certain sense, this also represented a kind of cognitive inertia. After all, the tomb exploration initially encountered monsters that needed to be overcome through battle, leading anyone to believe that defeating all the monsters equated to success. Who could have anticipated that all the monsters were just a facade, and the real lethal blow was the seemingly harmless mushrooms!

It was like a Giant Dragon kidnapping a Princess, with the Prince chasing after on his white steed, overcoming trials and tribulations, and finally slaying the Dragon to bring back the Princess–everything seeming perfect. But who could expect that the Princess was actually a witch in disguise, that the Dragon was manipulated by the witch, waiting for the wedding night to stab the Prince with a dagger?

“This… isn’t following the usual pattern! This is really beyond the norm!”

“Such devious calculations, if it were anyone else, they would never realize they’d fallen victim, dying without understanding how!”

“Insidiousness taken to the extreme!”

As Richard pondered these thoughts, a fire ignited within him, sensing the immense malice of the tomb’s designer. But ultimately he strove to calm his emotions, taking multilayered cloth from the Space Iron Ring to fashion a makeshift mask over his nose and mouth, trying to prevent breathing in more of the airborne mushroom spores and reduce the infection of pathogens. Then he rapidly pondered the current situation and how to respond.

The first certainty was that he had been afflicted–he was infected by pathogens, originating from the spores of a certain mushroom in the Mushroom Forest he had encountered before.

Now, the pathogens had entered his lungs through his respiratory tract, causing pneumonia, with an onset so swift that even cyanide and other toxins would be embarrassed.

“If these spores could be preserved and later used as a Biological Weapon to silently attack enemies, that would be quite good. Of course, the current priority is saving his own life.”

How to save his own life?

Two choices.

The first choice, halt the exploration and immediately return to the laboratory to seek treatment.

The second choice, stay here, continue exploring, and try to find some kind of possible antidote. After all, with so many Beetles and scorpions living here unharmed by the threat of spore pathogens, there had to be a reason. If he finds this reason, the problem would be solved.

Which to choose?

As Richard was considering this, he suddenly heard the “whooshing” sound of the Mushroom Forest stirring, and a large number of Black Shadows surged out from the depths, charging en masse.

Getting closer and closer, Richard saw that it was indeed a formidable Insect Army!

He had already used the Greasy Swamp and Chain Explosions to annihilate a batch of the Insect Army, and now the second batch had emerged. Compared to the first batch, the new batch of Insect Army had shells not black, silver, or gold, but green, red, and purple.

Most of the Beetles were entirely green, a few had green shells with red stripes, even fewer were completely red, and an exceedingly small number were red and purple mixed.

“New Insect Swarm…” Richard muttered to himself, bending down as a heart-wrenching cough erupted, feeling a sharp pain distinctly in his lungs. In just a short time since the pathogen infection, his symptoms had already worsened threefold.

Richard clenched his fist, watching the thousands-strong Beetle Army approach, realizing there was only one choice he could make: to retreat to the laboratory.

The next moment, without hesitation, Richard turned and headed for the exit.

The second exploration, abandoned!