Chapter 487: Arrived.
[Choir Bell Charm]
That was the bell Thoren took out, his last lifeline, and if this failed to work...
He was doomed.
Ting!
The eerie sound of the Choir Bell Charm reverberated through the narrow tunnel. It wasn’t loud, nor was it earthshaking.
The tunnel remained unchanged.
Yet the same could not be said for the rapidly approaching tiny scorpions and horn lizards.
The soft chime of the Choir Bell Charm was like a massive sledgehammer slamming directly into the souls of the tiny scorpions and Horn Lizards.
They froze.
Their bodies spasmed continuously as though they had suddenly lost control of themselves.
Those clinging to the ceiling lost their grip and fell like raindrops onto the ground, creating an endless shower of tiny bodies.
As for those on the walls, they crashed down one after another, tumbling toward the tunnel floor in complete disorder.
The scene was so creepy that it made even Thoren’s scalp tingle.
A deep breath escaped from his lips as he watched the scene around him, silently thankful that his final trump card had not disappointed him.
Just as he thought the tiny creatures would remain down...
They began to move once again.
’T-This...’
’How could this be?’
Even though the Choir Bell Charm was a Low Bronze Grade Soul Equipment, he had expected it to at least render them unconscious for a short period of time.
But now, he realized he had underestimated the soul power of the tiny scorpions and horn lizards.
Their resistance was far stronger than he had imagined.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
Without hesitation, he shook the Choir Bell Charm continuously.
If ringing it once was not enough to force them back or make them unconscious...
Then he would continue ringing it.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The clear chimes continuously echoed throughout the tunnel, colliding with the shrill cries of the countless tiny creatures.
And truly, it worked.
Shriek! Shriek!
Many tiny scorpions and Horn Lizards shrieked as though suffering unbearable pain.
Their bodies convulsed violently while an unknown dark liquid slowly seeped from their tiny mouths.
Some rolled helplessly across the ground while others curled into balls while twitching violently.
Watching the scene, Thoren did not hesitate and immediately took a step forward.
Thud! Thud!
He stepped directly onto the tiny creatures, expecting them to be crushed into pieces beneath his boots.
But to his shock, they were as hard as stone.
Not a single one shattered. Instead, they effortlessly bore his weight without showing the slightest sign of being crushed.
’How is this possible?!’ He screamed inwardly.
This had gone far beyond anything he could wrap his head around. Tiny creatures, possessing bodies capable of withstanding his weight without any visible damage.
The thought alone was absurd.
Without hesitation, he broke into a sprint while continuously ringing the Choir Bell Charm.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
The crisp chimes repeatedly echoed throughout the tunnel, forcing the swarms to continuously convulse while creating a temporary opening before him.
With the Soul Lantern floating above him, he could now see much deeper into the tunnel than before.
The darkness that had concealed everything moments ago no longer existed.
And thus...
He finally saw where the tiny creatures came from.
Those that were not heavily affected by the Choir Bell Charm struggled desperately to crawl back toward their hiding places.
The strange, hard walls made from the unknown material.
Miraculously, when they reached a portion of the wall, their bodies blended into the wall and vanished without leaving behind the slightest trace.
It was as if they had become part of the wall itself.
Watching the bizarre scene, Thoren’s jaw dropped as he failed to wrap his head around how this was possible.
Even with everything he had witnessed since entering the Abyss, such a phenomenon completely exceeded his understanding.
Even though he could not understand how the tiny creatures could enter the wall, his speed did not decrease, nor did the ringing of the bell slow down.
Ting! Ting! Ting!
The crisp chimes continued to echo throughout the tunnel, forcing the remaining tiny scorpions and horn lizards to retreat toward the strange walls while convulsing violently.
"So many?!"
To his shock, the territory of the tiny creatures stretched for close to a kilometer.
Everywhere he passed, dense packs of the tiny creatures blended into the walls the moment they heard the Choir Bell Charm, disappearing as though they had never existed.
The farther he ran, the more unbelievable the scene became. Every few meters, another countless swarm vanished into the walls.
It was as though the wall itself was alive.
After traveling more than a kilometer, he noticed the number of the tiny creatures was gradually reducing, allowing portions of the tunnel floor to become visible once more.
Bones.
Scorpion Clan skeletons.
Unlike before, these bones possessed the distinct features of Scorpion Beastmen. Their broken carapaces, long tails, and shattered claws littered the ground in shocking numbers.
"This should be the safe area," Thoren mused as he passed the last section of the tiny creatures’ territory.
Crunch! Crunch!
The sound of bones being crushed into dust echoed in his ears, but this time they sounded like heavenly music that pleased his heart.
Compared to the soul rending shrieks of the tiny creatures, he would much rather hear the crunching sound of old bones beneath his boots.
After passing the tiny creatures’ territory by a couple of dozen meters, he halted his tracks and slowly turned around.
To his shock, the tunnel walls had returned to their original smooth appearance.
No signs anything had ever hidden inside them. Everything looked exactly as it had before he summoned the Soul Lantern.
The horrifying swarm had completely vanished.
’Scary...’
He shook his head and decided not to think about it any longer.
Now that he had passed their territory, he did not want to dwell on such terrifying thoughts. Some mysteries were better left untouched.
Resuming his journey, his steps became quicker and lighter.
Gone was his casual attitude.
The earlier encounter had completely erased whatever complacency remained inside him.
With the Choir Bell Charm firmly in his hand and the Soul Lantern floating above him, a sense of security washed over him.
If another trap appeared again, he would at least be able to detect it beforehand and react immediately instead of being caught completely off guard.
Fortunately, the journey became peaceful.
After the area filled with the Scorpion Clan bones, he returned to the hard stone floor covered in thick layers of dust and ancient cobwebs.
No bones.
No tiny creatures.
Only silence.
An oppressive silence that made every of his footsteps echo throughout the tunnel.
"I’ve arrived," he whispered.
Through the mental link shared by the undead Echo Scarabs, he had already detected movement coming from somewhere above in the distance.
More importantly, a hazy brightness appeared ahead, faintly illuminating the end of the tunnel.
That alone was enough to tell him everything he needed to know and without hesitation, he summoned the Undead Kharv and the Undead General.