On the ground, large crimson scorpions moved slowly, their tails raised, their bodies blending into the stone until they shifted.

And above them, shapes moved along the ceiling.

Bats. They weren’t small either.

"Focus on finding the exit," Ye Chen said, already reloading his pistol. "I’ll handle these."

Lu Shixun didn’t argue. He turned his attention back to the maze, forcing himself to ignore everything else.

The first attack came from above.

A bat swooped down silently.

*Bang!*

Ye Chen shot it mid-air.

It dropped instantly.

Another came from the side.

He stepped back and fired again.

At the same time, a scorpion lunged forward from the ground.

He kicked it aside before it could reach him, then finished it with another shot.

"Brother Ye, here!" Lu Shixun shouted.

Ye Chen was wary of the attacks, as the back in the direction Lu Shixun pointed.

The attacks didn’t stop.

They came from different angles—above, below, and behind.

Ye Chen kept moving while following Lu Shixun’s directions and adjusting his position constantly.

His shots were precise and efficient. Only killing the ones that could give a problem or were an obstacle on their route.

He didn’t dare waste bullets on them.

Still, there were too many.

And unlike the corpses, these creatures didn’t rely on strength. They relied on timing. Ambush. Sneak attacks.

Several times, attacks came from his blind spots, forcing him to react at the last second.

His focus couldn’t drop even for a moment. As he had to protect Lu Shixun at the same time.

"Almost there," Lu Shixun said after what felt like a long stretch of time.

Ye Chen didn’t respond, but he stayed close. He didn’t know how many turns they had taken.

He didn’t understand how Shixun could even tell the difference. To him, everywhere was the same. Same routes and tunnels.

Fortunately, after about fifteen minutes, they finally found the exit of the maze.

They stepped into a larger space.

The sudden openness felt strange after the confined paths.

"Is this it?" Ye Chen asked, glancing around. "The final room?"

He checked his weapon briefly. "I only have one magazine left. If we get surrounded again, we might have to rely on our hands."

Lu Shixun’s expression became tense. He regretted not carrying more magazines.

Never had he expected this tomb exploration to be so dangerous. All his experiences combined are not as dangerous as this one.

Too bad, they have no chance of turning back now. The only way to survive is to hope that the legendary treasure is real and can help them gain powerful strength. Otherwise, this tomb might as well be their grave too.

He looked around carefully, then, with a disappointed expression, he shook his head and answered Ye Chen’s question. "No... this doesn’t look like a burial chamber."

The area was empty. Except for the stone tower that stood in the centre. There was nothing else here.

"No, then where’s the exit?" Ye Chen frowned.

"There has to be one," Lu Shixun said. "Let’s look."

Ye Chen nodded.

They began searching the area together, but the search led nowhere.

Ye Chen stood still for a moment, his brows slightly furrowed. Then he raised his head and looked at the ceiling again. Something about it didn’t sit right with him.

"Shixun," he said, "do you think the final room could be above us?"

"Above?" Lu Shixun followed his gaze and looked up carefully. After a second, he nodded. "It’s possible. Tombs don’t always follow a straight layout."

He stepped closer to the stone tower in the centre. "Let me check. I’m better at climbing."

"Alright," Ye Chen said without hesitation.

Lu Shixun moved quickly. Despite the tension, this was still within his area of experience. He climbed along the stone structure, using cracks and uneven surfaces to pull himself upward.

When he reached near the top, he saw it.

A narrow opening in the ceiling, just above the tower.

His eyes lit up.

"Brother Ye!" he called out, turning back. "Come up! I found—"

"SHIXUN! GET AWAY FROM THERE! NOW!"

The sudden shout cut him off. It carried urgency and danger.

Lu Shixun’s body stiffened.

He didn’t need to think. The chill that ran down his spine was enough to tell him that something was very wrong.

But he reacted too late.

Behind him, something moved.

A massive python lunged forward without warning.

It wrapped around him instantly.

"Ah—!"

The force knocked the breath out of him. Before he could react, his body was already pinned tightly.

"Shit!" Ye Chen cursed.

He raised his gun and fired without hesitation.

*Bang!*

The bullet hit the python’s head.

But it only left a shallow wound.

The python didn’t loosen its grip.

Instead, it tightened.

Lu Shixun’s body was squeezed harder.

*Crack.*

The sound was clear.

"AAHH—!"

His scream echoed through the chamber, raw and agonising.

Several of his ribs broke under the pressure. The force didn’t stop there. The broken bone fragments pressed inward, piercing into his lungs.

His breathing turned uneven instantly.

It was short and shallow. Most of all, painful.

Blood rose in his throat, and every attempt to inhale felt like a sharp knife tearing something inside him.

"Damn it!" Ye Chen fired again.

*Bang! Bang!*

The bullets hit, but the result didn’t change.

The python only grew more agitated. Its eyes locked onto Ye Chen with a cold, hostile glare, as if marking him as the next target.

Ye Chen’s jaw tightened.

He checked his gun.

Two bullets were left.

He stopped firing.

Shooting blindly wasn’t helping. If he wasted the last shots, they would have nothing left, and Shixun would definitely die.

His eyes moved quickly, searching for an opening.

Above him, Lu Shixun’s struggle was weakening.

His arms hung uselessly. His body trembled slightly, then slowed.

He was losing strength fast.

If this continued, he wouldn’t last much longer.

The python seemed to sense it, too.

Its grip tightened once more, then slightly relaxed.

The head moved forward.

Its mouth opened wide, slowly.

The python was ready to swallow its prey.