In the corridor filled with thick darkness, an unknown sound suddenly echoed. Filling the silence and resonating through the long corridors, the sound faded, but another followed. Around one of the many turns of this labyrinth, a bright light shone from the ceiling, as if daylight was illuminating the corridor through a hole. At one moment, an unknown shadow suddenly appeared on the floor. A few seconds later, a creature descended down a rope hanging by the wall. It stepped aside slightly, followed by more figures. When they had all descended, four figures stood visible.
«It's pretty damp here. I hope we don’t get sick,» said Angela as she approached Eliza, pressing against her. «But you'll heal us, right?» she added, hugging her.
«What’s with you all of a sudden?» Eliza asked in confusion, a slight blush appearing on her face.
Angela ignored the question, stood there for a moment, then let go and stepped away. Watching this, Frederick and I exchanged glances and silently agreed to move aside so as not to disturb these lovebirds.
«Where do you think you're going?» Eliza suddenly shouted in an irritated voice. «Are you abandoning me? Traitors!»
Frederick and I ignored her and moved a few meters away before stopping. We both began examining the corridor we had ended up in. The walls, floor, and even the ceiling were covered in numerous cracks, and in some places, the ancient tiles had crumbled, revealing the bricks beneath. Near the ceiling, large cobwebs were occasionally visible. The floor tiles were covered in a thick layer of dust, indicating that no one had been here for a long time.
«What do you think this place is?» he asked, continuing to examine the ancient walls.
«No idea. Maybe a tomb?» I speculated, stepping closer to the wall to feel the tiles.
«Quite possible,» Frederick agreed. «What’s on the wall? Did you find something?» he asked, approaching me.
«No, just wanted to check its texture,» I replied, reaching out to touch the wall.
As I touched it, I felt that it was cold and smooth, despite the numerous cracks and the passage of time, which had failed to destroy it.
«Surprisingly smooth, but nothing special,» I said, pulling my hand away and stepping back.
«Too bad... Not even any drawings or inscriptions,» Frederick noted, brushing dust off his hands after running them along the wall.
After standing there for a while, discussing theories about the origins of these catacombs, we decided to return to the girls and figure out our next course of action. By then, Angela had already calmed down and was simply chatting with Eliza. When they heard our approaching footsteps, they turned their heads toward us. Eliza's face showed slight annoyance at being left alone with Angela, though it seemed more like an act—she wasn’t truly upset. Angela, on the other hand, was in a good mood, practically radiating excitement—it was clear she couldn’t wait to start exploring.
Approaching them, we stopped in front of them.
«Did you start without us?» Angela was the first to speak.
«Just a little. We were only discussing what this place could be and checking out the structure of the walls,» Frederick replied.
«Hmm… Alright, I forgive you,» Angela said haughtily. But we knew she was just playing, so we continued the conversation without concern.
«Jokes aside, we have a lot of work ahead,» I said, pulling a cartosphere out of my backpack. «Let’s discuss our next steps.»
Everyone nodded in agreement. After glancing at my companions and hesitating for a moment, I stepped closer and activated the cartosphere. It was a three-dimensional, spherical map of the catacombs we were currently in. The catacombs consisted of long corridors, with occasional solitary rooms. There were also two corridors leading downward, dividing the entire structure into different levels. In total, there were three levels, but the access points to the lower ones were located in different places. The final descent led to an unknown section, which we planned to explore next time.
When the map was activated, I began:
«Right now, we’re here.» I pointed to a red dot in one of the upper corridors. «Our goal is to explore all the rooms and learn about the passage to Zone X.»
We had decided to call the unknown section "Zone X" not because it was necessary, but simply because the name sounded cooler.
«It's pretty straightforward, so there shouldn’t be any problems,» I added with a smirk. After all, our task wasn’t particularly difficult. «We’ll start our exploration along this path.»
I outlined the route we would take, ensuring we would check every room and notable place along the way.
Ten minutes later, we were ready to move forward. But first, we all needed some rest—we had been in the cave for too long. So we set off toward the first room we would encounter on our path.
Time passed slowly. As we walked down the corridor, we continued discussing the place and what we might find here. Everyone was especially curious about Zone X. We had come up with many theories about it—ranging from a forgotten tomb to an ancient laboratory where human experiments were conducted or where biological weapons were developed.
After about half an hour, we finally arrived.
We stood in a massive hall, several times larger than the corridor we had just exited. Another passage, identical to the one behind us, lay ahead. The hall was enormous, its ceiling supported by numerous columns that kept the structure from collapsing.
The massive columns were covered in intricate carvings forming various patterns. But after all these years, they had been significantly damaged, making it impossible to decipher their meaning. In the center of the hall stood a pedestal with shattered fragments of black stone. The only remaining parts were the outlines of feet, suggesting that a colossal statue once stood there. To the left of the former statue, against the wall, was a door—the very one we needed.
After inspecting the hall and our surroundings, we moved toward the center, closer to the obsidian-like debris.
«Frederick, could you chip off a piece of this stone, please?» Eliza asked, stepping closer to the statue’s remains.
«Alright, I’ll do it now,» he replied, pulling out the necessary tools and starting to break off a small fragment.
«Who do you think this statue was supposed to represent?» I asked, knowing no one could give a definitive answer.
«Who knows? Maybe the creator of these catacombs?» Eliza suggested as she took a piece of the stone Frederick had chipped off. «It's cold and kind of... rough?»
«Seriously?» Angela asked, taking the fragment from her. «You're right, it’s an interesting material. But since Frederick broke it so easily, it must not be very strong,» she added, passing it to me.
After each of us examined the unusual material, Eliza placed it in a special small container designed to protect such items from accidental damage.
While she packed the container back into her backpack, I looked at the door leading to the first room we had encountered. The anticipation made me eager to see what lay beyond.
After a few more minutes of studying the columns and debris, we finally decided to find out what was behind the nearby door.
As we approached, we began inspecting it. The massive door loomed before us, seemingly grown out of the wall. It was made of the same stone as the catacombs themselves. Its rough surface fit tightly into the stone frame, with ornate carvings adorning its edges, now covered in centuries of dust.
«Wow, it's huge,» Angela said.
"I agree, but from a distance, it looked smaller," I added.
Standing in front of the door, we admired the structure—it truly looked majestic. After standing like that for a couple of seconds, we exchanged glances, and then I approached the door to open it.
"Krgh!" — A faint grinding of stone was heard.
"Wilmar, what are you doing?" — Eliza suddenly asked, watching as I struggled with all my strength to open this grand door.
After trying for a few more seconds, I stopped to catch my breath. It was incredibly heavy, and I had only managed to move it slightly. And I wasn’t exactly a weak guy—I could even compete with Frederick, though he was still stronger than me.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
"Hah... Frederick, help me, this door is insanely heavy," I said, slightly out of breath.
"Alright," he replied and stepped up beside me. Preparing himself, he said:
"Let's do this!"
"Kragh!" — The grinding sound echoed again, but louder this time.
Pushing together, we slowly opened the passage. But even working as a team, it was extremely difficult. At one point, we had to stop to catch our breath. The gap between the wall and the door was now just wide enough for Angela to squeeze through.
"Damn, this is really tough. Too bad Clime isn’t here," said Frederick, slightly out of breath.
"Yeah, it's a shame he's not," I agreed. "Only Angela could fit through this gap."
"I think I could squeeze through too," said Eliza.
"Nope, you wouldn’t fit. Your figure wouldn’t allow it," I replied.
At that moment, completely unexpectedly, I received a smack on the back of my head from Angela. Squatting down from the sudden hit, I looked at her to understand what I had done to deserve it.
"You've lost your mind, haven’t you? Are you saying I’m flat and have a bad figure?" — Angela shouted at me. Her voice was full of both offense and anger, caused by my words.
"Well... it's kind of true," said Frederick—and immediately received a smack just like I did.
"I'm not flat at all! Yeah, it's not as big as Eliza's, but it's not flat!" — Angela continued, now sounding even angrier.
Her face turned red as she walked away toward Eliza, not looking at us even once after that.
"You two are terrible. Hurting her feelings like that takes real skill," Eliza said, shaking her head with her eyes closed.
After her words, we apologized to Angela and tried to make peace, but it didn’t work. And Eliza was right—it was really hard to offend her. Yet we somehow managed to do it so easily, even though it was an accident and we didn’t mean to.
After a few more failed attempts to make amends, we decided to open the door completely.
After a whole minute of effort, we finally managed to open it wide enough to enter without any problems, though we still couldn’t open it fully.
Once inside, we found ourselves in a rather spacious room. The sight before us made us freeze in amazement.
Directly opposite the entrance, against the wall, a large number of weapons lay on a special rack. It wasn’t any kind of firearm—there were swords, axes, bows, and similar weapons—all things that were completely out of place in our era.
To the left, directly in the wall, there were recesses holding something covered in old fabric, emitting a faint, unpleasant smell.
To the right, there were about a dozen objects resembling stone bunk beds. Near them, the wall also had recesses, but these were empty. Some of the bunk beds had been broken by the merciless passage of time.
Between the stands and the bed-like structures stood a small fountain, placed close to the wall, in which there was a small opening. Most likely, there used to be water there, which was drunk by those who lived here.
The walls, floor, and ceiling, like in the other parts of the catacombs, were covered in cracks and cobwebs. In the center of the ceiling, there were several crystals that had lost their color, surrounded by carved patterns forming a sort of circle, inside which these crystals were placed.
" What the…?" I muttered in confusion, shocked by the sight.
" Swords? No one has used them for more than eight hundred years." Eliza said, just as astonished as we were. " Just how ancient is this place?" she added.
Such ancient weaponry was indeed a rarity, especially ones that had been lying around for hundreds of years. While it was possible to create replicas in our time, they would never surpass the original of a past era. The reason for this was the ancient metal, which could no longer be found anywhere.
Old metal differs from modern ones in that its strength is comparable to diamonds, and its sharpness allows it to cut through concrete blocks like butter. However, such weapons are extremely rare. But there is also a problem: during the blade processing, there is a very high risk of breakage. Once destroyed, the metal completely loses its properties and cannot be restored. That is why the amount of processed metal is extremely limited, and its price reaches hundreds of millions.
To this day, no one has found a way to restore ancient weapons to their former state without the risk of destruction. Moreover, even the causes of their fragility, despite their incredible durability, remain unstudied. The main theory suggests a lack of proper tools and knowledge of the correct processing method, but these are merely assumptions.
" Just this amount alone is worth almost a billion." Frederick said, quickly estimating the average value of our find.
" Indeed." I agreed with him. " If we manage to process even a small part of it, it will bring billions."
At that moment, we were filled with excitement: the treasure we had found promised enormous opportunities since part of the profit would go to us as well.
" On the way back, we should take one piece and give it to Claime so he can appraise its value." I suggested, stepping closer to examine the weapons.
The others agreed with my proposal and decided to inspect the find as well. When we were done, we finally decided to rest.
Choosing a bed-like structure and laying out our sleeping bags, we settled down for the night. While Eliza and Frederick chose simple beds, Angela and I decided to lie on the upper levels of the bunk beds. We were curious whether they would hold us or collapse, but nothing happened during the night.
Waking up, we sat and had a peaceful breakfast, chatting about everyday topics. But at some point, I remembered those very openings where something was lying. Finishing my meal, I got up and approached the wall. Without any hesitation, I removed the cloth from one of the objects, but I immediately covered it back up and stepped away.
" What happened? What is it?" Frederick asked, noticing my reaction.
" It's something I completely didn't expect to see." I said.
" And what is that?" Eliza asked curiously.
" A corpse. Or to be more precise, a mummy." I answered.
After my words, everyone froze, putting their food aside. Moving closer, we started checking the other openings. Under each cloth lay human mummies, from which that very unpleasant smell emanated. What we saw only confirmed the theory that this place could have been a tomb. Otherwise, why else would human remains be stored here?
However, we didn’t linger to study the bodies—it wasn’t our job, and we had no knowledge in this area. After a quick examination, we finished our meal and, gathering our things, continued our journey.
As we moved further down the corridors, we found nothing of interest. The rooms along the way also contained nothing remarkable. We came across sleeping quarters, a room with large tables, and a storage area, which, unfortunately, was empty. One of the most interesting rooms seemed to be where, judging by the remains, mummification had taken place, and one room was completely blocked off by debris.
After about three hours of travel, we reached the descent to the next floor. It was a very long, stepped staircase. Climbing back up would be equivalent to torture. Frederick even joked that these stairs were probably the cause of death for the mummies.
" Damn… Well then, let’s go." Eliza said, taking the first step downward.
" I just hope I can make it back up alive." Frederick muttered.
" Don’t forget, we still have to go one floor lower after this." I reminded them as I started descending after them.
After my words, everyone's enthusiasm slightly diminished, as we had yet another descent ahead of us. Going down didn't take too long—about ten minutes, which would become a real challenge on the way back up.
Reaching the bottom, we found another corridor similar to the one above. As we walked through the second floor, we found nothing—the layout was identical to the upper level. After some time, we began approaching the center of the floor, and turning the next corner, we saw a passage leading into a more spacious hall in the distance.
Stepping inside, we found ourselves in a vast chamber, so large that its edges were not even visible. In front of us was a staircase that led further down the slope, and on its sides were large slabs made of the same material as everything else here. They created a resemblance to seating areas, similar to those in a theater.
" I wonder what kind of place this is?" Frederick muttered.
" We need to get to the other side, right?" Eliza asked me.
" That’s right, the path continues exactly on the opposite side." I replied, checking the map sphere.
At that moment, I glanced at Angela, whose eyes were burning with a passionate curiosity for the unknown.
"Since that incident, she hasn’t said a single word. I must have really hurt her feelings. When we return, I’ll make something sweet for her."
Lost in these thoughts, I returned to reality and, after a short pause, started walking forward.
" Let’s keep moving. No point in just standing here." I said.
The others silently agreed and followed me. As we descended, everyone continued examining the surroundings. The entire setting truly resembled a theater: in front of the slabs was a small open space, and beyond it were other slabs, slightly lower, forming rows for viewing whatever was presented below.
Once at the bottom, we stepped onto a massive platform, which turned out to be the center of the arena, surrounded by the seating areas. Suddenly, our attention was drawn to the floor beneath us.
" Is that… dried blood?" Eliza asked in confusion, stepping slightly away from the ground.
" Looks like it." Angela unexpectedly said. " The stones are completely soaked in it." she added.
Angela was right—judging by everything, so much blood had once been spilled here that the stone floor had taken on a crimson hue. Moreover, the air carried a faint scent of blood, and when inhaling, there was a slight but distinct taste of metal.
" Stands, a blood-soaked central platform, as well as numerous weapons and mummies. Could it be that we are in an arena?" Angela speculated, her voice becoming quieter as she processed her own words.
"The arena? But why is it underground, in the middle of some labyrinth?" Frederick asked in confusion.
His words made sense—why build an arena, which is usually located on the surface and likely used for ancient entertainment, underground? As we examined the entire area, we realized that it was completely crimson. This meant that hundreds, if not thousands, of people had died here. But we found no records or hidden rooms. The only thing we discovered was a few chambers beneath the stands, where gladiators had likely prepared before a fight. We also reached the passage leading forward and decided not to linger here for too long but to keep moving.
We chose to set this topic aside for later and discuss it with Clyme and John, as they knew a lot about such things and could answer our questions. After a few more hours, we reached the next descent to the final floor, beyond which lay Zone X. Not far from the staircase, there was a small empty room where we stopped to rest, planning to move forward the next morning.
In the morning, after having breakfast, we set out to explore the third floor. But what awaited us was only disappointment. There was absolutely nothing here—not even furnished rooms, while we had expected something at least as significant as the previous two floors. The only place we were eager to see was the entrance to Zone X, and after two hours, we finally reached it.
What we saw was completely unexpected. One of the problems was the lack of the necessary equipment to proceed further. After examining the area, we found no alternative ways forward, so after an hour, we turned back.
On our way back, we took a dagger with us and even found a sheath for it. It was strange, however, that all the weapons had initially been unsheathed, but we left that question for later. Once we reached the cave and passed through the thickets, I contacted John to inform him that we were returning. Communication was only possible closer to the surface; in the catacombs, it was impossible. However, in case of an impending earthquake, we had a device that allowed John to alert us with sound signals.
The journey back took two days and a few extra hours, meaning that next time, we would need to take far more supplies to avoid issues caused by the extended duration of our expedition. The next descent could take several months, so we needed to prepare much more thoroughly.