Everyone huddled around the passage, regarding it with skepticism. The remaining sewer rats and slimes were dealt with, other than the one that escaped from Tyrus's grasp. Defeating it crossed his mind, but a part of him wondered where it was retreating to and where exactly it came from.

Now, he wasn't an expert on creatures like slimes since he had no clue how they reproduced. Were they born naturally like any other animal or were they born from something else? What sort of habitat do they frequent as well? He figured they had to come from somewhere, but that wasn't all that important. What was important was figuring out why there was the stench of corpses beyond the passage. It was emanating a creepy energy, one that instantly put him on edge. His heart pounded the longer he stared, and for a moment, he thought he saw spectral hands reach out. He rubbed his eyes, only finding it was a false alarm.

Fiona's fingers ran across her chin as she frowned. "Arach? Can you come down here, please?"

Arach, who was still cleaning away gunk off the walls, heard his name being called and immediately flew over. He hovered near the crevice, and his stubby fingers rhythmically clacked against each other, as if nervous.

"I see that you've noticed the breach," he said, sneaking glances at the hole.

"What's the deal with that?" Fiona asked. "That cannot be safe to have around."

The Subterranean nodded feverishly. "It hasn't been long since this hole was dug by a thastilitha—a cave worm, in your language. The cave worm must've been attracted to the sounds made by the sewers and dug its way toward the source. Noticing that there was nothing to eat and thus a fruitless endeavor, decided to dig its way elsewhere."

Igneal snorted. "And how are you sure it was a cave worm, bug creature? What if it was you and your brethren instead?"

Arach regarded him coldly, taking a few moments to respond. "Because I know what goes on in a cave worms mind, land dweller. Thastilitha are Subterraneans as well, so it's natural for me to know of their habits and lifestyle. Only a thastilitha could make tunnels this perfect. Besides, my people are well aware of what to do in order to avoid problems with land dwellers. We do not act out of line or else we risk punishment. Do not think of us as mindless drones."

"I don't like your tone," Igneal snarled, stepping forward. "Addressing a Lockhart with blatant disrespect leads to your head getting lopped off its shoulders. Do you have a death wish, you filthy—"

Fiona stepped between the two and gave an awkward chuckle. "Woah there! Let's take about five steps back, okay? All this needless tension will get us nowhere. Arach, you said a cave worm dug this hole, correct? How come it hasn't been patched up yet?"

"We have informed our superiors, and they should arrive later in the day to inspect the damage," Arach explained. "In the meantime, we have been using what little materials we have to block the hole, yet our efforts were futile. The rats would chew through them, and the slimes would secrete acid and eventually create an opening."

"That is a problem," Grant said. "Have you explored it yet?"

Arach shook his head. "Too dangerous. Also, we are obligated to remain within Valis or else a punishment is in order. Since we are content with our lives here, we refrain from stepping too far beyond the sewers. It is highly likely that the cave worm has made tunnels that travel out of the city."

Fiona's expression turned into a frown. "So, if you dare to set foot outside of Valis, there will be consequences? And you're actually okay with living this way? I would have thought that you would desire some more freedom down here, considering what you shared with us."

"His Majesty is well aware of our predicament and has taken decisions that we have all consented to. We have absolutely no inclination to venture above ground, and even fewer motives to abandon the secure confines of the sewers. We, as Subterraneans, are fully aware of the perils that lurk in the underground. The creatures that inhabit these depths are far more formidable than one may imagine."

"...I still think being cooped up in here isn't good for you," she said solemnly. Sadness flashed across her features, and her hand clenched into a fist before letting out a deep sigh.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Igneal said, catching everyone's attention. "This obviously poses a security risk for Valis. It's only natural for an explorer to investigate, is it not? Furthermore, there may be more rats and slimes that should be dealt with permanently. This is an extermination contract, and the job isn't finished."

Reo chuckled. "Quite funny that the guy who was pissing his pants earlier against giant rats would want to continue."

"I'd advise you to show respect to your superiors, commoner. It'd be a shame if your lips were to be melted shut."

"Then I'd have to talk out my ass, and you wouldn't want to see that, Lord Igneal."

"Was that supposed to be a joke?"

Before Reo could reply, Fiona snapped her fingers with an agitated look. "Can't you guys focus for one damn minute? It's like I'm dealing with a bunch of children here. Reo, please do me the favor and refrain from your usual antics. As for Igneal, quit calling your teammates commoners. Like I said earlier, everyone is equal here, and I mean everyone."

The two fell into silence, their faces twisted with discontent as they gazed in completely different directions. As the room grew hushed, Tyrus thought it seemed like the perfect moment to reveal his discovery to the rest of them, especially since no one else had brought it up.

"It stinks," Tyrus said, pointing at the hole. "But nothing like the sewer. It's hard to make out, but I think I smell carcasses in there. And judging by the strength of the stench, they've been dead for a while."

"It might be more rats," Fiona pointed out, calmly approaching the crevice. "It's not uncommon for them to cannibilize each other if there aren't any food sources readily available. And with an entrance to the sewers here, it makes sense they would invade."

"I was thinking the same as well," Grant said. "As Lord Igneal said, we are conducting an extermination contract, and it would make sense to nip the problem in the bud. We cannot allow the rats to multiply further and somehow reach the surface. Rats as big as hogs would surely cause damage in the capitals infrastructure and to the people."

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Fiona nodded. "Okay, let's take a vote. Raise your hand if we should continue further into the unknown crevice? Keep your hand down if we should go back up and let the guild handle things from here?'

Almost immediately, everyone in the group raised their hands.

"Looks like everyone agrees. Tyrus, do you feel anything else with your... beastly senses?"

Tyrus considered bringing up the spectral hands, but dismissed it as a figment of his imagination. Even though he was physically fine, he suspected that his adventure in the Wasteful Wetlands had taken a toll on his mind. It was best to keep this strange experience to himself, to avoid receiving strange glances from the rest of the group.

When he shook his head, Fiona shrugged. She stepped toward the dark tunnel and lifted her staff. A rush of mana formed at the tip of her staff, and a golden ball of light emerged. Tyrus wasn't aware that Fiona was capable of silent casting. Most of the magic she used was through the use of incantations. Then again, there was much he didn't know about.

That means she has fire, water, and light unlocked. What else does she have?

"Well, then we shouldn't delay any longer. Grant, you take the front with me while the others stick behind us. We'll be entering a tunnel, so we'll have to watch our fronts and backs."

Without a word, Grant strode forward, shield up front and sword idly at his side. The orb of light moved away from Fiona's staff and leveled itself above Grant's head, serving as a moving beacon of light. Once the spell was settled, everyone entered the now illuminated tunnel one by one.

***

Before them lay a tunnel, its ceiling modestly low. Grant, being tall, would struggle to scrape his middle finger against the smooth earth even if he stood on his toes. Despite the height, the tunnel was spacious enough for three people to walk side by side. Tyrus wondered about the immense size and strength of these cave worms. Burrowing through solid earth was impressive, but carving out tunnels of such width was a whole different level.

They followed the trail left by the slime, the footsteps crunched against the flat dirt, creating a sound reminiscent of cracking open nuts in an empty room. Their shadows danced along the walls as they ventured deeper into the cave, accompanied by the soft glow of a hovering light spell. The smell of death grew stronger, even though they had encountered no carcasses. Tyrus couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that had surrounded him, which now transformed into cold chills running down his spine. Although the cave itself was warm, his coat offered no defense against this bone-chilling sensation. Was it really just nerves, or something else entirely?

To set aside his worries, Tyrus thought of something else instead. Once again, he wound up underground, traveling through an unknown tunnel to gods knows where. This is like, what, the third time this has happened? He lost count at this point. It'd be funny if he wasn't on edge at the moment.

"What are you hiding?" someone mumbled nearby.

Tyrus jumped and whipped his head around, only to see Igneal staring deep into his face with a frown.

"Don't do that!" Tyrus hissed, keeping his volume low. "You can't just scare someone like that out of nowhere."

Igneal ignored his plea and continued. "You noticed something else, didn't you? Knowing you, there's another piece of information you're withholding. As if I'd only believe you only smell carcasses."

"It's nothing," Tyrus said, this time more firmly. "Obviously, I can't see that far ahead in the darkness, and the sewer smell is still lingering. What more do you want from me?"

He stared him down some more before shrugging. "I'd be a fool to doubt your senses, and an idiot to expect less of them. But tell me, do you not feel that something is off? As if an unknown force is rubbing against your neck with cold, pale hands?"

"...You feel that too? I thought it was just me being nervous."

Igneal averted his gaze and looked forward, staring at the ball of light. "The Lethos Empire is not only an empire that measures their time in centuries, but the largest across Dharmere. Naturally, to amass land that stretches from the Northern Mountains to the High Plateau past Wildwood, Lethos had to defeat their many neighbors in what was The Grand Conquest. A large-scale war waged by the previous emperors."

Tyrus pressed his lips and said, "What does that have to do with the now?"

He let out a sigh before explaining, "Let me simplify it for you. In times of war, death inevitably follows. Typically, soldiers would burn bodies instead of burying them, as it was faster. However, Emperor Alvis found this practice distasteful and disrespectful to the deceased. Back when Valis was just a small town, he commanded his forces to dig a massive grave beneath it, a resting place for the hundreds of fallen soldiers. He believed that only the bravest men, those willing to sacrifice their lives for conquest, deserved the honor of being a part of a grand history."

"So, the stench I smell might be from that same grave?" Tyrus asked.

Igneal nodded in agreement. "Father refers to it as the Imperial Catacombs. It served as the burial ground for not only soldiers in Emperor Alvis' army but also past members of the Imperial Family and court. It's divided into two levels. The remaining details are likely kept exclusively for the Family Head."

"So that means we might be intruding on somewhere really important!? I think we should turn back and—"

"Why are you guys so far back?" Fiona said up ahead. "We have a tiny problem on our hands."

A tiny problem was an understatement. After trudging along the narrow path nonstop for around seven minutes, they came across a section with even more tunnels, about five of them in total, and each one the same size as the first.

"Okay, what now?" Reo asked.

Everyone turned to Tyrus, looking at him with expected gazes. He nervously swallowed and observed his surroundings, attempting to listen and smell for clues. There two tunnels to the left, one in front of them that continued going straight, and two to their right. Tyrus noticed that on their leftside, there was green ooze speckled across one of the tunnels, and the stench of carcasses the strongest. He pointed at that direction, and with a thank you by Fiona, continued forward. At around the same amount of time did they finally reach an area that seemed promising.

What used to be a dirt trail was replaced by uneven stone stairs descending toward a wheel-shaped door. Decorating the walls were symbols that were worn down and eroded over time. The door was different in that regard, as what was carved in the middle were dual sword in the middle of a clash. A large gash cut down the middle.

"That is Lethos' emblem," Grant said. "What's that doing here?"

Fiona waved her staff around, shining light around the area. "I don't see any levers or pulleys or anything that could possibly be a means for it to open. Any bright ideas here?"

Reo and Grant approached the structure and tried pushing the doors to see if they'd open by their own force, even activating augmentation, but nothing happened. They even tried tapping their blades against it, but were unsuccessful.

"Well, this is stupid," Reo grumbled. "I don't know about you guys, but we're probably not meant to enter. Beyond that door might be some place reserved for the Imperial Family."

Fiona tapped her chin. "Are you sure? Wouldn't a special place like that be under the palace, or at least somewhere nearby? We're pretty far away from it, unless this is some secret passage to a treasure vault or something."

Tyrus glanced at Igneal, expecting him to speak up about the catacombs, but the Lockhart simply sat by, watching with a smile. Tyrus could more or less guess that Igneal was enjoying them contemplate, happy that he was one of the few to know what the place actually is.

"Let's try opening it one more time, but with Tyrus this time," Fiona suggested. "Surely three Augmentation Sorcerers can do it."

The three of them did what was asked and approached the door once more. With every step that Tyrus took, the dread that flooded his body intensified, almost like invisible fingers were threatening to grab his legs and pull him. He tried his best to shake the eeriness that encased his bones and focused instead on pushing. Yet as soon as his fingers touched the cold stone, the ring on his finger began to glow a dark green.

His heartbeat pounded while the stone door rumbled. Cracked and jagged pieces of earth violently dug out, splintering outwards. Soon, an entrance appeared, and a cold draft swept across his face. Beside him, his companions stared slack-jawed at his ring.Tyrus then realized he never told them about how he got it in the first place.

This was going to take a while to explain...