Chapter 18
No one knew how long they had slept.
There was no sunrise beneath the mountain.
No shifting light.
No passing shadows.
Only the endless pulse of silver veins running through the walls of the royal tomb.
Then—
A scream.
It tore through the silence with such force that every investigator shot awake.
Another followed.
Then another.
Within seconds, thousands of piercing screams erupted together, echoing through the ancient corridors until the entire mountain seemed alive with voices.
Several investigators reached for their weapons before they were fully standing.
The little black puppy sprang to its feet, its silver eyes narrowing toward the darkness ahead.
Saeroyx was already awake.
“…That isn’t one person.”
Kyrth’s expression hardened as another wave of screams rolled through the tomb.
“It sounds like…”
He stopped.
There was no comparison.
It sounded like thousands of people crying out at the same time.
Some screamed in agony.
Others in terror.
Some sounded so distant they were barely audible, while others seemed close enough to be standing beside them.
Yet…
The corridor remained empty.
No footsteps followed.
No shadows moved.
Only the cries continued, rising and falling like waves against the stone.
“Formation.”
Kyrth’s voice immediately steadied the others.
The investigators instinctively gathered together.
Weapons were drawn.
Every lantern was lit.
No one spoke above a whisper.
They followed the direction from which the screams seemed strongest.
The farther they walked…
The louder the voices became.
The royal tomb itself seemed to change.
The walls widened.
The pillars became fewer.
The silver light grew brighter until it almost resembled daylight.
Then, as they rounded a final corner…
Every member of the group stopped.
Before them stretched an enormous circular chamber.
Hundreds…
No.
Thousands of transparent crystal-like structures stood in perfect rows across the vast hall.
Each one rose taller than a man.
Each contained a perfectly preserved body.
Kings.
Queens.
Princes.
Princesses.
Generals.
Scholars.
Every figure wore magnificent ceremonial robes untouched by time.
Their faces looked as though they had merely fallen asleep.
Not a single sign of decay remained.
One investigator whispered,
“…They’re still alive.”
“No.”
Kyrth stepped forward slowly.
“They’re dead.”
He approached the nearest transparent coffin, studying the strange material surrounding it.
His fingers hovered over its smooth surface without touching it.
Recognition appeared in his eyes.
“…Aurelite.”
Several investigators looked toward him.
“You know this?”
Kyrth nodded.
“I’ve only read about it.”
“It no longer exists.”
He continued examining the crystal.
“In ancient civilizations, Aurelite began as a soft mineral.”
“Over decades…”
“It hardened into something stronger than nearly every known metal.”
“It was originally used to preserve food during long expeditions.”
“Later…”
“Its properties were discovered to preserve organic matter almost perfectly.”
His gaze slowly swept across the endless chamber.
“Eventually…”
“It became a material reserved almost exclusively for royal burials.”
“To preserve the appearance of kings and queens for eternity.”
Silence settled once more.
One investigator stared across the countless preserved figures.
“So these…”
“…are the twenty-one royal generations?”
Kyrth slowly shook his head.
“No.”
“There are far too many.”
He looked farther into the chamber.
“This is everyone granted a royal burial.”
“The sovereigns…”
“Their families.”
“The greatest commanders.”
“The greatest scholars.”
“Perhaps anyone the kingdom believed deserved to remain beside its rulers forever.”
The cries continued.
Louder than ever.
Yet none of the preserved bodies moved.
Their expressions remained peaceful.
Almost serene.
As though the screams belonged to something else entirely.
Saeroyx frowned.
“…They’re not coming from them.”
“No.”
Kyrth agreed quietly.
“They’re coming from somewhere beyond.”
Beyond the endless rows of Aurelite.
Beyond the preserved dead.
At the far end of the chamber stood an enormous black doorway.
Unlike every other entrance they had encountered, this one bore no carvings of stars.
Instead…
Heavy chains of black metal crossed over its surface, disappearing into the surrounding stone.
Ancient symbols covered every inch of the seal.
No dust lay upon it.
No cracks marked its edges.
It looked untouched despite the passing of countless centuries.
Above the doorway, a single inscription stretched across the stone.
The language matched the ancient script covering the rest of the royal tomb.
Kyrth stepped closer.
“Give me a moment.”
Silence returned as he carefully studied the weathered symbols.
His eyes moved slowly from one line to another.
Occasionally he paused, comparing repeated characters to the notes inside his notebook.
Nearly twenty minutes passed.
Finally…
He exhaled.
“I’ve translated enough.”
Every investigator turned toward him.
Kyrth read aloud.
‘Beyond this seal rests that which shall never again walk beneath the stars.’
He continued.
‘No sovereign shall command its release.’
‘No heir shall inherit this authority.’
‘No army shall break this prison.’
His voice became quieter as he reached the final lines.
‘This seal acknowledges no force.’
‘Any force directed against it shall be returned unto its source multiplied tenfold.’
Silence.
Absolute silence.
One investigator swallowed.
“So…”
“…no weapon can break it?”
Kyrth slowly closed his notebook.
“No weapon.”
“No machine.”
“No explosion.”
“No known strength.”
“The more power used against it…”
“…the greater the punishment returned.”
To confirm his interpretation, Kyrth extended a single finger.
Instead of striking the seal, he gave it the lightest flick imaginable.
A tiny tap echoed through the chamber.
Instantly—
The same force rebounded.
His finger jerked backward sharply, and the sting raced through his entire hand despite the almost weightless touch.
Kyrth took a step back, flexing his fingers.
“It reacted.”
He looked at the others.
“My flick returned stronger than the force I used.”
“If someone attacked this door with everything they had…”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
He didn’t need to.
Every investigator instinctively took another step away from the ancient seal.
The screams continued beyond the black doorway.
Unending.
Patient.
As though whatever lay imprisoned there had never stopped crying out through the passing of ages.
And despite the countless kings buried within the royal tomb…
Not one of them had ever dared open that door.
The chamber fell silent.
No one moved.
The ancient warning lingered in every investigator’s mind.
Any force directed against it shall be returned tenfold.
The black doorway stood before them like the end of history itself.
Then—
The screams changed.
What had once been distant cries suddenly erupted into deafening shrieks.
Thousands.
Tens of thousands.
They no longer echoed from somewhere beyond the seal.
They sounded as though they were pressing directly against the opposite side of the door.
Several investigators immediately dropped to one knee.
“Cover your ears!”
The order came too late.
One investigator cried out in pain.
A thin stream of blood trickled from his left ear.
Another stumbled backward, pressing both hands against his head.
“It hurts!”
“My ears—!”
Even Kyrth grimaced.
His breathing became uneven as the unbearable sound seemed to vibrate through his skull instead of entering through his ears.
The little black puppy flattened itself against the ground, growling toward the sealed doorway.
Only one person remained strangely calm.
Saeroyx.
He stood motionless, staring at the black seal.
The screams…
Were not hurting him.
Instead…
They felt familiar.
Not as voices.
Not as words.
More like someone desperately calling his name from an impossible distance.
A pull settled deep within his chest.
Gentle.
Patient.
Waiting.
Kyrth noticed him stepping forward.
“Saeroyx.”
No response.
The pull became stronger.
Another step.
“Saeroyx!”
Kyrth reached toward him.
But Saeroyx had already arrived before the sealed doorway.
His amber eyes reflected the ancient black stone.
Without drawing a weapon…
Without gathering strength…
Without striking…
He simply raised his hand.
Kyrth’s eyes widened.
“Don’t touch it!”
Everyone knew what would happen.
The warning had been unmistakable.
Even the slightest force was reflected.
If an ordinary flick had rebounded…
Direct contact should have shattered every bone in Saeroyx’s hand.
His palm met the door.
Silence.
Nothing happened.
No shockwave.
No broken bones.
No scream.
Instead…
The chains crossing the enormous doorway trembled softly.
One by one…
They dissolved into countless silver particles.
Ancient symbols hidden beneath them awakened.
Golden light spread beneath Saeroyx’s palm.
The entire doorway responded as though recognizing someone it had awaited for countless ages.
A deep resonance echoed throughout the mountain.
Not violent.
Not threatening.
Welcoming.
Stone groaned.
Ancient mechanisms awakened.
The impossible seal slowly separated down its center.
The black doorway…
Opened.
Every investigator stood frozen.
No one spoke.
No one even breathed.
Kyrth stared at Saeroyx with undisguised disbelief.
“…It…”
His voice barely emerged.
“…accepted you.”
The last of the chains vanished.
Beyond the doorway lay only darkness.
Yet the moment the opening widened—
Every scream ceased.
Instantly.
The silence that followed felt heavier than the noise had ever been.
Then…
A familiar voice echoed through the chamber.
Not spoken aloud.
It appeared directly before every investigator as lines of radiant silver light.
《Investigation System》
The letters flickered.
Then changed.
《Unknown Event Detected》
A pause.
As though the system itself were searching for information.
《Historical records unavailable.》
Another pause.
Longer this time.
《Secret Investigation Condition Fulfilled.》
Every investigator looked at one another in confusion.
None of them had ever heard of such a notification.
The glowing text continued to form.
《Hidden Investigation: ???》
Status: Initiated
Participants: Undefined
The symbols shimmered uncertainly.
Almost…
Hesitantly.
Then a final message appeared.
One unlike any notification they had ever received.
《Warning.》
《The Investigation System possesses no complete records concerning the area beyond this doorway.》
Silence.
Even the system…
Did not know.
The silver text flickered once more before producing a final line.
《Authority beyond this point cannot be verified.》
《Existing rules may no longer apply.》
The message dissolved.
No rewards appeared.
No objectives.
No explanation.
Only the open doorway remained.
Its darkness was deeper than night.
And for the first time since the Investigations had begun…
Even the ancient system had admitted there was something it could not understand.
The last of the silver messages faded into the air.
The chamber was swallowed by silence once more.
No one dared to step through the opened doorway.
The black entrance stood before them like a wound carved into reality itself. Beyond it lay nothing but darkness—so complete that even the silver glow of the royal tomb refused to enter.
Every investigator remained rooted where they stood.
Their attention, however, was quickly stolen by the Investigation System.
The familiar silver screen appeared again.
Only this time, it was different.
The letters flickered violently.
Entire lines formed before abruptly shattering into fragments, only to reform a moment later. It was as though the system itself had encountered something it had never been designed to process.
A low mechanical hum echoed through the chamber.
One message finally stabilized.
《Emergency Protocol Activated》
The investigators exchanged uneasy glances.
No one spoke.
The system continued.
《Unregistered Authority Confirmed.》
《Highest-Level Hidden Investigation Successfully Triggered.》
Several more lines attempted to appear before dissolving into static.
Then another announcement emerged.
《Recalculating Instance Parameters…》
The process continued for several long seconds.
The waiting only made everyone more nervous.
Finally—
The silver text became steady once more.
《Instance Rules Updated.》
《All previously enforced restraints have been lifted.》
Before anyone could fully understand those words, another notification appeared.
《Temporal Limitation: Removed.》
《Mandatory Investigation Completion Period: Nullified.》
《Automatic Instance Dissolution: Cancelled.》
《System Restrictions Upon Participants: Released.》
The chamber fell into absolute silence.
Several investigators simply stared at the floating words, unable to comprehend what they were reading.
“…Released?”
One of them whispered.
“What does that even mean?”
No one answered immediately.
Kyrth continued reading every line carefully, his expression becoming more serious with each passing second.
His breathing slowed.
His fingers tightened around the notebook in his hand.
Then he quietly closed it.
Everyone looked toward him.
He was the only person present capable of interpreting the true implications.
One investigator finally asked,
“…Kyrth?”
“What happened?”
Kyrth remained silent for several moments before speaking.
His calm voice carried throughout the chamber.
“When every Investigation begins…”
“…it is governed by fixed laws.”
He looked at the silver messages still floating before them.
“Tyrus City was one of those laws.”
“The city existed for exactly eight days.”
“On the eighth day…”
“…whether participants solved the Investigation or not…”
“…the city would collapse.”
“The Investigation would end.”
“Survivors would return.”
Several investigators nodded.
That was common knowledge.
Every Investigation followed strict limits.
Time itself was one of the system’s absolute rules.
Kyrth slowly looked back toward the opened doorway.
“…Not anymore.”
Silence.
One investigator frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Kyrth took a slow breath.
“The system has just removed every temporal restraint governing this Investigation.”
“It no longer has a fixed lifespan.”
His words settled heavily over the group.
“The eighth day…”
“…no longer matters.”
Another investigator immediately shook his head.
“That can’t be possible.”
“It has to be.”
Kyrth replied quietly.
“The system itself announced it.”
He pointed toward the fading messages.
“Tyrus City won’t dissolve tomorrow.”
“It may remain stable for weeks.”
His expression darkened further.
“…Months.”
He hesitated.
“…Years.”
“No one knows.”
“Perhaps even longer.”
No one interrupted him.
Every face had grown pale.
The certainty they had relied upon since entering the Investigation had vanished within a few moments.
Another investigator spoke in disbelief.
“So…”
“…there’s no guarantee we’ll ever be forced out?”
Kyrth slowly nodded.
“Exactly.”
“If we cannot find a way to leave…”
“…the system may never remove us.”
Someone else instinctively looked back toward the path they had taken to reach the royal tomb.
It suddenly felt impossibly distant.
As though the world above had already become another lifetime.
The Investigation System displayed one final message.
Unlike every announcement before it…
This one appeared unusually slowly.
Almost reluctantly.
《Notice to All Participants》
《Beyond this point…》
The letters paused.
Then continued.
《The Investigation System can no longer guarantee the validity of existing Investigation laws.》
《Proceed at your own discretion.》
The silver screen dissolved.
Nothing replaced it.
No objectives.
No rewards.
No instructions.
For the first time in history…
The Investigation System had stepped back.
It was no longer guiding them.
It was merely watching.
Saeroyx quietly stared into the endless darkness beyond the doorway.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“So…”
“…we’ve walked into a place even the system has never explored.”
No one answered him.
Not because they disagreed.
But because every person standing within the royal tomb had reached the same terrifying conclusion.
The moment Saeroyx had opened that ancient seal…
The Investigation had ceased to be an ordinary Investigation.
Whatever awaited beyond the doorway…
It belonged to an age older than the system itself.
A heavy silence settled over the chamber.
No one moved toward the open doorway.
The system’s final words still echoed in everyone’s mind.
Kyrth’s gaze remained fixed on the darkness beyond the threshold. For the first time since Saeroyx had met him, the composed investigator looked genuinely tense.
His brows were drawn together, his thoughts clearly racing through countless possibilities.
Saeroyx watched him for a moment.
Then, without saying a word, he stepped closer.
Kyrth didn’t notice.
Only when Saeroyx gently caught the edge of his sleeve did he turn.
“Hm?”
Saeroyx smiled softly.
“You think too much.”
Before Kyrth could ask what he meant, Saeroyx leaned in and placed the lightest peck against his cheek.
It lasted only an instant.
“So don’t worry so much,” Saeroyx said, his voice warm with reassurance. “We’ll figure it out together.”
Kyrth stared at him.
For a heartbeat, his mind went completely blank.
Behind them, one of the investigators quietly looked away, pretending to be fascinated by a nearby pillar.
Another coughed into his fist, wisely deciding not to comment.
Kyrth finally regained his composure.
“…Would you keep quiet for five minutes?”
Saeroyx blinked innocently.
“About the Investigation?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Kyrth sighed.
“…Everything.”
A grin slowly spread across Saeroyx’s face.
“I’m afraid I can’t.”
“And why is that?”
“Because every time you tell me to be quiet…”
“…I suddenly want to talk even more.”
Kyrth closed his eyes for a brief moment.
“I should have expected that answer.”
Saeroyx chuckled.
“You know, you looked much better before you started worrying.”
“I was never worrying.”
“You were.”
“I was thinking.”
“That’s just worrying with better vocabulary.”
For the first time since the system’s announcement, the corner of Kyrth’s mouth lifted ever so slightly.
“You really are impossible.”
“So you’ve told me.”
“And yet,” Saeroyx continued with a teasing smile, “you still haven’t walked away.”
Kyrth met his gaze.
“…Someone has to make sure you don’t open any more mysterious doors.”
Saeroyx laughed quietly.
“See?”
“You do care.”
Kyrth shook his head in resignation.
“…Let’s just keep moving before you start making even less sense.”
Saeroyx happily fell into step beside him.
“I’ll take that as permission to stay close.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t say I couldn’t.”
Kyrth let out another quiet sigh.
“…You’re exhausting.”
“And you’re still here.”
For reasons neither of them chose to say aloud, neither increased the distance between them as they turned toward the ancient doorway.
