Chapter 140: CHAPTER 140 - Venomous Serpent Bares its Fangs
On the other side, a crescent moon hung high, casting a silvery-white veil over the golden sea of sand.
The desert night brought a chill with occasional gusts of wind.
Li Lin and Kassadin waited outside the grand entrance of the ancient tomb for quite some time before proceeding towards the periphery through steep slopes and marble steps.
Witnessing the grand spectacle of the tomb, Li Lin couldn't help but inhale sharply, "Wow, I've only seen this kind of scene in movies and games."
Hearing his quiet muttering, Kassadin was somewhat surprised, "Games? How do games recreate such scenes? And... what's that mo-bis thing?"
"Nothing, just a term used in my hometown," Li Lin smiled, not wanting to dwell on this topic.
Kassadin wasn't one to pry, knowing when to speak and when to stay silent.
Subsequently, Kassadin's gaze swept the hall in front of him, taking in everything.
He noticed four bodies lying far apart on the ground, two of which were charred, making it impossible to discern their original appearance.
"It seems the expedition encountered many mechanisms... but still triggered some hidden magical traps," Kassadin considered for a moment, then turned to Li Lin, speaking solemnly, "This exploration is much more dangerous than the Holok Tomb I visited before. Despite Sivir and the others clearing most of the traps ahead, I still hope that from now on, you will completely follow my arrangements."
Influenced by him, Li Lin also became serious, nodding, "Rest assured."
The day before, he had asked Kassadin about many things to pay attention to when exploring such tombs.
Apart from trap mechanisms, the most dangerous thing in the tomb was the guardian, Baccai.
But Li Lin was well aware that in the tomb where Azir was buried, there existed something even more terrifying than Baccai.
The insane Ascended Renekton, The Butcher of the Sands.
And the ancient mage who betrayed Azir, Xerath.
Under Kassadin's guidance, they followed the traces left by the expedition on the ground, avoiding the traps that had already been disabled, and finally arrived at the steps leading deeper.
"By the way, Kassadin," they were walking, and Li Lin pretended to suddenly remember something, "You should know the legend of the Grandmaster, right?"
The Grandmaster was the revered title the people of Shurima gave to the Ascended warrior Nasus.
Because of his vast knowledge, he once managed the empire's grand library.
"Of course, Nasus is well-known throughout Shurima." When this name was mentioned, Kassadin's voice carried a sense of reverence, "Why do you suddenly ask about this?"
"I remember, Nasus has a brother named Renekton, right?" Li Lin pretended to be curious.
"Yes, but he disappeared a thousand years ago with the fall of Shurima... there are many legends that he accompanied Emperor Azir and was annihilated by the collapsing sun disc."
"But they all forgot about the Ascended's incredibly robust vitality. According to the ancient texts left behind, at that time, Nasus and Renekton were sent to deal with an urgent threat, and they weren't even present."
Kassadin snorted, showing disdain for those ignorant people who liked to spread baseless stories.
He then told Li Lin what he knew, mostly stories he learned from ancient texts and a small part from the mouths of wise elders:
Emperor Azir had a trusted slave and confidant named Xerath. However, this ungrateful thief attempted to seize Azir's Ascension power.
At the highest point of the Ascension altar, the Sun Disc's great power was summoned to the world by the Sun Priests.
But Xerath pushed Azir off the altar, depriving him of the protection of the runic ring, turning him into ashes in the surging solar flames.
Afterward, Xerath used the immense power he gained to reduce the Sun City to ruins and engaged in a battle with Azir's Ascended brothers who hurried back upon hearing the news.
To eliminate this evil, Renekton sacrificed himself, choosing to perish with Xerath...
These stories were recounted by Kassadin, combining ancient texts and stories passed down by the wise elders, and were relatively consistent with what happened a thousand years ago.
However, his stories also contained later additions and inaccuracies made by later generations.
For example, it was not Xerath who destroyed the Sun City, but the immense celestial power from the higher realms, which this unacknowledged individual stole, causing an explosion that destroyed the capital.
And Renekton did not perish with Xerath; instead, he and his brother Nasus sealed Xerath in a magic sarcophagus they carried with them when they went to deal with an Eternal Flame Beast.
But Xerath's power exceeded their expectations. He shattered the sarcophagus and, under Renekton's restraint, the two were sealed together in the Emperor's Tomb...
"But I remember, Renekton and Xerath did not perish together; they were sealed by Nasus in the Emperor's Tomb," Li Lin continued.
After Kassadin finished speaking, Li Lin took the opportunity to share his own knowledge.
"Hmm?" Kassadin was taken aback by Li Lin's statement, subconsciously glancing down towards the deep recesses of the tomb, "Where did you hear this?"
"Oshra Va'Zuan, once the northern trading post of the Shuriman Empire. There is an ancient manuscript about Shurima in the Piltover Library," Li Lin casually fabricated, offering a somewhat convincing reason.
Kassadin, now silent, suddenly stopped walking.
Zaun originally belonged to Shurima, he had heard of it. If there were preserved records from that time due to some coincidental chance, it wouldn't be impossible...
"If what you say is true, and Renekton and Xerath are sealed in the Emperor's Tomb, this is probably it... Are you sure you want to continue forward? Regret is still an option."
Kassadin wasn't scared, but rather concerned for Li Lin.
If anything unexpected happened, he could use Horok's Nether Blade to tear through space and escape. However, Li Lin couldn't.
Little did he know that Li Lin's powered armor also had a function similar to "Void Walking."
"Let's keep going." Li Lin lightly patted Kassadin's shoulder, "We haven't encountered danger yet, have we?"
...
...
In the deepest chamber of the tomb.
Sivir's last dozen subordinates were reduced to three heavily injured individuals on the brink of death.
After Cassiopeia gave the order to continue, they encountered another group of undead guardians who, upon detecting intruders, resurrected.
Among them, five mercenaries and four Noxian guards fought desperately. The remaining people squeezed into a narrow passage less than three meters wide and extremely crowded.
However, this passage was filled with traps more lethal than the grand hall outside the tomb.
In blood and screams, most of the remaining mercenaries traded their lives to ensure the survival of the others.
But, in front of the last massive tomb door leading to the scene of emperors and ascended beings, Sivir, who was originally quite furious, did not question Cassiopeia any further.
She even abandoned her three heavily injured subordinates without concern, gazing obsessively at the sculptures of guardians and reliefs depicting ancient god-warriors around her.
Above were countless beast-headed warriors fighting evil twisted creatures emerging from the abyssal cracks.
Sivir could feel her blood boiling, developing an inexplicable hatred for these abominations within her.
As if it were not the great god-warriors battling those monsters, but herself.
Not far away, Cassiopeia's intense gaze lingered on the last tomb door for a long time.
Then, she looked at the mesmerized Sivir, a trace of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes, "What a beautiful sight, Sivir, isn't it?"
However, Sivir did not react to Cassiopeia's words.
She didn't even notice when Cassiopeia pulled out a poisoned dagger and approached behind her with hostility.
"I appreciate you bringing me here..." Cassiopeia's words suddenly echoed behind her.
Before Sivir could react, she felt a cold and numb sensation around her waist, as if a sharp blade had stabbed into her body.
Subsequently, an unbearable pain swept through her entire body. Sivir weakly collapsed to the ground, her blood gushing out, staining the scattered golden sand on the ground.
In the fading consciousness, Sivir stared wide-eyed. In the gradually dimming vision, she saw Cassiopeia picking up her crossblade and then walking to the massive tomb door.
Shortly after, endless darkness descended, and she completely lost all perception of the outside world...
(End of this chapter)
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Chapter 141: CHAPTER 141 - Do You Have Any Last Words for Katarina?
Cassiopeia glanced coldly at the breathless Sivir lying on the ground, wearing a disdainful expression.
"You have fulfilled your mission, Sivir. That is to bring this Crossblade here."
According to the inherited records, the Crossblade used by the first emperor of the Shuriman Empire, the Ascended Warrior Setaka, could open the gates of all tombs for emperors and ascended beings.
The reason Cassiopeia had collaborated with Sivir so many times, besides gaining her trust, was mainly for this divine warrior's weapon.
She picked up Chalicar from the ground and gave a meaningful look to her subordinates, signaling them to escort the three barely alive mercenaries.
In the silent hall, accompanied by three sharp metallic sounds cutting through flesh, the mercenaries emitted weak screams.
Cassiopeia's face was fanatical as she held Chalicar in the middle, walking briskly to the end of the hall.
The corners of her lips couldn't help but curve up. "Behind this tomb door lies the almost god-like power... Mother, my mission is about to be completed!"
Cassiopeia found the cross-shaped slot on the door, perfectly fitting the Crossblade into it.
Shortly after, as the mechanical gears screeched, Chalicar was engulfed by the massive door made of an unknown material.
But before the tomb door could open, a serpent sculpture on one side of the hall shimmered with purple and green magical light.
It had a snake-like tail made of stones and silently crawled along the wall, not attracting the attention of Cassiopeia and the Noxian guards, who were focused on the tomb door.
Cassiopeia, after waiting for a long time without the door opening, grew impatient. "What's going on?! Why hasn't the tomb door opened yet?"
"Don't be in such a hurry, miss. This tomb has been standing for thousands of years, and the mechanisms inside are old. It's normal for them to be a bit slow." Her closest guard, Ashborne, approached, comforting her in a soft voice.
"But what if something is damaged, and the door won't open..." Cassiopeia frowned, turning to her guard.
However, she saw shock and bewilderment on his face. "What's with that expression?" she asked.
Ashborne, stunned, raised his trembling finger and pointed behind Cassiopeia, "What, what is that monster?!"
"...Monster?"
She turned around in confusion, only to find that a giant serpent statue had descended from above the tomb door at some point. It exposed sharp stone fangs, and its forked tongue nearly licked her face.
At this moment, guards who noticed this scene from afar hurriedly warned, "Miss! Be careful!"
However, with shimmering purple and green magical light in its eyes, the serpent statue had already launched an attack.
"—Ugh! Aaah!"
With Cassiopeia's miserable scream, the huge teeth of the serpent statue pierced her flesh, injecting purple and green venom into her body.
This was a curse magic infused by a surviving snake-headed Ascended being from the Void War, aimed at preventing the tombs of emperors from being defiled by inferior beings.
The occult poison and the curse of stellar magic quickly spread throughout Cassiopeia's body, corroding her flesh and burning her soul.
Cassiopeia, in horror, realized that her flesh was peeling off, and her body was transforming in an unpredictable direction...
Seeing this, the guards hurriedly surrounded her, protecting her in the middle.
However, after injecting venom and curses into Cassiopeia, the serpent statue had lost its firepower. Its inverted body fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
"Miss!"
"Are you okay?!"
"Quick, Ashborne, take out that curse-removing magic potion you brought!"
"Damn it! Stop shouting, can't you see?!"
Panicking, Ashborne fumbled a glass bottle the size of his palm from his bag. It contained bubbling gray-brown liquid.
He had just pulled out the cork, and Cassiopeia, whose throat was almost hoarse from screaming, hastily snatched the curse-lifting potion from his hands and poured it into her mouth.
Unfortunately, her body was not entirely cursed; there was still occult poison inside.
Moreover, this bottle, which could only counteract ordinary curse magic, was powerless against the stellar magic from the Ascended being of the god-warrior.
"It's useless! Useless! Aaah—!!"
Cassiopeia could feel her fingers turning into a kind of yellow-green, hard chitinous shell.
Something seemed to be growing on her itching and intensely painful skin.
She dared not use her fingertips, now transformed into terrifying claws, to scratch her own skin. Yet, this group of foolish subordinates couldn't help her.
"Quick! Ugh, you idiots, hurry, take me back... back to Uzeris... Ah, aah!"
...
...
Midsection of the ancient tomb.
Li Lin and Kassadin cautiously navigated through the vast underground space, silent as a grave, doing their best to lighten their steps.
They had just encountered a Baccai guardian with two dog-like heads, nearly prompting them to employ "blink" and "void walking" for a hasty escape.
Fortunately, Li Lin reacted quickly, realizing that the Baccai was fixated on the depths of the tomb, seemingly entranced, and hadn't made a move against them.
Initially, Kassadin considered advising Li Lin against risking his life further, but he knew Li Lin would refuse, and judging by his determination, he intended to proceed deeper. Kassadin sighed but kept his counsel.
They carefully bypassed the Baccai and continued their journey towards the deepest part.
Under the guidance of the storm, they followed the traces left by the expedition, discovering two or three horribly mangled corpses along the way.
"They seem to have been gnawed by Kmiros beetles..." Kassadin lowered his voice, cautioning, "Although they pose no threat to us, it's still wise to be cautious."
Li Lin nodded, continuing through the pitch-dark corridor illuminated only by an inexplicable blue glow.
Time ticked away.
They covered another distance, and in the silent corridor, a faint, hoarse scream of a woman echoed.
Both of them halted.
Kassadin furrowed his brow, a spectral blade emerging from the back of his right wrist, ready for whatever lay ahead.
Li Lin summoned the storm that had been leading the way back to his side, putting the two floating robots into combat alert mode.
If he guessed correctly, this familiar scream should be from Cassiopeia, cursed when they opened the tomb door...
Li Lin and Kassadin didn't wait long; a cacophony of footsteps rapidly approached from the distance.
After about a minute, five Noxian guards rushed toward them, carrying a wailing girl whose legs had grotesquely elongated and twisted into an irregular shape.
Seeing Li Lin and Kassadin, the five guards immediately stopped, assuming combat stances with glowing swords.
"Why are you here?"
"Don't be like this; I have an agreement with Cassiopeia..."
While Li Lin spoke, he covertly connected with the storm above his head, locking onto the five soldiers in front of him.
Hearing Li Lin's words, the guards exchanged glances, skepticism evident on their faces.
Ashborne hastily asked the still conscious Cassiopeia, "Miss, is this guy named Li Lin tracking us... Did you arrange this?"
"Li Lin... Li Lin?!"
Upon hearing this name, Cassiopeia, suffering from intense pain, hurriedly had her guards put her down.
Her vertically slit pupils, which had changed from light brown to yellow-green, reflected two sets of powered armor emitting a blue light. A glimmer of hope appeared in her heart.
"Li, Li Lin! You... you're one of Lady Pale's people. Do you have an antidote to lift the curse?"
Her words were fragmented, and her speech was unclear.
However, through some crucial keywords, Li Lin deduced her problem.
The other soldiers from the Du Couteau family, trained by Cassiopeia's mother, did not show any change in expression upon hearing the name "Lady Pale."
"Sorry, this curse was inflicted by an Ascended warrior, fundamentally a celestial magic. Even an antidote can't heal your body."
Kassadin looked at Li Lin with a puzzled expression.
He had many questions in his mind, but it wasn't the time to ask now.
"What, what?!" Cassiopeia's expression was blank, a fearful look emerging on her face. "Impossible! There must be a way!"
"There is a way. It can stop the pain and mutation in your body."
Li Lin chuckled lightly, clearly seeing a glimmer of hope in Cassiopeia's eyes.
He gently raised his hand, and the two storm machines lifted their left arms.
As orange-yellow light illuminated the dim environment, five consecutive deafening gunshots echoed in the deep and silent corridor.
Five guards had bullet holes appearing in the center of their foreheads, falling instantly, losing their breath.
The recently supported Cassiopeia fell to the ground in a daze, with an expression of disbelief. "What... what did you do?!"
"Of course, I did what you wanted, right? As long as you die, all problems will be solved."
Li Lin slowly raised his right hand, the armor on his palm unfolded, and a blue-white energy glow gathered, emitting a "buzzing" charging sound.
"I, I believed in you so much!"
"Don't be foolish, Miss Du Couteau. We all know the truth."
Li Lin sneered, "You know I'm not Lady Pale's subordinate, and I know you never trusted me..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the energy sphere, reaching its limit, shot out from his palm, instantly covering the position where Cassiopeia had just been, now reduced to nothing.
"Oh... damn, forgot to ask you."
As the blue-white energy glow dissipated, Li Lin looked at the place where Cassiopeia had just been, shaking his head regretfully.
"Do you have any last words for your sister Katarina?"
(End of the Chapter)
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