Celestial Bloodline

After using instant teleportation and entering the dark void, Kyle's body passed through many solid invisible barriers. Despite the darkness surrounding him and the sharp, tingling pain coursing through his body, he pushed forward with sheer determination and managed to cross the threshold. Yet, he lost his balance in mid-air when his body materialized inside the tomb.

His attire was drenched in blood, yet a slight grin adorned his face as he realized his body was intact. However, his smile waned as he coughed and struggled to halt his descent. Peering through his eyes, he beheld the sky above, engulfed in darkness and veiled by ominous murky clouds.

"So this is the lost treasure tomb...? Looks kinda eerie to me."

This was his last words as he chuckled and lost consciousness. His body plummeted like a stone, hurtling at breakneck speed before plunging into a lake of crystal-clear water with a resounding splash, startling the beautiful purple-winged creatures sitting near the lake out of their wits.

As he went into the water, the ripples spread out, distorting the reflections of the dimly lit torches hanging on the wooden structures and rocks around the lake.

The sudden splash disturbed the peaceful atmosphere of the water. The faint light played on the water's surface, creating spooky shadows that appeared to come alive in the flickering torchlight.

"What was that? A beast?"

A deep voice echoed in the air as a man, who appeared to be in his mid-twenties, hastily emerged from behind the many rocks encircling the lake. He scanned the surroundings with narrowed eyes and settled on a rock, his brows furrowed.

"No chance I misheard, I'm positive I heard a big splash in the water."

He inserted his pinky finger into his ear for a quick clean but halted abruptly, his soul nearly escaping his body as he locked eyes with the glowing green eyes shimmering within the lake before him. Quietly, the man reached for the heavy sword hanging on his back, a weapon with a lengthy sharp edge and a curved blade, ready to face the possessor of the eyes in the water.

However, before he could even grab it, the glowing eyes in the water disappeared.

"Huh?"

The man was about to dive into the water to check what was there since this place was his, but he stopped when he saw a pair of floating shoes that popped up out of nowhere. He lifted his head slowly to see who the shoes belonged to, and his mouth dropped open when he saw an ethereal, striking figure floating in front of him. His eyes flashed with a glint, but he abruptly shut down his senses when he felt a powerful threat aimed at his life.

The man was about to dive into the water to check what was there since this place was his, but he stopped when he saw a pair of floating shoes that popped up out of nowhere. He lifted his head slowly to see who the shoes belonged to, and his mouth dropped open when he saw an ethereal, striking figure floating in front of him. His eyes flashed with a glint, but he abruptly shut down his senses when he felt a powerful threat aimed at his life.

Kyle blinked, and the water dripping from his clothes evaporated. He had employed instant teleportation to exit the water as he noticed someone... quite strong. He gazed at the man in front of him, exuding a powerful aura of supreme rank.

"Who are you? I am sure you are not one of the people who just entered this tomb."

With maroon-gray eyes, golden scales adorning his exposed skin in a blue outfit, and horns on his head, the man closed his gaping mouth and, instead of answering Kyle, exclaimed with pure joy in his voice.

"Oh my gosh!! Could it be that a hundred years have passed, and once again this tomb is open to the outsiders!?"

He leaped in the air, aiming to grab Kyle's shoulders with sparkling eyes, but his hands grasped nothing but empty air.

Kyle reappeared in the distance with a frown. He had a vague idea of why this man was here from the latter's earlier words but wanted confirmation.

"Who are you?"

The man's maroon-gray eyes showed sadness as he lowered his empty hand. He just wanted to feel the warmth of another living being. For over a century, he had been trapped in this tomb, fending off countless undead creatures.

"I'm Asher. A half-dragon and half-human. I entered the tomb a hundred years ago after earning a spot in the Gladiator Arena, but I became trapped in an ancient structure when it was time to leave and couldn't exit in time... Now that I see you, I know that finally, after all this time, the tomb has reopened, and I can leave!"

Asher laughed and raised his fist towards the sky with shining eyes.

"Now nothing can hinder me from going back to the outside world! My family and friends... I wonder if they even remember me? Well, I don't remember, so they might have forgotten as well. I was just one of the many sons of a wealthy family, striving to prove my worth by becoming stronger."

He kept rambling on, sharing all the pain and loneliness he had faced in the tomb. But Kyle, the one listening, didn't seem the least bit interested. Kyle turned around and left, and only then did Asher notice the empty space before him.

"Wait? Where did the human go!?"

Asher whipped his head around to face the beautiful purple-winged creatures, perched quietly by the lake, observing him.

"Number. 1, 2, 3, which way did the human go? It's nighttime, the hour when the undead beings awaken. He will die if he doesn't find shelter! I need to locate him! I can't allow the first human I have seen in so many years to die so easily!"

The winged creatures with round, smooth bodies simply gestured their wings to the left without a word. They were purple earthlings, one of the many monsters Asher had conquered in this tomb. He nodded and quickly followed behind the human.

However, nobody could describe his surprise when, after only a minute, he saw the silver-haired human dashing back toward the lake with a dark creature made entirely of bones and dead flesh, trailing behind him with lightning-fast speed.

Kyle cursed and leaped in mid-air to avoid the bony club aimed at him by the hideous creature that had suddenly risen from the ground when he used his scent perception skill and sensed a treasure beneath the dry ground, only to be confronted by a pair of glowing white eyes beneath the earth he tore apart using a spell.