Chapter 491: Arthur.
Arthur pulled a small lantern from his pack and lit it. The warm glow pushed back the shadows, revealing the first few feet of what lay beneath.
Stone steps, worn by countless years, descended into the earth at a steep angle. The walls on either side were carved from solid rock, their surfaces covered in the same strange symbols they’d seen above.
And there, just at the edge of the lantern’s light, a soft, ethereal light seemed to take over.
The fungus clung to the walls in patches, pulsing with a faint bioluminescent glow. Even from here, he could see spores drifting through the air like lazy snowflakes, caught in invisible currents.
"Fascinating," Arthur murmured, already moving toward the entrance.
Nero grabbed his arm. "You promised. Just a look, remember?"
Arthur glanced at him, then back at the opening. For a moment, Nero thought he might argue. Then he nodded.
"You’re right. We’ve confirmed it exists. That’s enough." He raised the lantern higher, trying to see further down. "Though I wish we could get a better view of—"
A sound echoed up from the darkness below.
It was a sound unlike a current of wind sloshing through the hollow earth. No.
There was something different about this...
All three of them froze.