Chapter 598: The Eerie Shadow
‘The family tomb located beneath the church…’
Sitting on the carriage seat, Doro contemplated while looking at the information returned by Misha, inscribed in the “Navigation of the Literary Sea,” as she stroked her chin.
‘I never thought that Amper would be buried directly in the Devenhill family tomb, not in some remote and strange place. The key is that this family tomb is quite close, right near Tivyán, so I don’t have to travel far…’
Doro thought this way; after her trip to Northern Ufeiga, her concept of a tomb had been that of a remote, dangerous place. As for the Devenhill family tomb, whether it is dangerous remains to be seen, but at least it is not remote.
“Can you tell me more about the specifics of your family tomb?”
Doro wrote this on the communication page of the “Navigation of the Literary Sea,” and soon, Misha replied.
“Why are you suddenly asking about this? Is our family tomb somehow related to the Eight-pointed?”
“I don’t know if it’s related to the Eight-pointed, but I can confirm it is connected to the research of Duke Barret. I have found his research partner, and there’s an important clue regarding their research that is on your ancestor…” Doro wrote on the page, briefly summarizing the information provided by John and avoiding any mention of poison recognition, and soon after, Misha responded.
“I see… It is necessary to clarify the research of Duke Barret. If what you said is true and there is something related among the Devenhill ancestors, then it is essential to understand… But I must remind you, don’t have any other ulterior motives besides gathering information about the Devenhill tomb…”
Misha replied to Doro, and thereafter began to provide a detailed introduction regarding the tomb situation, line after line of text appeared on the page before Doro’s eyes.
“Our family tomb is located in the Loyal Guardian Cemetery and is divided into two parts: the Glory Hall underground in the Loyal Guardian Church and the ordinary cemetery outside the church. Generally, family members are buried here upon their passing, while exceptional individuals are interred in the Glory Hall.
“The Glory Hall is partially constructed with precious cold ghost stones, which can isolate the undead and other ephemeral beings, as well as provide certain extraordinary effects. The entire Glory Hall is completely sealed off most of the time, and no one can enter. The outer wall of the Glory Hall is made of extremely sturdy natural rock, making it very difficult to dig a tunnel to reach it. Although it can be destroyed, doing so would create a loud noise, alarming the cemetery’s guardians, who would then investigate and immediately contact the An Yin Bureau and the family if excessive noise is detected.
“Within the Glory Hall, there is an ancient ritual that guards it, based on the remains of numerous strong family members buried in one place, developed as a bloodline-based protection. This can cause severe discomfort and weakness to non-family bloodline individuals entering the tomb, even rendering them unable to move. Any non-Devenhill family member entering the Glory Hall will trigger this protection.
“This is a ‘Silence’ spirituality ritual, rumored to have been set up by Devenhill’s ancestors who hired powerful Northern Ufeiga ‘Silence’ extraordinary beings for a hefty price. Many ancient families across Prit and the Main Continent have similar rituals to protect their family tombs, with the power of this ritual rooted in the remains of numerous family members buried together.”
Upon reading Misha’s important information, Doro stroked her chin thoughtfully. She then continued writing.
“So, in order to enter the Devenhill underground tomb, one must be a member of the Devenhill family?”
“Generally, yes. Non-Devenhill individuals will have a very unpleasant experience. Of course, if someone from another family that has bl**d ties to Devenhill comes over, they can also enter, with those having stronger ties being less affected and vice versa.”
“Since Devenhill is an ancient noble family in Prit, many prominent families have ties through marriage, such as the Ivansons or the Klont family, who have had long-standing marital relations with us. Even the royal family has many connections with us, as important members of the royal family often marry women from Devenhill. Members of these families can also enter the Glory Hall, though they will be somewhat affected.”
Misha’s responses continuously appeared before Doro. After reading them once, Doro immediately wrote back.
“Then, Ms. Misha, as a member of the Devenhill family, you should be able to enter it, right?”
“I should be able to enter, but the problem is, how would I get in? The Glory Hall is only opened with great effort for the funerals of outstanding family members, and at other times, it’s very difficult to enter quietly.”
Misha’s response appeared before Doro. After reading it, Doro paused slightly and then wrote.
“Ms. Misha, as a royal knight and extraordinary being of the White Chalk Tier, wouldn’t you count as one of the outstanding members of the Devenhill family?” Doro wrote to Misha, then sat back in her seat and waited. After a considerable amount of time, Misha’s response finally appeared on the page of the “Navigation of the Literary Sea.”
“I think… I should qualify…”
……
During the daytime, on the outskirts of Tivyán, there lies a noble cemetery in a vast green field. Long black iron railings extend outward, enclosing a large expanse of verdant grass, where neatly arranged stone tablets mark the resting places of deceased noble members. In the center of this vast cemetery stands a small church, surrounded by countless gravestones, becoming the core of the past families.
Here lies the family tomb of the Devenhill family, a long-established noble family in the Prit Kingdom, in the Loyal Guardian Cemetery. Since the establishment of the Wind Messenger Dynasty, the Devenhill family has been alongside the Despenser royal family, with family members contributing numerous merits to the royal family over the centuries. The honors bestowed by the royal family have brought Devenhill great wealth and land, as well as much glory; the high specifications of the Loyal Guardian Cemetery and its prime location are one of the symbols of this glory.
At this moment, a solemn funeral is being held within the cemetery. In front of the central church, many figures are gathering.
Tall soldiers stand guard at the important entrances and roads of the cemetery. In the square before the cemetery church, numerous men and women dressed in somber black attire have orderly arranged themselves, representatives from many noble families in Tivyán blending in, their expressions serious and solemn as they gaze upon the events in the square.
In the center of the square lies a plain black coffin. An elderly priest from the church holds the Sacred Text, reading the eulogy in a calm and steady voice, praising the virtues and contributions of the deceased and expressing sorrow. On the other side of the coffin, an old woman covers her face in tears, supported by a young man at her side, while a slightly plump, balding elderly man stands nearby, his expression sad.
This is the funeral of an important member of the Devenhill family, Misha, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Devenhill. She was the pride of the new generation of the Devenhill family but tragically perished in an accident during a secret operation. Her untimely d*ath fills the entire family with grief and regret. The funeral, after detailed arrangements, has finally been held, allowing the young Devenhill knight, a royal knight of the White Chalk Tier, to rest alongside her distinguished ancestors.
Eventually, the old priest finishes the eulogy, concluding the final rites. After a moment of solemn silence and everyone removing their hats in tribute, the priest announced that Misha would be laid to rest among the eternal slumber of the Devenhill ancestors. Soon after, several guards who had been preparing nearby stepped forward, lifting the coffin onto their shoulders and entering the church.
Since Misha had left no body behind in the incident, the coffin contains only some of her clothing and cherished belongings, making it quite light.
However, despite the coffin’s lightness, in order to express respect for the deceased, the guards tasked with carrying it move slowly and steadily.
The empty coffin is slowly lifted into the church, passing around the altar and up the staircase at the back of the church leading to the basement. Here, the originally sealed heavy stone door has now been opened, and the funeral procession enters. After traversing a long downward passage, they arrive at the underground burial chamber.
Here lies a spacious underground tomb, supported by four thick stone pillars that uphold the vast space. On either side stand tall knight statues, and on the floor, heavy stone coffins are lined up in rows. A large luminous gem is embedded in the ceiling above, casting a faint glow throughout the dark underground space.
As the funeral procession entered the underground tomb, they made their way to a corner where a stone coffin had already been opened, the black coffin empty. Upon reaching the side of the stone coffin, they placed the smaller wooden coffin inside the larger stone one.
After securing the wooden coffin, the old priest performed the final brief ritual. Following this, several guards who had carried the coffin lifted the heavy stone lid and placed it over the stone coffin. With a dull thud, the wooden coffin was sealed in eternal darkness.
After completing the final segment of the funeral, the funeral procession exited the underground tomb, retracing their steps back to the church above. With the sound of mechanisms rumbling, the massive stone door thunderously shut, and the entire underground tomb once again fell into silence.
At that very moment within the recently interred stone coffin, where there should only have been clothing, a pair of eyes slowly opened.
In the darkness of the wooden coffin, a strange, translucent ethereal radiance flowed, and suddenly this half-transparent void gradually became real. The original unusual light faded away, replaced by a solid form. Before long, an actual body almost materialized from thin air within the coffin, followed by the sound of breathing in the darkness.
“Huh…”
Then, the lid of the wooden coffin was pushed open directly, and a shadow rose from what should have been an empty coffin. The figure, clad in a fitted black outfit and wearing a hood, had Misha’s face appearing beneath the hood.
“I never expected to have such an experience in my life…”
Sitting in her coffin, Misha, using her night vision, gazed at the clothing she once loved and couldn’t help but whisper in amazement. At this moment, a calm male voice echoed in her mind.
“How does it feel to live through your own funeral, Ms. Misha?”
Hearing this voice in her mind, Misha paused slightly, then thought to respond.
“It feels quite strange… I’ve been listening to my mother crying from inside here; I almost couldn’t resist lifting the lid to give her a hug. I thought just feigning d*ath once would be unique enough, but I didn’t expect to experience my own funeral, which is even more extraordinary…”
After replying, Misha raised her hand to carefully examine it in front of her. After fully feeling the reality of her body, she sighed inwardly.
“Speaking of which, you always manage to surprise me, Rosy Cross. Just a prayer is enough to establish high-efficiency secret communication with a distinguished name; controlling a person’s manifestation over such a long distance… How many more secrets do you have that can astound me? Truly worthy of being a society that can toy with the Eight-pointed…”
“Thank you for the compliment, Miss Knight. We’re merely using this opportunity to validate some techniques…”
In a hidden room at a distance, Doro was using the system’s voice changer to converse with Misha through the consultation channel. In her hand, she held a finely carved layered ball, which is the “Shadow” divine blessing object, the illusive fragrance lantern, that she had recently borrowed from Little Fox.
This divine blessing object possesses the powerful ability to turn the user’s body from a physical entity into dream realm beings. Just moments ago, Doro had used spiritual threads to convey the effects of this lantern to Misha far away, transforming her into a dream realm being and allowing Misha’s dream realm form to preemptively hide within the empty coffin.
Due to the presence of cold ghost stones in the construction of the Glory Hall tomb, it was impossible for a spectral body to physically traverse inside. Therefore, Misha had to hide in the empty coffin, then be carried in by the funeral procession. From the beginning of the funeral, her dream realm form was within the coffin, and Misha’s actual body should not exist in the coffin; hence, the coffin could not have additional weight, or it would raise suspicions.
“Regardless, I’m finally in here now. What I need to do now is just to open this stone lid…”
Sitting in the coffin, Misha lifted her head to look above at the stone coffin lid covering her and murmured. Just as Doro was about to respond, her small zombie puppet, which had blended into the funeral procession and entered the underground tomb, suddenly detected an anomaly.
“Wait… hold on, don’t go out.”
“Ah?”
Amid Doro’s words, while Misha puzzled over it, a bizarre change emerged within the dark tomb.
Shadows—an entirely black shadow emerged from the mounds of darkness in the corner of the tomb, slithering across the ground like a serpent, quickly crawling along the surface.
‘Is this… a shadow? A shadow that acts independently without a physical form?’
Only the moving shadow, with no corresponding physical entity, slithered as if it were a biological entity, bizarrely “swimming” into the center of the tomb, where it coiled into a spherical shape. From this black mass, something slowly rose upward, perpendicular to the ground, and emerged as a person!
As if drilled out from a shadow hole or as if the shadow had been molded into a solid form, a figure wearing a hooded cloak, its form entirely obscured, and slightly shorter in stature appeared in the tomb; it approached one of the nearest stone coffins, inspecting the inscription engraved on the coffin lid.
