Read Novel Full Chapter 558: The Ancient Alchemist [1]
Chapter 558: The Ancient Alchemist [1]
"The reason the monsters are becoming this strong is because we are getting closer to the deeper part of the tomb," Gabriel said.
The moment he said that, several ChaosKnight members swallowed at once. Even without him explaining, all of them understood what the deeper part meant, because the Core Suppressing Spike was supposed to be located near the central area of the tomb.
ChaosCleric’s grip tightened around his staff while his eyes moved toward the corridor ahead. "So our lucky break is over."
Gabriel did not correct them. His gaze stayed on the approaching wave, and while the others saw danger, he saw moving resources that could be turned into EP.
More monsters came from the deeper corridor.
Their bodies were twisted in different ways, some crawling on all fours while others dragged old blades across the floor. The dead qi around them was thicker, and each step they took made the lamps fixed into the wall flicker slightly.
One ChaosKnight member took a step back. "There are too many."
Gabriel stepped forward instead, and his calm movement made the others instinctively look toward him. His right hand lifted slightly, and a thin layer of qi gathered beneath his palm before he covered it with mana.
The mana moved on the outside like a blue film.
Under that layer, qi twisted quietly, hidden from their eyes. To anyone watching from the side, it looked like Gabriel was only using a strange mana technique, and that was exactly what he wanted.
IceQueen’s eyes narrowed faintly.
She sensed something odd, but before she could say anything, Gabriel waved his hand forward.
FWOOOSH!!!
Several crescent-shaped attacks tore through the passage at once. The first line of undead was cut apart from chest to spine, while the second line lost limbs before they could react, and black fluid sprayed across both walls in thick lines.
ChaosCleric stared at the scene. "What kind of mana attack is that?"
"I can feel it... there’s something clearly wrong with it," another ChaosKnight member muttered.
At that moment, another group of undead crawled over the fallen bodies, but Gabriel sent out two more waves without changing expression. The hidden qi inside the mana coating moved faster this time, slicing through bone with cleaner force.
BOOM!!!
The front half of the wave collapsed as the attacks struck the floor and wall together. Several bodies were crushed under falling stone, and broken ribs, skull fragments, and rusted weapons scattered across the narrow passage.
VV’s helmet tilted slightly as if trying to understand the technique. Even Gabriel could tell they had noticed that his attack did not move like ordinary mana, but noticing something and proving it were two different things.
IceQueen lowered her staff slowly, simply watching the one-sided massacre.
ChaosCleric opened his mouth, seemed to think better of it, and closed it again.
The remaining monsters tried to push forward, but their charge had already lost shape. Gabriel walked toward them calmly, raising one hand each time one got too close, and within a few minutes, the passage was quiet.
The floor was filled with broken bodies.
Several system notices appeared before him, confirming the EP gains from the kills. Gabriel dismissed them, but a faint satisfaction passed through his eyes because every point mattered, especially inside a place like this.
"Let’s proceed," he said, stepping forward.
The group hesitated at first watching his broad back with a complicated expression before stepping through the passage carefully, avoiding the larger pools of black fluid and the broken bones scattered across the ground.
The air still smelled dry and rotten, but the lack of monster cries made the silence ahead feel useful.
After a few turns, the corridor opened into a chamber, causing the group to come to an abrupt halt.
This place was different from the rest of the tomb. It was clean compared to the broken paths behind them, though dust covered almost every surface, and several shelves lined the walls from one end to the other.
There were no monsters inside; no corpses or traps that Gabriel’s perception could notice immediately.
Only old shelves, sealed drawers, stone tables, and the dry smell of dust that had been left undisturbed for a very long time.
ChaosCleric stepped in cautiously and looked around. "This is the first normal room we have seen."
The guide’s eyes widened slightly as he approached one of the shelves. "This may be an alchemist chamber."
Gabriel’s interest rose at once when he heard that.
He walked toward the first shelf and pulled it open. A cloud of dust rose into the air, making one of the ChaosKnight members cough, but Gabriel ignored it and looked at the items inside.
Several small bottles rested there, each sealed with old wax and marked with Tianlan writing. Beside them were thin manuals, jade slips, and two small metal containers that still carried faint qi.
The guide leaned closer and read the labels. "Ancient Qi Recovery Pills. Bone Mending Powder. Spirit Vein Stabilizing Liquid."
Gabriel opened another section and found more items.
There were techniques inside, most of them related to qi circulation, body tempering, and martial foundation. Some were damaged, but many were still readable enough to be useful.
ChaosCleric rubbed the back of his neck. "I do not think most of us can use any of this."
Gabriel turned his head toward IceQueen. "Since none of you are cultivators, can I keep these?"
His tone was calm, but the question was shameless enough that ChaosCleric stared at him.
IceQueen looked at the shelves once and replied without thinking too much. "Take them."
ChaosCleric blinked. "Just like that?"
"They are cultivation resources," IceQueen said, glancing at him coldly. "Do you plan to start cultivating right now?"
ChaosCleric coughed lightly. "No."
Gabriel did not wait for them to change their minds.
He swept the qi pills, manuals, jade slips, and metal containers into his inventory one after another. Some of the strange items seemed designed to store qi and release it slowly, and although he did not fully understand them yet, he already thought of Logan.
Logan liked strange things.
If these could be modified, they might become useful tools later.
The others watched him collect everything with little interest. To them, the items were from a system they could not use, but to Gabriel, who now had a Martial Artist class, they were not useless anymore.
After the chamber was checked, IceQueen looked at the injured members and spoke. "We rest here for now."
Several ChaosKnight members sat down at once.
A healer started working on the wounded while Vv remained near the entrance with the massive sword resting beside one leg. ChaosCleric dropped onto a stone bench and sighed like someone who had just remembered he was alive.
While the others were resting, Gabriel moved deeper into the chamber.
Near the back, he found a stone table covered in old tools, cracked bottles, and a round plate engraved with thin lines. He reached out and brushed the dust away with two fingers.
VROOOM!
Suddenly, the engraved lines lit up, casting a warm glow across his face.
A faint figure rose above the table, flickering in the air like an old projection. It wore alchemist robes, and its hollow eyes slowly turned toward Gabriel.