Chapter 330: The Price Of Pride

Heavy footsteps echoed loudly along the narrow dark tunnel.Their boots struck the stone floor in a sharp rhythm, echoing through the eerie silence of the left tunnel.

Crimson banners stitched onto their cloaks danced lightly as flickering torchlight illuminated the rough walls.

At the forefront strode Caelum, his armor gleaming even in this suffocating tomb, chin held high, each step radiating authority.

“Did you see that fool eyes?” he boomed, his voice resonating down the corridor so every soldier could hear. His tone dripped with smug pride.

“The fool tried to hide his choice! He stared at this very tunnel, long and hard, then pretended otherwise. He thought he could bait me,he underestimates my resolve!”

His officers nodded in agreement; some smirked while others laughed outright. Caelum continued,

“He believes he can outsmart me with half-measures. He forgets,…I was born to lead! While he doubts, I act; while he hesitates, I seize victory! And this…”

He gestured dramatically toward the dark path ahead. “…this is our victory!”

Cheers erupted from the men:

“He’s chasing shadows!”

“He’ll crawl back to the surface with nothing!”

“Young Master will lead us to glory!”

Their raucous chants filled the tunnel, bravado swelling with every step they took.

Yet, as they marched deeper into darkness, the air grew thick and heavy; even the torchlight flickered against an unseen pull from within the tomb itself.

The stone beneath their feet had worn smooth over time,as if countless souls had traversed this path before them but still they mocked and laughed.

Then came a sound that changed everything.

Click!.

The ground shivered beneath them.

A deafening rumble echoed from ahead,a sound so powerful it rattled their bones and sent dust cascading from above.

“What…?” One soldier began but fell silent as fear gripped him.

Then it appeared,the first boulder roared into view.

A massive stone sphere,larger than a horse,rolled toward them with terrifying speed, thundering down the corridor like a freight train. The ground quaked under its weight.

Before anyone could react…it struck!

Screams erupted as five men were crushed instantly beneath its unstoppable force; bones snapped and flesh tore apart in a gruesome display of power that turned bodies into bloody paste.

“MOVE!” Caelum roared, his voice breaking under pressure.

Panic seized them all; soldiers scrambled frantically against walls or dove into narrow alcoves carved into stone as boulders thundered past,scraping so close that armor bent under their might.

Caelum himself dove flat against the ground; his polished armor grinding against stone as he held his breath tight in his throat.

Heart hammering wildly against his ribcage, he felt wind whip across his face as boulders barreled by inches away from him,wind whipping against his cheek as they barreled by.

When the last stone crashed into darkness, a heavy silence fell over the corridor.

The survivors crawled out from their hiding spots, faces pale and breaths ragged.

Their eyes darted back to the shattered remains of their comrades, gruesomely smeared along the walls. The metallic scent of blood hung thick in the air.

Caelum stood up, shaking dust from his shoulders while trying to hide the tremor in his hands.

His jaw clenched as he forced words past his fear. “They died proving that this tomb fears us. It strikes hard because it knows we are worthy. Their sacrifice lights our path forward.”

The men exchanged glances, but no one spoke; the sight of their fallen brothers silenced any mockery that might have lingered in their minds. Fear had seeped deep into their bones.

As they pressed on, Caelum shifted from leading at the front to slipping into the middle of the group, eyes darting at every sound and crack along the walls.

His confidence felt strained, and his men noticed.

The corridor stretched endlessly before them. Their torches flickered dimly; each step felt heavier than the last.

Every creak of stone or whisper of dust made their nerves twitch,haunted by memories of boulders crashing down.

Then came the second trial.

The walls narrowed ominously, lined with thin vertical slits that seemed to watch them hungrily.

One man stepped forward; his boot pressed down on a faint depression in the floor.

Suddenly, air hissed like a serpent poised to strike.

Dozens of darts shot forth from hidden slots in the walls,fast as lightning,with tips gleaming with dark poison.

“DOWN!” someone shouted but it was too late.

Three soldiers dropped instantly: one choked on blood as his throat was punctured; another collapsed, twitching violently with foam spilling from his lips; a third screamed as darts riddled his body,a macabre tapestry of wounds etched across his face.

The survivors raised shields desperately, blocking what they could but more followed relentlessly.

A hissing filled the corridor as vents opened wide, releasing green gas that spread like fog through their ranks.

The stench was sharp and foul,..a metallic tang that clawed at their throats.

Men coughed and gagged, clawing at their necks as three more collapsed in agony before going still.

“Cover your faces!” Caelum shouted urgently, tearing off his cloak and pressing it against his nose and mouth.

His voice cracked but he barked louder, forcing strength into it: “Do it! NOW!”

The survivors obeyed instinctively,ripping cloth to cover mouths and noses and stumbled forward through choking clouds of gas.

Each step felt agonizing; lungs burned while tears streamed down their cheeks.

When they finally emerged into fresh air, they dropped to their knees gasping for breath amidst stale remnants of death lingering behind them.

Armor clattered as men bent over in exhaustion,The corridor was littered with bodies, their fallen comrades lying in twisted heaps.

The fear in the men’s eyes morphed into something sharper,doubt. Whispers began to ripple through the group.

“This is madness…”

“We’re being led to our doom…”

Caelum spun around, his face twisted with fury. He couldn’t stand the murmurs; his pride wouldn’t allow it.

“Cowards!” he roared, his voice echoing off the stone walls. “You question me? You dare doubt my leadership after everything I’ve done to get us this far?”

One man hesitated, his voice trembling. “Young Master … maybe we should….”

BANG!

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out, deafening in the cramped corridor. The man crumpled to the ground, his chest a bloody ruin.

Silence fell like a heavy blanket.

Caelum lowered his weapon, smoke curling from its barrel as rage and fear burned in his eyes.

“Anyone else?” he hissed, venom lacing his words. “Anyone else think they know better? Speak up now, and you’ll join him.”

No one dared answer. Their faces were pale; their silence was a forced mask of obedience.

The air around them thickened with dread,Caelum had bound them not with loyalty but with sheer terror.

They resumed their march, slow and reluctant, each man flinching at the sound of stone beneath their boots,a haunting reminder that death lurked within these walls.

Caelum walked stiffly ahead of them; his cloak was gone, armor dusted over with grime, and though his pride was wounded, it remained unyielding.

At last, they reached an opening.

A vast stone chamber stretched before them,larger than anything they had ever encountered before.

Pillars lined the sides, adorned with faded symbols that hinted at ancient secrets long forgotten.

The ceiling vanished into shadow above them,a stark contrast to the horrors of the tunnel behind.

The men froze in place, hesitant to step forward.

But Caelum strode past them confidently, smirking as he infused strength into every step he took.

“We’ve made it,” he declared triumphantly. “This is proof! The fool thought he could outsmart me, but I’ve played my cards right! This chamber,this is ours!”

Then suddenly,the ground trembled beneath their feet.

The sound of grinding stone filled the chamber like thunder,heavy and slow.

The pillars shook ominously as dust rained down from above. Somewhere high in those shadows, unseen mechanisms creaked ominously to life.

The men looked upward in terror; breaths quickened and hearts raced wildly within their chests.

Though Caelum’s smirk remained plastered on his face, fear flickered in his eyes.

“Stay sharp,” he muttered under his breath, but even he could hear how unsteady it sounded.

Another rumble reverberated through the chamber.

And just like that,the tomb prepared to test them once more.

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