"Wow, no way! How could there be an ancient tomb here? Toby, tell me honestly, have you been secretly meeting with other little mice here?" Jack Williams crouched low, following Toby and Constance through the winding, damp, and gloomy underground passage. Soon, he was greeted by the sight of a vast tomb that stretched across two or three hundred square meters. Unable to resist, he teased Toby.
To his surprise, as soon as Constance heard this, her mind instantly recalled her husband's relationship with Miss Celia. Her face turned pale, and her fury blazed in her eyes as she glared at Toby. If Jack Williams hadn't been there, she would have surely unleashed her temper by now.
"Boss, I'm a faithful male! For my wife, I, Toby, would go through fire and water without hesitation! How could I even glance at another lady mouse? You're slandering my pure heart—I'm truly wronged!" Toby blustered on, shamelessly defending himself.
Jack Williams felt a cold sweat forming on his brow. This little rodent was even more brazen than he was…
Under Toby and Constance's guidance, Jack finally discovered the immense ancient tomb hidden deep within the canyon, and his eyes lit up. In his younger years, he had heard tales of ancient tombs filled with gold, silver, jewels, and priceless treasures. Who would have thought these two little rodents were so resourceful? Tonight, he'd treat them to a feast.
The tomb appeared to be from an ancient era. Besides the dismembered bones, there were only some broken weapons scattered around. As for valuables… well, perhaps three or four coins could be considered?
"Quick, pick up the coins! Whoever finds the most gets an extra treat tonight, and I'll throw in a blanket made from a massive earth-shattering bear's pelt as a bonus, haha…" Jack Williams eagerly gathered the few coins and silver pieces scattered on the ground, encouraging the hardworking little moles.
"Boss, I found something! What is this?" Toby called out, holding up a pale purple ring in his tiny paws, clearly eager for praise.
"That's a ring, dear. How do you not know? It's something humans use when they get engaged, symbolizing the steadfastness and purity of love," Constance interjected with an air of disapproval.
Jack Williams whistled in admiration. "Well, Toby, you've got some skills. Tonight, you're getting a blanket. But speaking of which, what kind of ring is this? I've heard the rings in this world are quite powerful. I wonder what it does." He casually slipped the ring onto his finger and resumed his exploration.
Just as he was about to continue, a series of faint "crack" sounds echoed through the tomb. At first, Jack didn't pay much attention, assuming Toby and Constance had stepped on some broken bones. But as the sound grew louder and clearer, an ominous feeling crept over him. "Get over here, you two, something's wrong!" he shouted.
Toby and Constance froze, leaping into his arms in alarm.
Jack quickly backed up, but as soon as he reached the narrow passage, the entire tomb seemed to come alive. Countless skeletal remains suddenly surged with an eerie vitality, and they began to stand on their own.
Fifteen grayish skeleton soldiers stood tall before them, each gripping a battered spear and shield. While their appearance might have seemed comical, Jack Williams could feel the chilling deathly aura emanating from them.
"Run!" Jack Williams yelled.
Though he had once fancied himself a hero, facing such a formidable army of undead warriors, his courage evaporated in an instant. He bolted for the tunnel's exit.
"Kill! Kill!" the skeleton soldiers hissed, swinging their broken weapons wildly, charging after Jack.
"What should we do? Bruno, help!" Jack cried as he ran, but Bruno, who was far below, couldn't reach him in time. Sweat poured from Jack's brow in frustration.
The first skeleton soldier had already closed in, its bony hand clutching a spear, aimed directly at Jack's back.
"Boss, watch out!" Toby shouted in warning.
The narrow passageway, which Toby and Constance had dug, was only wide enough for one person to pass through at a time. There was no way Jack could dodge the attack. Just as the spear was about to strike, a series of strange symbols flashed in his mind. With a fierce cry, he shouted, "Death Entwine!" His body suddenly swelled, pushing the surrounding earth down as dust fell from the walls. Dark, powerful energy enveloped him. A sinister grin spread across his face as he raised his hands. A barrage of dark death arrows shot toward the skeleton soldier.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The skeleton soldier's chest shattered under the impact, and the two behind it were also struck, their ribs breaking, slowing their pursuit.
"Wow, amazing! Death Entwine? That's seriously powerful! What kind of magic is this?" Jack Williams grinned with pride and then looked down at the two stunned moles, giving them a thumbs-up. But his expression quickly changed when he saw the approaching skeletons. He screamed and continued running.
"Wow, Boss, you're incredible! What kind of magic was that? Keep taking them down!" Toby stared at him in awe, his eyes filled with admiration for Jack Williams.
"Of course, but this magic consumes so much mental energy, I'm starting to feel lightheaded," Jack grumbled.
"Uh..." Toby muttered.
Just as Jack Williams was on the verge of breaking down, the mighty Bruno finally arrived. His entrance was nothing short of spectacular. Jack felt a sudden flash above him, and there, looming before him, was Bruno's enormous skull.
"Master, did you call for me?"
Jack grabbed the hard teeth of the skeleton dragon and urgently shouted, "Quick, pull me up! There's a whole group of skeleton soldiers!" He was on the verge of tears.
Bruno placed Jack on the ground and surveyed the emerging skeleton soldiers. A wicked grin spread across his skull. "Low-level skeleton soldiers daring to challenge my master's authority? They seek death!" Bruno opened his mouth, releasing a powerful dragon's breath that swept over the soldiers.
Upon seeing Bruno, the skeletons instinctively recoiled in fear. The first four soldiers exploded into pieces under the force of the dragon's breath, their bones scattering. The remaining eleven stood frozen in terror, too frightened to move.
Though Bruno was only a Level 6 beast, his dragon aura was more than enough to crush these pathetic soldiers.
Jack Williams and the two moles were dumbfounded.
"Wow, a dragon really is something! Just a Level 6 beast, and it can wipe out four skeleton soldiers like that! That's impressive."
Bruno looked at the shattered skeletons, shaking his head with a sigh. "If it were the old days, not only these fifteen, but even fifteen hundred skeleton soldiers wouldn't be my match. Those were the days…"
Jack Williams cleared his throat, embarrassed by the comparison. "I say, Bruno, the energy in these skeletons seems quite strong. Do you think I could raise them as my loyal minions?"
Bruno knew exactly what Jack was thinking. He nodded and blew out a stream of black dragon breath, causing the shattered skeletons to quickly reassemble. Within seconds, they were standing before Jack once more, fully restored.
Jack Williams was thrilled. "You're truly a good dragon. Thanks to you, I've become much stronger! By the way, Bruno, what's the deal with this ring?"
"Ah, that's a space ring!" Bruno explained.
After receiving the space ring, Jack's curiosity about the canyon only grew. Led by Toby and Constance, who knew the area well, they embarked on an intense excavation operation. With the help of the fifteen skeleton soldiers, they made rapid progress, uncovering four ancient tombs and collecting numerous treasures—gold coins, silver, magic wands, and more. It felt like they had struck it rich.