Behind the waterfall, a space within the stone wall.
It was a very complex space.
It had several passages connecting in various directions. Although the passages resembled mining tunnels completely surrounded by rock, the ceiling was fitted with magic lamps, illuminating the entire space.
With a faint sound of air being sliced, Shane instantly teleported into this area.
"So this is what it looks like inside?"
Shane first quickly scanned his surroundings and then, with a thought, slipped into the shadows to conceal his form.
"Clang—clang—clang—clang—"
Right in front of Shane, the Knight Order led by Lymco was marching neatly forward. The sound of their iron boots striking the stone floor was quite distinct and even created echoes.
Shane didn't hesitate much and directly followed them deeper inside.
Along the way, the knights passed through one complex passage after another, turning here and there as if walking through a maze, which was quite dizzying.
Lymco, who was leading the way, didn't seem baffled at all. It seemed as if he had walked these paths many times before, constantly turning and sometimes pressing against the stone wall to open a new passage and walking inside, showing ease and familiarity.
"It seems, this guy has been staying here since he disappeared."
While thinking this, Shane followed closely.
Gradually, as they ventured deeper into the place, Shane saw other figures too.
Some were knights like Lymco and his men, patrolling around the area. When they saw Lymco, they immediately made way and saluted him.
Some others were slaves or servants doing menial labor, either transporting materials or cleaning the tunnels, some even digging at something, providing a bustling construction site atmosphere.
Shane observed for a moment and noticed that all these people had dim eyes and seemed malnourished, clearly not living well. This translation is powered by the readers at *.
Lymco didn't even glance at these people, not even at the knights, while he continued onward and started to disperse the knights around him, sending them off to carry out their own tasks.
The knights, seeming relieved, quickly dispersed and merged with other knights around.
But Shane noticed that the knights accompanying Lymco didn't quite fit in with some of the others here.
The reason was simple: the knights here weren't just from Duke Sterling's First Knight Order, but also included those wearing standard armor from other nations or heavy armor from the Empire.
That is, the knights here might be a collective of knights from various nations.
"So many knights from different nations gathered in a place ...?"
Mainly, he didn't understand what this place was used for.
Lymco, unaware that his rival had infiltrated here, simply dispersed the knights around him and immediately went off in another direction.
Shane thought for a moment and still decided to follow.
Next, Shane found that there were more and more knights from various countries appearing here, and the number of laboring servants and slaves was also increasing.
Especially the workers who were like miners, continuously hitting the stone walls with their pickaxes—it was an enormous number, filling the entire tunnel with the sound of metal striking and the noise of carts transporting rocks and minerals.
"What on earth are they doing?"
Shane grew more and more perplexed.
But one thing was certain.
There definitely was a secret here, and it might be a big one.
With that thought, Shane shook off his distractions and continued following Lymco.
Lymco, completely unaware that he was being followed, walked with a strong, expressionless step, continuing deeper.
They walked for an unknown amount of time, and suddenly, there were fewer people around.
Correspondingly, the tunnels became narrower but also tidier and quite refined, as if specially renovated, giving it a ceremonial feel.
With this, the complex passages decreased.
Lymco followed the path and came to a room.
Naturally, it was not a real room but a cavity carved out of the stone wall.
There was no door, just a curtain blocking the entrance.
Lymco lifted the curtain and walked in.
Shane reflexively followed.
The next moment, Shane also entered the room.
A voice immediately reached Shane's ears and resounded inside the room.
It was a very unpleasant voice.
The voice was metallic and hoarse, as if it came from someone with a hole in their throat; not only was it profoundly aged, but it was also discomforting.
Such a voice came from within this cave, from a "person" sitting at a stone table.
At first glance, Shane even doubted whether the figure was human.
For the figure was clad solely in a hooded black robe that concealed the entire body, with bony, withered hands exposed, and a face under the hood that resembled nothing so much as an ancient, skin-wrapped skull – not at all like a living being, but rather like an animated mummy.
The robed mummy sat in the very center of the stone room, which contained only a stone table, which itself held nothing but a crystal ball.
The scene reminded Shane of the prophets, wizards, or magicians he had seen in novels from his past life.
But to Shane's surprise, this black-robed wizard turned out to be a Legendary Level ninety-two Great Mage who possessed a Level 10 Magic·Necromancy Skill.
Shane was genuinely astonished.
— "Magic·Necromancy".
It was a type of magic he had never seen before but had just happened to know about.
In many novels from his previous life, this magic was described as a taboo magic that manipulated the dead.
In this world, Necromancy wasn't vastly different from how it was portrayed in those novels.
It truly could manipulate the dead.
However, that was merely one aspect of it.
True Necromancy was actually a magic that "subverted death".
As the name suggests, it could overturn the concept of death itself, managing not only to manipulate the dead but also anything related to death.
Once, a mage who diligently practiced Necromancy transformed himself into an Undead, leading millions of mummified undead and inflicting immense damage upon the continent.
Eventually, the actions of this Necromancer thoroughly enraged the Life Goddess Anima, drawing her into the world to personally vanquish him.
Thereafter, Necromancy became the ultimate forbidden magic, not only considered a taboo among the people but also strictly prohibited to be practiced or even for magic books of such nature to be collected by any of the Races.
Thus, Magic·Necromancy had completely disappeared; it was no more.
It was unlike Celestial Magic, which although also lost, merely fell out of practice due to its difficulty and thus got preserved.
Celestial Magic's books, although once lost, still remained in this world and were immediately collected by the Kingdom upon discovery.
Necromancy, however, was thoroughly banned, and its magic books were ordered to be burned, never to be passed down.
Not even in the underground libraries of the Kingdom, nor in any corner of the Human Realm could one find a Magic·Necromancy book.
The same held true even in the Demon Realm; though the Six Great Demons did not officially forbid it, they had made it clear that Necromancy should not be practiced.
Thanks to this, Magic·Necromancy had vanished for thousands of years.
Shane had never expected to encounter a Necromancer here, one who had developed his Magic·Necromancy to Level 10, achieving the status of a Legendary.
If this person were exposed in public, he would surely be hunted by all the major Kingdoms and Races, perhaps even by the Divine Race, with nowhere in the vast world to find refuge.
Only a place as hidden from the sun as this could possibly shelter him.
Lymco stood before such a formidable Necromancer, his usually stern face softened into respect as he bowed and spoke.
"I've already conducted a reconnaissance, High Priest," Lymco said respectfully. "However, we haven't detected anything unusual."
At this news, the Necromancer referred to as the High Priest seemed to lift his head.
"Nothing unusual found?" The High Priest's hoarse voice emerged, laden with an indescribable sense of dread, "Are you certain?"
"Yes... yes..." Lymco's respectful demeanor tinged slightly with fear.
Clearly, the young lord, who earlier had seemed untouchable and cold, harbored fear for this so-called High Priest.
He had witnessed this High Priest, in front of everyone, instantly drain a knight of his blood, turning him into a mummified walking corpse, later used as feed for the High Priest's "pet".
Thus, Lymco truly feared this High Priest.
Not to mention, the High Priest was the highest authority here, a trusted confidant of the Imperial Concubine, with the power to deal with anyone here as she pleased.
Initially brought here, Lymco had thought of resisting but had ultimately yielded out of fear, under the oppression of this daunting presence.
The High Priest was unaware of Lymco's thoughts.
She had only one thing on her mind.
"Why would there be no anomalies?" the High Priest murmured to herself as if talking to no one in particular: "My 'Death Corridor' definitely reacted. It sensed the presence of the living, within the barrier; there can't be a mistake."
Clearly, Lymco's search party had been sent due to the High Priest's magic detecting the presence of the living.
Being a Necromancer, the High Priest was highly sensitive to the essence of death and equally responsive to the essence of life.
Logically, given the detected presence of life, some discovery should have been made.
The High Priest then fell silent, extending her hand towards the crystal ball before her.
Seeing this, Shane suddenly felt an ominous sensation in his heart.