386 Step by Step (1/2)

The grandeur of the sun setting on the horizon was breathtaking.

However, on the sphinx campsite, Lucien felt the cold sweat on his back.

Before Lucien figured out the answer, the sphinx scolded, ”Filthy Scorpion, you have your head between your legs? Use your brain! Go and shower yourself in Sun Water! You wanna become one of those undead creatures?”

The desert environment was very harsh, thus the nobles in the Empire of Gusta were reluctant to expand southward. Therefore, most of the sphinxes' bad languages were about scorpions, because they were the sphinxes biggest enemy.

Sun Water? The sphinx's words reminded Lucien that this sphinx that he was playing, whose name was Fil, would always spend a little while in the stone house on which the midday sunlight directly shone, and then it would go to safeguard the tomb with the other sphinxes.

Lucien took it for granted that the stone house was an agreed place where the sphinxes would gather, so when he got Fil's memory using mesmerization, he did not cover this part.

”I'm terribly sorry… I'm going right now.” Lucien hurriedly nodded and left. A few seconds earlier, Lucien was deciding whether he should use Implication, Charm, or Necrotic Control to make sure that this sphinx would not bring him any further trouble.

In the stone house, there was a pool in the shape of a golden sun, in which there was gold-colored liquid.

Beside the pool, a rough and robust-looking female sphinx was scooping the liquid with a strange big gold spoon and sprinkled the liquid on the sphinxes waiting in line.

Although the male sphinxes all looked very barbarous and ill-mannered, they showed great admiration toward the female. Lucien wondered if she was a real beauty as a female sphinx.

However, in Lucien's eyes, she was barely a standing female lion. Lucien could see zero beauty in her.

He walked forward and let the golden liquid sprinkle on him. The liquid felt very warm like sunshine, but Lucien did not get wet at all from it.

”Fil, you're acting a bit strange today,” said the female sphinx, Sana, in a low voice. ”You've lost your courage? You are not looking at me today.”

Lucien got nervous again.

”Yeah… maybe…” Lucien decided not to contradict this proud female.

Sana laughed, ”I'm curious. What made you lose your courage? You are even not keen on pursuing your mate!”

When Lucien was in this dilemma and did not know what to do, another male sphinx jumped out and ”saved” him. ”Fil, don't waste our time! Don't act weird to catch Sana's attention! Don't even try! Last night you were still staring at Sana secretly!”

Lucien pretended that he had been seen through and looked at Sana in a way full of both hope and fear.

Sana realized what Fil's strategy was and purposefully turned her back against him.

When Lucien left the stone house, he felt really tired, as if he just went through a good fight.

...

”Follow me into the tome. Don't disturb His Majesty's sleep.” A big muscular sphinx holding a long spear said to the tomb guards sternly.

”Yes, Sir Helges,” answered the sphinxes together.

Lucien lowered his head and opened his mouth, pretending that he was answering. In this way, he figured out the name of their leader. It seemed that Helges had the power of a grand knight, and five or six of the guards were of the level of knights. The rest of them, including Fil, were about the level of knight squires.

The guards here were all selected. It was a great honor for a sphinx to become a tomb guard.

Under the guidance of Helges, Lucien stepped on the brownstone bricks and entered the tomb.

Instantly, the heat in the desert disappeared and the cold air became dominant as if they had come to the world of death.

The bricks and stone beams were in very good condition, and the gems, pearls, and crystals were shining the cold light.

The tomb was even grander than any villas, manors, or magic towers that Lucien had ever seen. The rooms and corridors were spacious enough for giants to enjoy themselves there.

Influenced by the Empire of Meshkate, it was believed that sphinxes controlled the secret of life and death and that death was not the end, but the beginning of the real immortality. Pyramids were the magic building for the powerful sphinxes to ascend to the immortal heaven, and therefore, the pyramids were all beyond magnificent.

Meanwhile, many sphinxes believed that their greatest king, the king who was during his eternal sleep, would finally wake up in the pyramid and lead the sphinx to rule the entire world.

And Lucien was in the greatest king's tomb right now.

Holding the spear, Lucien patrolled around following Helges. He saw rotten dead bodies hanging on the wall in many halls. Some of them were scorpions, some were human beings or other races. They were all sacrifices.

Ascending a few floors, the tomb guards entered a hall drawn with countless weird symbols. The most eye-catching fresco was the scene of a powerful sphinx killing members of other races.

At the center of the hall, there were black stone coffins. When passing by, Lucien could sense the evil and cold power in the coffins! He wondered if they were sphinx sacrifices which had been converted into mummy guards.

Since he was in a tomb right now, Lucien temporarily deactivated Sun's Corona so he would not be that sensitive toward the power of death.

Leaving the creepy hall, Helges and the other tomb guards continued to patrol around. Along the winding corridors, they came in front of a huge stone gate. On the gate, one side was drawn with the sun, and the other had a silver moon, symbolizing life and death respectively.

Even without spreading out his spiritual power, Lucien could still feel the horrible power of death behind the stone gate!

Behind the stone gate, Rhine secretly set up a magic circle using the power of the tomb.

In front of the stone gate, two grand-knight-level guards were holding their spears tight. Their legs were much thicker compared to that of Fil.