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His limbs started to contract into what looked like weak claws. The color of his limbs slowly drained, and all his blood seemed to flow towards his abdomen, which turned crimson red. His facial muscles gradually contorted and streaks of blood emerged, quickly turning black and solidifying on his face.

The flickering flame illuminated his face. His facial features were grossly twisted, making him look like a murderous god that walked out of a mural. A soldier beside him who was holding on to the lighter was so shocked at the sight before him that his wrist trembled. The lighter almost fell, but Zhan Beiye caught it in time.

A cold chill crept up Meng Fuyao's spine as she watched the soldier suffering from the convulsions in pain. Watching his body getting bundled up, his weak limbs, and the group of creatures on the ground which had black coats and red bodies… Could it be, could it be…

”Old De, Old De!” Ji Yu shouted as his remaining arm was about to grab that soldier. ”Old De!”

”Don't touch him!” ordered Zhan Beiye. At that moment, his face was also scrunched up, resembling the soldier in pain. ”He's poisoned!”

Poisoned…

Meng Fuyao stared at the soldier and suddenly recognized him as the one who refused to drink the alcohol.

Because of his repentance of the past and his promise to his deceased wife, he did not drink that alcohol in the end. Amongst the group present, he was the only one who was poisoned after stepping into this tomb.

Meng Fuyao felt her heart sink. Was this destiny's arrangement? Was this retribution's punishment? How cruel it was for someone who sincerely wanted to repent!

Everyone stared in shock as the soldier struggled in pain and bit by bit, shrunk to become one of the creatures on the ground.

Those creatures… were humans.

Their companion who has been with them through thick and thin was about to become one of those creatures, becoming an eternal spirit in this sinister and eerie tomb. The Dark Wind Horses, who had walked through this path resiliently and never showed fear, reached their mental breaking point. One of them turned around and flung himself on the wall.

Moments later, sobs emerged from his arms, where he buried his head into.

His sobs echoed in the empty tomb. It was desolate, heartbreaking and sorrowful, filled with strong resentment towards destiny and a sense of helplessness at his inability.

The flame flickered, illuminating the mural before them. On the tall ship, the confident man still had his head raised towards the sky. His eyes determinedly looked at the horizon as he rode the waves and sailed with the wind.

In a daze, Ji Yu looked at the deformed soldier and muttered, ”I should have forced him to drink… ”

He had yet to complete his sentence when the soldier suddenly let out a sharp cry and with a flip, leaped into the bunch of creatures.

Everyone was stunned.

It was the same black bunch, with the same weak limbs and the same blood-red abdomens - once he entered, no one could distinguish enemies from companions.

How could they attack?

Every move could possibly stab the companion who had accompanied them on this tough journey!

Those creatures started to cheer instead.

They seemed to be delighted with the new ”human” addition, and all stopped to form a crowd around him.

These ”humans” had been stuck for too long in this mountain. They seemed to have been looking forward to something fresh, and they danced in excitement.

The soldier fell into the group and rolled to the other side of the wall. He crouched in the corner, but in his arms, he hugged a black and round object tightly.

He started to bang against the wall, but the mutation of his limbs was so painful that he had not much strength. However, the new ”companions” crawled over in joy and accompanied him to bang the wall.

Everyone could not understand what he was trying to do and looked at him dumbfoundedly. Then, there was a thunderous sound and the wall flipped, revealing a side room that the creatures rushed into.

That soldier was the last to enter. Right before the wall shut, he looked back amongst the crowd. Only his eyeballs still looked slightly human on his deformed face. In those eyes, a wave of emotions flashed by, including nostalgia, farewell, loneliness… and determination.

The wall shut, and he disappeared.

Everyone looked on in a daze, engraving the last expression that they saw of him. He was a handsome and mighty lad who could eat three pounds of meat in a meal and slaughter three heads with one slash of his knife. The bravest and fiercest of them all ended up bidding farewell to the legendary Dark Wind Horses, his identity as a normal human, all his family and friends, and all of nature above ground. He had shrunk into this deformed pile and became one of those creepy creatures that anyone would hate on and kill at the sight of them. He would have to forever live on in this dark and dirty basement of the tomb, never able to see the daylight again.

Just… live on like that?

It's… too cruel.

A thought flashed by everyone's minds as they stood rooted to the ground: … Might as well die…

Bang!