Zhen stared at the figure in front of him a moment longer before snapping out of his trance. His eyes swept from the top of Rusty's head down to his toes. Everything looked normal. He followed up by placing a hand on Rusty's shoulder, letting it glide down to examine every inch of the healer's body.
"You weren't suspected by the guards?"
The gatekeepers of the Western Clan Academy were infamous—sadistic and terrifying. Towering three meters tall, they held the authority to kill anyone who looked even remotely suspicious.
Instead of answering, Rusty responded with a wide grin.
He gave a slight shrug. "Someone called for me, so I needed to get in without raising suspicion. Of course, I used a bit of... strategy."
Zhen narrowed his eyes at that. "So you do know what's going on?"
Rusty leaned in slightly, lowering his voice into a whisper. "I know more than I should. Including the system… and the Hellhunt world."
"But more importantly… you need to leave tonight."
That was exactly what Zhen wanted—but judging by the doubt on his face, Rusty decided to reveal his plan.
"There's an old route beneath this academy. The Black Tunnel. It's been sealed for five centuries by the ancestors of the Western Clan. Most believe it's nothing but legend. But who would've thought that I, a mere healer, have been in and out of it?"
Zhen raised an eyebrow. He even coughed while saying it? Let's just assume he's telling the truth… even if I have my doubts.
Noticing Zhen's sharp stare, Rusty returned it with one of his own—deeper, unwavering.
'People usually play mind games or even cockfights. Why are we locked in a staring match? Or… an eye duel? Which one's the right term here?'
"It's the only way out."
He pulled a scroll from inside his robes and unrolled it over the stone table near the window. It turned out to be a map—covered in ancient symbols, written in dark red ink.
"This is the route," Rusty said, pointing to a spiral line that ended at a skull symbol. "But you can't just walk in. The tunnel's guardian…"
Zhen folded his arms, unimpressed by the sudden pause. "So, what am I supposed to do?"
Rusty reached inside his robes again and took out three dried purple petals. The petals, roughly the size of mustard leaves, gave off a sharp, almost intoxicating fragrance. He offered them to Zhen.
Zhen took the petals cautiously. "What are these?"
"They're core petals from the Night Ghost Flower. The one that only grows in the place where you slipped and fell… that time."
Zhen stayed silent, the weight of this "gift" too strange to accept easily. His eyes locked on Rusty's, more focused now. "You've been preparing all this… since when?"
Rusty let out a quiet chuckle. "That doesn't matter."
He reached for Zhen's robe hanging by the wall and laid it on the bed. "What does matter is… starting tonight, I'll be Zhen. I'll be the sword instructor, eat at the cafeteria, even pretend to be annoyed at Xiran. And you… will be a Hunter again."
"If you're caught… you know what happens, Rusty."
Rusty smiled with unshakable confidence. "Oh, please. Now, where was I?"
"The tunnel."
"Right, right. So, the tunnel," Rusty said, lowering his voice again, "was built by the ancestors of the Western Clan to hide something. But not treasure. Not even weapons."
"They hid a mummy."
Zhen didn't respond. He let Rusty continue.
"Five hundred years ago, when the civil war between the Western Clan's ancestors reached its peak, one of the eldest made a dark pact with a creature from underground. In exchange for his own protection—and as payment for helping him kill the younger brother of the rightful heir to their territory—that underground creature demanded something in return: the relocation of 500 mummies beneath the very ground where the Western Clan Academy now stands."
'This story… is just barely believable enough for my rational mind to accept.'
After all, the System had sealed access for a thousand years, which no doubt caused chaos across the regions and between the clans themselves. They couldn't generate goldi fast enough, and their economic growth suffered because of it.
Rusty pointed to the center of the map, where the red line split into three separate paths. "You can read a map, right?"
Zhen gave a firm nod.
Relieved by the response, Rusty exhaled and continued, tapping the middle branch of the three-pronged red line again.
"This is the entry point. A hidden door that's been covered in thick moss for centuries. It's likely near the old well behind the abandoned dormitory. No student's been allowed there for the past two decades. I believe there's still a small gap you can use to pry it open... you'll need to use your brain for that part."
Zhen kept his eyes on Rusty's finger as it traced each route on the map. He didn't interrupt—not even when Rusty launched into a detailed explanation of every step that had to be taken.
"And most importantly," Rusty added, "if you begin to smell something so rotten it stings your senses—hold your breath. As long as you can smell it, don't breathe. And don't say a single word while you're inside the tunnel."
"I understand."
Zhen then pointed to a symbol that had been bothering him from the start—a mark located at the midpoint of the path, drawn to resemble a pool of water.
"Why is there a different symbol here? And why is it written in black ink?"
Rusty's face stiffened, his skin paling slightly at the question. He moved his finger to trace the black ink etched onto the map.
"This symbol is called the Black River. A river that sometimes appears, sometimes vanishes. If it appears, you'll have to cross it. But if it doesn't show up… that means you'll be granted a rare chance to see the 500 mummies sealed within eternal glass coffins. You know what that means, don't you? It's a sign of good fortune."
The more Zhen heard about the Black River, the deeper his curiosity grew.
"Why would it be considered lucky to see those mummies? And if the river does appear… is that a bad sign?"
Suddenly, Rusty patted the sharp-minded young man on the back, letting out a deep breath as he did.
'How could I possibly know that—when I've never actually been inside the tunnel!'
"You'll understand once you're in there yourself."
'But… didn't you say you've already been in there?'
"How else could I explain all this to you in such detail, if I didn't know the terrain for sure?"
Zhen tried to trust him—he really did—but a faint ripple of unease stirred beneath the surface of his chest.
"And… why are you helping me this much?"
Rusty met those hesitant eyes head-on, diving into the pitch-black depths of Zhen's stare. This young man was born to execute—born to seal monsters, to eliminate even Official Blood Hunters. Without realizing it, the fine hairs along Rusty's skin began to rise.
"Because—"