Marcus’s vision went dark almost instantly.

When sight returned, he found himself standing inside a vast chamber built from heavy black stone. The air felt ancient and oppressive, as if the walls themselves carried centuries of silence. High above him, the yellow vortex still rotated slowly, marking the entrance he had just fallen through. Its dim glow cast shifting light across the chamber floor, barely pushing back the shadows.

Four tunnels extended outward from the room, each disappearing into darkness. Flickering torches burned along the walls, their weak flames making the place feel abandoned rather than illuminated.

The Mystic Turtle’s Tear had worked. He was officially inside the tomb.

’Which means’, Marcus thought, ’if someone gets the Azure Dragon’s Tear, the White Tiger’s Tear, and the Vermilion Bird’s Tear, they can enter the other three tombs too.’

The realization lingered in his mind for a moment before he pushed it aside. Speculation could wait. Survival came first.

He stored the Mystic Turtle’s Tear safely in his inventory, then summoned Pebble and his Sea Demon Soul. Buff skills followed one after another until familiar layers of power settled over him. Only then did he choose a tunnel, turning right without hesitation.

As he advanced, he used the Bat Dragon Cloud Sword to carve clear markings into the stone walls behind him. The scratches were deep enough to remain visible even in poor light. Getting lost here felt less like a possibility and more like an inevitability.

Less than a hundred meters later, the tunnel opened into another intersection. More passages and more branching paths.

Marcus stared at them for a moment, then sighed.

’A maze. Of course it’s a maze.’

He continued forward, keeping to the right-hand rule, moving slowly and methodically while marking every turn. Rushing inside an unknown dungeon was the fastest way to die.

The monsters appeared soon after.

Three figures blocked the passage ahead, carved entirely from stone. One held a massive two-handed blade like a warrior. Another carried a sword and towering shield in the stance of a knight. The third stood behind them, bow already drawn, its stone arrow aimed directly at him.

The archer fired first.

Sea Demon Soul’s Taunt activated immediately, dragging the monster’s aggression away from Marcus.

A damage number floated up.

-80 HP.

Marcus relaxed slightly.

Only eighty damage. That placed them around level forty. Even if one landed a direct hit on him, it would barely scratch him.

’Easy fight.’

"Kill them."

Sea Demon Soul locked the enemies in place while Pebble charged forward with reckless enthusiasm. Marcus cast Insight while beginning his usual summoning sequence.

—

Stone Grunt

Level 42 | HP: 8,000

Flawed constructs created during the tomb’s construction. Rejects abandoned in the upper levels of the Four Spirits’ Guard. Resentful of their existence, they attack any intruder in a desperate attempt to prove their worth.

Skills: Basic combat abilities. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

—

’Prove their worth?’

Marcus snorted internally. ’More like proving they want to respawn faster.’

By the time he finished reading, Blackie had already appeared beneath him, Goldie materialized beside him, and Wyvern Saint Knight Lyanna and Vixen Queen Camillo joined the battlefield. Marcus barely had time to lift his weapon before the three Stone Grunts were overwhelmed.

Stone shattered under claws, blades, and magic. Within seconds, the enemies collapsed into piles of rubble.

Marcus dismounted and used Gathering on the remains.

Nothing.

The fragments faded away instantly without leaving a single drop behind.

’Cheap monsters too.’

He continued deeper into the tunnels. Small groups of Stone Grunts appeared periodically, never more than two or three at a time. Marcus rarely needed to act. His pets eliminated each encounter within seconds, turning combat into little more than background noise.

The first level of the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb wasn’t dangerous. It was irritating.

The real enemy was the maze itself.

The tunnels twisted endlessly. Intersections appeared every few steps. Four-way crossings, five-way branches, even sprawling eight-path junctions that looked identical in every direction. Dead ends appeared just often enough to crush his momentum each time he reached one.

Worse still, the monsters were sparse. Sometimes fifty meters passed without a single fight. Experience gained came painfully slowly.

Three hours later, Marcus checked his status window. His experience bar had moved less than ten percent.

He turned another corner and arrived at yet another intersection.

No markings. Which meant he had somehow looped back into unexplored territory despite all his careful carving.

’Great.’ Marcus opened the system clock, It was after 2 AM. He exhaled slowly.

’Screw it. Time for bed. I’ll try again tomorrow.’

With that, he logged out as reality returned quietly. Lily was already asleep beneath the blankets, her breathing slow and peaceful. But someone else occupied his usual spot beside her.

Jade.

The little troublemaker lay curled against Lily, sprawled comfortably across Marcus’s side of the bed as if she owned it.

Marcus stared.

’Oh, hell no. This little devil stole my spot? I and Lily’s space? Absolutely unforgivable.’

He crept closer, intending to lift Jade carefully and carry her back to her own room. The moment his hand touched her shoulder, her eyes fluttered open.

"Marcus."

She blinked sleepily, then smiled at him, a soft, disarming smile that immediately weakened his resolve.

Before he could react, her pale arms slipped around his neck and pulled him downward as she shifted closer, making room for him.

"Are you coming to bed now, Marcus?"

"Jade... you should go back to your room."

He tried to lift her again, but she gently shook her head.

"Marcus... I want to sleep with you."

He froze.

Before he could respond, she tugged again. Already leaning over the bed, he lost his balance and ended up half sprawled beside her. Jade laughed quietly, kissed his cheek in quick affection, then hugged him tighter.

"I asked Lily already," she said proudly. "She said it’s okay. Tonight I’m sleeping here."

She pulled his hand and guided him into the space between her and Lily as if the decision had already been finalized.

"Jade, no. I’m taking you back to your room."

’What am I even supposed to say here?’

This girl completely dismantled his ability to think.

"No?"

Jade stared up at him, confusion and hurt quickly replacing her smile.

"Why not, Marcus?"

Her expression trembled. The brightness in her eyes faded, replaced by genuine sadness as she waited for an answer he did not have.

’Hell if I know.’

Before Marcus could form a proper response, tears welled up and slid down her cheeks.

"You used to hold me when I slept," she whispered softly. "You let me sleep in your arms. Only you... my sister... and my mom ever held me like that. But now you don’t want me anymore. You don’t hold me. Marcus... don’t you like me anymore?"

Her voice cracked, small and vulnerable. She looked less like a teasing troublemaker and more like someone afraid of being pushed away.

Marcus felt completely blindsided. Like her? What does that even have to do with this?

The memory surfaced immediately. Two years ago, after a long day out, Jade had fallen asleep in his arms at the park. Back then she had still been a kid, exhausted and carefree.

But she was not a child anymore. And Lily was right there, awake and watching everything.

Marcus turned slightly and met Lily’s gaze. She lay comfortably under the blanket, eyes open, with amusement shining clearly on her face. A faint, satisfied smile played on her lips as she watched him struggle.

’This girl...’

Marcus ground his teeth, resisting the overwhelming urge to pull the blanket away and give her a firm swat for enjoying her man suffering far too much.