Chapter 208: Battle Royale

"We need to find a well-preserved burial chamber and get that strange-scented item for protection," Li Zhi quickly strategized. "Those bugs are everywhere. If we encounter a swarm, our chances of escape are slim."

Xie Qiong gave a curt nod, his words as sparse as ever. "Let's go."

Using the candles from the chamber, they fashioned a makeshift torch, which Xie Qiong carried as backup. Then they hurried out of the chamber and continued down the dark, winding tomb passage.

Deep underground, surrounded by a labyrinth of tunnels, they had no way to discern direction. But based on the marks they’d left along the way, they could at least confirm they weren’t backtracking.

The tomb was absurdly massive—its scale suggested the occupant had been nobility, perhaps even royalty. Yet, according to the murals Li Zhi had seen earlier, the tomb seemed to belong to an ordinary couple. Its layout didn’t match conventional burial designs, including the bizarre sacrificial pit depicted in the murals.

Li Zhi couldn’t help but wonder—was this tomb even real?

A sharp click echoed through the silent passage.

Xie Qiong, walking ahead, froze mid-step.

He had stepped on something.

A gust of cold wind rushed from the darkness behind them. Li Zhi lunged forward, shouting, "Watch out!"

As they hit the ground, a volley of iron arrows shot from the shadows, embedding themselves like porcupine quills where Xie Qiong had stood moments before. The arrows were as thick as arms and half a person’s length—enough to impale a man clean through.

Though they’d avoided the arrows, their current position was clearly rigged with traps. The moment Xie Qiong’s foot lifted from the trigger, the once-flat passage suddenly lurched upward, then flipped like a coiling serpent. The two, still tangled together, plummeted into the unknown.

Li Zhi barely had time to shield her head.

Fortunately, the drop wasn’t far. They crashed onto solid ground, Xie Qiong taking the brunt of the impact with a muffled grunt.

Li Zhi rolled to her feet, grabbing the fallen torch. "You okay?"

Xie Qiong sat up slowly and shook his head.

"Thanks," Li Zhi said sincerely.

Xie Qiong dusted himself off. "You saved me first." He paused, brow furrowing. "Do you hear that?"

Before she could answer, the ground beneath them trembled. Then the entire chamber shook violently. Li Zhi crouched low, stabilizing herself as the surrounding floor collapsed, leaving only a circular platform about two meters in diameter.

She and Xie Qiong now stood on this lone island, surrounded by a three-meter-deep pit. The eerie sounds Xie Qiong had heard came from below—where thousands of black beetles writhed in a squirming mass. The stench of decay and the skittering of countless legs made her stomach churn. Each beetle was thumb-sized, their jagged mandibles taking up half their bodies.

Sensing prey above, the beetles reared up, mandibles snapping hungrily. The swarm grew frenzied, but the smooth, slick walls of the pit prevented them from climbing out. They could only wait for their meal to drop in.

The platform beneath them wobbled precariously, like a plate balanced on a single chopstick. Li Zhi hurled the torch toward the exit across the pit.

Just what we were afraid of—we’ve landed right in their nest.

"Don’t move!" Li Zhi hissed.

Xie Qiong stilled instantly. Li Zhi shifted her weight with agonizing slowness, muscles taut as she redistributed their mass to stabilize the platform. But even the slightest movement caused it to tilt.

The stone pillar supporting them groaned ominously, each creak sending the audience’s hearts into their throats.

The beetles’ skittering grew louder, more frenetic.

Yet, despite the danger, the two on the platform remained eerily composed, their tension visible only in the rigid lines of their bodies.

Finally, Li Zhi found the balance point, and the platform steadied. They crouched on opposite sides, breaths held, barely making a sound.

The exit was two meters away—a risky jump, but their only option.

But any misstep would send the platform crashing down. Worse, they had to jump simultaneously—one person moving first would doom the other.

They were alike in skill, but without memories, trust was a gamble. If this was a test, they might even be competitors.

Xie Qiong met her gaze. "We jump together."

Li Zhi nodded. "Agreed."

They adjusted their stances, the platform wobbling again.

Crack—

Crack—

Pebbles rained into the pit as the platform lurched downward.

They froze.

The beetles below leaped futilely, piling atop one another in a grotesque pyramid.

At least they can’t fly.

Xie Qiong gritted his teeth. "No more waiting. On three!"

Li Zhi coiled like a spring, power gathering in her legs.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One—!"

They launched forward in perfect sync, the platform collapsing behind them as they soared through the air.

The audience barely had time to gasp before Li Zhi and Xie Qiong landed safely, snatching up the torch and sprinting down the passage without a backward glance.

The skittering of the swarm followed.

Li Zhi glanced back—the entire tunnel behind them was a seething black tide. If caught, they’d be devoured alive.

They pushed their speed to the limit, but soon faced a worse dilemma: a three-way fork in the path.

One wrong choice meant no turning back.

Xie Qiong’s jaw clenched. "Which way?"

Li Zhi hesitated. "We could split up."

She’d take responsibility for her own fate—but not his.

Xie Qiong didn’t answer. The swarm closed in. At the last second, Li Zhi veered into the middle tunnel—and Xie Qiong followed.

Surprised, she shot him a look.

Xie Qiong’s voice was tight. "I don’t trust my luck."

The audience couldn’t help but comment:

[Even without memories, he’s still aware he’s cursed with bad luck?]

[If Xie Qiong had better luck, he wouldn’t be #1—his experience comes from constantly drawing the worst scenarios.]

[Lmao, Li Zhi isn’t exactly lucky either.]

[Compared to Xie Qiong, she’s practically blessed. Remember when she pulled Li Jianxi from a treasure chest?]

[That was Li Jianxi cheating! Speaking of which, where is he this round?]

[No memories = no items. If Li Zhi can’t access her inventory, she can’t summon him.]

[Watching them is thrilling but predictable—with these two together, nothing stands a chance.]

Li Zhi’s luck held—the middle path wasn’t a dead end. But with endless forks ahead, she couldn’t guarantee they’d always choose right.

Worse, their stamina was fading. The swarm gained ground.

Their only hope was finding a burial chamber and that mysterious fragrant item.

But so far, they’d seen none. The torch flickered weakly. Xie Qiong handed her the spare, but the brief pause let the swarm close the gap.

As they ran, Xie Qiong stripped off his jacket. "We’ll burn it if we have to."

But their flammable resources were pitifully few. Even burning all their clothes might buy only seconds.

Then, as they rounded a corner, the skittering stopped.

Li Zhi turned. The swarm had vanished, retreating inexplicably.

Xie Qiong called back, "Keep moving."

Li Zhi raised the torch, illuminating something ahead. "What’s that?"