Chapter Forty-Four: The Graveyard of Death

The Death Cemetery, a legendary sanctuary for necromancers, was the coveted destination for the group venturing into the Shadowy Forest. Han Shuo surveyed the surroundings from every angle, recalling Vannie's earlier account, and was now certain this place was indeed the Death Cemetery glimpsed during teleportation.

No wonder Han Shuo had felt a vague sense of familiarity here—his own dabbling in necromancy explained it. The air was thick with potent death magic, and even the scent of transformed bones was something Han Shuo recognized intimately.

After scrutinizing the entire area, Han Shuo furrowed his brow, silently recalling that those rumored to have seen the Death Cemetery never returned from it. Now, as he stood here himself, he questioned whether to proceed inside.

In its prime, this cemetery had been the research ground for powerful necromancers studying the dark arts. After their demise, the cemetery itself vanished without a trace. Yet, since it had been such a place of study, secrets of necromancy were surely hidden here—a tremendous temptation for Han Shuo, a novice just stepping into the world of magic, demanding careful consideration of the risks.

After a moment’s hesitation, Han Shuo’s face hardened with resolve; he began to walk across the field of bones toward the heart of the Death Cemetery. Once he had stepped deeper into the area, the dark green orb suspended in the void suddenly dropped back into its jade case, and the green light that had suffused the region vanished as if it had never been.

Han Shuo stood stunned, glancing around to find that the outer landscape had shifted again, returning to the scene he had first encountered upon arrival. Yet the zone surrounding the Death Cemetery, all the way beneath his feet, still retained its shadowed, deathly aspect.

Examining the orb in his hand, Han Shuo realized that it must be a key element of the Death Cemetery, seemingly capable of unlocking its secrets. The cemetery itself was shrouded in a concealing barrier; from outside, one could not discern anything peculiar, nothing to draw attention. But with this orb, the cemetery’s true face was revealed, cloaked in a palpable, desolate stillness.

Bones beneath his feet creaked as he walked, their sudden noise in the silent gloom unnerving him. Luckily, Han Shuo had recently broken through the “Solid” stage in his magical training, which lent him a courage he could not quite explain. Without further hesitation, he pressed onward toward the cemetery.

Eventually, Han Shuo stood before the entrance: a circular trench encircled the area, filled with pitch-black water. A bridge, fashioned from blackened bones, spanned the trench, solitary and forlorn.

Without pause, clutching the jade case with the orb, Han Shuo stepped onto the bone bridge, moving slowly toward the cemetery doors. The bridge swayed beneath him, causing his balance to falter. He glanced at the trench below, sensing an ominous danger in the stagnant black water.

As Han Shuo set foot on the bridge, the orb within the jade case began to emit a strange green glow, like a magical remedy to the trembling structure. Once the light shone forth, the bridge stopped swaying, and the joints between the bones seemed to strengthen miraculously.

Finally, Han Shuo reached the entrance. Two massive doors of gray-brown material stood before him, flanked on either side by towering skeletal remains of evil knights and their warhorses.

Evil knights were formidable entities among dark creatures—only necromancers of master level could hope to summon them. Judging by the size and form of the knightly remains, Han Shuo guessed these two had been among the most elite.

The doors themselves bore intricate, elaborate magical patterns, and at their center was a circular indentation—a keyhole, perhaps. At that moment, the orb in Han Shuo’s hand shot a beam of green light straight to the indentation. Understanding what to do, Han Shuo pressed the orb, still in its case, into the slot, carefully avoiding direct contact with the orb, aware that touching it with his bare flesh might have unforeseen consequences.

Once the orb was in place, a thunderous rumble echoed out; the doors creaked open to either side. The slot split apart as the doors swung, but the orb remained in the jade case, unchanged.

Dust billowed outward as the doors opened, prompting Han Shuo to cough before steadying his nerves and peering inside.

The Death Cemetery’s interior was a vast hall, surrounded by six closed rooms. The ceiling soared high above, as large as a basketball court, with a massive six-pointed star magic array at its center, very similar to the teleportation arrays Han Shuo had seen in Zakias City and at Babylon Magic and Martial Academy, adorned with ancient magical glyphs.

Aside from the magic array, the hall was empty, save for a few magic stone pillars supporting the structure and some broken bones in the corners.

A strong odor of decay filled the air. Han Shuo lingered at the doorway, waiting until the stench dissipated with the open doors, before venturing inside.

The hall, with its six-pointed star array and towering roof, was flanked by six closed rooms. After searching the hall and finding nothing of value, Han Shuo turned his attention to the six rooms.

One, two, three… After inspecting each, Han Shuo found nothing. The rooms appeared to be mere storage chambers, now empty.

Returning to the hall, Han Shuo remembered Vannie’s words and his own observations. The Death Cemetery was only partially above ground, with most of its secrets buried deep below. The true mysteries were beneath its surface.

Yet after searching everywhere, Han Shuo found no stairways or passages leading underground, leaving him perplexed and lost in thought.

After much deliberation, Han Shuo suspected the orb in his hand was the key. He resumed his inspection of the hall and the rooms.

Eventually, in the corner of one room, Han Shuo discovered another indentation. Joyful, he placed the orb inside; a rumbling ensued, and a hidden passage tore open in the wall. On the first step lay six silvery rods, neither wood nor stone, fashioned from some mysterious material. Each rod had connecting points, suggesting they could be assembled together.

Besides the rods, there was only a thin sheet of paper, scrawled with ancient magical script. Han Shuo studied the writing carefully.

He learned that the six rods could be assembled into a six-pointed star, directly linking to the hall’s magic array for teleportation. He also learned that the passage was shielded by a barrier that could not be breached without sufficient mental power.

Beyond this, the fragile paper offered no further useful information.

Han Shuo collected the rods, frowning as he descended toward the passage. Suddenly, an invisible barrier appeared, flashing a green ripple and violently repelling him. The pain in his head confirmed the paper’s warning—his mental strength was insufficient to enter the underground structure.

Muttering curses, Han Shuo followed the instructions on the paper, connecting the rods to form a six-pointed star on the ground. Standing within the miniature magic array, he infused it with mental energy, activating it. A flash of white light transported him to the large magic array in the hall.

Using the same method, he returned to the room with the miniature array.

After some thought, Han Shuo realized he could not explore the passage for now. Fortunately, the rods and the orb allowed him to enter the cemetery from anywhere, making it his secret base.

Since the secrets could not yet be uncovered, Han Shuo decided not to linger. He packed the rods and the paper, took the jade case, and left the cemetery as he had entered.

Once safely outside, Han Shuo looked back—the scene was unchanged, with tall grasses, dense shrubs, towering trees, and an eerie silence.

A contented smile appeared on his face. Han Shuo knew his journey in the Shadowy Forest was, for now, at an end.

He had, by luck and accident, discovered the legendary Death Cemetery. Its secrets now belonged to him alone, not to any other, not even the teachers and students of the necromancy school.