Returning to the Mysterious Era

The Camorra mountains were dense with foliage. The twilight glow cast a mix of red and green hues on the mountainside.

A gust of wind swept through, causing the sea of trees to ripple like waves and the sound to resemble the waves crashing. The sound came farther then closer, closer then farther, and drowned out the birds.

Boom!

Halfway up the mountain, a series of violent explosions erupted. A clearly visible column of dirt and dust spewed skyward, reaching several meters high before falling back into the forest. About halfway up, a steep slope suddenly collapsed, as if a chunk had been bitten out of it.

"What was that? Was that thunder?!"

"Seems to be from the other side of the mountain..."

In a village several miles away at the foot of the mountain, some villagers heard the reverberating explosion and stopped to look toward the sky. A minute later, dirt and stones covered the ruins.

The air was filled with the unpleasant stench of burning due to the explosion. All of the trees around the area had fallen, with some blown apart. The explosion and subsequent collapse had cleared away nearly seven or eight acres of ground.

At the edge of the blast zone, several broken bodies lay on the ground or hung in trees. Their tattered clothes were distinctly scorched and had turned slightly black from the blood and dirt.

The area was silent. Even the frequent bird calls in the forest were absent because the explosion had scared away all of the wild birds.

Crack... crack... crack... snap!

Suddenly, a hand broke through the dirt.

Two minutes later.

"Cough, cough... cough, cough..."

Cassius knelt on the ground, hands dangling by his side, hair caked with dirt. His chest rose and fell heavily as he panted.

The collapsing ruins hadn't crushed him to death, but it had nearly suffocated him. The tunnel collapse buried a large part of the ruins in dirt. He had been lucky that a corner of the wall had created a small space for him to hide in. Using every ounce of energy he had, he dug his way out.

Moreover, Cassius had to thank his extremely durable and strong body. Six months of hard training had not been in vain.

The sky was faintly yellow at the horizon, and the ground had a faint reddish hue.

Cassius stood by a large tree, gazing down at the corpses on the ground. He squatted and picked up a nearby badge.

It was a pure white shield-shaped badge, with a pale gold wheat pattern decorating the edge. In the center was a black cross sword, its tip piercing a horned demon's head. On the back, there was a string of small letters neatly arranged.

"Hunter?" Cassius read out the word softly.

He replaced the badge and glanced at the handgun the corpse held with a death grip. It was a large-calibre gun, black as ink with edges that weren't streamlined but rather heavy and angular. It was nearly as long as half a forearm. On the right side were several silver cursive letters: "Ebony." ᚱÁƝȏΒĚs

"An organization, either the Shadow Demons or the group that planted the bombs, must have done this," Cassius muttered, frowning as he stood up. Things were becoming more and more confusing. This government-led archaeological project seemed far more complex than it appeared.

Shadow Demons, Huolu Antiques Company, even the Fengnan City Government... Cassius scrutinized them all as countless questions filled his mind.

Never mind, I need to leave this place first. He scanned the area, feeling a twinge of dread. He knew he wouldn’t be safe if he stayed in here. Cassius turned to leave.

Half an hour later, the dirt-and-stone-mixed ground suddenly cracked open, and a twisted human figure crawled out.

"Just a little more... A little more."

The figure transformed into a robust adult male. Everything looked normal, except for the wriggling shadow on the ground. The horrifying thing about it was that the shadow looked almost alive.

The man stayed there for a while before preparing to leave.

"Hmm?" He paused and glanced at the ground.

A smile suddenly appeared on his face. "Nice... Another companion is about to emerge..."

***

It was the fourth of June in the 156th year of the Hongli Federation calendar. The weather was windy and it was lightly drizzling. A large funeral was being held in the North District Cemetery of Fengnan City where seven coffins would be buried.

The sky was gloomy as gray clouds concealed the skies. The sun was nowhere to be seen, and everything was a dull gray as if the sky had been wiped with a dirty rag. The roads in the North District Cemetery were muddy, with a few tire tracks here and there. Scattered trees lined the roads.

In the distance was a vast green cemetery dotted with gray tombstones, the last marks left by the deceased. Hymns were being sung in a moderately sized steeple chapel located in the heart of the cemetery. The chapel had gray walls and a red roof. The surface of the drainage tiles were wet.

Dong!

The chapel's bell rang out, resonating over the cemetery.

The process of praying, bringing out the cross, and sprinkling holy water was completed and the seven coffins were placed into their respective graves, with family members crying and comforting each other.

Moments later, white flowers were placed in front of each tombstone. The priest, holding the scriptures, slowly prayed with his head bowed.

At the very edge of the seven coffins stood two lonely figures. One was the priest and the other was an elderly man with snow white hair and holding a cane. They stood at the final tombstone and the atmosphere was very somber.

The old man looked at the tombstone three meters away.

"Cassius Carneige. Born in the 131st year, died in the 156th year."

The priest continued reciting the scriptures in a low voice, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

"Cassius... cough, cough..." The white-haired old man coughed a few times.

Behind the chapel's wall, a figure in a dark coat and wide-brimmed black hat looked on from afar.

"I can't believe I'm watching my own funeral..." Cassius muttered to himself. His gaze followed the hunched figure stumbling through the muddy road in the distance. His teeth unconsciously clenched.

The elderly man with the cane suddenly slipped and fell to the ground. Cassius wanted to rush over, but he restrained himself. Moments later, someone came to help. The group continued forward until they disappeared from Cassius's sight.

"Damn it!" he swore, punching the wall in frustration. Cassius wanted to reveal himself to the old dean, to tell him he wasn't dead, and that he didn't need to be heartbroken over him.

However, everything was just too confusing at the moment. The bizarre archaeological incident, the Huolu Antiques Company's sudden betrayal, the battle between two unknown organizations, and Fengnan City Government's lightning-fast funeral arrangements. Everything was too suspicious.

Until he had everything figured out and thoroughly investigated, Cassius didn't dare reveal himself. He feared this would involve the old dean. Since everyone thought he was dead, it was better to let Cassius Carneige remain that way.

Cassius lowered his hat and silently turned away.

From today onward, I shall be called Li Wei...

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