Returning to the Mysterious Era

In a room where only official disciples were qualified to enter.

Cassius lay on the ground, taking in the coolness from the hard stone slabs. He squirmed, searching for the right sensation.

The room was dim, the curtains already drawn.

In the upper right corner of his vision, he could just barely make out the last remaining notch on the Time Scale. He took a deep breath.

Buzz...

It's here!

Cassius's mind lurched, and he held his breath.

The pale red curtains, wooden tables, chairs, and the dim room all began to fade in a bizarre fashion. It was like water had been doused on a painting perched on an easel, causing all the colors to blend and run together.

Everything was trembling, spinning, and shaking!

Although uncomfortable, Cassius forced himself to keep his eyes wide open. At the moment, he was focused on one thing.

Snap.

It seemed like something had pierced the membrane and his hazy senses became clear again.

"Pa...thetic...worm."

Bang!

That was no gunshot; that was the sound of a fist slamming into something!

"Ah!"

The antique specialist William's face twisted as he clutched his wrist where a bulge had bloomed. His right hand had dislocated!

A black handgun lay quietly on the ground.

"Where is he?!" He looked down, fighting through the pain, and saw that Cassius, who he had pinned down with his foot, had disappeared.

"Shane, help me..." William turned his head. His expression changed drastically as a shadow materialized behind his companion.

Snap!

Two lean arms shot out from the darkness. One twist, and snap went Shane's neck.

"Damn!" William turned sharply on his heel and sprinted. He dove, trying to grab the gun with his uninjured left hand.

Thud!

William was sent flying and rolled around on the ground. He felt his chest crackling, pain rushing from his bones to his muscles. His ribs were definitely broken!

"Cough, cough!" William coughed violently. He grunted as a black shoe stomped down on his wound. It pressed down hard, a nearly crushing weight.

"Ah..." William flailed his arms, wanting to curl up in agony but couldn't. Even his pupils were dilated.

"Now, it's your turn to be scared." He heard a deep voice echo above his head.

William forced his eyes open, pained tears blurring his vision. All he could see was a tall, blurry figure gazing down at him. A silent killing intent suffused the hazy scene.

Is he going to kill me?! Right... I humiliated, mocked, and threatened to kill him; of course he wants me dead! This is just retribution... William blinked hard.

The moment he thought about dying, fear welled up inside him. When the gun had been in his hands, he had been arrogant and acted like a tyrant. Now that someone else was stomping on him, all he felt was terror.

No longer in control of his body, William started to tremble.

"Looks like the one who's about to wet his pants isn't me, but you, you pathetic worm. I'll send you to meet Grand Duke Hongli now," Cassius repeated the words William had once said to him. His tone was calm but firm.

The way Cassius said this so confidently turned William into a terrified mess. He screamed, "No, you can't kill me! Huolu..."

Bang!

A fierce straight punch came down and found its target.

"Humph!"

Bang!

Another punch.

"Umph..."

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...

Cassius straightened up. His fists hung by his sides, blood dripping from his knuckles. William lay on the ground, his face a bloody mess. He was no longer breathing.

"Hah..."Cassius exhaled and smiled. The Sword of Damocles that had hung over him for nearly two hundred days had finally shattered![1]

He walked a few steps forward and wiped off his blood on William's clothes. Then, using a piece of cloth to pick up the gun, he fired a shot each at William and Shane. Point-blank shots to the temples. Blood spilled and pooled down onto the ground.

Cassius threw the gun into the corner afterward. It wasn't that he didn't want to use powerful firearms, but he was, by no means, professionally trained. In an emergency, his fists were still a much more reliable weapon; it had taken him forever to aim properly and shoot the two bodies earlier.

The air in the dim corridor was foul and nauseating. The dust mixed with the smell of blood was repulsive.

Cassius weighed the elephant tusk pendant in his hand. This had saved his life.

After putting on the pendant, Cassius surveyed his surroundings. He was at the end of a rectangular corridor and behind him was a relic hall adorned with fragmented murals. A pile of rubble from a column he had accidentally broken earlier lay scattered on the ground.

"Hmm?" Cassius took a few steps into the hall. In the middle of a heap of loose stones, he noticed a metallic object. He cleared away the rubble and found a mask.

"Could this be another of those antiques that contain their owner’s lingering attachment?" Cassius's heart stirred as he examined the mask and flipped it over. To his surprise, he found another face staring at him on the back. It seemed as though the mask was purely decorative and couldn't be worn.

Just as he was about to look more closely, the mask in his hand cracked and shattered, falling to the ground in pieces.

"Too bad..." Cassius shook his head, not only because the mask broke but also because it contained no lingering attachment. There was no bitter taste in his mouth like when he held the Wind Elephant Tusk Pendant.

A few minutes later, a shadowy figure moved silently through the dim corridor. He stopped abruptly and glanced to the left.

A corpse with graying hair, the strands stained red with blood, lay on the forked path. It was Cassius's professor from University of Jersey, the leader of the archaeological expedition.

Cassius stared at it for a long time but did not stop moving. His first priority was to leave this underground ruin. There was no guarantee that the Huolu Antiques Company hadn't stationed more men outside. If they sensed something was wrong and sent people down, Cassius had very little confidence that he could fight against people with firearms. Especially not those who can fire from a distance.

Combat Arts weren't all-powerful and didn't make one immortal. Flesh and blood still couldn't withstand bullets, at least not until he mastered the Covert Martial Arts.

He quickly ran along the dim corridor towards the surface, following whatever he remembered. His footsteps echoed off the tunnel walls.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Whoosh! Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang!

Cassius halted. He could faintly hear the sounds of gunshots and fighting outside.

After running a bit further, he suddenly heard a man roar, "Shadow Demons! You monsters, go to hell! Amen!"

The next moment, the ground shook violently, and the entire tunnel began to tremble. Muffled, rapid-fire explosions echoed in Cassius's ears.

"Someone planted explosives outside!"

With a bang, the stone tunnel collapsed.

1. Refers to when someone is in a situation where something bad can happen at any time. ☜

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