I’m Trapped in a Cube - Chapter 113

“I’ll do it.”

The team leader stepped forward alone, watching the depths of the tomb passage with vigilance.

The sound of flapping wings drew closer and closer, and a pitch-black insect suddenly flew into the range of the light.

Immediately after, a dense swarm of beetles surged up like a black cloud, but the team leader’s expression only changed slightly. He raised his hand, and a black rune shot out from his palm.

When the black rune first flew out, it was a thin slice, but as soon as it hit the air, it rapidly expanded. An inky shadow suddenly pierced through the rune and emerged.

It was a giant eagle, still growing larger, so big it couldn’t even fit in the tomb passage, forced to fold its wings and squeeze into the center.

But it seemed to realize it couldn’t keep growing, so after blocking the passage, it stopped expanding.

The black giant eagle looked at the incoming swarm, opened its beak just a little, and a powerful gust rolled out.

The black wind blades, sharp as knives, shredded the terrifying swarm into fragments.

The oncoming insects had nowhere to escape; the dead beetle bodies fell from the air, covering the entire passage.

The beetles weren’t endless; under the giant eagle’s attack, they grew fewer and fewer, until only a handful remained, no longer a threat.

Soon, no more insects flew from the tomb passage.

Seeing the battle was over, the team leader closed his open palm into a fist, and the giant eagle vanished instantly.

With the dust settled, the team leader turned to Namier , “How was that, Mr. Namier? Are you satisfied with this approach?”

His tone was full of respect.

But Namier’s expression was a bit odd, thoughtful, his eyes fixed on the team leader’s palm.

It was only when the team leader asked that Namier came back to himself.

“Of course, I’m satisfied.”

Noticing Namier’s distraction, the team leader asked with concern, “What’s wrong, Mr. Namier?”

“It’s nothing. Your skills surprised me a bit.”

Everyone stepped over the thick carpet of beetle corpses and continued forward, but along the way Namier said nothing, completely losing his earlier enthusiasm.

When facing various traps, he only gave brief instructions on how to handle them, no longer explaining their history.

“Up ahead is the main tomb,” Namier said calmly. “There aren’t any more traps here, just go forward boldly.”

The team members quickly entered the main burial chamber, but Namier remained in the shrine before the tomb, gazing at the vivid murals above.

The team leader stood behind him, watching the murals as well.

Neither spoke, each lost in thought.

After a while, Namier broke the silence, “Go find what you’re looking for, don’t worry about me.”

The team leader was clearly surprised by Namier’s words.

“You knew I was looking for something?”

Namier sighed. “I told you, I could wander the pyramids blindfolded since I was five. There’s nothing here I don’t know about. Even the pyramid experts don’t know more than I do.”

He circled the area a few times, then casually pointed to a messy mural and said to the team leader, “It should be there, go take a look.”

The team leader looked incredulous, half-believing, half-doubting, but walked over to the mural.

He tentatively placed his hand on it, and sure enough, the mural changed in a strange way.

The chaotic patterns began to organize themselves, then burst out as phantoms, flickering like a slideshow.

All kinds of different phantoms flashed by, and the patterns followed them onto the team leader’s arm, densely covering it.

Looking back at the mural, it was now plain and ordinary, the chaotic patterns gone.

“So that’s how it works? It’s that simple?” Namier suddenly spoke behind the team leader, startling him. “Did you get something last time you came? No wonder you spent so much to hire me.”

The team leader looked at his arm, now covered in patterns, and nodded, a little guilty, “Mr. Namier, I didn’t mean to hide it from you.”

But Namier didn’t mind, instead looking fondly at the patterns, “Do you know what these are?”

“Some kind of relic, right? A powerful relic,” the team leader guessed.

Namier shook his head, showing a meaningful smile, and began to ramble, “This is Hieroglyph , humanity’s earliest Hieroglyph.”

“Purely using drawings as writing, very direct ideograms. With just simple strokes and outlines, you can depict the shape of an object you want to express.”

“So, when you see it, you immediately know what it means.”

“Beautiful.” Namier even stepped forward, lifting the team leader’s arm to his eyes, greedily studying it.

The team leader, knowing he was in the wrong, didn’t resist.

“You said they’re relics, so what’s the cost?” After a moment, Namier let go of the team leader’s arm and asked curiously.

Hearing this, the team leader raised his hand and began to read out the words recorded on it, one by one.

But every word he read was completely wrong.

“I think I understand,” Namier said regretfully. “Looks like you can’t recognize them anymore.”

“There should be more over there, you can keep collecting them.” Namier pointed to another mural in the distance.

“Mr. Namier, aren’t you going to take some?” the team leader asked, puzzled. “As compensation for my hiding information, this is a powerful relic, it could greatly increase your strength.”

Namier waved his hand, “My job was just to bring you in, I’ve been paid, I don’t need it. And the cost is too great, I don’t want to forget these words.”

“……”

The team leader couldn’t understand, how could someone refuse such a powerful relic?

But at that moment, Namier made a request:

“I can help you explore the entire pyramid for free, but on one condition: you have to upload all these scripts for research, okay?” Namier looked into the team leader’s eyes, asking sincerely.

“Okay.”

After agreeing, the team leader saw Mr. Namier show a gratified smile, as if this pyramid trip had been more rewarding for him than for himself.

He couldn’t understand.

With Namier’s guidance, the Hunter team explored the entire pyramid cluster. The team leader, feeling guilty, no longer kept everything for himself, but distributed many Hieroglyphs to the team members.

Namier just smiled, continuing to cheerfully explain the history of these scripts to the team, like a model tour guide.

“This round-headed cross-like symbol is also called the T-shaped cross, and some now call it a knotted handle. It represents eternal life, but the creators of these scripts didn’t gain eternal life.”

“But these scripts were carved into stone tablets, preserved forever. Haha, what’s eternal anyway? Do you think there is such a thing?”

Just as when they first entered the pyramid, Mr. Namier kept talking, while the team members gave no response, only excitedly examining the scripts they’d obtained.

It was unclear whether they weren’t interested, or could no longer understand.

After returning to the monitoring station, the Hunter team uploaded all the Hieroglyphs as agreed. Namier helped researchers classify and define them, and was credited as the discoverer.

This powerful relic thus became widely known.

……

【Relic: Hieroglyph 】
【Cost: The user’s understanding of the corresponding script is completely distorted, replaced by other words】
【Ability: The user can summon phantom projections of the meaning of the corresponding script】
【Discovery location: Abyss Second Layer 】
【Discovered by: Namier)】
……