The team approached the doorway slowly, every sense sharpened.

And just as Wu Shuan lifted his hand to guide the talisman further into the chamber, a piercing sound split through the silence.

A sharp, inhuman screech rang out from within the darkness, high-pitched and shrill enough to make the hair on their necks stand up. The very walls seemed to vibrate with the sound, and the illumination talisman flickered faintly as though disturbed by the beastly cry.

The group froze where they stood, their weapons shifting into ready positions almost instinctively.

Fatty Kui muttered under his breath, his eyes darting toward the shadows. "Well… I guess we found the welcoming committee."

The screech echoed through the barren corridor, sharp and high-pitched, bouncing off the stone walls until it seemed to come from every direction at once. The sound cut through the dim light of Wu Shuan's talisman and made the hair on the back of their necks rise.

All four of them froze instinctively, their steps halting mid-motion. Fatty Kui shifted his stance slightly, ready to draw upon his brute strength, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the darkness ahead. Wu Shuan raised his hand higher, the talisman flaring to cast more light around them, but the glow did little to chase away the thick gloom that pressed in from deeper within the complex.

"That was no ordinary beast call…" Senior Brother Duan muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowed and his hand resting on the shaft of his spear. His tone was calm, but there was a weight to it that made the others tighten their grips on their own weapons.

Han Yu's gaze sharpened as he took a careful step forward, listening closely. The sound reminded him faintly of the howls he had heard during the beast tide, but it was thinner, sharper, carrying with it a strange echo that didn't belong to a normal throat. His instincts screamed danger, but also curiosity.

"Could it be a spirit beast sealed in here?" Han Yu asked quietly.

"It is possible," Duan replied, nodding slightly. "The elders did warn us that tombs like these can preserve beasts through various methods. Some may have even been placed intentionally to guard the offerings and treasures inside."

Fatty Kui frowned, his voice hushed but firm. "If it's guarding something, that means there's definitely something valuable ahead. But if it's strong enough to still be alive after who knows how long, it might not be easy to handle."

Wu Shuan glanced at Duan, his expression carrying a trace of unease. "Senior Brother Duan, do you think it will come to us?"

Before Duan could answer, the screech sounded again, this time closer, reverberating from deeper down the corridor. The faint vibrations trembled through the soles of their boots, as though something heavy had shifted.

Han Yu tightened his grip on his sword. "Whether it comes or not, it knows we're here."

Duan gave a small, grim nod, then straightened. "Stay behind me. If it's a beast, we'll deal with it quickly. If it's something else, be ready for traps." He took the lead, his spear angled slightly forward as he walked cautiously toward the room ahead.

The others followed, forming a tight group. Wu Shuan's talisman-light floated above them, chasing away the shadows, but the light flickered faintly as though the surrounding darkness resisted it. The corridor stretched on for several dozen more steps before widening into an archway that opened into a chamber.

They stopped at the threshold.

The chamber beyond was large, circular, with high ceilings that disappeared into shadow. The walls were carved with faint lines, worn down by time, but nothing elaborate or decorative—just the faint suggestion of patterns long eroded.

What drew their attention, however, was the massive stone altar in the center of the room. Upon it lay a pile of broken weapons, shattered armor, and fragments of jade slips.

SCREEECH

Just as they were looking at the altar though, the screech echoed again, this time much closer.

The group's eyes snapped to the altar's back at the far end of the chamber. There, crouched low in the pool of shadows, something stirred. Its movements were slow and predatory, the faint shuffle of claws against stone carrying through the still air.

When the illumination talisman drifted nearer, its light peeled back the veil of darkness, revealing the creature in full.

Han Yu felt his breath hitch at the sight. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NovᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet

The beast was grotesque, a mismatched patchwork that seemed almost wrong to look at. Its head was unmistakably that of a rat, complete with twitching whiskers and long yellow incisors that gleamed sharply in the light.

Yet the body it rested upon was lean and sinewy like that of a wolf, its black fur bristling and taut with barely restrained power. The front paws were gnarled, oversized rat claws, capable of tearing through wood or stone, while its hind legs were the long, muscled limbs of a wolf, built for sudden bursts of speed and savage leaps. Its tail whipped about restlessly, lashing against the altar's base like a striking whip.

For a moment, the beast seemed almost content to lurk in place, its beady black eyes glittering with malevolence as it studied the intruders.

But then, without warning, it pounced ferociously.

A blur of black fur and snapping incisors shot from the altar's shadow like an arrow loosed from a bow. Its target was clear. At the very front of the formation stood Senior Brother Duan, spear in hand, and the beast wasted no time attempting to sink its teeth into him.

"Careful!" Wu Shuan barked, already beginning to channel qi into the sword his hand.

But Duan was faster.

The beast's incisors came down with a metallic screech as they clashed against the blade of Duan's spear.

CLANG!

Sparks sprayed outward, the sharp teeth grinding against tempered steel. The clash of spirit qi shuddered through the chamber, the sheer force of it was enough to make the air vibrate faintly.