In A Fantasy World I Can Absorbs Abilities

The group left the tomb and took flight once more. After about fifteen minutes, they arrived at a large cavern. Unlike the smooth walls of the previous chambers, this space retained its natural ruggedness.@@novelbin@@

Outside the cavern, crystal clear blue seawater shimmered, connecting to a wide entrance large enough for a ship to pass through. The entrance was nestled between cliffs, shrouded in thick mist that ensured it couldn't be seen from the outside.

[That mist is the seal I mentioned,] Garett One said quietly.

Michael murmured in awe, "Your grandfather concealed this place to the very end... Miaomiao, he truly was incredible."

Tears welled in Miaomiao's eyes, but she quickly wiped them away with her paw. [Of course! He's my grandfather, after all! Hehe.]

The group began exploring the vast cavern. Its sheer size, combined with the darkness and mist, made it difficult to survey in its entirety.

As Michael meticulously examined the surroundings, something caught his eye—a shipwreck emerging faintly from the mist. The vessel's silhouette was obscured, making it hard to discern its details at first.

Miaomiao, perched on Michael's shoulder, gasped. [That's it! That's the heirloom I mentioned—the ancient magic ship! I can't believe it's been abandoned like this...]

Excitement surged through Michael as he rushed toward the ship. From a distance, it looked decrepit and ruined, but up close, its condition was surprisingly intact. Though weathered with signs of age, the ship's structure remained sound.

"We should go aboard. What do you all think?" Michael asked. Everyone nodded in agreement.

[Still, we should be cautious. Wait a moment,] Miaomiao said, her concern evident. She cast protective magic over the group before they advanced.

Michael prepared himself, equipping Eah's Shield and donning the armor and bow gifted to him by Lucrezia. With everyone ready, they climbed onto the ship.

As they stepped aboard, it became clear the deck was far larger than it appeared from the outside. Just as Miaomiao had said, the ship was an ancient magic vessel.

Spread across the deck were piles of bones, arranged in a circular pattern at regular intervals. The remains, now reduced to skeletons, wore garments that were surprisingly well preserved despite the passage of time. Most were mage robes, though there were also several sets of finely crafted armor.

Interspersed among the bones were magical cores from beasts and remains of non human entities. It seemed representatives from every race on the continent had gathered here.

At the center of the deck, a faintly glowing crystal rested in a circular formation. The entire arrangement gave the impression of a ritual having taken place. A chill ran down everyone's spines.

Miaomiao's voice quivered as she pointed toward the crystal. [Michael, that's my grandfather's core.]

Michael tried to comfort Miaomiao, whose head hung low as she gazed at the glowing core, radiant like a precious gemstone.

[It's fine. Just finding a trace of my grandfather is enough,] she said, forcing a smile to mask her sorrow.

Michael asked quietly, "What happened here for so many people to die in this manner?"

The scene before them was deeply unsettling—skeletons that had maintained their forms for 25,000 years.

Miaomiao slowly walked toward the core, her eyes fixed on its luminescence. As she placed her paw on it, a deep, powerful voice reverberated through the air.

[My descendant, you have finally come.]

A massive spectral Sphinx appeared, towering above them.

"So large..." Michael thought, awestruck, his mouth slightly agape. And so majestic.

The apparition's form was sleek and agile, reminiscent of a jaguar. Though it bore a resemblance to Miaomiao, its amber eyes and the intense glow radiating from them spoke of unparalleled strength in life. Its glossy black fur was particularly long around its head and chin, giving it an air of regality.

The Garetts immediately prostrated themselves in reverence. Miaomiao reached out a paw toward the specter as if to embrace it, but her paw passed through the intangible image.

With a sorrowful tone, the apparition spoke again. [You must be my granddaughter. It brings me joy to see you, even in this way.]

[Yes, I am Nefertari Hatshepsut Sphinx. Grandfather! What happened to you? How did things come to this?]

Akhenaten looked upward at the cavern's ceiling and let out a harrowing roar of anguish. His voice, filled with fury, resentment and anger, echoed throughout the cavern.

[We were betrayed!]

The shocking declaration left the group holding their breath, awaiting his next words.

[When the Vesuth Volcano was discovered to be on the verge of eruption, every intelligent being on the continent convened,] Akhenaten began, his tone steadying as he recounted the events. [The assembly decided that the eruption and its aftermath must be stopped at all costs. Three hundred of the continent's strongest beings were divided into two groups. The first team, tasked with sealing the volcano, carried an enormous collection of mana stones contributed by all the continent's people. The scale was staggering—enough to fill a thousand spatial rings completely.] Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire

Akhenaten's gaze grew distant as if he were staring through the cavern walls into the past.

[Even with that many mana stones, it was only enough to activate the first group's magic circle. The second team was tasked with channeling lava and ash toward the sea, a monumental endeavor that required breaching a path through the volcanic conduits. To achieve this, we decided to harness the power of an ancient god.]

His eyes hardened. [The power of an ancient god is a double edged sword. Mishandling it could lead to a catastrophic backlash that would annihilate us all. But we had no choice. This tomb was the only one left intact, housing two divine remains. Even that wasn't enough—we had to gather every fragment of the ancient gods scattered across the continent. The strongest among us were all assigned to the second team, myself included.]

Pride flickered across Akhenaten's spectral visage. Michael realized that Miaomiao had inherited that trait. Or perhaps, it was the other way around.