Mike pointed in the direction of the tunnel.
Listening attentively, footsteps really seemed to be coming from inside.
“What should we do? Should we go in and investigate?”
Old Bray nervously swallowed and continued, “It looks like the kid wasn’t lying, there really might be ghosts here… I’ve heard rumors before about the spirits of soldiers passing through.”
This island was previously used by an empire to detain criminals.
A military troop was specially left to guard these extremely vicious prisoners.
However, for some unknown reason, this troop of 1, 000 soldiers disappeared overnight without a trace.
Some say they withdrew secretly in the middle of the night;
Others claim they all died.
The latter is more widely believed, as fishermen often dredge up weapons, human bones, and other such items.
Snake catchers also reported having seen ghostly soldiers in the forest.
They marched in neat rows from a distance, their presence frightening.
Honestly, Cheyenne was scared, but she thought this might be their closest chance to the truth.
Giving up now might mean never understanding the truth.
With this thought, Cheyenne made a difficult decision.
“Let’s go inside, whether it’s humans or ghosts… I need to see with my own eyes to believe.”
Saying this, she took out a small, exquisite silver flashlight from her backpack.
Iker felt the same way.
“You’re right, let’s go in. I’ll take the lead, Cheyenne, you and Mike, Old Bray, walk in the middle. Mr. Foley, please cover our rear.”
In face of unknown dangers, the person walking first is the most vulnerable.
Iker chose to step forward, not just because of his clothing;
But because he wanted to protect Cheyenne behind him.
Kelvin understood his intentions, so he did not refuse his offer.
“Alright.”
Everyone decided to go in together, but just as they were about to step forward, Old Bray hesitated.
“No, I can’t do this, I’m not going with you this time.”
“My bite from the fish earlier still hurts, if we really encounter ghosts, it’d be hard for me to run, so I’d better wait outside.”
Mike also nodded his head and withdrew from the exploration team.
“I, I’m not going either. Cheyenne, I’ve already led you here, can I go back now?”
Last time, he nearly got caught by a ghost, and going in voluntarily this time would be courting death.
Neither the old nor the young wanted to enter, and Iker did not force them.
“Alright, in case there’s any danger, I can’t guarantee your safety.”
“Then just wait here, but Mike… I’m not comfortable letting you go back alone, stay here with Old Bray.”
“We’ll take you back to the village after we come out.”
Mike readily agreed, obediently walking over to Old Bray and grabbing his sleeve to show he wouldn’t run off.
So, they split into two groups at the entrance of the tunnel.
Iker and Kelvin protected Cheyenne as one team, bravely walking into the pitch-dark tunnel with flashlights in hand.
Meanwhile, Mike and Old Bray, who stayed behind, found a large rock and comfortably sat down to wait.
“Exploring is better suited for the young. I’m old now; when I can lie down, I learn to stay down.”
“Come over, little lad. While I’m free now, let me teach you to recognize some herbs that can treat your grandfather’s rheumatism.”
Hearing that he was going to learn about herbs, Mike scurried over excitedly.
“Thank you, Old Bray, let’s start now.”
“Okay, follow me.”
As they walked along, he happened to see several familiar herbs on the hillside, not too far away. Taking a short detour shouldn’t be a problem, right?
“Look at this ginger-like thing, it’s called Angelica and is used to treat rheumatism.”
“And this mint-like thing, called Stonebreaker, tastes bitter and is used to treat swelling.”
…
When the two were conducting outdoor teaching in the woods, they completely ignored that danger had silently descended.
On the other side, Cheyenne and the other two entered the tunnel with flashlights, and a strong smell of decay hit them.
The smell was nauseating, like hundreds of dead rats in the sewer.
“Ugh-”
For Kelvin, who had a cleanliness obsession, every step forward was torture.
He could only hold his breath, try to slow down his heartbeat, and use one hand to cover his mouth and nose.
Cheyenne wasn’t doing much better, but luckily she had tissues with her, and the faint scent of camellia on them made the smell less intense.
Moreover, because the tunnel was open at both ends, it formed a long and narrow pipe.
When the wind blew in from one opening, the tunnel would emit a roaring sound like “whoosh.”
It sounded like the wailing of tortured souls, enough to scare the faint-hearted just by listening to it.
“Kelvin… I’m…”
A little scared.
Kelvin knew she was scared because she was almost crushing his arm.
He could only gently comfort Cheyenne.
“Don’t be afraid, they’re all dead, just imagine you’re in the morgue right now.”
Don’t mention it, she was scared stiff in the morgue last time.
She had nightmares for several days after that.
This time, she might have nightmares for half a month because this place was much scarier than the morgue.
The bright lights illuminated the scene inside the tunnel, and the faces of the three changed simultaneously.
Even Iker, who was used to battlefields, was startled by the gruesome scene before him.
In this dark tunnel, there were actually no demons or ghosts, just corpses.
Some were hung on the walls, some were suspended from the ceiling of the tunnel, and some were chopped in half and thrown on the ground…
Piles of white bones lined the way, like a white carpet.
Under your feet could be the fingers of a deceased person, or you might accidentally kick their skulls.
With every step she took, she worried that a hand might suddenly reach out from the ground and grab her.
Cheyenne was too scared to open her eyes.
She had seen scenes that were too scary to even be shown in movies today.
She had just accidentally glanced and saw a rotten face covered in maggots, unrecognizable.
But judging from the purple bruises on the person’s arm, they hadn’t been dead for more than three days.
It was just because of the hot weather and humid air here that they had decayed so quickly.
The next moment, Kelvin directly pressed her little head against his chest, half supporting her as they moved forward.
For the rest of the journey, she didn’t dare to open her eyes.
Finally, when the three were about to reach the end, Iker seemed to notice something.
“Wait.”
He stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
Curiously, Cheyenne opened her eyes, only to see dozens of bodies hanging neatly on the wall, all in a row.