Prince Devon suggested, “Master, why don’t we check out the side chamber in the hall?”
Archibald agreed, “The side chamber on the right side of the temple hall should be the tomb of King Altas III. Maybe we’ll find something there.”
Leo looked to the right side of the hall, then to the left, and asked, “What’s the side chamber on the left for?”
“That should be the office and living quarters of the Kazni Temple administration,” Elder Archibald replied.
“Alright, let’s check out the right side chamber first,” Leo said, striding over.
When they reached the side chamber, they found an ancient wooden door separating it from the outside.
Leo pushed open the wooden door, and a cold, musty smell wafted in.
He waved his hand in front of his nose and continued inside.
After passing through a short passageway, there was another wooden door.
Pushing it open, they found a vast tomb chamber.
Leo looked around and frowned, “Is this really King Altas III’s tomb?”
Leo’s skepticism was due to the emptiness of the stone chamber; aside from some steps, stone benches, and a stone table, there was nothing else.
Elder Archibald was also surprised and didn’t know how to respond to Leo.
Leo began to wonder if Elder Rupert from House Rupert was playing a trick on him. But he quickly dismissed the thought, as tricking him would bring no benefit to them and would instead result in severe consequences.
Determined, Leo started to explore the stone chamber.
At the top of the chamber was a small skylight. Moonlight streamed through it, casting a grayish-white light on the floor.
As Leo inadvertently stepped into the light, the Star of Sia in his hand began to tremble and emit a faint golden glow.
This made Leo excited. He looked up at the skylight.
Noticing the change in Leo’s Star of Sia, Prince Devon asked excitedly, “Master, did you find something?”
Leo pointed at the skylight and said, “Check out that skylight.”
“Yes,” Prince Devon responded. He then transformed into a black mist and flew towards the skylight.
The black mist enveloped the small skylight completely, darkening the room.
Soon, the black mist descended, and Prince Devon reappeared with a golden hexagram in his hand.
“Master, I found it,” Prince Devon said excitedly, handing the hexagram to Leo.
Leo smiled and compared it to the hexagram he had previously obtained from under the stone slab in Saint Tomb Church. They were identical.
Similarly, Leo pressed the red dot in the center of the newly acquired hexagram.
A brilliant golden light emanated from the hexagram, revealing a string of Hebrew characters.
Elder Archibald looked at the characters and suddenly exclaimed with joy, “Master, we’ve found the treasure!”
“What do you mean? Where’s the treasure?” Leo asked.
Elder Archibald replied, “The text indicates that behind Owen Manor in Petra is the tomb of King Altas IV. It serves as a passage to King Solomon’s treasure.”
“I knew it! The treasure must be in Petra,” Prince Devon said happily.
“Congratulations, Master! You will become the richest and most powerful person in the world!” Duke Angus, who had been too afraid to speak earlier, quickly flattered Leo upon seeing his good mood.
“Where is Owen Manor?” Leo asked impatiently, ignoring poor Duke Angus.
Elder Archibald quickly flipped through a map book and said, “It’s on the southern hillside. It’s part of The Nabatean Kingdom’s royal palace and royal cemetery.”
“Let’s go then. The treasure is calling us,” Leo said as he turned to leave.
The vampires quickly followed, their faces turning even paler.
After regrouping with Aubrey and Duke Barlow at the entrance, Leo’s group quietly left Kazni Temple and headed towards Owen Manor like shadows in the night.
Kazni Temple remained standing quietly under the moonlight, just as it had for centuries.
In the darkness, Owen Manor in the canyon appeared hazy from a distance, with only faint shadows visible.
Up close, a hundred weathered steps stretched out before them, leading up to the hillside.
Cold night winds swept through the canyon, howling like angry spirits.
In such weather, few people would venture out, not even Owen Manor’s guards.
Inside Owen Manor’s hall, two guards were warming themselves by a fire and drinking wine, looking quite content.
The vampires moved like phantoms, easily putting the two guards into a deep sleep.
Creak!
A crisp sound echoed through the hall as two heavy palace doors slowly opened, allowing a strange shadow to drift inside.
“Master, this is Owen Manor’s main hall. It’s where The Nabatean Kingdom holds its meetings. The living quarters are in a side hall at the back,” Elder Archibald said after comparing their surroundings to the map and pointing out their direction.
“And where is King Altas IV’s tomb?” This was Leo’s main concern.
“According to the map, behind Owen Manor’s side hall is a large royal cemetery where most Nabatean kings are buried. King Altas IV’s tomb should be there as well,” Elder Archibald replied.
“Then let’s head straight to the back of the side hall,” Leo said as he led them towards the side door.
Inside the side hall, it was pitch dark and eerie since no light from the main hall reached there.
Leo extended his right hand and summoned a fireball charm.
Boom!
A burst of intense flames illuminated the side hall with bright light.
However, despite the light, the side hall remained gloomy and desolate. It was filled with signs of age and decay with no signs of life.
Leo had no interest in admiring The Nabateans’ architectural and sculptural art. He quickly made his way towards the royal cemetery behind the side hall.
After about a hundred or two hundred steps, they came upon a massive stone door engraved with fierce images that seemed to lead to another world filled with mystery and terror.
Prince Devon forcefully opened the stone door. A sharp cold wind blew out from within as if coming from hell itself, carrying a sense of death.
Leo stepped forward quickly. By firelight, he saw an enormous space before him.
Leo was stunned; so were the vampires.
Before them lay an excavated mountain interior-a gigantic cavern with countless niches carved into its walls. Spiraling pathways ingeniously connected all these niches together in an awe-inspiring display of craftsmanship.