The Informal Tomb Raiding Diary: She is the occupant of the tomb!-Chapter 244 - 245: Who Are You Guys?

Qinghan and Xiao Changfeng took turns chatting with him, working together to buy time. One said it was getting dark, and it was too dangerous to go down the mountain alone; the other said given his current physical state, he might faint halfway before reaching the road where the car was parked.

The person had no choice but to agree to rest at our camp for the night.

However, he refused to enter the tent, insisting on staying outside. His fear when he saw the tent didn’t seem fake.

Since we couldn’t light a fire in the woods, Qinghan brought him a wind lantern, but this man was startled, grabbed the lantern, and turned it off.

"Shh! Don’t make a sound, don’t turn on the light." The man was covered in mud from head to toe, making it impossible to discern his features, but judging by his voice, he seemed to be a young man.

"Don’t worry, I’ve heard there are no large beasts in this forest area," Xiao Changfeng said with a smile.

"Who are you people?" The man’s response was slow; only now did he think to ask who we were.

"Oh, we’re from the earthquake bureau, here to conduct a survey." Qinghan’s scholarly demeanor was quite deceptive; if he claimed to be an expert in something, people generally believed him.

The man looked at Qinghan and Xiao Changfeng, then at me and Gan Lu—we were two men and two women, unarmed, seemingly harmless.

He relaxed his guard slightly, but still refused to rest in the tent, sitting in the darkness and occasionally glancing at the rustling bushes as if afraid something might suddenly leap out.

Qinghan signaled to Xiao Changfeng, Gan Lu, and me to carry on as planned. However, we adjusted our sleeping arrangements slightly. Originally, the men and women were to sleep separately, but now Xiao Changfeng and Gan Lu shared one tent, while Qinghan and I shared another.

The appearance of this person could mean impending danger, so we had to be prepared to fight, sticking with our partners.

Around the latter half of the night, perhaps one or two o’clock, the person outside became more alert, left the pile of stones, and crawled into a clump of bushes.

Xiao Changfeng asked him if he had encountered a beast, causing his fear.

He followed Xiao Changfeng’s words, saying yes, there were wolves in the forest. He had encountered a lone wolf, narrowly escaping its claws, always feeling it was nearby, ready to attack him.

The locals said they hadn’t seen wolves for years. In a recording, the old forest ranger said their usual mountain patrols were safe, and no beasts were found in this forest. Therefore, when the young forest ranger suspected poachers were attacked by wolves, the old ranger didn’t believe it.

Moreover, according to Qinghan’s knowledge, the forest has been this way all along—not because of poachers that beasts disappeared. For hundreds of years, there have been no large beasts like bears, tigers, or wolves here, though there were plenty of hares, pheasants, sables, and foxes.

Sometimes, people assume certain things. Hearing there are no beasts in the forest, they naturally think it’s because they were hunted to extinction. Often that’s the case, but occasionally, the truth is different.

Qinghan drew the treasure sword from his waist; part of the reason we drove here was because this thing wouldn’t pass security.

I ’listened’ to the surroundings, thinking perhaps the creature that attacked the poachers might have some intelligence. If they come again, I might hear some insider information. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The cool night breeze rustled the leaves, amid the sounds of nature, another almost imperceptible noise, but not entirely imperceptible. So I heard something approaching our tent!

I ’consulted’ Qinghan, wanting to go out and check first. The tent was newly bought; if the creature attacking the poachers was indeed here, confronting it would save some costs.

I sneaked out of the tent, pretending to hold a metal rod.

Sss—ss...

The subtle sound grew closer and closer. I tiptoed towards the sound, moonlight filtering through the tree canopy, and I squeezed through a patch of bushes, unexpectedly facing something.

This thing was at least two meters tall, its limbs slim as reeds, yet its head was extraordinarily huge, adorned with a single horn. Further down, its feet were hooves, matching the footprints we previously saw in size and shape.

Though tall, its hooves landed softly. Xiao Changfeng mentioned judging by the depth of the footprints, the creature’s weight doesn’t exceed eighty kilograms.

Now it seemed his judgment was correct. The creature was lanky, with a chest and abdomen thin as an empty paper tube, limbs as slender as an arthropod; the heaviest part of its body was probably the large head.

It had companions behind it. Originally in formation, my appearance disrupted their alignment, bringing the companions to its sides, ready to confront me.

Their eyes were akin to bees’ and spiders’, with only protruding eyeballs, occupying two-thirds of their faces, making other features seem absent.

They wore clothes made of twigs and leaves, resembling primitive people. Knowing to dress, they should be intelligent creatures.

——Great Blood Mother, rescue us.

Just as I considered they might be intelligent, a message entered my mind.

When it ’spoke’, its eyes glimmered faintly, blinking rhythmically as if speaking with its eyes.

"Who... are you?" I searched my memory but couldn’t match any image that overlapped with their appearance.

Of course, my memory is still recovering, with much content yet to be unlocked; not recalling them might be possible.

But the other party identified my clan’s name correctly, clearly recognizing me or easily recognizing our kind. They should be old acquaintances.

——Kumkuka.

The information received touched my knowledge blind spot. Puzzled, I asked, "What does it mean?"

——Rock Miner.

Upon hearing this title, I felt a sense of familiarity. At that moment, Qinghan’s voice sounded behind me, calling for me.

"I’m fine, just wait, keep an eye on that person." I whispered to Qinghan, who was walking over.

I mustn’t let outsiders know about my communication with these creatures; the person claiming to be a traveler is quite sly. My secret shouldn’t reach his ears.

Qinghan responded, advising caution, then turned and walked back.

"Oh... I remember now. You are the strong race that eats rocks?" They actually have another identity, but I considered their dignity and didn’t mention it.

Rock Miners are Tower Clan’s slaves. The Tower Clan lives underground, digging tunnels all day, and these miners are their exclusive laborers.

How did they end up here?