Chapter One: A Strange Rebirth

Lin Yu felt his consciousness drifting in an endless abyss of darkness. Around him, sinister howls echoed, like the furious roars of demons from hell. He struggled to open his eyes, but it was as if a weight of a thousand pounds pressed down upon him, making it impossible to do so.

In a haze, countless fragmented images flashed across his mind like slides. He saw a gloomy, terrifying ancient tomb, its passageways filled with a pungent stench of decay, and strange, ghastly lights flickered on the walls. He and a group of people, holding exploration lights, advanced cautiously. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet collapsed, and his companions fell one after another into a bottomless black pit, their wailing screams echoing incessantly...

“No!” Lin Yu jolted awake from his stupor, gasping for breath, cold sweat soaking his clothes. He looked around in terror and found himself lying in a dilapidated tent. Outside, the wind howled, and the cries of night owls occasionally pierced the air.

“Where am I? Wasn’t I dead?” Confusion and fear filled Lin Yu’s heart. He struggled to sit up, his head throbbing with pain, as a flood of strange yet familiar memories surged into his mind.

It turned out he had transmigrated into the body of a young man named Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu was a rookie tomb raider recruited by an experienced group, set to explore a mysterious ancient tomb for treasure. This very tomb was where Lin Yu had died in his previous life!

“Could this be a chance granted by the heavens? An opportunity to rewrite my fate and avoid repeating the same tragedy?” Lin Yu clenched his fists, a glimmer of determination lighting his eyes. He knew all too well the dangers of this tomb, its countless traps threatening doom at every turn. But to survive and uncover the secrets hidden within, he resolved to face everything bravely.

Lin Yu quickly gathered his thoughts and began to recall his previous experiences in this tomb. He remembered that on entering, their first obstacle was a corridor riddled with quicksand traps. Triggering any mechanism would unleash a flood of sand, burying everything. At the corridor’s end lay a massive stone door, covered in strange runes; only by deciphering their secrets could the door be opened.

“The most urgent task now is to find the tomb raiding group and stop them from acting rashly.” Knowing time was short, Lin Yu swiftly packed his belongings in the tent, grabbed his flashlight, and stepped outside.

The world outside was pitch black. Dense woods swayed in the night wind, rustling as if concealing countless secrets. Guided by faint memories, Lin Yu made his way toward the group’s camp.

Along the way, he carefully observed his surroundings. Suddenly, he heard a commotion ahead. He quickly turned off his flashlight and crept closer. Through the thick undergrowth, he saw a group sitting around a campfire—the tomb raiding team.

“Boss, are we really going into that tomb tomorrow? I hear it’s haunted,” a short man said, worry etched on his face.

“What are you afraid of? In our line of work, risk is part of the deal. Find the treasure, and we’ll live in comfort for the rest of our lives!” growled a burly man with a fierce face. This was the team leader, Wang Biao.

Lin Yu took a deep breath and emerged from the underbrush, approaching them slowly. The group, startled by his sudden appearance, grabbed their weapons defensively.

“Zhang Yu, where have you been? We were just looking for you,” Wang Biao relaxed when he saw Lin Yu, lowering his knife.

Gathering himself, Lin Yu said, “Boss, I don’t think we should enter the tomb so hastily. It’s extremely strange—I had a nightmare last night, saw us going in and never coming out.”

“Hmph, stop talking nonsense! Are you scared? If you’re afraid, get lost—don’t kill everyone’s spirit,” Wang Biao sneered.

Lin Yu knew mere words wouldn’t change their minds, but he refused to give up. “Boss, I’m not afraid. I just think we should study the tomb more thoroughly and prepare properly. The traps must be formidable—we can’t risk our lives carelessly.”

At that moment, a man with glasses and a scholarly demeanor spoke up. “Boss, Zhang Yu has a point. We don’t know much about this tomb. If we rush in, it could be dangerous. Why don’t we observe for a few more days and gather some clues?” This was Li Yang, the strategist of the group.

Wang Biao frowned, thinking for a moment before replying, “Fine, we’ll wait two more days. But if nothing new turns up, we stick to the original plan.”

Lin Yu breathed a secret sigh of relief. He knew this was only a temporary reprieve; to truly prevent disaster, he needed to find a way to disarm the tomb’s traps.

Over the next two days, Lin Yu and the group surveyed the area around the tomb. Drawing on memories from his previous life, Lin Yu found some ancient murals in a hidden cave. The murals depicted the tomb’s construction and the locations of key traps.

“Everyone, come take a look—these murals might help us enter the tomb,” Lin Yu called out excitedly.

The group gathered, amazed at the mysterious images. Li Yang studied them closely. “These murals are ancient and seem genuine. They show that after entering the corridor, we must watch our step—certain stone slabs trigger the quicksand traps. Also, the runes on the stone door seem related to star patterns.”

Lin Yu nodded. “Exactly. We can use these clues to plan our entry.”

After a detailed discussion, they finally devised a relatively thorough plan. On the third morning, they packed their gear and set out for the tomb.

Reaching the entrance, an eerie atmosphere engulfed them. Lin Yu took a deep breath and led the way into the corridor. Following the murals’ guidance, he carefully avoided the stone slabs likely to trigger traps. The others followed close behind, barely daring to breathe.

But as they neared the end of the corridor, disaster struck. Zhao Hu, one of the members, stepped on a loose stone slab. With a thunderous crash, quicksand poured down from above like a breached dam.

“Run!” Lin Yu shouted, and everyone scrambled for the end of the corridor. At the last moment, they reached the stone door.

The door was shut tight, runes on its surface glowing with mysterious light. Li Yang pulled out an ancient text and began matching the symbols, seeking their meaning.

Time ticked by, the quicksand drawing ever closer, tension mounting. Finally, Li Yang cracked the code, pressing the runes in a specific sequence. The stone door slowly opened.

There was no time for celebration—they rushed through the doorway. Inside was a vast burial chamber, a massive stone coffin at its center, surrounded by piles of gold and jewels.

“So much treasure! We’re rich!” Wang Biao exclaimed, lunging forward to grab the gold.

“Wait!” Lin Yu suddenly realized something and shouted, “There’s danger in this treasure!”

But Wang Biao, intoxicated by greed, ignored Lin Yu’s warning. The moment his hand touched the treasure, black smoke erupted around the coffin. Wang Biao screamed and collapsed.

The group watched in horror as Wang Biao’s body rapidly decayed, in moments reduced to a heap of bones.

“What... What’s happening?” Pale-faced, the others backed away in fear.

Lin Yu gazed at the scene, filled with sorrow and helplessness. He knew the tomb’s dangers far surpassed their imagination.

“Don’t panic. We need to leave, now,” Lin Yu forced himself to stay calm, directing the group to retreat.

Just as they turned to leave, the chamber door slammed shut, and the whole room began to shake violently.

“We’re trapped!” someone cried in despair.

Lin Yu knew they had to find an escape quickly or perish here. He steadied himself, recalling his past life’s experience in this chamber. Suddenly, he remembered a hidden passage in one corner—perhaps they could escape through it.

“Follow me!” Lin Yu led the group to a massive stone stele in the corner, where they found the entrance to the hidden passage.

The tunnel was incredibly narrow, only allowing one person through at a time. Lin Yu crawled in first, the others following one by one.

Inside, they heard terrifying sounds behind them, as if something dreadful was chasing. Lin Yu dared not pause, crawling forward desperately.

After an unknown length of time, they finally saw a glimmer of light ahead. Lin Yu’s heart leapt, and he quickened his pace.

When they emerged from the tunnel, they found themselves in a woodland outside the tomb. Collapsing to the ground, joy at surviving washed over them.

Lin Yu gazed at the sky, overwhelmed with emotion. Through this rebirth, though he had faced countless dangers, he had managed to alter part of his fate and understood the preciousness of life. He knew the road ahead would be long, but carrying the memories and lessons of his past life, he would continue to journey through this world of tomb raiding, ever seeking the secrets hidden deep within history...