Joe stood near the passage that he had just opened, waiting for John and his team to arrive. He had used his light power to blast the door, hoping to attract their attention.
He looked at the passage again, wondering what was inside. He had seen a stairway leading downwards, but he had not entered it, fearing that it might be a trap or a dead end. He wondered what the lich king had hidden down there. Maybe there were some valuables or secrets that he could use.
He heard some fighting outside the room and Joe just thought John's group is fighting the lich kings minion he decided to sit on the ground near the entrance and wait for them to arrive here.
After a while John and his group arrived near the lich kings layer and saw the ashes on the ground.
"Joe, you're alive" John exclaimed, as he ran towards him and hugged him. "I'm so glad to see you! You did it, You killed the lich king"
Joe pointed at the passage and explained what he had seen inside. He told him about the hidden lever behind the throne, and the stairway leading downwards.
John's eyes widened as he listened to Joe's story. He looked at the passage with curiosity and excitement.
"A stairway? Where does it lead? And why is it here?"
Joe shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't go down there. I thought it might be dangerous."
John nodded. "That was wise of you. But we have to find out what's down there. Maybe there's something valuable or useful."
Mia and Leo joined them, having heard Joe's story as well.
Mia looked at the passage with interest.
"A stairway? How intriguing. Maybe it leads to the lich king's laboratory."
Leo scoffed.
"A laboratory? Don't be ridiculous. The lich king was not a scientist, he was a sorcerer."
Mia rolled her eyes.
"Maybe he was both. Maybe he was experimenting on magic and other things."
Leo shook his head.
"Even if he was, why would he hide it here? In his throne room?"
Mia shrugged.
"Maybe he wanted to keep it secret from everyone else."
Leo frowned.
"That sounds sinister."
Mia nodded.
"It does. But maybe we can learn something from it."
Leo sighed.
"Or maybe we can get ourselves killed."
John intervened.
"Enough arguing, you two. We're not here to debate about laboratories. We're here to explore this stairway and see what we can find."
He turned to Joe.
"Joe, do you want to come with us? Or do you want to stay here?"
Joe thought for a moment.
He wanted to see what was down there, but he was afraid of some curse set up by the Lich King being activated, he is immune from physical attacks but curses targeting one's soul is another variable.
He decided to go with them.
"I'll come with you. I'm curious about what's down there too."
John smiled.
"Great. Then let's go."
He led the way into the passage, followed by Joe, Mia, Leo, and his guards.
They walked down the stairway until they reached the bottom.
They entered a large chamber that was filled with tables, shelves, cabinets, and various devices and instruments. It looked like an experimental lab indeed.
They saw books, scrolls, papers, vials, jars, crystals, bones, skulls, organs, limbs, corpses, and other things that they couldn't identify or didn't want to know.
They also saw some experimental logs that were written in a strange language that none of them could read.
They felt a chill and a dread as they looked around the chamber. They realized that this was where the lich king had conducted his dark and twisted experiments.
John said
"Guys I think we should return to the capital and inform about this layer to my father"
John said visibly shaking.
"Yes, I think so too". Leo replied.
Mia also nodded from the side.
The whole group left the ruins and traveled to the teleportation station. It took them two days to reach their destination without any rest and it took some stall to their horses.
They quickly used the teleportation gate and reached Coastfield City.
Joe went with the group toward the Walker mansion.
They entered the mansion and were greeted by the servants, who looked surprised to see them back so soon. They asked them if they needed anything, but they declined. They said that they had an urgent matter to discuss with Drake Walker, the current head of the Walker family and John's father.
Drake Walker was in his study, working on some documents, when he heard a knock on the door. He looked up and saw his son John and his friends Joe, Mia, and Leo standing there. They looked tired and anxious.
He smiled and welcomed them in.
"John, you're back, And you brought your friends with you. How was your expedition? Did you find anything interesting?"
John nodded.
"Yes, father, we did. We found something very interesting. And very important."
Drake raised his eyebrows.
"Oh? What is it?"
John took a deep breath and explained what they had found. He told him about the encounter with the lich king, the secret passage behind the throne, the stairway leading downwards, and the laboratory filled with experiments and logs.
Drake listened with shock and disbelief. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had heard rumors about the lich king, but he had never seen him or his lair. He had thought that he was just a legend or a myth.
But now his son was telling him that he had killed him. And that he had discovered his secret lair. And that he had brought some evidence with him.
He looked at the logs that John had placed on his desk. They were written in a strange language that he couldn't read. But he could tell that they were old and valuable.
He looked at his son with pride.
"John, you've done an amazing thing".
He turned to Joe, Mia, and Leo.
"Joe, Mia, Leo, thank you for helping my son. And thank you for coming here to tell me this. You have prioritized the security of the kingdom above your personal gains".
Drake then said,
"But this is not something that we can keep to ourselves. This is something that we have to share with the king and the council. They have to know about this."
John agreed.
"Yes, father, you're right. We have to inform them as soon as possible."
Drake nodded.
"Yes, I will give the message myself".
Saying that Drake quickly went out of his study and prepared to visit the palace.
I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter.