"Mr. Mu Yu, what brings you here?" From a distance, the golden-haired girl curiously waved her hand and inquired, "What about Commander Riven and the others?"
"I… have become temporarily separated from them due to certain circumstances," Xiao Mu Yu replied with an expressionless demeanor.
"Um… could it be… the spatial turbulence?" Upon hearing Xiao Mu Yu's response, the golden-haired girl tilted her head in contemplation and said, "It must be the spatial turbulence, right? After all, Mr. Mu Yu, you clearly took a different corridor, so your appearance here must be the result of random transportation caused by the spatial turbulence within the pyramid."
"Spatial… turbulence?" Slowly savoring the phrase, Xiao Mu Yu appeared somewhat perplexed.
It seems that the fellow named Ezreal neglected to clarify certain details during the transaction. However, these Demacians seem to possess a rather comprehensive understanding of the conditions inside this pyramid.
Is it because of that songstress? Did Ezreal convey this information, which I am unaware of, to them?
"Mr. Mu Yu, are you not aware?" Noticing Xiao Mu Yu's reaction, Lux was momentarily taken aback, then she realized, "Ah… I understand now. According to Sister Freya, the map you possess was also given to you by young Ezreal. However, it seems he failed to clarify some matters when he handed the map to you."
(Not clarified? Ha ha… Young human, this little girl certainly knows how to speak! What do you mean by not clarifying? That blond-haired pretty boy clearly intended not to divulge everything! Who told you to obtain the map through coercion? In a sense, you are quite similar to those Noxians.)
(What do we call this? Ha ha… There's a saying: one cannot blame the government for misfortune, nor society for a hard life. This perfectly encapsulates your situation; who told you to bring this upon yourself? Hahahaha…)
Ignoring the demon's mockery, Xiao Mu Yu coldly inquired, "What is spatial turbulence?"
"Spatial turbulence, well, it's actually… um, Your Highness Jarvan, what is it?" Just as Lux was about to explain, the tall man who had been observing Xiao Mu Yu raised his hand slightly, interrupting her.
"Miss Lux, allow me to elucidate some information about the interior of this pyramid to Mr. Mu Yu," Jarvan said, nodding at the golden-haired girl. He then turned to Xiao Mu Yu with a serious expression and bowed slightly, "Greetings, Master Xiao Mu Yu, Lord of the Beasts of the Winter's Embrace. I am Jarvan, Prince of Demacia. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Ah, hello, Your Highness. I am equally pleased to make your acquaintance," Xiao Mu Yu nodded indifferently. Although he spoke words of pleasure, his expression was devoid of emotion, and his tone remained icy and unyielding, failing to convey even a hint of warmth.
Clearly, Jarvan, as the prince of the empire, had gleaned much from scattered information about the indifferent beast lord before him, and thus he did not take offense at Xiao Mu Yu's apparent lack of enthusiasm.
He regarded Xiao Mu Yu with a serious gaze and continued, "Mr. Ezreal once spent nearly a day within this pyramid. During that time, as an exceptional explorer, he conducted a meticulous study of the pyramid's interior. According to him, this pyramid is likely the burial site of a significant figure from the ancient magical era, which is why it is filled with numerous mechanisms and alchemical constructs designed to protect the tomb from disturbance."
"Within the myriad corridors of the pyramid, akin to pearls strung on a fine thread, these passages connect to grand and expansive chambers. Based on Mr. Ezreal's experiences, generally speaking, these rooms are inhabited by various alchemical constructs. While these constructs pose some threat even to ninth-tier professionals, for us outsiders, the true challenge lies not in these formidable alchemical beings," Jarvan explained.
"This vast space has, for reasons unknown, become a site for random occurrences of spatial turbulence. Although these turbulence manifestations are non-lethal, when they appear, they can transport individuals or objects caught within them to any location inside the pyramid. According to Mr. Ezreal's assessment, these spatial turbulence events are likely caused by powerful forces disrupting the energy nodes of the spatial magic array," Jarvan stated. "In other words, the likelihood of occurrence increases in areas where energy fluctuations are particularly intense."
"Then, if I understand you correctly, when we engage in combat with those constructs inside the pyramid, it is quite easy to trigger the spatial turbulence?" Xiao Mu Yu asked coldly.
"Precisely," Jarvan affirmed with a nod, validating Xiao Mu Yu's deduction.
"I see… that poses quite a dilemma." The cold-faced man lowered his head, slowly processing the newly acquired information.
Jarvan remained silent, allowing Xiao Mu Yu the space to absorb the details. Behind him, the red-haired woman, who had been following closely, maintained an expressionless demeanor, her presence nearly nonexistent.
"Mr. Mu Yu, would you consider joining us?" Lux smiled as she suggested, gazing at the contemplative figure. "After all, you are temporarily separated from Commander Riven and her team. Why not accompany us? Having an extra pair of hands would bolster our strength. Who knows what dangers lurk within this pyramid? Together, we can support one another."
"…" The cold gaze swept slowly over the three faces, finally settling on the girl's expectant smile. After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Mu Yu nodded indifferently.
"A nod? Hehe… Urgot enjoys it when you nod! Do hurry and nod!"
In the vast chamber, the towering skeleton had been utterly dismantled by overwhelming force, its hardened bones scattered across the floor. The once-bright soul flame within the skull now flickered weakly, barely a fragile ember that seemed on the verge of extinguishing.
The only remnant of the skeleton that remained intact was a small segment of the ribcage still attached to the skull. Beside this fragment, a stitched-together monstrosity, resembling an innocent child, repeatedly tapped the back of the skull with its hands, forcefully propelling it forward, only for it to swing back due to inertia, much like a pendulum in motion.
However, the immense strength of the stitched monstrosity was overwhelming; even the incredibly tough alchemical bones could not withstand such force. After enduring multiple assaults from Urgot, the neck bone connecting to the skull finally snapped with a "crack."
Staring wide-eyed as the large skull tumbled to the floor, rolling several times like a cherished toy carelessly broken, the enormous stitched creature immediately began to wail, its mouth gaping wide, still adorned with numerous stitches.
"Waaah… Waaah… Sister Katarina… Waaah… Urgot… Urgot's head is broken! Urgot's head no longer wants to play with Urgot! Waaah…" With a look of grievance, it gazed at the red-haired woman, who was engaged in combat with another towering skeleton emerging from the mural, sobbing pitifully.
"Whoosh."
The delicate tips of her toes gently tapped against the broad bone blade swung by the towering skeleton, as Katarina deftly plunged a palm-sized, obsidian-hued dagger into the creature's eye socket. The formidable force clinging to the blade caused the ethereal blue flame of its soul to flicker unsteadily.
The skeleton seemed to emit a mournful wail within the realm of sensation, only to retract its massive bone blade, sharp enough to seal Katarina's escape route with a swift motion.
However, the red-haired woman did not retreat; instead, she advanced, rising onto her tiptoes and forcefully stepping onto the skeleton's shoulder, a faint crack of breaking bones echoing in the air.
Leveraging this momentum, Katarina executed a graceful somersault, her lithe form gliding effortlessly through the gaps between the deadly blades, soaring to the ceiling above.
Suspended slightly above the ground, she cast a resigned glance at the sorrowful stitched abomination beside her, letting out a sigh. "Urgot, stop playing around and come help me; I'm struggling against these undead skeletons."
"Oh, fine." Upon hearing Katarina's call, Urgot immediately ceased his tears, his expression transforming to one of eager compliance as he nodded obediently.
Extending a short, shadowy hand, he plunged it into a seam on his own body, seemingly searching for a moment before withdrawing a large kitchen knife.
"Don't worry, Sister Katarina, Urgot is here to assist you! Just watch as I turn this bully of a giant into minced meat!" With fervent determination, he brandished the knife and charged towards the imposing skeletal figure, disregarding the question of how one might render a mere skeleton into ground meat.