Zhang Qiling never cared for things like destiny, fate or emotions. He was a man who gave priority to the one job he assigned with, guarding the Ultimate Bronze Gate with his life.

Everday, he encountered numerous meddlesome creatures who would try to infiltrate the pure land of Gods with their filthy presence and he wouldn't hesitate to slice their heads off in a heartbeat.

Zhang believed he would never care for another life let alone save someone else until he met him again. 

Wu Residence

Wu Xie was coming back from the library after reading hundreds of books about the beauty of archeology and the mysteries this world held in itself. He reached his second uncle's shop and it never failed to astonish him at how a simple shop that sold antiques could have such an enchanting effect on anyone who entered it. Not a single soul that entered here left without buying anything.

He was about to call out to his Uncle when he saw a man who was wearing all black clothes and hoodie.

Who wears a hoodie in such hot weather? Wu Xie thought to himself. His gaze lowered down to the man's hand that was carrying the most expensive and cherished sword in the entire shop.

The two males made eye contact for a brief moment and Wu Xie felt a strange pull towards the hooded stranger. When the moment passed, Wu Xie turned around to see the man had already disappeared into thin air.

Damn, he is fast.

"Uncle! Are you there?" He called out and heard a muffled 'here' in the distance.

Wu Xie entered the shop and saw his uncle's desk littered with pieces of papers that looked like maps of a huge maze. Curious, he walked up to his Uncle and stood behind his chair, observing all moves of his uncle with a keen eye.

"Stop gawking at me like a hawk, what do you want?" His uncle asked all of a sudden in a loud booming voice, startling Wu Xie to the core.

"N-nothing, just curious. What are you doing? What is all this map work for? Are you going somewhere? Can I come too? Is it far? Are you-"

"Okay, enough questions. What I am doing is something you shouldn't be concerned with. Focus on getting a decent job. Secondly, the answer to the question you wanna hear the most. No, you can't come. Adventures may sound exciting, thrilling and awesome but when you truly experience the horrors of one, that is when you realize that such things are better off told in a story." His uncle replied bluntly and Wu Xie frowned.

"Stop treating me like a kid. I-"

"-am not a grown up." A new voice interrupted and Wu Xie turned around to meet the eyes of the most experienced person in the field of tomb raiding he has met so far, Pan Zi.

"Look kid, I know how much you want to explore the outside world, but its just not made for a danger magnet like you. Hell, you can be walking down a road normally and somehow end up getting chased by mad honey bees." Pan Zi laughed and Wu Xie pouted in embarrassment.

Wu Xie indeed was like a magnet and danger like iron filings. Just like how iron filings would encircle the magnet, surrounding it from every direction, danger would surround Wu Xie.

"Pan Zi is right. You are too green to be taken on an expedition. A rookie like you will only slow us down." His uncle added.

"But-"

"No use protesting, we are not going to risk taking you with us and that's final."

You underestimate me my dear uncle. If you don't want to take me, its fine, I'll just follow you to wherever the hell you are going and once I am there you cannot send me back. Wu Xie thought to himself and bit back a smirk.

"Fine......" He let out in faked disappointment and left the office not forgetting to close the door behind him, leaving a small mic on the handle. He immediately dashed to his room which was located on the second floor of the shop. Hearing his nephew leave, Wu Sanxing turned to Pan Zi to discuss the real matter. 

"Hey Pan Zi, this particular mission is extremely dangerous because my own dad died trying to complete it. We need strong, agile and capable men on our team like Xiao Hua and Shades."

"Shades? Is it really that bad?"

"Yeah, do you have anyone else in mind who could be of help to us?" 

"Yes, in fact, I know the perfect guy. He is known as the Professional Tomb Raider and is extremely talented, even more than Shades."

That caught Wu Sanxing's attention.

More capable than Shades? Is he also kind of inhumane?

"Okay, can you contact him?"  Wy Sanxing asked a Pan Zi nodded.

"He'll be here by tomorrow morning don't you worry, and we can set out for the destination in the early afternoon. If I may ask, where are we going?"

"The Cavern Of the Blood Zombies." Wu Sanxing replied amd the name itself sent unpleasant chills down Pan Zi's back.

************

Meanwhile, Wu Xie was getting his backpack ready with everything he could think of.
Flashlights, clothes and most important, his grandfather's diary that he had stolen from his uncle's office. 

Fishing out his phone from his pocket, he played a recording consisting of the recent conversation between his uncle and Pan Zi.

"Cavern of the Blood Zombies."

So that is my destination.
I hope I don't miss them tomorrow. They may see me as still a naive kid, but I'll show them they are wrong.