Chapter Fifty-Two: The Enigmatic Stone Carvings

As Robert and his team ventured deeper, they gradually gained some understanding of the ancient civilization that had created this underground cavern. Judging from the current situation, it seemed the caves had been manually excavated by primitive people. Even after countless years of erosion, the traces of human carving were still discernible. Unfortunately, the group had not found any murals on the walls, leaving them without further information about the cave itself.

Following the winding passage, Robert’s team arrived before a stone wall. This wall bore an enormous engraving. The moment he saw it, Robert immediately instructed the others to begin their research. It was clear that in the barren depths of the cave, the solitary stone carving was extraordinary, likely holding secrets about the cavern.

The group produced their archaeological tools. Robert, the captain, was the first to approach the stone wall, scrutinizing the engraving. Though its form had blurred over the ages, the style was still recognizable—akin to the statue at the cave entrance. This wall alone had already made their expedition worthwhile.

After a brief cleaning of the stone carving, the team gazed upon the ancient artifact with awe. Should this discovery be revealed, it would surely astonish the world.

This engraving was unlike any they had encountered before. Whether due to damage or artistic intent, it possessed a unique sense of chaos: crude lines intertwined without logic, yet together formed a bizarre and sacred scene. Regardless of their artistic sensibilities, everyone felt an uncanny sanctity radiate from the sculpture. The rough lines outlined human figures, seemingly performing a ritual dance to the gods above. The leader held a strange sphere, its meaning unknown.

“Captain, this is so peculiar. I’ve never seen anything like it in other civilizations,” Saloian remarked. He was a scholar well-versed in archaeology, familiar with ancient cultures, yet this was something entirely new to him.

“That’s hardly surprising, Saloian. Remember, this is Antarctica. There’s a good chance a lost civilization is buried here, and we are its discoverers. In time, the things found here will bear our names, and history will remember us,” Robert replied, clearly delighted. The more unusual their discovery, the greater the rewards.

Meanwhile, Mike was utterly captivated by the mysterious sphere in the engraving. From the moment he saw the carving, his gaze was drawn to it, a voice echoing in his mind, urging him forward.

Mesmerized, Mike stumbled toward the stone, reaching out to touch the sphere. The other team members noticed his actions, and the captain quickly shouted, “Mike! What are you doing? You’ll damage the carving!”

The team rushed forward to restrain him, but Mike had already pressed his hand against the sphere, pushing it in. One teammate, furious, yanked him away, thinking he had damaged the artifact.

But before anyone could scold him, the carving underwent an unimaginable transformation: as Mike pressed the sphere, the entire stone wall seemed to come alive. Everyone present felt as if they had been transported back to an ancient time, joining a crowd in a sacrificial dance to the great deity.

Outside, two team members monitoring the situation noticed something was wrong. On their screens, their colleagues were inexplicably performing a dance never seen before, and their calls through the radio went unanswered. What truly terrified them, though, was that as the team danced, the ancient stone wall cracked open. When the fissure reached a meter wide, all the dancers eagerly leapt into it.

At that moment, the safety rope snapped, leaving the two archaeologists outside bewildered and alone. They exchanged anxious glances, unsure what to do.

“Ian, what’s happened to the captain and the others? What should we do?” Bazel, watching the monitors, asked nervously. Each team member carried a camera, but now all screens were pitch black—the cameras had lost contact.

“I think we’ll need help from above,” Ian replied, swallowing hard. They had been assigned to watch from outside, partly because the expedition needed a lookout, and partly because they were the only ones who believed the authorities should have been notified from the start.

“Well, you’re probably right,” Bazel said, regaining some composure, but then voiced his concern: “But if we leave and the captain comes out, what then?”

Ian had considered this. With the situation unclear, if the captain emerged unscathed, they might face consequences for abandoning their post. After a moment of silence, he said, “Let’s wait here for half an hour and keep detailed records of our calls. That way, even if we leave later, the captain can’t blame us.”

Bazel thought it over and had to agree. If they fled now and the captain returned, they’d be held accountable. Unwilling to split up or go down themselves, they could only wait in place for thirty minutes.

As for Robert’s team, after stepping through the fissure, everyone collapsed onto the ground, gradually regaining consciousness.

“What’s going on?” Robert rubbed the back of his head. He’d suddenly fallen headfirst to the ground, but the drop wasn’t high and their clothing was thick, sparing his neck from injury.

“I don’t know, what happened to us? Where are we?” Saloian was the second to rise, looking around to find they were no longer in the cave.

If an observer had witnessed their entry, they would have been astonished to see them enter a world turned completely upside down—explaining why everyone landed headfirst. But the team was oblivious to this, not even considering the possibility.

After helping the others up, no one remembered how they had arrived. Their memories ended at the discovery of the stone wall.

Checking their equipment, the team’s expressions turned grim: all communications had ceased, the safety ropes were severed—they were completely cut off from the outside world.

But Saloian’s voice broke through: “Everyone, come here! There seems to be a way out.”