Chapter 403

Chapter 403

The area outside the tunnel wasn't anything special. It wasn't deep in the forest but rather on the edge of the island, surrounded by sand and the vast, endless sea.

The only thing that stood out was the wreckage scattered around.

We'd been stuck in that dark tunnel for days, completely wiped out. All we wanted now was a good bath and a place to crash.

Once we got our strength back, we could properly check out the surroundings.

Even Carl, who usually hated water, couldn't resist diving into the sea to wash off the grime.

After a quick clean-up, the three of us found a sunny rock, built a simple shelter with some grass, and promptly fell asleep.

When I woke up, the fatigue had faded, and the sun was setting, leaving a warm, golden glow.

The sea breeze was salty and refreshing.

I stretched, woke up Andy and Carl, and we started getting ready for the night.

Finding a place to sleep was easy; we just moved back to the tunnel entrance. Carl took charge of food, while Andy and I gathered firewood to get through the night.

Before long, we had a campfire going at the tunnel entrance, and Carl returned with a wild chicken and a rabbit. There were also coconuts nearby to provide us with water, enough to stave off our hunger.

After eating and drinking our fill, we finally turned our attention to the bones inside the tunnel.

This time, there weren't just one or two skeletons, but seven.

The degree of weathering on the bones and the different inscriptions on the walls suggest that these seven people didn't die at the same time.

Through our investigation, we confirmed that the seven skeletons were from different times, and their messages filled me with excitement.

Because it seemed like I had found a way back!

For me and my companions, who had ended up on these islands after a plane crash, this was the best lead we had so far.

"Alex, is this a clue to getting back?" Andy asked, noticing my silence and the smile I couldn't hide. He patted my shoulder.

I nodded, pointing at the inscriptions left by the seven skeletons. "These people were connected. Some were ancestors, others their descendants. They stayed here to find a way back, while some entered a time tunnel that appears once every hundred years and never returned."

"What?" Andy could understand the sentence as a whole, but the concept of a "time tunnel" baffled him. "A time tunnel? What's that?"

Instead of answering directly, I read the inscriptions on the stone wall to Andy and Carl. "We've lived here for nearly a hundred years, always searching for clues. It seems we've found a way back home. No, to be precise, a mysterious passage leading home."

"Every hundred years, the time tunnel appears like a devouring vortex. Once someone enters, they never return. Our ancestors ventured into it to find a way home for us, the descendants of Atlantis, but never came back. We are left here to guard it for generations."

The Atlanteans' messages covered the entire tunnel interior. After reading the last one, I finally found the key point.

I translated excitedly, "After hundreds of years of speculation, the time tunnel appears during a celestial event: fierce winds, aligned stars, and the sun and moon overlapping. At that moment, a time tunnel will appear over the sea, possibly leading us home."

With that, I finished translating all the inscriptions on the stone wall.

Although I didn't know when the time tunnel would appear, I could confirm the way back by observing the celestial signs.

Whether we could return or not was another matter, but we had to try.

"So, Alex, what exactly is a time tunnel?" Andy asked again, unable to contain his curiosity.

I shook my head. "I can't really explain it. It's a mysterious passage that allows travel between different times and dimensions, like how we ended up here after an accident."

"So you still believe this isn't your world, but another dimension?" Carl asked.

"I'm not sure," I replied, looking at the starry sky. "But apart from the sun and moon, the constellations here are different from those in our world. So I lean towards this being another dimension. The time tunnel supports this theory, though I can't explain why it exists."

"Maybe we shouldn't put too much faith in these messages," Andy suggested. "There's no proof that the tunnel appearing every hundred years leads to your home. What if you go in and can't come back?"

I didn't respond because I couldn't be sure if the so-called time tunnel would lead us home.

But since we had found this clue, I naturally wanted to try.

For a moment, I was torn.

Who wanted to die without knowing why? I certainly didn't.

Carl waved his hand. "Let's put this decision on hold. We need to regroup with everyone first. Right now, our biggest challenge isn't the time tunnel but getting everyone here safely."

Andy smiled wryly. "Yeah, everyone is still held by the Atlanteans at the High Priest's place. We need to figure out how to convince the High Priest to bring them to the attic. Otherwise, even if we find a way back, we can't leave safely."

After thinking for a while, I couldn't come up with a good plan, so I set aside my chaotic thoughts and stared at the shimmering sea.

Since arriving here, many mysteries had piled up in my mind, and I couldn't explain them.

Now that we had found a possible way back, I still had many unanswered questions, which made me uneasy.

Why did this place have such a strong magnetic interference?

Why was the starry sky different from our world?

Why were there humans of different races here? What was their body structure like?

Especially the dwarves, why did they reincarnate after near-death?

Why did the Atlanteans come here, and was Lana's curse real?

...

Why was there a time tunnel, and how was it formed?

These mysteries swirled in my mind, making me restless, and I couldn't explain these extraordinary phenomena.

Seeing me lost in thought again, Andy slapped my shoulder. "Alright, stop overthinking. Get some rest. We might have to face the Atlanteans again tomorrow, and everyone is counting on you to lead us to victory."

Hearing this, I finally let go of my chaotic thoughts and nodded. "Got it, got it. Let's sleep and prepare for tomorrow's battle."