Although it seemed that way, the reality was likely that Whitman had long since been secretly abducted by Matthias.
In Matthias's current understanding, Whitman was the one most likely to become Himiko's successor, so he certainly wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.
However, Xia Yu wouldn't say these things out loud. He merely put on an impatient expression, muttering under his breath about why Whitman hadn't returned yet.
The rest of the expedition team didn't suspect anything when they saw Xia Yu like this; everyone knew that Xia Yu had always disliked Whitman.
Of course, Whitman had never shown him any kindness either.
As time slowly passed, Xia Yu wasn't the only one getting impatient; even the good-tempered Jonah in the team began to frown.
The short-tempered Reyes had already started cursing. She was the mechanic on the endurance, with a straightforward personality that never minced words.
After a while longer, everyone was unable to sit still. They still had to go meet up with Roth and couldn't wait here for Whitman forever.
"I didn't expect that Whitman would have no sense of time like a young girl in love, especially considering he's in his forties," Grim said from the side, shaking his head in disdain.
"Tch, we still have to go find that spineless coward," Reyes added mockingly, but she immediately followed up.
"But we also need to find Roth. Roth is still alone right now, and there are wolf packs around here; he might be in danger."
"Hmm... then we'll just have to split up," Xia Yu suddenly interjected. "Lara and I will go find that guy, while you guys go meet up with Roth. Be careful, there are wolves nearby."
Hearing this, Reyes glanced at Xia Yu. After a moment of silence, she suddenly handed him a handgun.
"You know how to use this, right?"
"Of course, I've had some practice."
After taking the handgun, Xia Yu smiled and gave it a shake before tucking it into the back of his waistband.
After dividing the team, everyone moved quickly. Reyes and Grim were quite worried about Roth, so they set off immediately.
Xia Yu and Lara didn't rest for long either. Lara had already rested, and Xia Yu didn't need any. The two of them followed the forest path to explore further ahead.
The forest at night was pitch black, with occasional glimpses of two glowing green dots—the fluorescent reflection of wild wolves' eyes as they moved through the night.
However, the wolves only circled the two for a bit before tucking their tails and fleeing.
After searching for a while, they didn't find Whitman, but the two of them did find a cave entrance reinforced with wooden planks.
Looking into the dark cave, Xia Yu caught the scent of an ancient tomb and immediately proposed an idea.
"There's definitely treasure inside this cave. Lara, why don't we go in and explore?"
Hearing Xia Yu's suggestion, a conflicted look appeared on Lara's face. "But, we still have to find Dr. Whitman."
"Lara, have you heard the saying 'evil lasts for a thousand years'? Given Whitman's character, he definitely won't die that easily," Xia Yu said dismissively, then urged her again.
"And haven't you always been looking forward to an adventure? Now that it's just the two of us, how about we explore this cave together? There's definitely something extraordinary behind it. My explorer's soul is starting to burn!"
"Pfft~ Xia Yu, can you stop acting like a child? You're an adult, after all; be more steady."
Seeing Xia Yu's high-spirited appearance, Lara couldn't help but laugh. However, under such encouragement, the spirit of adventure in her heart also began to throb.
She felt as if she were born for exploration. Now that someone was accompanying her, that restless heart of adventure could no longer be suppressed.
"Alright, just... just this once."
With that, Lara lowered her head and stepped into the cave first with her flashlight. Xia Yu followed with a smile; finally, he had finally reached this moment.
Exploring an ancient tomb together with Lara was one of the fantasies he'd had while playing the game. Now that the fantasy had become reality, how could he not be happy?
A moment worth commemorating, take a photo!
Using the Chat Group's built-in camera function to snap a photo of Lara's back and send it, Xia Yu ignored the tags from his other selves in the group and hurried to catch up.
What a joke, this was his and Lara's private world of exploration; where would he find the time to deal with his other selves?
The passage inside the cave was dark and narrow, but more than enough for a person to pass through. The inner passage was built with neat natural stone bricks, while the entrance was reinforced with wooden planks.
The signs of human construction were obvious, which was why Xia Yu was certain there was treasure inside. Without a doubt, this was definitely a hidden ancient tomb.
After walking for about a few minutes, carvings of Buddha statues appeared on the walls on both sides of the passage. Worn down by time, the faces of the statues were already blurred and indistinct.
The path ahead also became obstructed; the height seemed to have been deliberately lowered, so the two could only move forward on all fours.
Lara, walking in front, suddenly felt a bit of regret. She wanted to turn around and walk in the back, but the narrow passage wouldn't allow her to turn around.
Taking a deep breath, Lara silently told herself that the person behind her was her boyfriend, not a stranger, so there was no need to be shy.
After muttering to herself a few times, she turned her head and gave Xia Yu a warning look, but Xia Yu replied with a mischievous smile, which left Lara feeling a bit embarrassed and annoyed.
But since she couldn't turn back now, Lara had no choice but to silently lie down and crawl into the passage, with Xia Yu following immediately after.
Lara, who entered the narrow passage first, used all four limbs to crawl quickly. The thought of a man staring at her rear from behind—even if he was her boyfriend—made her feel incredibly shy.
Xia Yu followed silently behind, quietly observing Lara. Hmm, she looks like she'd make a fine wife.
Soon, they reached the end of the passage. Lara quickly accelerated and scrambled out.
Once out, she breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Xia Yu crawl out as well, she said with some surprise, "I thought you might try something, I didn't expect you to be so well-behaved."
"Oh? What did you think I would do?" Xia Yu suddenly leaned in close to Lara and asked.
Suddenly finding him so close, Lara's face flushed. She waved her hands in a bit of a panic, about to explain something, but Xia Yu just curled his index finger and flicked the tip of her nose with a smile.
"Let's go, we still have treasure to find."
After the sudden intimate gesture, Lara's face turned red, and she gave a soft "mm-hmm."
Ultimately, she was still just a young girl in her early twenties, neither the future Queen of Adventure nor an experienced tomb raider.
Being able to explore an ancient tomb with someone she liked already made her very happy.
As they explored, the two entered the interior at the end of the passage. A dilapidated torii gate stood not far away, flanked by collapsed giant stone statues of Buddha.
Behind the torii gate was an open-air temple. The temple was surrounded on all four sides by towering trees and stone walls, with a massive stone statue of Bodhisattva standing behind the temple.
A thousand years had passed, yet the sculpture remained intact, and the temple showed no signs of collapsing.
In the very center of the temple sat a twin-engine heavy fighter from the World War II era, but the fuselage was long since rusted over, its former livery completely unrecognizable.