The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 181 - 180. Finding Moaning Mathilda

Chapter 181: 180. Finding Moaning Mathilda

Tyler and Lily entered the cave cautiously, their senses sharp as they walked deeper into the dimly lit passage. The cave had a cool, damp atmosphere, and the walls were made of polished stone that shimmered slightly in the low light. Every step they took echoed in the silence, and the air was thick with a sense of mystery.

After a few minutes of walking, they came across a large puzzle mechanism. It looked like a series of rotating stone blocks, each carved with ancient symbols that had to be aligned in a specific way.

"Well, it looks like we’ve got a puzzle on our hands," Tyler said, kneeling down to inspect the blocks.

Lily knelt next to him, her eyes scanning the mechanism. "Wait... this doesn’t seem right," she muttered, glancing around. "These blocks... they’re already in the correct position."

Tyler straightened up, frowning. "You’re right. Someone’s been through here."

Lily looked around and found out there is no trap.

"Do you think it’s Mathilda?" Tyler asked, rubbing his chin.

"Could be," Lily replied. "I hope it is her."

They picked up the pace, continuing through the cave. As they walked, they encountered more obstacles — stone doors, pressure plates, and strange symbols glowing faintly along the walls. But every challenge had already been solved. The doors were open, the pressure plates disabled, and the glowing symbols had clearly been deactivated.

"Whoever went through here is really good," Tyler remarked, impressed despite the urgency. "It’s like they knew exactly what to do."

Lily nodded, her expression serious. "Mathilda’s good, but this level of precision... I didn’t know she is so smart."

But as they walked further, the atmosphere began to change. The air grew warmer, and a strange glow began to fill the cave. As they turned a corner, both Tyler and Lily froze.

The cave walls were lined with statues — and not just any statues. They were all of naked figures, posed in provocative positions, their stone faces twisted into expressions of pleasure. Some were standing, some lying down, and others in bizarre, contorted stances. The further they walked, the more statues appeared, each more explicit than the last.

"Okay, this is getting weirder," Tyler muttered, eyes widening at the increasingly suggestive statues.

Lily let out a small laugh, though her expression showed a mix of curiosity and embarrassment. "It’s like some kind of twisted art gallery. I guess we know what the builders of this labyrinth were into."

Tyler rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I’m almost afraid to ask what comes next."

As they passed the increasingly indecent statues, the cave suddenly opened up into a massive chamber. The air was thick and humid, and at the center of the chamber stood a large stone pedestal, similar to the others they had seen before, but this one had a small pillar on top of it. Surrounding the chamber were even more statues, each posed in various explicit positions, their stone bodies arranged like some kind of strange ritual.

Tyler and Lily both stopped in their tracks, surveying the chamber before them. Something wasn’t right.

"Looks like there was something here," Lily said, moving closer to the small pillar. She ran her fingers along the surface, as if trying to sense what had been there. "It’s been removed recently."

Tyler frowned. "Recently? Then Mathilda must’ve taken it."

Lily nodded slowly. "There’s no other explanation. Whatever was here... she’s already got it."

Suddenly, a noise echoed through the chamber — a quick shuffle of movement, something small darting behind one of the statues.

Tyler and Lily both tensed, their senses heightened as they scanned the area. "We’re not alone," Tyler whispered.

Before they could react, the figure darted again, running between the statues. Tyler’s eyes locked onto it, and in a swift motion, he pointed his hand toward the source. "Gotcha!"

A small cry rang out as a figure was caught in a sudden burst of ice, freezing it in place. Tyler and Lily approached cautiously, only to find a small girl, no older than twelve or thirteen, trapped in the ice. She had purple hair and wore an adult-sized dress that clearly didn’t fit her small frame.

The girl glared up at Tyler, her voice full of defiance. "Damn you, Tyler!"

Tyler blinked in surprise. "Wait, what? Who are you—?"

Lily’s eyes widened in recognition. "Mathilda?"

The girl huffed, her arms crossed as she struggled against the ice. "Of course, it’s me, idiot."

Tyler quickly thawed the ice, releasing her. As the small girl stepped free, she glared at both of them, clearly annoyed. Despite her youthful appearance, there was no mistaking the familiar spark in her eyes.

"Mathilda’s illegitimate daughter?" Tyler teased, his voice full of mock surprise.

"No!" the girl snapped, her voice cute despite her irritation. "I am Mathilda!"

Lily covered her mouth in an attempt to suppress her laughter. "Oh my gods... poor girl, she doesn’t even realize her mom is that pervert."

The small Mathilda slapped Lily’s hand away when she tried to pat her head, then climbed onto one of the indecent statues and perched on top of it, her small frame striking a comical contrast against the larger-than-life figure. "I am Mathilda!" she declared again, her voice full of indignation.

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Tyler chuckled. "We were just messing with you."

Both he and Lily burst out laughing, the absurdity of the situation sinking in. "Why are you so small?" Tyler managed between laughs. "This is... too much!"

Mathilda scowled and leapt off the statue, tackling Tyler to the ground in a fit of frustration. "You little—!"

As they rolled around on the floor, Mathilda finally relented, sitting on top of Tyler with her arms crossed. "I accidentally entered this place and found an orb of light. It was overflowing with life energy. I just wanted to taste it, but instead, I ended up swallowing the whole thing. Next thing I know, I’m a kid again."

"An orb?" Lily asked, her curiosity piqued. She rummaged through her pouch and pulled out a glowing orb. "Does it look like this?"

Mathilda’s eyes widened. She quickly grabbed the orb to examine it "Yeah! You have one too?"

Lily smirked. "I got this from a temple I explored with that Manhunter woman. It was supposed to be her share, but well... not anymore."

Mathilda stared at Tyler in confusion, and he whispered, "She got dumped."

"I can hear you," Lily shot back, but her tone remained playful.

Tyler quickly changed the subject. "So how did you manage to finish all the puzzles and traps before us?"

Mathilda grinned, her mischievous side showing even in her small form. "The first cave? Easy. It just needed to get wet, so I poured a bunch of aphrodisiac potions into it. The thing opened up like it was begging for more. Fufu. It even cleared all the traps by itself."

Lily groaned in disbelief. "Of course. It probably loved it so much it opened all the paths for you without any trouble. And here I Have to go through all troubles just to get this orb."

Tyler shook his head, laughing. "You’re unbelievable."

Mathilda puffed her chest out, clearly proud of herself. "The statue is just Statue of Culture."

After the laughter died down, Mathilda’s expression turned serious. "There’s more, though. When I swallowed that orb, I got some information. Turns out this labyrinth has been here for centuries, long before the Rosefall Kingdom even existed. It emerges every 500 years or so. Some immortals were using it to research something called the Pseudo-Eternal Code."

Lily’s eyes widened in recognition. "The Pseudo-Eternal Code? That’s... that’s the stuff of legends."

Mathilda nodded. "Yeah. These orbs we found? They’re a product of that research. They grant a thousand years of lifespan and even strengthen the soul. That’s why I’m a kid now—my body couldn’t handle all that life energy, so it reverted me to my younger form."

" There is also a method producing Lifespan by Intercourse. But it looks like someone already took it away many decades ago." Mathilda continued with disappointment.

Tyler’s eyes lit up with excitement. "So if we eat these orbs, we get a thousand more years of life?"

Lily, ever the practical one, cut him off. "These kind of treasures only works once, Tyler. Once you’ve absorbed one, that’s it. You can’t just keep eating them for eternal life."

Tyler’s excitement faded, his dreams of immortality dashed. "Well, that’s a bummer."

Mathilda shrugged. "The main point is, we could use one of these orbs to help Astrid. If she eats it, her soul will get strong enough to break free from whatever’s possessing her."

"But wouldn’t that strengthen Evergreen’s soul too?" Tyler asked.

Mathilda frowned in thought. "That’s the tricky part. But I’ve got an idea... we need to find Astrid and Lutz for this."

As Mathilda explained her plan, Tyler and Lily exchanged determined glances. They had come far, but their journey was far from over.