Chapter 45 : Awakening the Abyss

After the three headed up to the top of the temple, the knights each kept to their positions and talked.

The topic of conversation was, of course, the temple they were in.

“Even the Justron temple wasn’t this big.”

“It’s almost on par with the holy mountain of the Rehel Church.”

“That, what was it called… Was the elves’ tree this big?”

“Hardly anyone would know the size of the World Tree, would they? Since they hate humans so much.”

“True… Hey, Tray!”

One of the knights called out to Tray, who was staring intently at the mural, but there was no answer.

“That guy is completely absorbed.”

“He’s like a fish in water. It would have been better if he had gone to the Ancient Society. Don’t they accept Sword Experts there too?”

“They treat them very well. But he said he came here because he had received help from the Count before. I accidentally found out last time when I tried to shut him up.”

Meanwhile, Tray was staring intently at a picture.

The long something drawn beneath the temple picture was disturbing his mind.

“It’s bothering me too much…”

The picture in the mural had weathered the long passage of time head-on. So, there were many cases where the details had been erased, and this picture was no exception.

Now, there were traces of rough damage between the temple and the unidentified something.

‘I don’t know anything about this place, but…’

That something in the picture made the knight feel uneasy.

It felt like the small ecosystem created inside the temple was warning him.

It felt like it was stirring and trying to drive them out. Or maybe it was just a vague fear of an unfamiliar space.

Anyway, Tray didn’t want to stay in this temple for long.

As much as he loved ancient ruins, he was strangely suspicious of himself for feeling such negative emotions.

“…I hope they finish as quickly as possible and come.”

Tray tried to suppress that feeling and prayed for the safety of the three who had gone up.

Jonan, Arnus Count, and Failer walked slowly toward the center of the temple.

As their goal got closer, their steps became more and more cautious.

And when they got close enough to see the dark red object floating in the air in detail, Arnus Count muttered.

“…It really is an ominous energy.”

It was as he said. The object was spraying out an energy that seemed to pollute and corrupt its surroundings.

Below, the concentrated energy fell to the floor like thick liquid.

And that ominous energy was something that all three of them were familiar with.

The energy emitted by red demons and magic stones.

It was revealing its presence in a state that was many times thicker.

“Is it a stone…?”

“It seems so.”

The object floating in the air had a smooth surface and at the same time had numerous air holes. It also had an irregular shape, similar to a punctured rock found in volcanic areas.

Jonan, who took his eyes off the stone, looked around it.

Below was an altar soaked in the energy of the stone, and around it were four pillars. At the top of those pillars were holes with rusty iron chains attached.

However, two of the pillars were broken in the middle, having been hit head-on by the passage of time.

‘Were chains connected from the pillars to the altar?’

Curiosity arose, but it wasn’t important. Right now, he had to suppress his curiosity and achieve his goal.

“I will destroy it.”

“No, let me do it.”

Failer stepped forward and raised his Aura, but he was soon stopped by the Count. The Count wanted to end the origin that was tormenting his daughter himself.

While doing so, as he had in the waterway, he suppressed the pure white Aura at the tip of his sword.

The sword, which was full of Aura, soon shot out a suppressed wave forward.

Boom!!

“…It’s so easily broken.”

And the stone floating in the air was shattered as easily as it was absurd. The impacted stone crumbled easily, as if it were made of dirt.

Then, the dark red energy that had been engulfing the altar also stopped flowing.

“Something… it’s too easy.”

At Jonan’s words, Failer quietly nodded in agreement. It wasn’t that the Count’s skill was insignificant.

It was that it was strangely concerning that what seemed to be a symbol, compared to the scale and skill of this temple, was destroyed so easily.

The Count also thought so, but he soon turned around. The important thing now was Aria’s condition.

“It doesn’t matter. It was something that had to be destroyed anyway. If it’s handled easily, it will save time, so it’s a good thing.”

With those words, Jonan and Failer affirmed and followed the Count.

And when they took one step…

The earth stirred.

…!!

“What!!”

“Ugh! My, my ears!!”

“What the hell is this sound…?!”

The world shook. Below, above, to the side, everything around them began to tremble as if having a seizure.

Due to the strong vibration, the three people, who had lost their strength in their legs, hurriedly looked around.

Something was happening.

Oooooo.

The wind ripped at each other and uttered a cry of pain. The earth and buildings twisted and contorted, their bodies writhing.

Rocks, like spears hanging from the ceiling, began to fall down one by one.

Boom…

Something was happening. It was truly happening.

―――

“Count! We have to go down!”

“Jonan?! Where’s Jonan?!”

“Ugh…”

Failer hurriedly turned his head and saw Jonan sitting down. His focus was out of his eyes, and his two hands were trembling, covering his ears.

And blood was flowing from the ears that were suppressed by his palms, visually showing Jonan’s pain.

Rumble…

“Count! Go down first! I’ll take him!”

“Secure the way first!”

Debris that collapsed from above and below blocked the way they had come. The important thing for now was to escape.

Arnus Count pierced the fragments of the temple with Aura and moved forward.

“Jonan, Jonan!”

“Fa, Failer.”

“We have to get out of here! I’ll help you, so get up!”

Jonan forcibly raised his legs, which had lost strength, with Failer’s support. Then he began to follow the path that Arnus Count had broken through.

“Could it be that the stone broke and…?!”

The most likely thing was that, but there was no time to speculate. Right now, it was important to escape from here.

Then, Jonan pointed somewhere. It was the opposite outskirts of the city in the direction the investigation team had entered.

“Sir Failer… what is that…?”

Failer, who followed the finger soaked in blood, confirmed its identity and started to move his steps again.

“It’s a pillar that supports the underground city from collapsing. Let’s go!”

“Pillar… Si, there were no pillars like that in this city!!”

“What? …Ah.”

At Jonan’s words, Failer’s head turned back again. What Failer had seen a little while ago was a pillar standing upright to the ceiling.

It had bumpy parts that protruded like thorns, and it could be seen that this civilization had a malicious sense.

But why was the end of that ceiling looking at them?

At that thought, Failer raised his Aura and gathered it on his feet.

And he picked up Jonan and ran forward with explosive force.

Soon, Failer reached behind Arnus Count.

“Count!!”

“You’re here! The stairs are relatively better…”

“We need to escape this place immediately!!”

“What…?”

And Arnus Count, who turned his body to see Failer, also witnessed that pillar.

A thorny pillar with the tip split into three parts was approaching them.

No, it could no longer be called a pillar.

Boom.

The ground shook again. At the same time, a semicircular structure rose from the other side of the city.

Thorns were protruding from that structure.

At the end of the waterway, a twisted tower rose from the outskirts of the city on the other side.

Thorns were also protruding.

The city was rippling. The earth became the sea and created a wave called an earthquake.

The earth uttered a painful groan. The air was torn, and a cry of death was heard. The water shattered and spread a shriek.

This place was no longer an ancient civilization, an underground city, or anything like that.

It was ‘that thing’s’ nest.

Its appearance was visible through the ceiling of the temple that collapsed while going down the stairs.

Hard armor, three elongated mouths, dense teeth, countless protruding thorn-like scales. Eyes filled with malice. Dark red liquid dripping…

“Don’t look!!”

“Gasp.”

Arnus Count’s shout awakened the spirit of Failer, who was staring blankly at it.

He had been neglecting Jonan and only rubbing his eyes and touching the city.

“My mind is going crazy. Focus only on going down.”

“…I understand.”

So, until they went down again, Failer took careful steps one by one and went down the stairs.

When they reached the bottom, the three stopped walking.

The knights were not visible.

“It seems that they escaped first!”

It wasn’t the character of those who would do that, but since it was a matter of urgency, the Count hurried his steps.

They succeeded in escaping the temple, but it was just the beginning. They had to move to where the cave was and then go outside through the cave.

‘Before that thing notices us, hurry…’

[Newly awakened.]

“…”

“…”

[Witnessed His energy. Waited.]

“Cough…”

“Co, Count… quickly… escape…”

“……”

[Extinguished the sun and polluted the moon.]

Arnus Count’s hand trembled. It was to offset the shockwave caused by ‘that thing’s’ voice by wrapping his body in Aura.

But the only freedom given to him was to lie down on the spot and tremble.

[Misguided executor of the earth, I will follow His will.]

‘That thing’ declared.

Arnus Count finally sensed that there were several figures nearby.

They were the knights of the Count’s family. Most of them were lying quietly as if they were dead.

Then one figure twitched.

“Co, Count…?”

“Tray…!”

“That thing, mural, long some…”

The being in the mural. Tray said that it was that.

Then, that picture was also correct to represent that thing sleeping under the temple.

And that thing appeared when the ‘stone’ was broken.

The Count thought.

‘What the hell did I…’

What did he break?

…What did he wake up?