Chapter 44 : Moonlight and Ruin: The Rise of Forgotten Powers

“I must hold on!”

Arnus Count stuck his sword into the waterway and grabbed Jonan’s arm while facing the oncoming wave.

The water that had filled up to the ceiling soon began to flow quickly in one direction.

Jonan momentarily lost his balance and was about to be swept away by the flow of water, separating him from the formation. However, he managed to hold on thanks to the help of Arnus Count.

Meanwhile, the water swept away all the demons that had been flocking to the waterway, carrying them all to one place.

“Phew… phew…”

“Is everyone alright? Jonan, are you okay?”

“Cough! Cough! I-I’m fine too.”

When the water level dropped to their necks, the investigation team took deep breaths, looking like drowned rats.

“Did you do that?”

“Yes?”

“The water just now. I asked if you did it.”

“Ah, probably.”

Jonan’s answer was ambiguous. He hadn’t expected the events to unfold like this.

He had only felt the faint energy of the Dragon God in the groundwater and had simply moved his body and spoken as the sword wanted.

Could Jonan, who had been staggering around, unaware of what was happening, have predicted this result?

The Count also noticed this and didn’t press him further. Instead, he expressed both praise and caution.

“Thanks to you, we escaped from the demons. However, we could have been swept away too.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Now that you know, tell us next time before you use it. I don’t enjoy swimming.”

Jonan quietly looked at Haeilgum, which had lost its light, and returned it to the scabbard Failer had given him.

“I don’t feel the energy of demons nearby.”

“It seems that they were all swept away by the flood. Let’s move to the surface.”

Thanks to Jonan’s actions, the investigation team had escaped danger, and the path ahead was now clear. The knights exchanged a few words and made their way to the surface.

Jonan wiped his soaked face with his hand and followed the knights up to the surface.

When they emerged into the back alley of the ancient city, they made their way toward the enormous temple visible in the distance, along the quiet road.

“What is the height?”

“The tallest structure here seems to be a five-story tower, but that temple is dozens of times bigger. It would be impossible to climb from the outside.”

The temple was immense. It dominated the underground space, occupying half of the ancient city.

The exterior of the temple consisted of stairs that were far too high for humans to climb easily.

“Then we have to go inside.”

At Failer’s words, the investigation team turned their gaze toward the square-shaped entrance at the base of the temple.

For Aria, for the barony, they had to go there.

Without hesitation, the investigation team entered the temple. What they saw upon entering was breathtaking.

They were greeted by pure white moonlight that illuminated the interior of the temple.

“Is this… possible?”

All the members of the investigation team stood in awe, gazing up at the top of the temple.

The overwhelming size of the temple didn’t matter. The colorful architectural styles that filled the interior were secondary.

However, the faint moonlight that bathed the temple was impossible to ignore.

“Th-there was no light, let alone moonlight, outside the temple.”

Outside, the only illumination came from the red energy emitted by magic stones scattered around the city. But inside the temple, there was moonlight—along with the moon itself, hanging from the ceiling.

It wasn’t that the temple had been carved out to let the moon shine through.

“The time is roughly close to night, but… it’s not the full moon period now.”

“Then is this a moon that exists inside the temple?”

Had they somehow recreated an astronomical phenomenon inside a single structure?

The Count felt dizzy from the immense technology required for this.

It wasn’t an artificial lamp or fire. Judging by the unique energy of the moon—a familiar energy he had sensed before under the red moon—it was real moonlight.

In other words, the pure white moon hanging from the ceiling of the temple was indeed emitting moonlight.

The moonlight spread across the temple, illuminating every corner.

“Count, it seems that this city was built by a civilization that worshiped the moon.”

Tray, who had been examining the murals on the temple’s pillars, spoke. In fact, what Tray said was something Count Arnus could have easily inferred.

‘If there’s that moonlight, could they really worship anything else…?’

What Tray had confirmed was a mural depicting people kneeling toward the temple.

Above the temple, a crescent moon was drawn, with star clusters depicted falling toward the worshippers.

It was easy to interpret something as intuitive as this, but interpreting sentences or complex pictures was another matter.

Besides, the investigation team hadn’t gathered to study the city itself.

“Let’s find a way to go up first.”

The inside of the temple was like a small world. Several small structures and ecosystems were scattered throughout the temple at different heights and sizes.

There were even small forests and streams to navigate through to reach other areas.

“There seem to be no red demons, so let’s split into groups.”

Jonan with Failer, and the Count moved separately, and the investigation team began searching for an entrance to the upper floor.

Due to the size of the temple, the search took some time. However, since there was no direct threat from the red demons, the team could proceed with some ease.

“Sir Failer, why did the people of this city build such a temple?”

“We’re not the people of that time, so I don’t know, but… it seems it was mostly for show.”

“For show, you mean?”

Failer nodded. As he answered Jonan, his eyes quickly scanned their surroundings.

“Think about the relationship between the Justron Church and the Rehel Church.”

“Uh…”

“This time, the Justron Church said they would build a new temple in the capital to challenge the Rehel Church. The Count was asked to donate for its construction.”

“In other words, this temple was also built for showing off and keeping an eye on others.”

“That’s right. However, if that’s the case, it means there was another powerful civilization like this.”

“I… can’t easily imagine what happened.”

“Neither can I. That’s why I’m focusing on securing what’s at the top of this temple.”

“I should also focus… Sir Failer, isn’t that the entrance?”

As soon as Jonan spoke, an unusual entrance appeared before their eyes.

Unlike the rest of the temple, which was made of grayish stones, this section was black.

Inside the entrance were stairs leading upward endlessly.

“It seems to be right.”

“However, we need to be cautious as we go up.”

As Failer had said, the black stairs were broken in several places. The door seemed severely damaged as well, creaking loudly even if touched lightly.

“There are also several murals here. They seem more detailed than in other places.”

“Tray, can you interpret them?”

“Hmm… there are only two pictures, so it’s not hard to interpret. A long, thorny thing on top of a trapezoid… Ah, it seems to be a temple drawn.”

As Tray pointed out, there was a long, bent shape, covered in thorn-like features, drawn beneath the trapezoidal temple in the mural.

It caused an uncomfortable feeling, though its meaning remained unclear.

“A temple on top of a long thing…”

“It’s probably just there to make the left phrase easier to interpret, like an illustration in a book. It doesn’t seem to have a deeper meaning.”

“Even if it did, I’d still go up. Let’s go.”

Since there might be safety concerns if the entire team went up, the 3rd-class knights decided to stay below as guards.

Arnus Count, Jonan, and Failer began to climb the stairs.

The black stairs, located opposite the entrance where the investigation team had entered, gradually ascended and led to the upper part of the temple.

Using the expertise of a 2nd-class knight, Arnus Count selected only the safest parts of the stairs and signaled for the others to follow.

“There are murals inside the stairs too…”

“It seems these stairs had a particularly important role. Maybe only high-ranking priests could climb them.”

But that was all in the distant past. Now, a father who had come to save his child was climbing the stairs.

Though it seemed like there was no end, the three of them finally emerged from the stairs, reaching the top outside the temple.

Catching their breath, they now saw structures that hadn’t been visible from below.

“A statue of a goddess?”

Among the towering pillars and scattered objects, what caught their attention was a statue of a goddess.

A beautiful goddess, with black hair and a flowing dress, holding a crescent moon and with her eyes closed.

After staring at the statue for a while, the group continued moving toward their goal.

Now, there was only one floor left. The group climbed the steep stairs, using both hands and feet as much as possible.

It resembled a priest crawling to a temple in a secluded place for a pilgrimage.

When they reached the top, what greeted them was an altar.

“That’s it. That must be the cause.”

“I think so too.”

“I think so too.”

On the altar, an object emitting dark red energy floated in the air.

It had an irregular shape, like an unpolished jewel.

“I think I heard some sound…”

“Anyway, we have to break that, so let’s go there.”

“Yes.”

The group, still entranced by the object, slowly began to walk toward the altar where the object was placed.

They witnessed. And they felt.

They sensed the energy of Him after a long time.

Is the corrupted queen still holding Him?

Like the queen’s servants who bound me?

It doesn’t matter.

His contaminated children are increasing. His seal is gradually being released.

The time is approaching. The sun and moon have fallen.

But what is the radiance of the Sun King felt above? Is Solia, that hateful being, still alive?

A small particle that received Solia’s energy approaches.

They drove out His troops and entered here.

The maggots of the moon to stop Solia’s uncivilized being no longer exist.

They are gradually approaching Lunasha’s piece.

Yes, break it. Free me.

I will move to extinguish the radiance of the Sun King and liberate Him.

I will dig up and collapse the earth. I will overturn and break the sea. I will pierce and tear the sky.

I will swallow the sun and spit out the moon.

The mission is to purify this dirty world that will touch His feet.

Break the moonstone that has been influenced by Him. And wake me up.

Once again, for Him, I will defile the heavenly era.