Entrance

After passing through a long slope and a town that no longer held any living people, leaving only many rough human-shaped forms embedded in the ground and mountainsides, the expedition entered a valley strewn with strange black stones.

The entrance to the valley was concealed amid a vast expanse of tangled, thorn-like "plant" remains, but the information in Shirley's "memories" clearly pointed them to its exact location.

The black rocks within the valley were jagged and grotesque, taking on disturbingly bizarre and intricate forms. They did not look like the result of natural weathering, yet they were clearly not carved by human hands either.

They were more like malformed freaks struggling to be "born" from the earth and cliffs, only to suddenly turn to stone at the Final Step of their growth. On some of the black monstrosities, one could even see nearly differentiated claws, tentacles, and even eyeballs, mouths, and noses. Once she noticed these details, even a seasoned judge like Vana could not help frowning. The eerie horror seemed to seep into her bones, putting her especially on guard.

The drifting fog permeated everything, filling this silent valley as well.

"These stones feel alive..." a marine wearing a black smock and the triangular holy emblem of the God of Death muttered quietly. "Some kind of living thing, sealed inside these black shells... I keep feeling like they might start moving at any moment."

"Control your imagination. Do not casually form that kind of impression in your mind." The Death God priest from the Restless immediately cut off his subordinate's muttering. He had barely spoken since they landed on the island.

Duncan glanced at the taciturn priest of the God of Death. He was a tall, bald man draped in a black robe, with every patch of exposed skin