The so-called "holy coffin" was not actually a coffin, but a black box measuring one meter on each side and less than half a meter in height. The box was made of an unknown material, its surface covered in dark-red ancient runes. Several straight grooves divided its upper half into polygons of various sizes, making it look as though it had been pieced together from many parts.
It was far smaller than Hao Ren had expected.
The room housing the holy coffin stood at the center of the cavern. More than a hundred knights and monks guarded the stone chamber, which had itself been shaped by the most powerful earth-element mages. It could withstand at least a portion of an attack by the Firstborn's tentacles. Powerful artifacts had been installed in the chamber's four corners, channeling divine energy from the monastery on the surface to the area around the holy coffin. Thick scripture tapestries also hung on all four walls. Besides providing protection, these arrangements could amplify a certain biological electrical signal released by the holy coffin. Perhaps even after the primitive tissue inside the box died, the facilities in the chamber could delay the suppressive signal for another day or two.
The chamber could not hold many people, so only Hao Ren, Vivian, Ofra, and Archbishop Aubin entered. Hao Ren examined the black box curiously and placed his hand on its surface. It felt warm and smooth, unlike cold rock or metal. Of course, it was also possible that some kind of "creature" inside the box had heated the apparatus. He patted his pocket and summoned the Data Terminal. "Can you sense anything?"
"There are very complex signals being released from inside the container, including electromagnetic waves of three different frequencies and some other types of interference." The Data