From outside, the temple in the oil painting did not look large, so the room before them should have been the temple's only chamber.
The interior of the ancient temple was still illuminated by the eerie green glow of those vines. The Great Witch in her magnificent gown was confronting a hawk-nosed man. Both of their Destiny Rings had appeared. Miss Sylvia's Destiny Ring had ten rings, while the man's had nine.
Though the Great Witch showed no signs of injury, not even a scratch on her dress, the vines clinging to the walls had firmly locked down the Destiny Ring behind her. Dozens of vines wound around it from every direction, and the Spirit Runes on it flickered faintly.
The blue-eyed, hawk-nosed man was now controlling the temple, his Destiny Ring rotating normally behind him. But he was in far worse condition. His face was deathly pale, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath, and his left arm, severed by a sharp weapon, lay nearby.
Though the Blasphemy Elements emitted by that horrifying plant statue did not compare to those of a true evil god's idol, Shade still did not dare look directly at it. The moment Miss Sylvia saw Shade appear, she immediately stopped him from proceeding:
"Don't come in! This is the Pantanal Temple, a subspace projected through Thaumaturgy created by Pantanal's primitive faith. These vines will bind all power. I'm temporarily trapped, but I've also locked this man inside this space. Find a way to shoot flames in from outside and burn that statue. Once it's burned, we can leave."
"I truly didn't expect this. I was hired to prevent the worst-case scenario. I never thought there would really be a High-Ring Arcanist here. Lady, who exactly are you?"
The man spoke with an equally