Sifa came to the surface.
He appeared beside the warning stone.
The inscription on the stone remained. Though it had become somewhat blurred, its meaning was still generally understandable.
He looked ahead again.
The church seemed to be barely holding together, as if it could collapse at any moment.
The church was of ordinary size, like a country chapel.
However, its arches, pillars, and eaves were covered in numerous carvings.
One could imagine how magnificent it had once been.
Its colonnades were highly asymmetrical, with four on the left and three on the right.
This was the architectural style of the Fourth Epoch.
Someone had built a church deep in the mountains during the Fourth Epoch. It was unclear what for.
Sifa did not dwell on it.
He entered through the main doors.
Inside was pitch-black.
With his hands behind his back, Sifa's gaze shifted, and clusters of dark crimson flames surged into existence throughout the church.
They illuminated the prayer hall.
There were no statues of deities in the prayer hall, only pillars. Some had already collapsed, while others still barely supported the dome.
Yet whether they had fallen or remained standing, every pillar bore numerous magical markings and mysterious symbols.
Deep within the hall, Sifa saw a gap in the floor. Beside it lay a stone slab that had been moved aside, apparently used to conceal the opening.
Written on the slab in Ancient Hermes were the words: Do not open.
"Clearly, humans enjoy ignoring warnings."
Sifa looked down into the opening. Clusters of flames lit up within, revealing a staircase leading deep underground.
The staircase was extraordinarily weathered, with rubble scattered along the way.
The dampness underground made pools of water visible on the steps from time to time.
With his hands in his pockets, Sifa descended.