Once outside the room, Klein carefully placed his cane and lantern in the same hand, freeing his left palm so that he could immediately access the items in the pocket on the same side in case of an emergency.
There were talismans, Azik Copper Whistle, and some tarot cards, along with Rosago's remaining " Eye of All-Black " trait, all of which were gathered there, providing him with all his countermeasures.
Klein and the bodyguard took only one step to the side, and the light from the lantern illuminated the emblem on the adjacent gate, which depicted a simple baby surrounded by symbols of wheat ears, flowers, and springs.
"The Holy Symbol of the Earth Mother..." Klein said solemnly and in a low voice.
As a former Nighthawks, being able to distinguish the symbols of other churches is one of the basic skills.
The bodyguard nodded almost imperceptibly, seemingly in agreement.
In this environment and atmosphere, her black Gothic court dress appeared even more sinister and terrifying, and her pale face, illuminated by the lantern light, made her look like a vengeful Wraith.
If any other adventurers came here and saw this scene, they would surely be so frightened that they would flee in a panic, stumbling and falling.
Klein held his breath, extended his left palm, pushed open the stone door forcefully, and raised the lantern high.
He found that the layout here was very similar to the previous one, like a perfect fusion of a small prayer room and a giant statue.
Crossing the clearing paved with wheat-colored flagstones, Klein used his lantern to illuminate the three steps ahead.
Above the steps stands a four- or five-meter-tall white stone sculpture of a plump and graceful lady. Wheat ears grow at her feet, surrounded by a spring. Her flowing dress is adorned with various herbs and flowers, and depicts different animals.
The woman's chest was high and rounded, and she held an adorable baby tucked in her arms. Her whole appearance was holy and dignified.
"Could it be a statue of the Earth Mother?" Klein murmured, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
The bodyguard neither answered nor denied the question.
After checking around, the two left the room and opened the third door that was right next to it.
Beyond this door lies a passageway wide enough for four people to walk side by side. The path ahead is dark and deep, mysterious and eerie, its destination unknown.
"Let's first find out what's behind those four doors on the right," Klein suggested.
He dared not venture further.
The bodyguard floated away, answering with her actions.
The two opened the four stone doors on the right in turn, and saw the "Symbolic Symbol of Storm " composed of symbols of raging winds and waves, the " The Sun Holy Emblem " surrounded by clusters of lines, the "Emblem of the God of Combat " composed of a combination of Twilight symbol and a sword-shaped mark, and the "Symbolic Symbol of Knowledge and Wisdom " represented by an open book and an Eye of Omniscience.
Correspondingly, there are four statues in the room that appear to be deities:
There was a majestic middle-aged man dressed in black armor, standing on the waves, surrounded by storms, with lightning flashing behind him, and holding a trident;
A young man, handsome and full of vigor, was draped in a Pure White white robe, holding a book of contracts in one hand and a golden orb like the Sun in the other.
There was Warrior sat high on a throne, holding a long sword in front of him. His face was hidden behind a mask, and his armor had an indescribable sense of decay.
There was an old man holding a book and the Eye of Omniscience, wearing a hood that only revealed his mouth, wrinkles, and long white beard.
Apart from the God of Steam and Machinery, all six orthodox deities have prayer rooms and human-shaped statues in this eerie hall!
Considering the weak position of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery before Roselle's appearance, this question seems to have some explanation.
"That's really weird..." Klein exclaimed, half unable to help himself and half wanting to test the bodyguard's reaction.
This magnificent hall, which is 100 meters deep, houses six orthodox deities.
This is unimaginable in today's world!
How could the church of the six true gods allow its Lord to be housed in the same building as other deities!
Is this a custom from the ancient Fourth Age? And what's with those human-shaped statues? Although they all look normal, unlike the sinister statues of the " Primordial Demoness " and the " True Creator," they still feel strange... What happened to cause the images of the six gods to evolve into the current abstract symbols... No, perhaps they were always like that, but the owner of this place, a nobleman suspected to the Tudor Family, deliberately created the human-shaped statues of the six gods for some purpose... Hmm, I thought of an item from my past life, the Six Soul Banner... While waiting for the bodyguard's answer, Klein's thoughts wandered aimlessly.
The bodyguard did not respond to this, but spoke calmly and casually:
There's another door.
Yes... Klein suddenly felt a little scared.
In his view, the door placed in the center often has a special meaning, perhaps representing the most central area of this ancient building.
Of course, this also most likely means the most dangerous situation.
"What intuition do you have about that place?" Klein hesitated for two seconds before asking directly.
Without needing to eliminate interference from the Gray Fog, he felt that the bodyguard's Spirit Intuition and Spirituality intuition were more reliable than his own current level of Divination. After all, her state was very special, close to that of a spirit, and she could communicate with the Spirit World without obstacles and receive revelation.
The bodyguard closed her eyes and answered after a few seconds:
"It's very dangerous."
But this danger is contained.
"Once you're inside, don't touch anything rashly."
The danger of being restrained... Could this be equivalent to something being sealed inside? Klein made his guesses as he and the bodyguard arrived at the central stone door and stepped onto the dark black floor.
The lantern's light seemed to have dimmed slightly, struggling to dispel the darkness ahead. Klein had already put his left hand into his pocket, holding Azik Copper Whistle and several talismans.
After walking about thirty steps, the bodyguard suddenly stopped.
Klein raised the lantern in his right hand and found that the path ahead was blocked by boulders and mud.
There is a stone door on each side, the same type as the main hall. The right door is half-open, and its interior is filled with mud and stones.
"Perhaps this ancient building was originally above ground, but later sank underground for some reason and partially collapsed," Klein muttered. "We only have one direction left to choose..."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw the bodyguard float forward, stick to the boulder, merge into it, and disappear.
Klein's lips twitched slightly, and he began to wait patiently.
A few minutes later, the bodyguard emerged from the mud on the right, her body spotless.
"It's completely collapsed," she concluded calmly.
Klein was speechless for a moment and could only smile.
Then, the two of them looked at the stone door on the left, which was not completely closed and had a gap.
Klein approached and cautiously peered inside through the gap, which was about 3 centimeters wide.
The Spirit Vision, previously blocked by the stone gate, immediately made a discovery:
Inside, at least four intense, dazzling Spirituality lights shimmered; two were a dark gold color, and two were a deep blue like the sea.
After the Spirit Vision, a "narrow" scene appeared in Klein's normal vision:
The firelight that entered the room illuminated the black stone slabs, upon which lay piles of white bones covered with decaying clothing, some of which emitted a dark gold and deep blue glow.
Beyonder Characteristic condensed? A magical item? In a flash of thought, Klein scanned the far end of the room.
A double door stood tall against the dark wall there.
The double doors were covered in blood!
There seemed to be fresh blood still clinging to the door; it reflected the firelight and continued to slide down.
Klein had originally planned to have the bodyguard scout ahead, but suddenly felt a change in the Azik Copper Whistle he was holding!
The originally cold and gentle touch suddenly became piercing, deep and lifeless!
This... Klein narrowed his eyes and instinctively took a step back.
Immediately afterwards, he noticed that his right forearm was numb and itchy, and began to swell.
A scene flashed through his mind, and Klein immediately pulled out a tarot card with his left hand and slashed a wound on his right forearm.
What gushed from the wound was not blood, but tiny, wriggling black worms!
Sizzle!
The black insects fell to the ground, Corrosion and producing wisps of smoke.
They struggled, huddled together, but ultimately melted away in the light of the lantern.
After a few seconds, the black worms that had been flowing from Klein's wound finally stopped, and crimson began to ooze out.
He flexed his muscles, controlling the small wound and preventing further bleeding.
The bodyguard watched this scene quietly, her beautiful brows furrowing unusually.
Klein was about to speak when he realized that the coldness and deathly silence emanating from Azik Copper Whistle had not lessened.
At the same time, his gaze fell upon the figure of the bodyguard.
She originally had no shadow!
"Run!" Klein shouted, and immediately ran towards the hall.
The bodyguard quickly floated up, and the two saw the lantern light in front of them gradually being swallowed up by a dark shadow.
Thump thump thump!
Klein sprinted forward, moving like a hurricane in the increasingly dim light around him.
Thump thump thump!
The shadow grew larger, closer, and denser, threatening to completely engulf the flames, while the gate was still several meters away.
Just then, acting on instinct, Klein lunged forward, then rolled over the stone gate.
The firelight suddenly brightened, and the unease in his heart instantly dissipated. The Azik Copper Whistle in his palm also regained its soft, cold touch.
The bodyguard Levitation beside him, turning back to look at the tunnel that had once again plunged into deep darkness, her tone carrying an uncertain undertone:
" Evil Spirit..."
Evil Spirit? Klein nearly gasped when he heard that, but thankfully the Clown was very good at controlling his expression and reaction.
In the realm of mysticism, Evil Spirit are extremely terrifying Monster, with the most powerful among them even being comparable to High-Sequence beings!
Evil Spirit lingering within the ancient building? Evil Spirit bound or restricted to that room for some reason? Hmm... If it really is Evil Spirit, it would explain why Mr. Azik's bronze whistle reacted. Evil Spirit are a kind of undead creature... Klein straightened up and looked at the dark passageway, feeling as if a pair of cold eyes were staring at him from within!
P. S.: I'm begging for monthly votes in the last few hours, they'll expire and go to waste!