Chapter 55: Nightmare?
Chapter 55: Nightmare?
This path winds through a gorge, incredibly quiet. The only sounds are the wind brushing against the mountain walls and the gentle trickle of melting snow and ice.
Perhaps because this place is near the ice cap, the environment is harsh. The ground is devoid of any trees or flowers, with only some moss stubbornly growing on the rocks.
After walking along the gravel path for about ten minutes and turning a large bend, a clearing came into view.
In the center of the clearing stood a three-tiered stone altar, carved with Runes. In the distance, several strangely shaped peaks stood tall.
Liam took out the Treasure Map and noticed that the terrain here matched the map almost perfectly. This clearing was marked with a red X.
But what could this Treasure Map be trying to convey? It couldn’t be a joke, could it? But if there was a secret, it wouldn’t be that easy to find. The wear on the map suggested that the Thief often touched it, indicating he had searched here many times.
Since the X marked this clearing, Liam decided to start his search here. His first glance fell on a large wooden sign nailed to the mountain wall.
The sign described the altar, stating it was over a thousand years old. The inscriptions were ancient Viking Wizards' hymns to nature.
Hymns to nature? That was unusual. Ancient Viking Wizards generally focused on lightning, storms, and even human enhancement, not much on nature. This could be a breakthrough.
With that thought, Liam retrieved a bunch of Plants from his store and placed them around, then began to communicate with them.
The Plants conveyed a sense of happiness, suggesting this place was quite suitable for various life forms. Liam himself felt a sense of ease here.
However, his enhanced Sixth Sense always felt something was off, that this place wasn’t as peaceful as it seemed.
Circling to the back of the altar, Liam found a small mound of earth. A nearby sign indicated this was where human sacrifices were buried after the rituals.
This explained why so many people were interested in studying this place, as Liam had heard in conversations on the commercial street. In the Wizard world, some ancient magic indeed required human life as a sacrifice. However, no spells related to nature had ever been known to use human sacrifices. This altar was peculiar for that reason, which is why so many Wizards had investigated it.
Liam spent over half an hour examining the area but found nothing. The Plants also detected nothing unusual underground except the human skeletons in the sacrificial pit.
This left Liam somewhat discouraged. But then, he reminded himself that many famous Wizards had also come up empty-handed. As a young Wizard who had only been learning magic for a year, it was normal for him to find nothing.
On a positive note, at least he had completed an adventure. He could brag to his classmates about it. With that thought, Liam felt more at ease.
Liam had risen early for the expedition and had been busy all day. Now, as he relaxed, a wave of drowsiness washed over him.
The tour guide didn’t mention any dangers here, and the place was virtually devoid of life. Deciding it was a good idea to sleep under the open sky, he immediately set about preparing.
He retreated to the path and set up a perimeter with a bunch of Plants for security. He then placed Sunlight Crystals in water to provide warmth. Once everything was ready, Liam found a sheltered spot at a bend in the path, pulled out his sleeping bag, and climbed in. He was asleep in no time. (The clearing had sunlight, but the thought of sleeping on top of buried skeletons was too unsettling.)
Just as Liam was falling asleep, he realized something was wrong. It seemed he had left his original position.
He found himself lying in the sheltered spot, but all the Plants he had arranged around him were gone. Turning his head, Liam was startled to see a faint blood-red mist floating in the air, accompanied by a rusty smell.
Realizing something was amiss, Liam nervously climbed out of his sleeping bag. Standing up, he noticed that his body had inexplicably reverted to that of a man in his twenties. Was this a dream? But it felt too real.
Liam felt he might be in deep trouble. He likely fell into a trap from the start. Given his usual caution, he wouldn't normally choose to sleep outdoors without any preparation.
Fortunately, the Multiverse General Store only detected a strong interference indicating Liam was in a combat state. While he couldn't enter the store for refuge, he could still retrieve items from it.
Liam began to summon Plants, but what emerged were not Plants, but green light points. As these small light points attached to Liam, he discovered he could use plant abilities.
What kind of place was this? Liam felt genuinely uneasy. However, with the System's power as his backup, he decided to explore the surroundings for any clues to help him escape.
He noticed that the blood-red mist was drifting from the direction of the clearing. Holding his wand, Liam slowly moved toward the clearing. At a corner, he cautiously peeked out to observe the clearing. Upon seeing what was happening, he couldn't help but gasp and retreat several steps.
He saw the Altar come to life, its runic inscriptions slowly rotating and emitting an ominous blood-red glow. Around the Altar, a dozen black shadows were jumping and dancing, as if performing a ritual. On the Altar itself, a few more black shadows were engaged in some unknown activity.
Regaining his composure, Liam peered out again. This time, he realized that the dancing black shadows were not human as he initially thought, but monstrous beings with human-like outlines, formed from red, viscous liquid and flesh.
On the Altar, the few black shadows resembled mummies, their withered skin adorned with eerie black tattoos that flashed in rhythm with their kneeling, as if they were breathing.
Suddenly, a piercing, eerie howl reached Liam's ears, followed by a sense of desolation. With the howl, blood lines shot out from the monsters below, flying toward the circle of mummies in the center of the Altar, forming a sinister Blood Orb.
Finally, with a sharp sound, black-red flames erupted from the blood orb. The surrounding blood-red mist grew even thicker.
A voice inside Liam told him he needed to stop this nightmare immediately, or it could lead to disastrous consequences.
(End of Chapter)
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