Chapter 181 The Original Priestess
――Noah successfully removed 3 of the limbs from the coffin, excluding the right arm.
This means all the seals held by the [Four Great Families of the Seals] have been used, and the seals on the 4 coffins have been lifted.
Only one seal remains. However, there are only 4 keys, and no other seals exist.
So, how will the last coffin be unsealed?
There's no need to worry.
The reason is that the act of lifting the seals on the 4 limbs itself is equivalent to the "unlocking ritual" to lift the last seal.
As the seal was lifted and the pillar disappeared, a beam of light ran from the spot where the sealed coffin was to the last remaining pillar, illuminating the floor and ceiling.
Following the light, Noah, who was drenched in sweat from mental exhaustion, headed towards the last pillar.
And so, he approached the last [seal coffin]――and gazed inside.
"This is... [the Original Priestess] Lucia Aron, isn't it?"
Inside, a naked woman with no limbs was sealed.
She was probably in her early twenties. Her long, lustrous silver hair and her eyes, which were likely golden, were now peacefully closed. Her face, which seemed to be designed by God, had a gentle, maternal smile.
Her large breasts, her smooth and radiant skin, her slender waist, and every detail of her body was flawless.
"I see... the real thing is beautiful too..."
Certainly, anyone would say she's a beautiful woman. If a goddess were to take human form, she would probably look like this.
[The Original Priestess]――Lucia Aron.
That was the name of the original owner of the body sealed in this coffin.
But now, this body isn't hers, either. It belongs to Priestess Lucia, but it was stolen by the [Evil God].
Thinking about it again, this beautiful appearance also seems somehow eerie. The softly closed eyelids seem like they might open and look down on him at any moment, filling him with an inexplicable fear.
"Hmph, well... she may not be as beautiful as Evee (Eva-chan), though."
Trying to ease the tension, he muttered to himself and shifted his gaze to the surface of the pillar.
There, words made of light were floating.
The character "Open" surrounded by a circle. The character and circle were flashing as if urging me to touch it.
"Heh...Alright."
He took a deep breath, pulled out a new [Space Freeze] magical tool from his storage ring, and placed it on the ground.
It was a case-type magic tool, about twice as large as the ones that store hands and feet. But despite its size, its function was the same.
He opened the lid after releasing the side fasteners, stood up, and faced the pillar. And then, he touched the flashing "Open" character.
"――――."
In an instant, the pillar vanished.
The torso of the [Evil God] floated in mid-air. He covered it with his hand, wrapped it in magical energy, and transferred it into the case at his feet.
He completed the entire sequence in a split second.
SLAM!! he closed the case lid with a loud bang, and the fasteners clicked into place as the magical tool activated.
"――――."
He stood frozen in place for several dozen seconds, unsure if he was really okay.
Was it really possible to contain [God's Remains] in this case, even if only for a short time?
Such uncertainty ran through his mind.
However, no matter how long he waited, there was no sign of the case bursting open from the inside, the lid opening on its own, or the case rattling around. It was as if the [Evil God] had transferred out of the case and was laughing at him, but none of that happened.
There was no abnormality.
After confirming that, Noah finally let out a deep sigh.
"Phew... yeah, it's okay...!! Now all we have to do is place the [God's Remains] in the [Temple]'s [Imitation Seal Coffin]."
While storing the case in the subspace, Noah tightened his grip, feeling a sense of urgency.
The [Temple], a massive magical tool that was practically a man-made divine instrument, was created with the cooperation of the Chronosphere God, requiring enormous labor, money, and sacrifices.
It was a tool that would fulfill its original purpose by connecting with a certain divine instrument.
So, why was the [Temple] built 1,500 meters (≈ 4,921 feet) underground, directly below the [Seal Temple]?
The reason wasn't that no one would bother them with their rituals because it was deep underground. It was because the divine instrument that the [Temple] was supposed to connect with was located nearby.
That divine instrument was the "Terrafomer007".
The core of the resource production device known as the [God's Remains Labyrinth]. The [Temple] was mechanically connected to the underground-divine instrument, using the functions of the "Terrafomer007" to operate the [God's Remains] and open a path to the [God Realm].
That was the goal of Chronosphere, of Noah and his team.
From the very beginning, he didn't think they could do anything about the [God's Remains] with technology inferior to the gods'. However, if they utilize the "Terraformer" series, which holds exceptional power among the gods' artifacts, there's a possibility.
The external expansion device for utilizing the "Divine Artifact Terraformer" series is the role of the [Temple].
But...
To do so, they need to concentrate the full abilities of "Terraformer007". In other words, they'll lose the extra power to generate, maintain, and manage the labyrinth.
In other words, the [God's Remains Labyrinth] might completely collapse as a trade-off. But if the [God Realm] is released, everything will be resolved. The collapse of the labyrinth is a small price to pay.
"Now...!! This will end the long history of the 4 families...!!"
With a mix of emotions in his heart, Noah was about to perform the final teleportation. He read out the coordinate information registered on the interface and activated [Space Perception] within the [Temple].
And then――
"............what?"
He doubted the scenery projected onto his visual field by the brain device.
There were 2 old men, sitting amidst the rubble, sweating profusely, and having a conversation. Both of them were completely n*ked.
—is this a sauna or something?
He thought for a moment. Maybe the coordinates he read from the list were wrong?
But no matter how many times he checked the coordinates of [Space Perception], they were indeed those of the [Temple]. And what's more, the faces of the old men were familiar.
Inside, the contents of the order given to one side were like 2 old men chatting casually in a sauna, but that was far from the case. They should be in a situation where they're fighting to the death, not having a calm conversation.
He couldn't understand why they were sweating profusely, reflecting the light, and yet not fighting, but instead, having a conversation.
"...Huh?"
The meaning was incomprehensible...
Why are these people here?
Why was the [Temple] destroyed, and the [Imitation Seal Coffin] broken?
Why wasn't the 'Magister Temple', the Chronosphere god, present in the [Temple] where it should be?
Why, why, why...
"...Huh?"
Noah's thoughts stopped, overwhelmed by the countless "whys" flooding his mind.
This couldn't be happening. It was unacceptable. They were just one step away from achieving their long-held dream of opening the [God Realm], and yet, this ridiculous situation was unfolding.
――What did they think they'd achieved with their hard work, sacrifices, and compensation?
"..."
With bloodshot eyes, Noah glared at the scenery of the [Temple] in front of him, and in the next instant, he activated [Space Transfer].
A floating sensation, and then the scenery changed.
From the chilly interior of the [Spirit Temple], he teleported to the scorching hot interior of the [Temple].
"...Sir Noah."
Noah ignored Logan and Aaron, who were watching him warily, and instead, gazed around at the gruesome scene inside the [Temple].
And then, he let out...
With all his might. From the heart. A scream from the soul.
"――WHAT THE HECK IS THISSSS!!?"
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)