Chapter 331: A Chamber That Breeds Sins

The silence is like the quiet second before the sharp end of a blade meets flesh. The stillness of the air immediately warned Moulin. As he observed the cautious expressions of the men before him, he knew they weren't staring at him but something behind him. With a thundering heart, Moulin felt his chest tighten, and he turned his head.

The breath leaves his chest.

The glow was bright, almost blinding. It held terrifying perilousness enough to stop the beating hearts of whoever looked at it. The statue's eyes were glowing, gazing down at the two people within his palms. Moulin didn't know when it had occurred or how long.

Alarmed, he and Colahn cautiously took a step back. Their eyes never left the giant face before them.

Suddenly, the stone hands beneath them shook!

Moulin hurriedly balanced himself, and his hand reached for the helpless seer beside him. The hands lifted them nearer towards the stone giant's face. Water splashed, and rocks smashed against each other. In the next second, there was the sound of rocks scraping against each other.

The once tightly closed mouth of the stone image of the god parted. Its jaws stretched, and its mouth opened. Movements are akin to a real person.

Moulin's heartbeat quickened. His feet swiftly moved to escape with the seer in his grasp. Unfortunately, the ground beneath them tilted, and they slid into the darkness within the statue's mouth.

The men moved to rescue the two people, but the moment they reached the statue, its mouth snapped shut. The water shook from the vibrations and dust and rocked rain down on the clear waters beneath the ceiling. Finally, the structure relaxed, placing all of its limbs back to their original position as if nothing had occurred during the last few minutes.

Golden eyes narrowed dangerously. A storm brewed within.

.....

Moulin and Colahn slid down a steep and narrow tunnel. The moisture on the stone made them slide down faster until they fell on a solid floor with a loud thud.

Moulin breathed heavily. His palms are pressed on the stone ground, and he could feel the blood-pounding thump of his heart. Pitch-black darkness surrounded his vision.

"Young master?" Colahn's panting voice enters his ears.

Moulin shakes off the dizziness of his mind, and he presses his knee on the ground to stand. He cannot see anything, but he knows where Colahn is from the sound of his voice. Moulin furrowed his brows and took a few steps. His hand reached out and grasped Colahn's shoulder. The man flinched.

"I am here." Said Moulin.

"Ao!" Snow's bark caught the youth's attention.

In the next second, a bright glow illuminated the tunnel. There were glowing blocks carved with runes on the corners where the walls meet the ceiling. Each row of runed blocks was parallel to the opposite wall, lighting up the once dark passageway.

Moulin cautiously held the hilt of his sword. This place was getting stranger and stranger, and it was getting in his nerves.

Colahn turned his gaze away from the back of the tunnel. He spoke with uncertainty. "The entrance where we fell is gone. It seems we have no choice..."

"But go forward." Moulin finished with a sigh. He noticed water droplets dripping from the cracks between each brick. The floor in front of them was wet and glistening.

"Let's go..." Moulin said as he began to walk. The man behind him nodded and followed him.

Meanwhile, several feet above the tunnel, a couple of men were pushing against the lip of the giant statue. With heaving breaths, they tried to crack the stone mouth open. Unfortunately, none of their efforts worked.

Emlen cursed and frustratingly ran his hand through his hair. The rage in his eyes was indescribable. They were like molten liquid metal bubbling from the scorching heat. Once again, he turned to the giant statue's face with the urge to cut the damn thing into pieces. He knew he couldn't be rash, but the thought of his brother's circumstances, if whether he had encountered something dangerous and life-threatening, was enough to douse him with worry and despair.

Jagra and Ghana concluded that the statue was removable unless it moved by itself. The presence of mana during the statue's movements was too obvious to ignore. Although this was the case, the men were still cautious about using their mana.

Suddenly, the temperature seemed to drop, and each person stopped. A chilling sensation crept up to their spines, and they were afraid of moving or even turning their head.

A shadow towered over one of the men in front of the Galadin's statue. He froze and hesitantly turned his neck slightly. When he did, he wished he had remained unmoved.

"Move."

Those dreadful eyes of gold seem to stab into the man's heart and rip his insides into pieces. With that one word, the man immediately fled, and the Lord stepped before the gigantic face. A fire burned in his heart, scalding every bit of his body.

Malyana was unnerved, and with a startling step, she spoke. "My Lord, you shouldn't use your mana. Remember, we're in-"

Before she could even finish her words, a deafening noise sounded throughout the chambers.

A heavy fist slammed unto Galadin's lips, and the solid portion exploded under the horrendous power of strength. Rocks and dust flew in the air. Astonished, the men raised their arms to their faces, avoided the dusty rain in front of them. Big chunks of rocks fell on the water with big splashes.

When the dust cloud faded, the men looked in shock.

Lord Hercullio withdrew his fist and drew back slightly. His deep eyes coldly stared at the sight before him.

Half of the great statue's face was destroyed, and now a giant hole gaped before them. When they looked closer, they realized it was an empty room, enclosed with thick walls. Not even a single tunnel or doorway could be found.

Hadrian's silhouette was the only thing seen within the empty room.

"They're... Not here..." Jagra whispered.

Mumbles began to surrounⁿ]p

There are secrets that lie within the temple walls. It will be difficult to pluck them out one by one and understand them if it could bring back the people they've lost within their sight. Others were confused, and some feared the expression on the Lord's face greatly. For some reason, without Moulin's presence, they were like sheep under the deathly gaze of a wolf. Although they trusted their Lord ultimately, they still could not help but be afraid. While the light from the water dappled on their figures, they conversed with each other, formulating solutions.

Meanwhile, the man and the object of their nervousness stood with a straight back and indescribable expression. No one dared to meet his eyes, but he didn't care. He couldn't care less of their meaningless chatter.

Golden irises deepened wildly. Slowly and secretly, he tweaked the bond between him and Moulin. With not a care about his leaking mana. All his strength was now funneled into his concentration. And finally, after five long seconds, his eyes snapped downwards, seeming as if he could see through the ground beneath the water and the boulders and rocks.

"Below..." His words escaped from his mouth along with his breath.

Drip!

Red droplets dyed the water in swirls. They fell from the bloodied knuckles of Hadrian's tightly clenched fists. They were no pain. More precisely, he was numbed to it. Not even the ache could disrupt him.

"My Lord!"

A sudden shout called from behind him. Hadrian did not turn but listened.

This time, all the men's attention was focused behind them. They are drawing their weapons and gripping their bows. Their hands tightened, and they steeled their gaze on the figure before them.

Several meters away, A man wrapped in a black cloak was standing on the water surface. There were not even ripples beneath his boots. The hood concealed his face well, and it wasn't determined if he was hiding any weapons within.

He was staring at them. They could tell.

"You will not find them there..." A rugged voice, almost hoarse, spoke.

"Who are you?" Ghana suspiciously points her spear at him. She took a step forward. Her foot stomped on the dusty rock.

The hooded man was unmoved. He continued to speak. "I will help you..."

"Where are they?" Emlen spoke.

"..."

This time, Lord Hercullio turned. He gazed at the man dangerously. Something seething settled within his eyes like a beast baring its teeth, claws ready to shred. He could tear one's soul with only just his gaze.

The silence now was heavy, almost suffocating. For the men, they felt as if they were swimming in a sea of needles.

For the first time, the hooded man lifted his head slightly. He gazed at the man who bore those startling eyes. He found them familiar, like those old books of the ancients that had spoken to him years ago.

The hooded man faced the Hercullian Lord without fear. Although, he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't even a bit intimidated. How maeruthans were such fierce creatures.

After long minutes, the men seemed to detect understanding within the air between Hadrian and the unknown man.

.........

Moulin and Colahn continued to venture deeper into the tunnel. Silently, they eyed the strange markings on the walls. They were similar to the symbols carved on Galadin's statue. Colahn explained that the rune blocks that lit their way only reacted if people possessing an internal core entered the tunnels. Moulin and Colahn we're both of these 'people,' and they left the question alone.

For what seemed like minutes felt endless to Moulin the longer he was separated from the men, his brother, friends, and of course, the cold man who was his lover. A while ago, he felt the distinct tug of his bind with Hadrian. He should be looking for him now, and Moulin must find a way to the surface.

Finally, the seer and the aphrodite stopped. They've reached the end of the tunnel, and what now stood before them was a broad double-door—made out entirely of stone. Strange carvings of a tree were embellished at the center of the split on the doors. It was a single tree, and stars were carved out above it like the starry skies of Meian. The tree's branches were spread outwards, reaching out until it reached the walls.

Moulin and Colahn exchanged looks. Nodding simultaneously, they stepped forward towards the door. Moulin's fingertips moved to touch its rough surface-

Rumble!

The youth instantly drew back. Wary silver eyes gazed at the trembling stone door.

The rumbling sound grew louder, and finally, light peeked between the parting split of the doors. Moulin and Colahn raised their guards as they stared at the opening entrance.

When the light faded, the interior slowly revealed itself to their eyes.

Moulin suppressed the gasp threatening to leave his mouth.

Golden light poured out, splashing on their figures. Mountains of gold could be found from all sides of the chamber, and golden dust faintly fluttered in the air. It was a magnificent treasury. Jewels of every color filled the giant chests, and some even spilled on the cold unadorned floor.

A spectacular giant crystal graced the ceiling, illuminating the room, ridding it of every bit of darkness. The gold and gems beneath it appeared like a sparkling river beneath the sun. Beautiful golden statues of nude men and women served as pillars within the vast, glorious chamber of treasures.

Moulin and Colahn stood at the entrance gaping at the sight before them. They couldn't help but want to shut their eyes from the blinding glow and sparkle.

Moulin and Colahn entered the chambers after a moment of hesitation.

Clink!

Clink!

Golden coins sounded beneath their feet as they walked. Moulin furrowed his brows. Any man wouldn't want to leave this room if they entered it. This chamber was a dwelling place for sprouting greed and many unlawful sins within the hearts of man.

"Ao?"

Moulin glanced at the sparkled-eyed fox, gazing at one of the sapphire necklaces on a chest gilded with gold. Moulin silenced him with a pat and continued to search the area.

Within one of the hidden columns of the ceiling, a dark figure lurked, gazing down.