Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Once he and the rest of the expedition finished descending down the tower to get their first good look at the temples interior, Zareths first impression was that it made little sense.

The vast majority of the structure had been buried beneath the sands and been abandoned for millennia, yet its stone halls were in far better condition than they had any right to be.

Oh, the old temple certainly gave the impression of being ancient ruins which any Adventurer would be salivating to explore, but Zareth knew there was more to it. The air was strangely fresh, lacking the musty, decaying scent he had expected. Instead, the atmosphere was subtly invigorating, as if the temple itself was imbued with energy

With his third eye open, Zareth could easily confirm that to be the case. Both magical and divine energies were woven together throughout the temple in a way Zareth hadnt known was possible. He would be the first to admit that he hardly understood the fundamentals of the various mystical forces that existed in this world, but he had been under the impression that they didnt exactly mix.

Not only that but there was something incredibly strange about the magic itself, being far less structured than what he was used to.

His third eye could see magic far better than [Magic Perception] had ever been able to, and most of it appeared to him as rigid patterns of geometric symbols that moved in ways that were somewhat predictable. However, the magic formations seemed incredibly fluid, like a living tapestry of energies that seemed to move with a mind of its own.

The fact that the magic was rhythmically pulsing like a heartbeat, and vaguely resembled a circulatory system of veins spread throughout the temple only reinforced that perception.

Zareth wasnt sure how long he stood there studying the magic before someone tapped him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his reverie.

Is there something wrong? asked Kajal, his posture tense as he looked down at Zareth. I have been attempting to get your attention for some time.

Oh, sorry. I was just somewhat distracted by the magic in the walls, Zareth said sheepishly before going on to explain his observations.

Most of the expedition didnt seem particularly interested in the strange magic, but Tildas expression grew increasingly amazed the longer he spoke.

You sure about that, lad? asked Tilda, turning to look at her surroundings with newfound interest. Then this place must be mighty old to be covered in unstructured magic. It's a damn shame that I never evolved [Magic Perception]. I wouldve loved to see it myself!

Unstructured magic? Zareth asked curiously, unfamiliar with the term.

He knew that Tilda, an [Elemental Mage] from Eldamir, had almost certainly received a comprehensive education from one of their academies. So, it was no surprise that she recognized what he was describing.

Aye, unstructured magic. You see, its common knowledge that the System imposes a certain level of structure on spells, said Tilda, grinning with excitement as she explained. Enchantments from before the System came around just feel different, more untamed. I read that it's supposed to feel exhilaratin, like starin into a storm and feelin the raw power of the elements.

That description was accurate as far as Zareth was concerned. The magic had a certain quality that could definitely be described as potent.

Then, is unstructured magic stronger? asked Zareth, intrigued by the topic.

Tilda shook her head vigorously, a hint of panic dousing her previous enthusiasm. Oh, dont misunderstand me, lad. Unstructured magic is like a double-edged sword. Sure, it feels potent, raw, and perhaps even more natural to draw directly from the Etherveil, but its unstable and harder to control. Practicing magic outside of the System is a good way to blowin yourself up, along with everyone around you. Theres a damn good reason why it's illegal in Eldamir.

Zareth turned his attention back to the weave of magic flowing through the temple and found it hard to believe Tildas words. The magic around him definitely seemed like it could be less predictable, but he wouldnt call it unstable.

The fact that the enchantments had survived for who knows how many millennia proved the opposite.

As interesting as this impromptu magic lesson might be, there was a reason why I wished to gain your attention, Kajal said pointedly, interrupting the conversation before it could continue. I need you to look at our surroundings with your superior vision and describe them to me. Leave out no important details.

Zareth wanted to ask Tilda more, especially about that Etherviel thing, but he recognized that there would be better times for that later. There was no telling if a horde of monsters was about to suddenly charge at them, so it was important that they get their bearings.

It had taken the expedition a few minutes to descend the tower into the temple, and they were now all standing in a hallway. The rest of them likely couldnt see much beyond that, but Zareths third eye was quickly proving itself to be more useful than he expected.

There are no immediate threats from what I can see, said Zareth, carefully studying the temples magic. Although he couldnt see through solid objects, he could get a good idea of the path ahead by observing how magic passed through its walls. The path ahead forks in two different directions. They both lead into a bunch of different hallways, but the left one looks like itll take us downward while the right will stay on this level.

Honestly, the temple was much larger than what should be natural, but that wasnt particularly surprising. In a ridiculous world where even Gurza could spatially expand her bakery with a Skill, why wouldnt he expect the same from an ancient temple?

Any traps? Magical guardians? asked Kajal, focused on the task ahead.

Not that I can tell, but that doesnt mean much, Zareth said with a shrug. The [Eye of Cerebon] was powerful, but it wasnt omnipotent. I can only tell you this much because the entire structure is covered in magic. That doesnt mean that I can see traps.

Very well. Casper, go and search the path ahead, said Kajal, turning his attention to his groups [Scout]. Were going to explore the right path first. In places like these, the deepest levels are always the most dangerous.

No problem, boss, Casper said with an easy smile before drawing a dagger that immediately began glowing after leaving its sheath. Ill be back before you know it.

Zareth watched as the man cautiously ventured deeper into the temple, eyes darting around as he searched for any potential traps, until he disappeared into the right hallway.

Is it really alright for him to go ahead alone? asked Zareth, somewhat worried for the cheerful Adventurer. We had to waste a lot of time disabling the traps in the tower, so I have no doubt that there are more further in the temple.

Casper has been training to be a [Scout] for most of his life, said Kajal, sounding completely confident in his teammate. He possesses an advanced form of [Danger Sense] that will alert him to the vast majority of threats before he encounters them. He will be fine.

While Casper was gone, the expedition spent the next few minutes setting up a small camp that could be used both to rest and as a defensive fallback point. Not only would they likely be exploring the temple for quite some time, but it was also necessary to have a place where they could regroup in case things went awry.

Given that the environment prevented Tilda from using her magic to create pitfall traps or stone barriers, the Adventurers had to rely on more mundane methods to protect the camp. Kajal and Tilda worked to set up a series of tripwire traps that would launch alchemical flasks at any attackers while Sefirah swept the tower for anything they might have missed while descending.

Zareth, Rizok, and Leira just set up the camp at the base of the tower while the Pathfinders worked. It was mostly empty, aside from a few broken shards of metal and the occasional bone fragments, which looked like they would turn to ash with a touch. This made it easy to set up a few sleeping mats and a fire to make the place a bit more welcoming.

By the time Casper returned from his scouting, the makeshift camp was set up and the group was ready for whatever lay ahead.

So, good news or bad news first? asked Casper, his normally cheerful expression somewhat strained.

Good news first, Zareth said before anyone else could respond. After trekking through the desert for so long to get here, I think we could all use some uplifting news.

A round of affirmations echoed from the rest of the team, and Casper seemed to relax a bit at that.

Well, the good news is that were definitely going to find more treasures in this place than we thought, said Casper, grinning from ear to ear. A lot of it's likely to have rotted away by now, but most of the temples actually in pretty good condition as well. There must be magic preserving it, so we also aren't going to need to worry about the place collapsing on us.

That was definitely a relief to hear. When you had plans to explore a giant temple buried beneath several tons of sand, its structural integrity was a rather important detail.

How can you tell that were going to find a lot of treasures? asked Zareth, curious as to how a seasoned Adventurer would determine something like that.

Oh, well thats where the bad news comes in, said Casper, his smile falling again. There are signs that whoever lived here was preparing the temple to be attacked, which means it must have been well supplied.

But it also means that it's filled with traps and other defenses, Kajal continued, instantly understanding why his teammate was concerned.

Glancing at the gashes in the wall and rusted arrow heads littering the floor, Zareth could have guessed that. It was nice to know that this trip was likely to be worth the effort, but danger and rewards usually came hand in hand.

He was more than a little curious as to why the temple had been turned into a makeshift fortress. The Grimoire of Cerebon stated that Cerebon had become a god during the advent of the System, and the god himself claimed that hed usurped Meldoraths divinity.

If those things were both true, then the temple would have been involved in a military conflict during the same time period as the Systems creation. That was a period of history that Zareh was quite interested in learning more about if he could.

If the temple was being attacked, then arent you worried that whoever attacked them already looted it? asked Zareth.

The attackers would have disabled the traps before looting the temple, Casper said, shaking his head. Besides, I doubt that they made it that far. The path ahead is blocked by gross, fleshy barriers. Tried nicking one of them with my knife to see if we could cut our way through, but it regenerated too quickly. Without your help, it wouldnt be easy to get through.

Zareth was quite curious about these flesh barriers. Aside from locating the tome of Meldorath for Cerebon, he was also interested in learning what an ancient religious order of flesh crafters could come up with. After all, anything they could do, he could appropriate for his own cult.

Faced with the opportunity to learn more about how his abilities could be best used, Zareth was suddenly glad that he had waited to spend his Skill points.

I think weve waited around long enough, Zareth said excitedly, turning to the leader of the Adventurers. If youre ready, then we should move on ahead.

He might be the one paying for and directing the expedition, but it was the Pathfinders who would be risking their lives. Deferring to their expertise was only logical.

Fortunately, Kajal seemed to agree that they were ready to move on, and it wasnt long before they were carefully making their way down the hallway Casper had scouted. Rizok and Zareth stayed in the back while the Pathfinders took point, their keen eyes catching several traps along the way.

Leira and her elemental decided to wait in camp, as her only duties were to guide them through the Qahtani Desert, not risk her life in an ancient temple.

The interior of the temple wasnt all that interesting at first, simply being empty and crumbling stone corridors occasionally interrupted by broken weapons or gouges in the walls. However, that changed once they finally reached the fleshy barrier that Casper mentioned at the end of the corridor.

Zareth hadnt felt disturbed by flesh manipulation since becoming a [Cultist] of a flesh god, but he could tell that the rest of the expedition members were uneasy at the sight before them. The passage was blocked by a pulsating mass of clenching muscle and sinew, with veins carrying blood throughout. The barrier seemed to breathe, expanding and contracting in tune with the temples magic.

Zareth wasnt certain how long he stayed like that, but when the world returned to focus, the sounds of fighting had ended, and Rizok was looking down at him with a concerned expression.

Zareth, are you alright? asked Rizok, reptilian eyes assessing his features. You are showing signs of Skill Exhaustion, so it may be better for you to rest.

I Ill be fine, Zareth replied, panting as he forced himself to stand up. That just took a bit more out of me than I expected, is all. I dont think I was ready to connect myself to the temple. Its far too large for me to safely do so.

Seeing Rizoks quizzical expression, Zareth quickly explained his experience to him and the Pathfinders as everyone began to relax after the deadly fight they had just endured. The Adventurers had already started treating Caspers wounds with a healing potion, as they were too severe for them to wait around while Zareth recovered enough to heal them.

Nobody was pleased when Zareth told them that thousands of those flesh golems, many of which were larger and more deadly than the ones they had faced, were currently waiting in the lower levels of the temple. That kind of thing was obviously far beyond what the Pathfinders had signed up for, and Zareth had no delusions that they could explore the entirety of the structure without extreme preparation.

It didnt help that Meldoraths worshippers had almost certainly stored the majority of their valuables in the most heavily guarded sections of the temple.

He would most likely need to come to an agreement with the Adventurers Guild if he wanted the lower depths of the temple to be fully explored.

Fortunately, it wasnt all bad news. Zareth was reasonably confident that the tome Cerebon sent him to retrieve was fairly nearby.

Theres a large room with a secret compartment attached to this chamber, Zareth said once hed reached that part of his explanation. Chances are good that it belonged to Meldoraths High Priest, or whoever was in charge of this place. Its the tome that were looking for, and they would want to keep it close.

Zareth should know. His office was also connected to the main shrine in his temple, and hed also kept the Grimoire of Cerebon there before moving it to his personal chambers. While the Grimoire was valuable, it would be too inconvenient to keep useful books in a heavily guarded treasury.

If not, then itll likely be in whichever room was their personal chambers, Zareth continued, more confident in his assessment. Either way, it shouldnt be too hard for us to find it.

The Pathfinders looked somewhat mollified by the news. Although they likely wouldnt be finding a large stash of enchanted treasures, it was stipulated in their contract that they would receive a substantial bonus if the job was completed successfully.

Zareth was already weeping for his budget, but it was necessary that he maintain a good relationship with the Adventurers. Besides, this trip had proven itself to be more than worth the effort.

Once everyone recovered enough to move on, Zareth led the way to the room hed sensed during his brief connection to the temple. He was forced to destroy another barrier blocking the way to the room, but they were fortunate enough to not be attacked by any more monstrosities.

After entering the room, it was immediately clear that it had once belonged to someone of status. The ceiling was an intricate lattice of organic bioluminescent filaments that gave off a warm glow while at the end of the room stood an ornate desk and an imposingly large chair fashioned from the same flesh-and-bone material as the rest of the temple.

More importantly, however, was the bookcase in the corner filled with rows of relatively intact scrolls and tomes. Placing preservation enchantments on particularly important documents was common practice in TalQamar, so he wasnt surprised to see that something similar had been done in the past.

Feeling the weight of Cerebons attention intensify, Zareth instantly knew that he was in the right place. Ignoring everything else, he didnt hesitate to move straight over to the bookcase and begin rifling through their contents. Strangely enough, Zareth found that while most of them were written in an ancient script that he couldnt understand, a few became legible once he looked at them with his third eye.

However, his attention quickly turned to a particular tome that was placed almost ceremoniously at the center of one of the shelves and contained the most divine energy. Predictably, its cover was made from flesh, with pulsing veins shaped into the symbol of Meldorath. Even Zareth couldnt help but feel a hint of unease with the book once he realized the skin had come from a sapient, specifically a middle-aged female ogre.

Zareth could feel Cerebons approval the moment he touched the tome, so he knew that hed found the right one.

This is it, Zareth announced to the expedition, opening the tome and sighing in relief when he discovered he could read it. You guys should go search through the upper levels while I take a moment to read this. I couldnt sense any more golems up here, so you should be fine.

After spending so much effort to acquire a tome desired by a god, Zareth was obviously going to read it when given the chance, especially since Cerebon hadnt forbidden him from doing so.

The Pathfinders didnt need to be told twice, and quickly left to search for treasures while Rizok positioned himself near the rooms entrance. Zareth didnt pay it much mind, instead sitting in the strangely comfortable chair and opened the tome to the first page.

Surprisingly, it wasnt immediately obvious to him why Cerebon would have wanted the tome. Rather than being filled with ancient spells or a map to an all-powerful artifact, the first part of the book was a journal written by Meldoraths High Priest. It seemed to detail the experiences of Meldoraths worshippers as they lived through an enormous war that had apparently engulfed the entire continent.

Zareth wasnt particularly interested in this at first, but that changed as he continued reading and the journal first mentioned the names of gods he recognized as being part of the Conclave. It took some time for him to understand the context, as the High Priest mentioned several nations and factions that no longer existed, but things eventually became clear.

As far as he could tell, the war was being fought between a Pantheon of deities called the Aeonarch and a coalition of deities led by a powerful God of Freedom named Tareth.

Given that the Conclave was still around to cause problems while hed never heard of Tareth in his life, the eventual winner of the conflict was obvious to him.

It was difficult for Zareth to figure out the reasons for the war, but he strongly suspected that it had something to do with the System given the general timeframe it was taking part in. Meldorath and the Conclave had apparently been allies as they both settled in the Qahtani Desert and fought against Tareths allies.

Zareth continued reading for quite some time, searching for any information that could be useful to him. The High Priests' accounts of the war were actually very interesting, but he would much rather discover something that could actually be of use against the modern Conclave. After all, understanding the Conclaves history was the first step in understanding their current motivations.

Unfortunately, there was a significant amount of context missing from the journal, and he found it difficult to piece together a coherent picture. In fact, the only useful detail he managed to notice at first was a suspicious similarity between the symbol of Tareth and that of House Kavasa.

House Kavasa used a pair of silver wings unfurled against a dark backdrop as its insignia while Tareth was represented by similar wings on a sky-blue backdrop.

Zareth had no idea if House Kavasa had intentionally taken an insignia similar to a likely dead god or if it was a coincidence, but his instincts told him that it was important. Unfortunately, he doubted that he would be able to learn more until he consulted a professional [Scholar] as there were simply too many details that he didnt understand.

I sincerely doubt that Cerebon sent me to fetch a book that was just filled with history, Zareth mused with a hint of confusion as he began flipping through the tome.

That assumption was proven correct when Zareth reached the final few pages of the tome. Apparently, the High Priest had somehow come to the conclusion that his temple wasnt going to survive the war and began recording everything Meldoraths worshipers knew about bioengineering.

Zareths breath quickened as he flipped through page after page of surprisingly complex diagrams describing in detail how to construct various organic structures. The more that he read, the more he felt as if he had just stumbled on a gold mine. There were annotated notes on everything from the most efficient golems to artificial trees that grew edible clumps of highly nutritious meat.

Zareth knew that many of the creations were either beyond his current abilities or simply impractical, but even ideas about what was possible was invaluable to him.

It was no wonder that Cerebon had sent his worshipers to search for this temple.

Zareth continued to read through the tome, enthralled by the knowledge contained within its pages, until he came across something that caused his eyes to widen. Written in great detail were instructions for what was effectively a magic to biomass converter that the High Priest referred to as Meldoraths Heart.

It was the exact same artificial organ which made everything in the temple possible.

There were many frustrating limits to Zareths abilities which had long been a source of concern for him, several of which could be bypassed by a steady stream of quality biomass. Not only would it allow him to easily create golems and structures without butchering a bunch of livestock, but Meldoraths Heart was also capable of creating what was effectively magic-infused biomass.

For example, Zareth would theoretically be able to create biomass that was intrinsically resistant to fire and then use it to augment people.

Regardless of how you designed it, there were certain limits that mundane biology simply wasnt capable of overcoming. Fat and flesh would always melt when exposed to high enough temperatures, and muscle fibers would never be as strong as steel.

Those limits were often significantly below what could be gained from the System, which often severely restricted Zareths usefulness.

However this changed everything.

If he could get Meldoraths Heart working, then all of the many ideas hed conjured in his daydreams and been forced to abandon were suddenly possible

Is everything alright?

Zareth was pulled from his thoughts as he looked up and saw Rizok looking at him with a quizzical expression. He was about to excitedly share his discovery when he suddenly thought better of it.

Yes, everything is fine, said Zareth, forcing himself to calm down. I was just really excited to be able to read about Pre-System history. Its genuinely fascinating.

He could tell that Rizok wasnt fully convinced, but the soldier merely nodded and turned back to the room's entrance.

While Zareth wasnt afraid to admit that he liked Rizok, he definitely didnt trust him enough to share information about the first significant treasure that had fallen into his hands. He had no idea if the lizardkin would take it back to whatever faction he worked for, and what they might do if they fully understood the implications of what Zareth had acquired.

Meldoraths Heart had the potential to drastically elevate his cult in power, but it would take time for that potential to be fully realized.

During the short moment when Zareth had been connected to the temple, it had felt as if he could easily take control of all of its structures, including the many deadly monsters within it. In that moment, he had felt more powerful and in control of his own destiny than at any time since reincarnating in this messed up world.

Not even the Great Houses would have had an easy time attacking him with those kinds of forces under his control.

Even if he understood that it was just a temporary illusion that moment had been one of intoxicating freedom for Zareth, and he wanted to feel it again.

He wanted the Cult of Cerebon to grow to the same heights that the worshippers of Meldorath had apparently achieved, so that he wouldnt need to fear the other factions in TalQamar.

So that he wouldnt need to indebt himself to House Vhelan, who was slowly looking to be far more shady than he had expected, or bite his tongue when the Desharin treated him like trash and blamed him for disliking them.

So that he could wield enough influence that he could protect himself and the people he cared about, and not have to worry about secret organizations like whichever one Rizok worked for.

Zareth desperately wanted to build his cult into a force that could be reckoned with, and the opportunity to do so was currently sitting in his hands.

He would not allow anything to jeopardize that.