Chapter 276: Underground Facility [2]

Though it had been several years, Nox could still vividly remember this place. Over the years, the path leading to the mountain had changed slightly and grown larger, probably due to frequent travel by beasts and Awakened.

At first, Nox had been confused, doubting that he could be right. However, the closer he got, the more his doubts began to fade. By the time he arrived outside the mountain, all lingering uncertainty was erased.

Nox froze in his tracks and studied the entrance for a while. A complicated gleam flashed in his eyes. This place held many memories. It was here that he had nearly lost his life—and where his life had irrevocably changed.

"This reminds me, because of the heat of the moment, I'd forget to take the statue back then." Nox thought, his eyes flashing with determination. "But this time, I'll take it with me."

As he thought about this, Nox's gaze swept over the ground, his eyes fixing on the footprints that undoubtedly belonged to beasts, leading directly into the cavern's entrance. His eyes narrowed.

Behind him, he heard the sound of light, graceful steps—purposeful and measured. He caught the familiar jasmine scent that accompanied the woman but didn't bother turning around.

"From your expression, I take it you're familiar with this place?" the woman asked, coming up to Nox. She stood just a few meters away, making it impossible for him to ignore her. Glancing at the woman beside him, he noted her vibrant smile.

The woman was beautiful. With flowing purple hair and mesmerizing, cat-like purple eyes that matched her hair, she exuded charm. She was well-endowed, with a generous chest that seemed to jiggle with every movement she made, and her thin, revealing purple gown clung to her body, showcasing all her assets.

Nox recognized her from the judging seat at the tournament, though he'd been so focused on the upcoming fight that he hadn't spared her a second glance. Having arrived late, he was also clueless about her true identity.

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"Why are you following me?" he asked in an unfriendly tone. It felt strange being trailed by someone he had never met before. There were only two kinds of people who would do such a thing: those with malicious intentions and those with purposes too grand to ignore.

Despite Nox's clear animosity, the purple-haired woman chuckled softly, her pleasant voice filling the air. "Following you?" Bridget wore an innocent expression. "I merely happened to be heading in your direction. It's fate, wouldn't you agree?"

"Tsk." Nox scoffed, recalling the time he had almost blown her head off with Shadow Oblivion, yet she still persisted. If this was a coincidence, then black was probably white.

Since he couldn't get rid of her, Nox decided to let her be and focused on the entrance of the cavern. With slow, deliberate steps, he began to approach.

"Tsk, you're no fun. Normal ten-year-olds don't behave like this," Bridget complained from behind.

"Well, I'm not really a ten-year-old," Nox responded as he stepped into the cavern, unrestricted, without glancing back.

"Funny." Bridget flicked a strand of purple hair behind her ear, watching as Nox's back disappeared into the cavern. Then she froze, her gaze fixed on the footprints on the ground. Though she had masked it well, she was intrigued.

"Makes me wonder if this horde is somehow related to the one that attacked the southern region," the headmistress thought as she stepped forward. Initially, she had been solely focused on poaching Nox for her academy, but now she was genuinely curious about where these monsters were coming from.

What if something like this happened in the western region as well? She had to be prepared.

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Bridget's face morphed into a frown. Why…why couldn't she pass through the entrance?

Though Nox didn't know it, the reason he was able to access the cavern while others were restricted was because this was one of the abandoned temples of Terra. It had been here for centuries and was a place of worship for followers of the pantheon of mythical beasts.

A rune placed at the entrance restricted entry, but it didn't apply to followers of Terra. The temple recognized those who carried the mark of Terra. Nox unknowingly bore such a mark, though it wasn't a visible sign or brand.

Bridget, however, was not so fortunate. She placed her palm on the entrance, feeling the invisible barrier. No matter how much force she applied, she couldn't breach it.

"Interesting." Bridget narrowed her eyes, a flicker of suspicion flashing through them like lightning. "How many secrets…just how many secrets are you hiding, boy?"

Meanwhile, inside the cavern, Nox found himself in the familiar, vast space. The ground was littered with fragments of rocks scattered everywhere, remnants of his fierce battle with Cerbargh.

"Nothing seems to have changed. It's as if this place has been left untouched," Nox muttered to himself, silent as his feet carried him deeper into the cavern. Then, he suddenly stopped, rounding a towering boulder. His gaze settled on the giant statue of a feline woman.

However, that wasn't all. There were two other people there—people he hadn't expected to find—and they seemed engrossed in the statue.

---

In the deeper parts of the same cavern, several cloaked figures surrounded a large, murky pool, standing in a deliberate circle. Their robes were engraved with the emblem of a flaming rose.

Behind them, occupying a significant portion of the walls, were large, spacious prison-like cells carved out of the mountain. Inside these cells, thousands of furious beasts with glowing red eyes were confined, banging against the bars like caged demons desperate to break free.

However, the cloaked figures outright ignored the furious beasts. Their attention was solely fixed on the pool.

To be specific...on what was inside the pool.

***

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