Chapter 48: The Innermost Room

Chapter Forty-EightThe Innermost Room

After leaving the room, Klein cautiously placed his cane and hurricane lamp in the same hand, freeing his left palm so that if anything sudden occurred, he could immediately retrieve the items in the pocket on that side.

There were charms there, Azik’s copper whistle, and some tarot cards. Apart from Rosago’s leftover characteristic, the entirely black eye stored separately, it contained all of his means of response.

Klein and Miss Bodyguard had taken only one step sideways when the hurricane lamp’s light illuminated the emblem on the neighboring door. It was a simple drawing of an infant surrounded by symbols of wheat, flowers, and spring water.

“The Sacred Emblem of the Earth Mother…”

Klein spoke gravely and in a low voice.

As a former Nighthawk, identifying the symbolic emblems of other Churches was one of the fundamentals.

Miss Bodyguard gave an almost imperceptible nod, seeming to confirm it.

Her black Gothic court dress looked even more eerie and terrifying in such an environment and atmosphere, while her pale face under the firelight of the hurricane lamp seemed like that of a vengeful spirit.

If other adventurers had come here and seen such a scene, they would certainly be scared into turning and fleeing, stumbling all the way.

Klein held his breath, stretched out his left hand, pushed the stone door open with force, and raised the hurricane lamp.

He discovered that the layout inside was highly consistent with that of the previous room, like a perfect fusion of a small prayer room and an enormous statue.

Crossing the empty space paved with wheat-colored stone slabs, Klein used the lamp to illuminate the three tiers of steps ahead.

Above those steps was a four- to five-meter-tall white stone statue. It depicted a plump and gentle lady. Wheat grew at her feet, spring water encircled her, and her flowing dress spread outward. It was decorated with all kinds of herbs and flowers, as well as images of various animals.

The lady’s chest rose high. Both her hands held a lovely infant swaddled in blankets. The whole statue looked sacred and dignified.

“Surely it cannot be a statue of the Earth Mother?” Klein said quietly, the corner of his mouth hooking upward.

Miss Bodyguard did not answer, nor did she deny it.

After inspecting the room once, the two exited and opened the third door immediately beside it.

Behind that door was a passage wide enough for four people to walk abreast. Ahead, it was dark and deep, mysterious and bizarre, leading to some unknown place.

“Let us first confirm what lies behind the four doors on the right,” Klein suggested.

He did not dare rashly venture deeper.

Miss Bodyguard drifted backward, answering with action.

The two opened the four stone doors on the right in sequence. They saw, respectively, the Sacred Emblem of Storms formed from symbols of raging wind and waves; the Sacred Emblem of the Sun surrounded by lines in segment after segment; the emblem of the God of Combat, composed from the symbol of dusk and a sword-shaped mark; and the Sacred Emblem of Knowledge and Wisdom, represented by an open book and an all-seeing eye.

Corresponding to them were four suspected divine statues inside the rooms:

A majestic middle-aged man wearing black armor, standing upon waves, surrounded by storms, with lightning draped across his back and a trident in his hand.

A young man in pure white robes, one hand holding a Book of Contracts, the other supporting a golden ball like the sun. He was handsome and vigorous.

A warrior seated high upon a throne, with a longsword planted before him. His face was hidden behind a visor, and his full-body armor carried an indescribable sense of ruin.

An old man holding a book and an all-seeing eye, wearing a hood that revealed only his mouth, wrinkles, and long white beard.

Apart from the God of Steam and Machinery, the six orthodox deities all had prayer rooms and human-shaped statues inside this eerie…