The knight's posture wavered; he moved forward with labored, step-by-step motion. His current physical state was clearly not much better.
An opening presented itself.
After a swift exchange of glances, Redwyn quickly sketched a totem, and the technique known as "Suppression" was unleashed.
The wave of red fluctuation rapidly enveloped the opponent. Mithra, following their established pattern, immediately charged forward, stone hammer raised high, preparing to deliver a decisive blow to the opponent's head.
"Damn it! I can't hold him completely!" Redwyn suddenly shouted out.
Under the effect of Suppression, the knight's body stiffened, and his movements noticeably slowed. While still restricted, he could not be entirely immobilized.
The knight managed to raise his sword and jab toward the charging Mithra.
Unexpectedly, Mithra's footwork showed no hesitation. As she closed the distance, she deftly shifted her position just enough to narrowly avoid the sluggish sword swing. The stone hammer still descended, connecting squarely with the opponent's head.
Then, with a sharp crack, the opponent was sent flying backward and collapsed onto the ground.
The already fractured helmet burst apart completely, exposing a face beneath that was utterly transformed.
That face was disturbingly identical to those pale Cursed Beings they had encountered. The unnaturally stretched corners of the mouth and the visible fangs clearly betrayed a non-human origin. The only redeeming feature compared to the Cursed Beings was that this individual at least retained sight in his eyes.
Those eyes possessed a strange, deep purple hue, suggesting some external influence resided within them.
Mithra pursued swiftly, showing no intention of allowing this thing a chance to recover.
The knight, with surprising speed, snatched the sword that had skittered to the side. A pale blue light immediately pulsed around it.
Mithra reacted with a sharp intake of breath:?!
She rapidly altered her momentum. The swing of her hammer paused mid-arc, instead transforming into a powerful kick aimed directly at the hand gripping the sword.
After kicking the knight's sword-holding hand free, Mithra followed up with another kick toward that hand, while the hammer in her other arm continued its trajectory toward the opponent's head.
Following several dull thuds, the knight's body went utterly still.
Mithra stared intently at the knight's now-smashed head. She preemptively cast "Calmness" upon herself.
Ding~.
Then, with one final, deliberate strike, she completely crushed his neck before finally ceasing her assault.
Redwyn, meanwhile, had utilized "Object Manipulation" to retrieve the sword knocked astray. He held it carefully and only presented it to Mithra once he confirmed she had stabilized.
Mithra took the sword and confirmed that the description inscribed on it was identical to the previous "Sword of Night Devotion."
"Was he preparing to use that miracle on the sword just now?" Redwyn asked, his tone laced with uncertainty.
Mithra nodded: "Possibly, but this time, there was no eye required as a sacrifice."
She glanced at the horribly disfigured corpse.
[Nightborne Knight (Cursed Being): In life, a knight dedicated to hunting the Eyes of Night. He perished under a curse in a location near a divine being, eternally becoming that deity's thrall. Most of his physical combat skills have faded, but he gained a more profound power related to sight.]
[—Perhaps this is a positive development?]
"For us, it's catastrophic," Mithra countered.
"Huh? What are you saying?" Redwyn inquired, surprised by Mithra speaking out of turn.
Mithra stored the straight sword, still dripping with blood, back into her own body for safekeeping.
"For beings like this, they don't require an eye sacrifice. They can directly unleash that bizarre miracle. When you see that blue light flash, that is your absolute last moment to react."
Originally, crushing the eye while setting up the conditions for the Blade of the Unseen would have afforded a significant reaction window, but for this specific type of Cursed Being, there was no such reprieve.
She sincerely hoped such a manifestation was rare deep within this mine.
But the core question remained: why would a Nightborne Knight meet his end this deep within the tunnels?
Had the Nightborne Church already managed to infiltrate the mine?
Previously, Mithra had detected no signs of them venturing into these tunnels; at most, they had only been seen clearing away corpses from the surface pile.
She had even questioned Safin, and Safin had confirmed that the Church seemed fearful of the tunnels and deliberately avoided them.
Yet, here was evidence of a Nightborne Knight appearing in this location, suggesting the reality might be far different from what they and Safin had presumed.
The Nightborne Church had clearly explored these tunnels at some point in the past.
Harboring deep suspicion, Mithra directed Redwyn to proceed further inward.
The narrow walkway constructed along the cliff edge descended sharply. Although the corridor looked precarious, having been long abandoned, Mithra and Redwyn moved cautiously and without immediate trouble.
Hiss—
Mithra suddenly snapped her head toward the sound.
"What is it?" Redwyn asked, tensing up.
Mithra scanned her surroundings with the torch: "I sense we are being observed."
Redwyn also looked around but ultimately wore a bewildered expression: "Are we?"
Mithra turned back. Before them lay a ladder leading downward. However, the ladder was extremely long, constructed of wood; its structural integrity was entirely unknown, and it appeared highly precarious.
Handing the torch to Redwyn, Mithra recalled the stone hammer back into her body, and began to descend first.
Midway down the descent—
Hiss—
Mithra stopped abruptly, raising her hand to utilize her rock miracle, "Dust Accumulation."
After condensing a Stone Shard in her hand, she controlled it with Object Manipulation and flung it out into the pitch-black abyss.
The Stone Shard shot into the darkness, failing to sink to the bottom like a normal stone.
"Screech—" A roar suddenly echoed. It sounded similar to the ordinary Cursed Beings, but it was significantly deeper and more powerful!
A massive shadow suddenly erupted from the darkness, charging towards Mithra on the wooden ladder.
Mithra was struck before she could clearly identify the creature. Fortunately, she didn't plummet directly but was instead impaled against the nearby cliff face.
"Screech…" Mithra first cast Calmness upon herself, then inspected her chest. A protruding shard of rock had pierced through from her back and lodged deep into her sternum.
It was also fortunate that this sharp rock was supporting her weight; otherwise, she would have fallen straight down into the void.
"Mithra! What just happened!?" Redwyn, from above, heard the commotion and shouted anxiously.
Mithra looked up and saw the massive shadow had already reached the level above Redwyn.
Under the torchlight, Mithra clearly discerned a portion of the creature. It was another spider monster, but compared to the smaller ones they encountered in the tunnels before, its scale was immense—practically the size of a truck. Furthermore, it possessed eyes! A disturbing cluster of eyes, seriously swollen like tumors, were packed onto its body. As these eyes shifted, they emitted a continuous "hissing" sound.
Perhaps because the encounter was so close this time, even Redwyn sensed something was gravely wrong and suddenly looked up. Upon seeing that colossal spider monster, his face instantly darkened. The spider roared and lunged at him.
Redwyn didn't hesitate. He quickly took a running start and leaped upwards. As the wooden walkway shattered beneath his feet, he successfully soared clear, a red glow emanating from his body. He used Object Manipulation to control his clothing, adjusting his mid-air posture, and landed adeptly on a slightly softer outcrop of the cliff.
The giant spider monster climbed onto the ledge, agilely pursuing him.
Redwyn continued to use Object Manipulation to guide his movements, performing agile climbing maneuvers until he reached Mithra's side.
"Damn it, are you alright?!" Seeing Mithra impaled by the rock, Redwyn felt a sympathetic pain just looking at the sight.
Mithra didn't say much, simply stating: "My mobility is severely compromised right now, uh."
Redwyn remained confused when he saw Mithra lift her tunic, revealing a section of the hammer handle embedded deep within the flesh of her abdomen.
"The terrain gives us a disadvantage. Let's just resort to an external tactic. Use [the sword] to sever my left arm." Mithra casually rolled up the sleeve of her tunic, exposing her flesh-and-blood left arm.
"Huh?"
Just as he managed the hesitant "Huh?", Redwyn witnessed Mithra, in this moment of extreme urgency, carelessly draw the sword—but her current pinned posture made it incredibly difficult for her to apply adequate force.
Redwyn gritted his teeth, grasping the sword hilt with both hands, forcing a smile: "I'm afraid in my entire life, I'll hardly encounter anything this bizarre again."
With that, he pulled hard.
Crack.
A dense, straight cut was made by Redwyn, and he immediately aimed the blade at Mithra's left arm.
Mithra directed him: "Cut towards this specific spot. This section is the weakest due to the lack of full reinforcement; it should sever easily."
"Stop talking; this whole situation is truly bizarre!" Redwyn shouted, then aimed and swung down with force.
Unfortunately, Redwyn lacked experience wielding a sword, and perhaps his panic caused him to hold back slightly. He couldn't sever it completely; about half the bone remained connected by a brittle thread still linking the arm.
The giant spider monster was climbing over rapidly; the distance had nearly closed!
Mithra kicked Redwyn sideways to shove him clear. After creating a small gap, her right hand seized her left arm and pulled with immense force.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, but a grin twitched at the corner of her mouth again.
Slice!
The half-connected arm was ripped free by her own strength.
[Cost: You have lost your left arm...]
Black liquid spurted out, spontaneously forming chaotic tentacles that rushed out to intercept the attacking spider monster.
The tentacles swiftly disabled all the giant spider monster's limbs, crushed all its swollen eyes, and then unceremoniously hurled the tattered remains into the deep pit below.
In less than half a minute, the immediate crisis was resolved.
However, these tentacles seemed unwilling to cease their activity. Mithra found it somewhat challenging to retract them.
Pausing for a moment of thought, she directly took the severed left arm and tossed it towards the surging black tentacles.
Mithra vaguely sensed satisfaction, praise, and other complex emotions being conveyed back to her from them. They immediately retracted quite obediently and began gnawing on Mithra's severed left arm.
[Your left arm has fully recovered...]
The darkness quickly vanished. Mithra clapped her hands once. Her original left arm had completely disappeared, eaten away without a trace.
Redwyn, who had finally regained his footing, grabbed the mysterious straight sword and clambered back up. He glanced at the fallen giant spider monster, clicking his tongue in disbelief.
"What exactly resides within your body, Mithra?"
"Many things... I can't even keep an accurate count myself."
"First, let me help extract you."
"Give me the sword."
"Ah, ah... Wait? You don't mean I have to stab the sword back in!" Redwyn immediately threw his hands up in surrender.
He had clearly intended to explore alongside a teammate, but when facing the first major threat, his greatest contribution turned out to be using a sword to sever his teammate's limb!
And then, he had to go through the bizarre experience of pulling the sword out of his teammate's body, only to senselessly re-insert it!
Yet, in the end, he still performed the task.
After the first instance of doing something so unconventional, the psychological barrier would likely be much lower. He sincerely hoped that in the future, he wouldn't become the type of person who could unhesitatingly betray his comrades.
Of course, if his future teammates were all as resilient as Mithra, then the necessity for such drastic measures wouldn't even need to be discussed.
After successfully freeing Mithra, the pair utilized Object Manipulation to ascend, successfully reaching the deepest part of the tunnel.
Not far ahead lay the massive corpse of the spider monster.
Mithra focused on gathering intelligence from the fallen creature.
[Gross Tunnel Cursed Collective: The Cursed Beings within the Gross mine finally arrived at the ultimate conclusion that unity equals strength. Upon gaining the collective perception of a group of Believers, they even received a divine favor and were granted the power of sight. However, they remain lost and unable to utilize this vision effectively.]
[—Jungo is quite pleased, though regrettably, he missed the chance to sign his name.]
"Cease your frivolous commentary and just provide me with a coherent introduction," Mithra commanded with an expressionless curse.
However, this 'Jungo' seemed quite benevolent.
Mithra quietly offered a silent expression of thanks internally.
Setting that aside, Mithra noted the retrieved information mentioned that this giant spider monster was formed from Believers...
Redwyn shot the corpse a few wary glances before withdrawing his gaze. He still instinctively hesitated to stare too long.
The two had successfully reached the deepest recess of the tunnel. Mithra retrieved the stone hammer from within her form while simultaneously replenishing her Ignition. The borrowed torch dimly illuminated their surroundings.
In the distance, the silhouette of the ruin could already be discerned.
As they drew nearer, the shadow of the tall structure gradually sharpened into focus before them.
The architecture of this ruin appeared to be constructed in the pattern of an altar, encircled by massive columns. Originally grand in scale, much of it was now dilapidated due to the erosion of time, with numerous stone columns having already collapsed.
"It feels profoundly ancient," Redwyn observed.
Mithra, however, was preoccupied, intently searching for Safin's silver pendant.
The two kept a safe distance from the ruin itself, adhering to Safin's caution. They circled the ruin several times but found nothing immediately apparent.
To aid their search, the pair located several Stone Shards. Mithra cast Ignition upon each one, then had Redwyn use Object Manipulation to elevate these fireballs into the air.
Instantly, the area surrounding the ruins was brightly illuminated by makeshift torches.
It could even be described as having a somewhat festive atmosphere.
"Still nothing? Mr. Safin said it was right in front of the ruins," Redwyn remarked after some time without any success.
"There is definitively nothing here," Mithra replied flatly.
This deep sector primarily housed Cursed Beings, but Cursed Beings held no interest in purely human artifacts.
Mithra's focus shifted towards the ruins themselves.
Noticing this, Redwyn queried: "You intend to venture inside? But didn't Mr. Safin advise against going in unless absolutely necessary?"
Mithra stared fixedly at the ruins and spoke: "You wait for me here. I'll go take a look."
"Hey, hey, hey? Did you even listen to me?" Redwyn called out anxiously.
"I possess my own unique power. Your task is simply to stay safe here. If any danger arises, shout loudly for assistance; I will come to your aid," Mithra waved her hand dismissively, hefted the stone hammer and torch, and proceeded into the ruins, leaving Redwyn stunned in place.
...
Mithra entered the ruins. As she proceeded deeper, she felt a slight burning sensation in her eyes, which gradually escalated into actual pain.
She rubbed her eyes but refused to halt her advance; she continued forward despite this unsettling abnormality.
Some peculiar pillars appeared within the ruins' interior. Before these pillars, strangely formed statues were bound.
The statues bore the resemblance of bipedal wolf-men, armored across their limbs and torso, their exaggerated forms completely restrained by heavy chains binding them.
The statues' eye sockets were unnervingly uncarved; the empty hollows seemed to gaze directly at Mithra as she explored the area.
Beasts?
Upon seeing the statue of a wolf-man, Mithra couldn't help but recall the beasts inhabiting this world.
According to Safin's historical narration of the Dream Nexus, the world's beasts had once been ferociously powerful. They had even surpassed humans in developing miraculous civilization, with the wise, bipedal beast-men leading the way.
However, the former regime ruled by beast-men had collapsed, and pure beast-men were now heavily ostracized by humans; upon discovery, they were ruthlessly hunted and besieged.
Nevertheless, remnants of that once-great beast civilization persisted in many corners of this world.
Could this ruin be connected to those intelligent beasts?
But these statues of wolf-men bound by heavy chains did not suggest a positive history.
Eyes of Night, activate!
[Besieging the "Night Hunter" Statue: This type of statue represents the low-level manifestation of that ancient, stubborn Wandering God, carrying an aura of deep humiliation, used to mitigate its influence on the outside world. That famous hunter's physique and obsession originated from a lesser beast.]
[—A poorly nurtured Wolf Beast is often unwelcome by its own kind; stronger, larger packmates are more likely to dismiss it as a mere "Dog."]
Mithra absorbed this description and continued moving forward.
Gradually, she seemed to reach the central area of the altar. Here, there was a table and a weapon rack.
However, both fixtures were empty.
Safin had explicitly warned her not to touch anything inside the ruins, even if she managed to enter. But glancing around now, there was clearly nothing of value left in this specific ruin worth touching.
Yet, the table and weapon rack currently displayed must have held items belonging to their original owners.
But now, everything was gone.
So, Mithra cast aside her previous restraint and cautiously advanced to investigate the empty stands.
This time, the Eyes of Night failed to retrieve any useful intel.
"The items have been removed," Mithra stated, turning around to survey the interior of the ruin.
The Believer within the Cursed Being knight she encountered earlier, the Cursed Collective formed by the giant spider monster, and all the other artifacts that should have been here but were now missing…
Mithra exited the ruin and saw Redwyn waiting anxiously outside.
"How was it? Did you find anything of value?"
"I didn't retrieve the item, but the general clue is roughly confirmed."
"What is it?"
"The cult in town was here before and took several things from this location," Mithra informed him.
"Including Mr. Safin's pendant?"
"Cursed Beings avoid touching silver items. Only humans would be interested in silver ornaments."
"So that pendant must be in the town?" Redwyn frowned, concluding.
Mithra nodded decisively: "It's worth searching for immediately. And there's another critical detail: Safin largely remained within the upper, shallower levels of the tunnel. If the Nightborne Church intended to infiltrate the tunnel via the main route, he would surely know, but he claimed he never saw them."
"They must have an alternative exit!" Redwyn immediately followed up on the deduction.
Mithra agreed: "We are outsiders, after all, and we understand this complex tunnel system too little. However, the cultists at least had the time and means to conspire with and manipulate the townspeople who do understand this place."
"So, what's the next move? Go back and inform Safin?"
"Let's search for their hidden path here first. Returning now would just waste valuable time," Mithra decided.
The wooden walkway they had used earlier was destroyed by that giant spider monster. Re-entering the tunnel now would mean navigating the maze all over again. It wasn't worth wasting that much time just to deliver bad news to Safin.
With that decision made, Mithra calmly applied Calmness to herself. Ding~.
Redwyn rubbed his forehead, feeling slightly troubled by the situation. The added Senseforce consumption left his head inexplicably aching, so he also cast Calmness.
Redwyn realized he was somewhat growing accustomed to following Mithra's leadership.
After replenishing their internal reserves, the two proceeded as a cohesive unit.
The hidden exit was not difficult to locate. Since the culprits hadn't concealed their tracks very effectively, they followed various subtle clues and found a passage concealed by a pile of rocks in a corner of the cliff face.
The pair proceeded almost without breaking stride. Their footsteps echoed in the newly discovered tunnel. Mithra showed no signs of fatigue, using her stone hammer as a makeshift torch.
This passage was completely devoid of any Cursed Beings, making the journey remarkably quiet.
Until…
Mithra and Redwyn sensed intense Ki at almost the exact same moment.
Compared to the faint, almost depleted Ki signature of the usual Cursed Beings, this was the first time the two had felt such powerful energy within this mine tunnel.
Redwyn's steps faltered slightly, but Mithra displayed no hesitation and advanced. Consequently, Redwyn didn't feel overly frightened and followed closely behind.
Up ahead, the space opened into a large cavern.
Upon entering, they were struck by a potent stench of blood and decay, as if they had intruded upon the den of some great wild beast.
And in reality, it was a beast, or rather, two.
A wolf and a bear were dwelling together in surprising harmony within the cave, currently sharing the carcass of a Cursed Collective.
They were both fitted with metallic protective gear covering the vital areas of their bodies. Their forelimbs were unusually long and slender; the wolf's front paws had distinctly evolved into five-fingered hands.
They were stationary, standing like statues...
As Mithra and Redwyn drew nearer, the wolf reacted first, shaking its head, flicking a bone fragment from its paw, and then rising from the ground.
The bear was slightly slower, but it also rose to follow the wolf. However, the bear's hind legs hadn't evolved as much as its forelimbs; they remained largely unchanged, preventing it from standing fully upright, leaving it to move semi-erect, much like an ape. Even so, this semi-upright posture of the bear was quite imposing.
The wolf bared its teeth at the two newcomers, while the bear immediately let out a deep roar.
"Can you speak?" Despite his nervousness, Mithra waved a hand in greeting as Redwyn hung back.
The bear offered no reaction, but the wolf paused, appeared to ponder the situation for a moment, and finally shook its head negatively.
"It doesn't matter if you can't. We need to pass. Can you allow us passage? Beyond you," Mithra instructed, pointing to the area behind them.
The wolf crossed its arms, adopting a remarkably human-like posture, and began to deliberate.
"Rumble!" The bear continued roaring, then was sharply slapped by the contemplating wolf beside it, only then meekly lowering its head and retreating behind its companion.
The wolf looked somewhat troubled, then assumed a defensive posture toward Mithra and Redwyn, issuing a growl with an unclear intent.
Redwyn scratched his head: "How on earth are we supposed to understand that?"
"Hmm, as expected. You were originally just wild beasts from the mountains, controlled by the townsfolk and brought into this mine pit to serve as forced labor. After they abandoned the site, they left you here to guard the tunnel, preventing the dangerous Cursed Beings from escaping. Yes, you've had a difficult existence," Mithra stated plainly, even translating their implied meaning.
Redwyn was utterly dumbfounded, his eyes wide: "You can comprehend even that?!"
Mithra shot him a look suggesting he was simple-minded: "You can't even understand that?"
Redwyn clutched his head. Whose fault was this? Was he truly inferior to this wolf standing before him?
He looked ahead and noticed the bear behind the wolf, both holding their heads, facing them.
One person and one bear holding their heads—for a brief moment, they seemed to have found kindred spirits who shared similar predicaments.
The wolf then raised a middle finger toward the passage behind it—it was unclear where it learned that gesture—then called out a few times toward Mithra, beckoning with its finger.
Mithra nodded: "A toll to pass, I presume? Very well."
With that, she turned to Redwyn and commanded: "Go and fetch that giant spider monster here."
"You?"
"Woof!" The wolf barked at the bear behind it, and the shrinking bear obediently stepped out, approaching Redwyn. Its lively eyes regarded him shrewdly.
At that moment, Redwyn understood.
He took the bear along to move the required object.
Mithra focused her gaze on the wolf, contemplating how best to approach this cunning creature that had followed the cultists deep into the tunnels.
However, this wolf was clearly sharp; it seemed it would require some form of payment before it would be forthcoming with answers.
Considering this, Mithra stepped forward and stated: "Well then, I have a few more inquiries for you."
The wolf, arms crossed and leaning against the wall with a deeply thoughtful expression, watched Mithra approach, its demeanor unreadable.
Noticing Mithra seemed to be seeking something from him, it raised a paw and gestured.
Mithra paused for a moment, first casting "Calmness," then reaching inside her body and drawing out the sword.
Wolf:?!
Just as the wolf anticipated Mithra was about to attack, Mithra lifted the garment covering her waist. After a brief pause, she cleanly sliced a piece of flesh from her own side. Her body visibly trembled with pain, a strangely twisted smile touched the corner of her mouth, and she offered the flesh to the wolf: "Is this sufficient?"
Wolf:!!!
...
"Consider it delivered. That idiotic bear kept trying to pilfer things on the way!" Redwyn complained after he and the bear managed to haul the giant spider monster back.
That bear was currently gnawing contentedly on one of the spider monster's limbs.
Then Redwyn noticed the wolf, which had been standing motionless, looking at his waist with a gaze of doubtful scrutiny, before repeatedly glancing toward Mithra, who was calmly wiping her sword, with an expression bordering on awe.
"I'm finally back," Mithra announced after sheathing the sword back into her body and straightening up.
The wolf also turned its attention over. Upon seeing such a massive spider monster, it appeared slightly surprised as well. After rising and slapping the bear that was covertly "eating its paws," it turned back to Mithra, made a few gestures, then pointed decisively towards the exit.
Mithra said thankfully: "Thank you for your assistance. Would you care for more?"
As she spoke, she reached inside her body to retrieve something.
The wolf quickly shook its head vigorously, pointed at the colossal spider monster beside it, made a gesture mimicking a skewer, and then swiftly gestured with both front paws towards the exit, not sparing Mithra another look.
Redwyn looked utterly perplexed, but Mithra chose not to tease the wolf further. After expressing her gratitude again, she left. Redwyn hurriedly followed.
The wolf watched Mithra's retreating figure, still comparing the flesh on its waist to the memory. After pondering for a moment longer, it felt an inexplicable chill run down its spine and quickly shook its head.
...
"What exactly did you do to that wolf?" Redwyn asked Mithra later.
"Just paid a small toll. However, for a wild beast that has only just encountered higher intellect and is currently forming its entire worldview, that might have been slightly overstimulating. But it seems fine since it consumed it. Otherwise, I'd start questioning my own abilities."
Mithra's explanation was like speaking in riddles, and Redwyn listened with a bewildered expression.
So, what precisely did she do to alter the entire worldview of an intelligent wild beast?
However, Mithra had no intention of offering further details, as it might also update Redwyn's worldview a bit too much.
After descending a slope and crossing a rough, poorly maintained trail, a neatly paved stone passage suddenly appeared ahead.
Redwyn immediately brightened; it seemed they had reached their destination.
After traversing this clearly artificially maintained underground pathway, they ascended an orderly set of steps, where a door leading upward materialized before them.
Redwyn glanced around, located a hand-lever mechanism, and pointed toward it.
Mithra nodded in acknowledgment. Redwyn stepped forward, gripped the lever, and pulled with visible effort.
Rumble—
A deep, heavy sound of shifting stone echoed, indicating that a mechanism was engaged.
The obstruction ahead slowly moved aside.
Finally, they emerged outside. Only then did they realize the obstruction wasn't a door, but a strange statue. The location they found themselves in after exiting was a small, simple chapel characterized by a shabby exterior and modest size.
Mithra examined the statue. It was a figure possessing no particularly distinct features, yet three pairs of wings sprouted from its back, encircling its body, with symbols of the sun, moon, and stars adorning its head.
[Worship Statue of Anderet: The entity known as "The Night." Anderet is said to command the world's darkness; it is an elf of shadow, capable of existing everywhere, thus secretly observing countless secrets. Peeking is also a method of pursuing knowledge. It bestowed upon humanity the inheritance of the Eyes of Night, aiding in mankind's ascent. However, following the era of the forty-four Pillar Gods, its activity sharply diminished until it vanished entirely. All that remains in the world is the legend carried by those eyes. Some speculate that "The Night" Anderet was also one of the forty-four Pillar Gods, but this theory is widely dismissed as boring and absurd nonsense.]
[—What are your thoughts?]
"Why are you asking me about this?" Mithra responded indifferently.
Redwyn turned back, completely confused: "What did you say?"
Mithra shook her head, too uninterested to delve into further thought.
She walked to the chapel entrance and looked outside.
It was nighttime again. The dense buildings beyond, illuminated by the moonlight, cast terrifying, looming shapes.
From their vantage point, there was no doubt they had emerged directly from the deepest parts of the Gross tunnels into the heart of Gross Town.
Redwyn remarked: "This is excellent. We've arrived right at their primary base. This town isn't minor; it's a significant settlement. Finding that pendant will be like searching for a needle in a haystack."
Mithra, however, remained unconcerned: "I presume the devout followers here will certainly recall specific details about exploring the tunnel ruins. So, if we cannot locate it via searching, we will humbly inquire. The enthusiastic faithful will surely provide us with the answer."
Redwyn looked at Mithra strangely: "Are you serious?"
Then, he watched Mithra toss the stone hammer up and smoothly catch it again: "Yes, perfectly sincere."