"The Great Sage?"
Zeke quickly caught one eye-catching word from the fragmented message. "Could it be that the Great Sage was the one who sealed off access to this place...?" Rumble!
At that moment, a reaction came from the door.
The door split cleanly in half, and dimensional energy swirled from within.
At the same time, a dimensional gate like a portal opened in the center.
"Is that it?"
Zeke swiftly gripped his scabbard and activated spiritualization.
Ssssh—
Zeke, now in his spiritualized state, stepped into the dimensional gate.
And at that instant, a message appeared before his eyes.
[Anomalous phenomenon detected.]
[Unauthorized entity intrusion detected.]
[Emergency measures activated per manual.]
It seemed the security system had detected Zeke attempting to enter the dimensional gate in his spiritualized state.
Clank!
The walls around the door parted, revealing hidden spikes that shot out.
Intense plasma erupted from the spikes, forming a plasma net in front of the dimensional gate.
Crackle—
But the plasma net stretched out, ensnaring Zeke in his spiritualized state within the dimensional rift. "Urgh!"
It was his first time taking an attack in spiritualized form, so Zeke couldnʼt help but panic.
Moreover, trapped in the plasma net, he couldnʼt move an inch, and to make matters worse, the door began to close.
"No!"
Startled, Zeke tried desperately to escape the plasma net, but he couldnʼt budge.
In the end, he released his spiritualization and tried to leap through the dimensional gate, but the plasma net blocked even that, preventing him from exiting the rift.
"Damn it, things just got complicated..."
If he exceeded the time limit for remaining in the dimensional rift in spiritualized form, the path to the phenomenal world might seal shut.
"Ugh!"
Sensing the crisis, Zeke summoned his astral sword and full power technique, trying to break free, but it was hard to exert proper strength inside the dimensional rift.
It was just as the door was about to close completely.
Woooong—
A phoenix cry echoed from the dimensional rift.
Raven, now larger than before, spread its wings wide and flew toward Zeke. And astonishingly, it began pecking at and devouring the plasma net wrapped around Zekeʼs body with its beak.
Gulp—
Seeing Raven tear into the plasma net as if it were delicious, Zeke snapped out of his daze and exerted his strength to quickly slip free of the bindings.
He sent a telepathic message to Raven.
"Raven! Over here!"
Raven licked its beak regretfully at the remaining scraps of the plasma net before flying to Zeke.
Zeke grabbed Raven and hurled himself toward the nearly closed dimensional gate.
"Haaah!"
With a shout and all his might, Zeke was sucked through the dimensional gate just in time.
Boom!
At the same moment, the stone door slammed shut.
As if nothing had happened, the door returned to its silent vigil, firmly sealed once more.
*
Crackle—
"Ugh!"
With a burst of sparks, Zeke rolled across the floor, clutching Raven to his chest as he emerged into the phenomenal world.
"Hoo..."
Zeke caught his breath and first scanned his surroundings.
"I made it through properly, right?"
He could breathe, and the solid ground under his feet suggested he hadnʼt ended up lost in some dimensional maze.
But something felt off as he looked around.
"Is this really the Temple of the Moon Goddess Theia?"
Unlike a typical temple, grotesque abominations lined the area.
Sharp teeth, twisted faces, bodies that seemed stitched together from horrific creatures.
Looking at these abominations, Zeke recalled one thing.
"Outsider species?"
The forms resembled the tentacles, teeth, and bizarre bodies of the outsider species, lined up in rows.
Zeke approached one of the outsider species statues cautiously and placed his hand on it, only to recoil in shock.
"What is this...? Itʼs alive?"
Though fixed in place like statues, he could clearly sense the essence of an outsider species within them.
Zeke gazed at the massive cavern filled with these outsider species statues.
"If all these things were alive..."
For a moment, he imagined them all awakening and manifesting in the phenomenal world.
Just the thought made his body shudder in horror.
"Wait, did the Great Sage seal the temple to contain these and prevent anyone from entering?"
Zeke suddenly understood why this site, unlike other ruins, hadnʼt had its security code unlocked.
If these outsider species were accidentally unleashed, it would spell an irreversible catastrophe.
"Phew, at least it seems to be the temple, so letʼs head inside."
The cavern housing the temple was so vast its size was impossible to gauge.
The ceiling vanished into a pitch-black void high above, making it impossible to tell how many outsider species statues lurked within.
Passing the piles of statues, Zeke spotted a temple building in the cavernʼs center, constructed in the central continent style.
He approached the structure.
In a space filled with nightmarish outsider species statues, the lone building of white marble felt utterly out of place.
As he drew near the temple, he saw that the door leading inside was open.
Stepping through, he found a typical temple interior, entirely of white marble.
"So this is the real Temple of the Moon Goddess Theia."
Zeke proceeded deeper along the straight path.
Deeper in, he discovered a single statue standing in the templeʼs center.
"A statue of a holy maiden of Theia?"
It appeared so at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it was no ordinary holy maiden statue. "What is this?"
Half of the sacred holy maidenʼs body was fused with the tentacles of a horrific outsider species.
The depiction was so vivid it looked like the monstrous outsider species was about to swallow the holy maiden statue whole.
Examining the holy maiden statue more closely, Zeke couldnʼt help but be stunned.
"Itʼs not the outsider species devouring the holy maiden statue. This... the outsider species is emerging from inside the holy maiden statue."
The horrific outsider species was bursting forth from the sacred holy maidenʼs body, taking shape.
At that moment, something whispered in Zekeʼs ear.
"□◆□■◀ ▶▷□... Come here, child...."
It was similar to the words heʼd heard from Ajitahakaʼs remnants before.
Hearing the voice emanating from the holy maiden statue, Zeke felt compelled and slowly approached.
But then—
Caw—
Raven, perched on Zekeʼs shoulder, lifted its head and let out a phoenix cry.
Zeke, briefly entranced by the voice from the holy maiden statue, snapped awake at Ravenʼs cry.
"What was that?"
Regaining his senses, Zeke looked at the holy maiden statue.
At the same moment, the voice emanated from the holy maiden statue again.
"One who bears my remnant... Come this way. Receive my will...."
Zeke inexplicably found it hard to resist the voice from the holy maiden statue.
Before he knew it, he was slowly approaching once more.
Then, a message appeared before Zekeʼs eyes.
[Title 'One Blessed by the Ancient Dragonʼ detects traces of 'The Ineffable Gloom.ʼ]
[Title 'Glory of the Sea Godʼ resists traces of 'The Ineffable Gloom.ʼ]
[Title 'Companion of the Forestʼ resists traces of 'The Ineffable Gloom.ʼ]
[Title 'Guardian of the Earthʼ resists traces of 'The Ineffable Gloom.ʼ]
[Title 'Blessing of the Fairiesʼ aids resistance against traces of 'The Ineffable Gloom.ʼ]
[Title 'Grace of the Divine Beastʼ aids resistance against traces of 'The Ineffable Gloom.ʼ]
[Title 'Blessing of the Archmageʼ aids resistance against traces of 'The Ineffable Gloom.ʼ]
The titles Zeke had accumulated combined their power to resist the voice from the holy maiden statue.
The holy maiden statue began to vibrate.
Rumble—
And the outsider species statue trying to emerge from within trembled ever so slightly. Grrr—
Raven flapped its wings and soared into the air.
It then opened its beak toward the emerging outsider species and spewed flames.
Whoosh—
Orange flames enveloped the outsider species statue.
The vibration and emerging motion halted, and the outsider species began retreating back into the statue.
Rumble—
But as the intensity of Ravenʼs flames weakened, the horrific tentacles of the outsider species started creeping out again.
Seeing this, Zeke donned Theiaʼs hercion and Agamemnonʼs mask, then drew Roland.
He then summoned the sacred radiance technique above his head.
Woooong!
As the orb of the sacred radiance technique floated in the air, Zeke unleashed a bolt of lightʼs lightning toward the outsider species emerging from the holy maiden statue.
Crackle—
With the lightʼs lightning and Ravenʼs flames pressing in simultaneously, the outsider speciesʼ tentacles halted once more.
In the meantime, Zeke raised his sword and invoked the power of great purification.
Woooong—
A golden aura rippled from his body.
Immediately after, golden waves radiated from Zeke in all directions, enveloping the holy maiden statue with the power of great purification.
Rumble—
Exposed to the power of great purification, the outsider species trying to burst out from the holy maiden statue slithered back inside.
At that moment, a message appeared before Zekeʼs eyes.
—Sudden Quest—
[Restore the shattered statue of the Moon Goddess Theia.]
[Quest Mission Reward: ???]
A sudden quest had triggered.
Zeke pondered how to restore the shattered statue while maintaining the power of great purification.
Recalling when he had freed Hades from Blanca, he asked the system.
"System, find a way to restore that statue."
At Zekeʼs command, the system began searching for a method.
[Search complete. One method found. Proceed with this method?]
"Execute it now!"
With Zekeʼs words, a system message appeared before him.
[Sacred Relic of Hermes, obtained from the Forest God Hermes, activates as an elixir.]
[The activated Sacred Relic of Hermes reveals its true form.]
Ssssh—
Along with the message, the Sacred Relic of Hermes appeared.
The goat statue encountered the catalyst elixir and began extending branches in all directions.
The growing branches slowly reached toward the shattered holy maiden statue.
The branches wrapped around the holy maiden statue and began filling the broken parts where the outsider species had hidden.
"Huh?"
Maintaining the power of great purification, Zeke watched as the Sacred Relic of Hermes filled the shattered sections of the holy maiden statue.
Crunch—
It was as if trees were growing from half of the holy maiden statueʼs face and body.
Then, another message appeared.
[The purest elemental power must imbue the tree grown from the Sacred Relic of Hermes.]
"The purest elemental power?"
Zeke immediately understood what the system meant by elemental power.
He withdrew the power of great purification and approached the holy maiden statue.
Placing his hand on the tree covering the holy maiden statue, he invoked the power of the elemental sword.
Woooong—
The pure powers of firepower, wind power, water power, and metal power.
Four colors of radiance emanated from Zekeʼs body as he summoned the elemental powers.
Woooong!
The four elemental powers surging from Zeke enveloped the holy maiden statue.
Astonishingly, the tree of Hermes began absorbing those powers.
Ssssh—
The treeʼs twigs, having absorbed the four elemental powers, suddenly began to burn and scatter as ash.
At the same time, the treeʼs color gradually turned white, its surface smoothing out, transforming from wood to something like stone.
"The treeʼs surface is getting harder than before."
Zeke infused even stronger pure elemental power into the tree of Hermes.
The tree, imbued with pure power, soon turned completely white.
Woooong—
A strong vibration emanated from the holy maiden statue.
Zeke finally withdrew the elemental power and stepped back.
As the shattered holy maiden statue fully restored to the form of a complete white statue, light radiated in all directions.
And at that instant, a message appeared before Zekeʼs eyes.
[Restored the shattered statue of the Moon Goddess Theia.]
[Successfully completed the sudden mission.]
[Reward: Tears of the Moon Goddess Theia granted.]
"Tears of the Moon Goddess Theia?"
Puzzled, Zeke watched as the quest reward materialized before him.
Seeing it, Zeke couldnʼt help but exclaim in surprise.
"This is adamantium!"