Chapter 142 : Shadow of the Temple
Chapter 142: Shadow of the Temple
Levi's group hurried toward the depths of the temple. Along the way, they encountered no obstacles whatsoever. In fact, the temple's layout was extremely strange. Aside from the stone statue built directly opposite the entrance, once they went around it, all that remained was a long corridor that seemed almost endless.
The corridor was deathly silent. Along both sides stood enormous guardian statues built against the walls. Other than that, only the echoes of their footsteps reverberated through the passage.
Levi could see the lights of several souls rapidly moving away, as though they were screaming while fleeing. However, he could not hear their cries, nor could he see what was actually happening to them. Aside from the rapidly moving soul lights, he had no way of confirming the current situation.
“Stop!”
After finally reaching the end of the corridor, Levi signaled for the others to halt. Then he cautiously stepped forward and looked ahead.
At the end of the corridor was a gigantic underground cavern that appeared to be part of the temple complex.
Compared to the outside, however, the place was far more ruined. The ground had split apart, buildings had collapsed all around, and there was even a gigantic stone head the size of a bus lying on the ground, its lifeless eyes staring directly at them.
Like the corpse of something long dead.
Near the entrance of the cavern, a campfire was still burning. Beside it stood several tents and backpacks.
“It looks like this was where the professor's team camped.”
Joe was the most familiar with such things. After all, this had been his job on archaeological expeditions. He walked over to the campsite and examined it carefully.
“Yes, this is exactly how the professor taught us to set up camp—choose a spot against a wall, well-ventilated, elevated, and sheltered from direct light... After all, we often have to deal with tomb raiders, so choosing the right campsite is extremely important. We've run into tomb raiders several times before. Those weren't pleasant memories.”
As Joe spoke, he shook his head.
Levi merely glanced at him without saying a word.
From Levi's perspective, the owner of a tomb would see no difference between an archaeological expedition and tomb raiders.
Both were birds of a feather.
“There's blood here.”
Just then, Annie pointed beside the campsite.
Turning around, Levi indeed saw a conspicuous pool of blood on the ground.
“They were attacked while setting up camp.”
Levi carefully examined the bloodstain and quickly reconstructed the scene using the Detective profession's Trace Inspection.
“The archaeological team arrived here intending to make camp. Judging from the footprints, the professor probably went over there to inspect the stone statue...”
Levi pointed toward the massive stone head lying on the ground.
“The others stayed here to set up the tents and prepare the rest of the equipment. Then someone was attacked... Hmm. The victim was attacked from behind. There are no signs of any struggle, which suggests the attack happened so suddenly that there was no chance to react. The others noticed something afterward and fled in terror.”
“………………”
Levi looked up to find everyone staring at him in astonishment.
“Mr. Levi, you're amazing.”
Miss Godney clasped her hands together, her face full of admiration.
“You figured out all that just from taking one look!”
“Well, I'm a detective.”
Levi smiled.
“This is how I make a living.”
He stood back up while Annie quietly observed the scene. After a moment, she spoke.
“But why did they run farther inside instead of heading for the entrance? The entrance is obviously closer.”
“Perhaps something blocked their escape route. Or perhaps they simply panicked and ran without thinking.”
Levi shrugged.
“No matter what, we'll only find the answer if we keep moving forward.”
No one objected.
Now that they knew this place was dangerous, everyone drew their weapons.
Levi had a pistol, but the others were armed as well.
Joe and Miss Godney were both members of the archaeological team, and Joe had already mentioned that they frequently crossed paths with tomb raiders. Those people were usually desperate criminals, so there was no way anyone could fight them barehanded.
Both Joe and Miss Godney carried firearms for self-defense.
Even Annie reached into her pocket and produced a small Pepperbox pistol.
It was an unusually designed multi-barreled handgun. In simple terms, it resembled a revolver, except there was no separate barrel. Instead, the entire cylinder had been extended forward to serve as the barrel.
In other words, it had six barrels.
The entire gun consisted of nothing more than a grip and the cylinder itself. Pulling the trigger automatically rotated the cylinder and fired six shots in succession, making it one of the earliest pistols capable of continuous fire.
In fact, the revolver had evolved from it.
Even so, the Pepperbox pistol had never become obsolete.
Even Levi had to admit that being threatened by a single barrel and being threatened by six barrels were completely different experiences.
As for power, the Pepperbox pistol was naturally less lethal than a revolver.
However, its compact size and ease of use made it extremely popular.
What an interesting era.
An age when everyone carried guns.
Seeing Annie casually pull out a firearm, Levi could only sigh that maintaining public order in this era must have been incredibly difficult.
Miss Godney carried an ordinary pistol.
Joe, on the other hand, held a double-barreled shotgun with its barrels cut short. Combined with his massive physique, the intimidation factor was overwhelming.
Just looking at them, one could easily imagine the hail of bullets that would erupt whenever these refined archaeologists encountered tomb raiders in the wilderness.
Which raised an important question.
What kind of thing had frightened this entire archaeological team so badly that they had fled without even attempting to fight back?
Levi carefully surveyed the surroundings.
All he saw were human footprints.
Nothing else.
But this was not reality.
It was a dream.
Who knew what the professor had actually seen in his dream?
Or perhaps...
What he wanted to see.
“Let's go.”
Levi withdrew his thoughts and continued following the footprints.
The trail became increasingly chaotic.
It was obvious that these people had been pursued so relentlessly that they had fled in complete panic. They had even split up when they reached a fork in the path.
Had it not been for Trace Inspection helping Levi identify the Old Professor's footprints, he might not even have known which direction to search.
The passage ahead became increasingly rugged and narrow, forcing everyone to stumble forward.
Then, just as they reached another fork in the tunnels—
A hand suddenly shot out from the darkness beside them and grabbed Levi.
“Wah!”
The sudden attack startled everyone.
Joe nearly shoved his shotgun toward the figure.
Levi, however, remained perfectly calm.
After all, he had already known someone was hiding there.
“Quiet, you idiots!”
At that moment, the Old Professor poked his head out from the shadows, glaring at them furiously.
“Do you want those monsters to kill you?! Get over here! Hide yourselves and put out the lights!”
Although no one understood what was happening, they still obeyed.
They extinguished the Gas lamp and hid themselves in a corner.
“Professor, what exactly happened?”
Miss Godney asked in confusion.
The Old Professor glared at her.
“Didn't you see them? Those monsters! Those damned monsters! I can't believe you idiots dared to wander around outside so openly! If they catch you, you'll be torn to pieces just like everyone else!”
“………………?”
Joe and Miss Godney exchanged bewildered looks.
Logically speaking, they had never been here, nor had they ever traveled with the Old Professor.
Yet judging by his reaction, he already regarded them as members of his archaeological team.
“Remember, this is a dream.”
Levi quietly reminded them from the side.
“In dreams, your existence is completely natural to the dream's owner. Since he believes you're his companions, then that's exactly what you are.”
“Ah... Right...”
The two of them quickly accepted the explanation.
After all...
Dreams worked that way.
After quietly explaining things to them, Levi turned toward the Old Professor.
“Professor, what kind of monster attacked us?”
“I don't know... I don't know.”
The moment Levi asked, the Old Professor's expression became utterly dejected.
He slowly slid down against the wall and sat in the corner, his face filled with despair.
“They shouldn't exist... At least, they shouldn't exist here. No... It was only a legend... It wasn't real...”
“………………”
Hearing the Old Professor mutter to himself, everyone exchanged puzzled glances.
Levi, however, simply stared at him while rapidly organizing his thoughts.
He had not forgotten that this was the Old Professor's Nightmare.
In other words, it embodied the greatest fear buried deep within his heart.
If Joe's information was correct, then this should have been the archaeological expedition that had taken place years ago.
The professor had buried the entire incident deep inside himself, where it had eventually taken shape as this Nightmare.
What concerned Levi, however, was not that.
It was the temple itself.
It appeared to be a temple dedicated to the Goddess of Night.
Unfortunately, Levi had encountered this goddess more than once.
That instinctively made him uneasy.
After all, there was a saying.
There were no coincidences in this world.
Only inevitabilities.
Of course, Levi personally thought it was merely a pretentious phrase meant to sound profound.
Still...
He did not like this rather unpleasant coincidence at all.
“Flap... Flap...”
Just then, the sound of beating wings echoed through the passage.
The moment he heard it, the Old Professor tensed up again.
“Quick! Be careful! Don't look!”
But Levi had no intention of obeying.
“If we don't look, we'll never know what it is.”
As he spoke, Levi stepped out of hiding.
He twisted the switch once more, igniting the Gas lamp.
“———————!”
Light burst forth, driving away the pitch-black darkness.
It also illuminated the grotesque figure standing not far down the passage.
Levi even caught sight of a strange crimson glow.
Then an ear-piercing shriek rang out.
“Gaaaah—————!”
Bathed in the light, Levi finally saw what the creature was.
It resembled a gigantic bat.
Except it had no fur.
The membranes stretched between its arms were pitch black without the slightest sheen.
Its limbs ended in razor-sharp claws, giving it a bizarre and terrifying appearance.
But the most striking feature was its head.
Its face possessed only a single eye, located in the center of its forehead.
At that very moment, the eye was fixed directly upon Levi.
The instant Levi looked into it, he froze.
For some reason...
That eye reminded him of the All-Seeing Eye!
At the very least, they were astonishingly similar!
“Gaaaah—————!”
The monster shrieked again before violently beating its wings and lunging toward Levi.
Its speed rivaled that of a hunting falcon.
In the blink of an eye, it had already reached him.
At that instant...
Time seemed to slow.
Levi saw the creature hunch its body forward as the pair of claws beneath it thrust directly toward his eyes.
If those claws landed cleanly, there was no doubt that the monster would pierce straight through his skull.
But naturally...
Levi had no intention of allowing that to happen.
He raised the Persuader.
The muzzle settled upon the monster's single eye in the center of its forehead.
Then...
He pulled the trigger.