Chapter 325: overwhelming pressure
The pulverized marble dust of the six Holy Golems had barely settled on the pristine floor when the air in the Deep Vault changed.
It wasn’t a subtle shift, rather the ambient Holy Mana, which had been thick and suffocating, suddenly snapped taut, vibrating with the aggressive tension of a drawn bowstring.
"We’re out of time," Elena whispered, her elven ears twitching as she dropped her combat stance. "The ambient pressure is spiking. The interrogation teams upstairs must have triggered a Cathedral-wide lockdown."
As if responding to her words, the golden, glowing runes that lined the cavernous subterranean walls violently flashed from a warm yellow to a blinding, angry crimson.
*VWOOOOM.*
A secondary set of heavy iron portcullises slammed down behind them, sealing off the corridor they had just used to enter. The escape route was cut.
Before them lay the final set of double doors leading to the inner sanctum where the Sword of Heroes awaited. But from the alcoves lining the massive hall, the shadows didn’t just detach; they marched.
*Clank. Clank. Clank.*
Twelve figures stepped into the harsh red light. They were not mindless golems or automated constructs. They were human.
They wore heavy, immaculate Divine Armor that glowed with a self-sustaining halo of absolute light. These were the Crusade Paladins. the elite vanguard preparing to march into the Abyss to slaughter demons.
"Intruders in the Holy Vault," the Paladin Commander intoned. His voice resonated with fanatical authority, echoing off the high vaulted ceilings. He lowered his visor, a slit of pure white light shining from within the helm.
"You bear the stench of the outside world. And the taint of the Heretic."