Chapter 116: Sea of Silver Ash
A few distance away, the labyrinth seemed to lose its color. The obsidian blades of coral stood dull and misshapen, as though struck by some unknown blight that had drained them of all life. Their stone-like forms appeared brittle and fragile, ready to collapse into dust at the slightest touch.
The patch of dead coral stretched endlessly, a desolate expanse where the black walls had crumbled into a sea of silver sand. After weeks of navigating the vibrant, blood-red corridors, the sight of this lifeless wasteland sent an involuntary shiver down Klaus’s spine.
What unsettled him even more was the silence. Not a single monster stirred in the murky depths beneath their feet.
To the west, one landmark broke the monotony — a towering rise in the land, the largest they had seen so far, looming like the humped back of a colossal, ancient beast. Shrouded in the ashen remains of dead coral, the hill resembled a mountain of grey dust. And at its peak, piercing the sallow sky, stood a massive spire.
Contrasted against the grey sky, the giant spire looked incredibly vibrant, ancient and magnificent.
Despite its beauty, Klaus could feel an undeniable sense of danger radiating from the giant spire, even from this distance. It wasn’t paranoia — he was certain of it. The feeling coiled in his gut like a living thing, prickling the back of his neck.
’What is that... a tree?’
The thought flickered across his mind, unbidden.
Squinting against the haze, Klaus tried to make sense of the silhouette. At first glance, the spire’s twisted surface could have been mistaken for the gnarled trunk of some ancient, withered tree. But as he studied it further, he realized it was no living thing whatsoever. There were no branches or leaves. It was just an endless, spiraling ridges, like the twisted horns of some monstrous beast, all fused together into a single towering mass.
The spire was crimson, but not the rich, vibrant crimson of life. No, this red was deep, rusted, almost sickly like dried blood left to rot under a dying sun.
Looking at his side, Seraphim had fallen into her usual silence, seemingly deep in thought. She stared into the distance with a massive frown on her face.