Fire Mage (Web Novel)

Chapter 651: Second Chamber

In the meantime, the opposing group comprised two females donned in black robes, a tall human bearing a peculiar third eye on his forehead, a young woman of 5 feet in height with wolf ears and tails, and an elf with flowing blonde hair.

Upon noticing their presence, they also went into alert mode and went into battle position.

As everyone was in a tense situation, Jamie frowned a bit and noticed a strange divine power around their standing area.

"An illusion spell?" He muttered before raising his hand and waving it. A moment later, a dense air-elemental energy appeared around his hand, formed into a one-meter-long blade-like structure in a blink, and flew towards the group at an incredible speed.

Before the other group could react, the invisible blade sliced through their bodies and broke the illusion!

"H-How? I felt they appear so real!" Victor muttered.

"That's because of our sealed wisdom power. But unlike you guys, I can still use the wisdom power to some extent and search whether they were physical objects." Saying so, Jamie glanced at the indifferent-looking otherworldly human and shook his head.

"Let's search this chamber to see if we find something valuable first and then move forward."

"May I go ahead to the Second Chamber?" Victor felt they might return to their words and decided to hurry to his final destination.

Although Jamie wanted to refute, he soon noticed Charles was following Victor and decided not to say anything.

After getting silent approval from the Order Church members, Victor didn't hesitate and started walking toward the other end of the chambers.

Before long, he entered another rocky underground passage and hurried toward the next destination.

Charles also closely followed him while looking out for hidden dangers and soon noticed a bright light ahead.

"So, how many chambers are there?" He asked in a low voice.

"I'm not sure, your Excellency. But four tall statues will be standing in the Second Chamber, and each statue will transport you to a different room. I suspect each has a unique artifact like Dream Whisper." He paused while glancing back at the long passageway to see if they were following behind and whispered.

"But once you enter this room, you won't be able to leave without taming the artifact. Last time, I was trapped in that place for more than 25 days and then returned to Edhen World with nothing."

Charles nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. The artifacts within the sealed rooms could be both powerful and dangerous, and they required careful handling. The prospect of discovering such potent relics excited him, but he was also mindful of the potential risks.

Victor's anticipation grew as they approached the Second Chamber's entrance. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the challenges ahead.

Within the next few seconds, both reached the exit and entered the Second Chamber. The sight before them was just as Victor described.

As Victor and Charles stepped into the Second Chamber, they were immediately struck by its awe-inspiring grandeur. The chamber was large and domed, with intricate carvings adorning the walls, depicting ancient battles, celestial beings, and mystical creatures. The ceiling seemed to vanish into darkness, giving an illusion of an infinite height.

As Victor mentioned earlier, four unique statues stood at the center of the second chamber and looked imposing. Each statue was a remarkable work of art, standing tall at around 5 meters and appearing gigantic. They were crafted from a glistening black stone that seemed to shimmer with a faint magical aura. The details etched into the statues' features were remarkably lifelike, evoking a sense of beauty and eeriness.

The first statue depicted a regal male figure clad in armor, with a sword held firmly in one hand and a shield in the other. The eyes of the statue glowed with an ethereal light as if it were alive, surveying its surroundings.

The second statue portrayed an enigmatic and serene feminine figure adorned in flowing robes that seemed to merge with the air around it. Its hands were positioned meditatively, and its eyes were closed, conveying a deep sense of wisdom and inner peace.

The third statue depicted a fearsome and majestic creature—a winged lion with sharp claws and an intense gaze. Its wings appeared ready to take flight, and its expression conveyed strength and courage.

The fourth statue, placed apart from the others, presented a mysterious and elusive figure. With a hooded cloak that concealed its features, it merged with the shadows around it. A staff was clutched in its hand, and its presence exuded an air of secrecy and mystique. This statue gave off an aura of secrecy and enigma.

"Which one did you pick up last time?" Charles asked as he walked closer to the center of the chamber.

A smile appeared on Victor's face.

"Of course, it's the statue of that beautiful woman, Your Excellency."

While saying so, he soon arrived before the female statue, bowed his head while raising his hand, and touched its feet.

A moment later, a blinding golden light descended from the woman's eyes and enveloped him.

Victor turned into pure golden lights in the next instant and disappeared from there.

"I didn't even sense a minute of elemental power from the earlier blinding light. Divine Power? No, I felt something else. Maybe that's the full extent of the law power or even higher power like realm creation?" He felt curious.

He soon shook his head and focused on the other three figures.

First, he looked at the muscular man's statue but didn't feel any liking. Then, he slowly shifted his gaze toward the Winged Lion and detected a strange resonance.

'Winged Lion can help me?' Just as he was about to take a step forward, Grace suddenly let out a fierce screeching noise and directly attacked the lion statue!

'What the heck?' Grace never tried to communicate with him all this time and remained in his waist like a normal sword. If not for Azoth's earlier words, he wouldn't have believed her as a sword that had killed numerous owners before.

'But why is she acting like that? She doesn't like the winged lion? But I can't give up, though.' He tried to take a step forward again but suddenly stopped.

At that moment, a sharp cut appeared on his neck!

'F*ck!' The corner of his lips twitched as he stepped back, conjured a bluish ball of flame, and healed the wound.

"Forget it; I'll choose the fourth statue." He said with a deep sigh and started walking towards it.

Before long, he arrived before the cloaked statue, raised his hand as Victor did, and touched the statue's left foot.

A moment later, Charles noticed that his vision started to blur and soon found himself standing in a small 10*10 feet room.

A small wooden cot was placed at the center, and a skeleton covered in a black robe lay on it.

"He died while sleeping?" Charles approached the cot and noticed rotten skin and fleshes had already decomposed, leaving traces on the cot and robe.

But what made him take a deep look was the skeletal bone. Even though it had been dead for who knows how long, he felt a strange divine power circling it.

"Remnant will of the previous owner?" He muttered.

'You have the smell of Periyon.' An ancient voice echoed in his head.

'Hmm, it's not from you but from the thing inside your space ring, huh?' The voice continued.

At that moment, the crystal dimension stone suddenly appeared from his space ring and hovered mid-air.

'Hmm, it's the Eye of Destruction and Chaos... No, this one looks like an imitation of Periyon's third eye. Where did you get this, lad?'

Although Charles was slightly surprised, he remained calm and answered the ancient voice.

"I found it deep within a Meteorite. And, may I ask who you might me, Sir?"

'Hohoho, you are a polite lad.' The voice laughed, which almost caused the whole room to shake, and continued.

'I was called 'Esim' during my time and have often been hailed 'Archfiend Esim' by the Gods, Demons, and Devils. Now, my name is not important. What's important is: Are you eligible to carry on my inheritance?'

"Inheritance? I thought I would get an artifact here, though." Charles voiced out his thoughts.

'Humph, what can an artifact do? Although it will help you at some stages, it is nothing but a mere tool-' Before he could finish his words, a sharp blade released from Grace and cut the skeleton's neck into two.

A strange silence appeared in the room, followed by a loud ancient voice's gasp.

'Holy mother of Corruption and Creation! What kind of sword is it? I sense the power of madness, Nightmare, and even boundless void from it. Surprisingly, it can even cut my neck bone in one attack.' Shock and astonishment could be seen in the ancient voice.

Meanwhile, Charles touched the sword hilt and gave it a light pat.

"Please forgive her, Lord Esim. She doesn't talk and has some bad temper." Charles said apologetically and asked.

"So, what does your inheritance have? Can it help me in any way? You should've known that I'm already walking on the path of Fire Mage."

'Worry not. The inheritance I'm giving you is not something that could interfere with your pathway but help you achieve far more great things in the future.' As the ancient voice spoke, a strange bluish-gem-like thing suddenly materialized before Charles and hovered mid-air.

'This stone is my lifelong research and achievement. It's called 'Sage's Gem' and can deduce any complicated questions or problems and help you understand everything better.'

"Is this like my Rune Eye skill?"

'No. Your rune eye only allows you to perceive objects or living things more clearly with information related to it and only helps you find their weaknesses. But my 'Sage's Gem' is the heart of wisdom itself.' The ancient voice said proudly.