With that, we set off again in the same formation as before. The temple was a veritable labyrinth; we didn't know where we were going and just kept feeling our way along, over and over. Time seemed frozen, and we were getting more and more worn out.
Nico: <
Karla: <
There were several different corridors at every exit from the rooms. The further we went, the longer the corridors became. Between two rooms, we took breaks of ten to thirty minutes so as not to tire ourselves out too much. Finally, after hours of walking and with provisions almost exhausted, we found a source of natural light.
Nico: <
Hiyro: <
It was like a divine light showing us the way. We were so relieved that we couldn't help but drop from fatigue and rush towards it to bathe in a bit of sunlight.
Nico: <
The room we were in was very large and spacious. It looked like a ceremonial hall, probably where the temple's devotees came to pray. It was completely covered in carved, smooth stone, much like the entire structure. The craftsmanship was remarkably precise and fine. The only difference from the other rooms was that this one had symbols carved into its walls.
The room was rectangular and spacious enough to accommodate 300 people. On each wall, there were inscriptions, symbols, and drawings carved into it. Even though the structure was hundreds, if not thousands, of years old, the engravings were still very legible, even though vegetation had already taken over.
Out of curiosity, I moved closer to examine the structure in more detail. The others were sitting down, resting as best they could.
The inscriptions were quite bizarre. They were more like frescoes telling a story or describing something.
For the most part, there were nine figures constantly mentioned. Compared to the other humans depicted, they were much taller, indicating superiority, like deities to be venerated. The next fresco showed how they were fighting another being, a tenth one. It seemed he was sealed away somewhere, but it was indescribable. Moving forward a bit, you could see the deities separating into different domains in distinct places, as if to rest. But the next fresco focused on one deity in particular.
It seemed to be a woman wearing a long robe. Her eyes were always closed, and she had some kind of bird on her shoulder. It was very unsettling to explain, but I felt like I had seen it somewhere before, though I couldn't remember where. The broken part didn't help much. So, I decided to let it go and focus on the next one.
The next fresco depicted the same woman holding two children in her arms, kissing them tenderly, like a mother. But her face seemed sorrowful and covered in grief. Looking closer, the children had their heads relaxed and arms hanging as if they were dead.
<>
Finally, we were on the last one. This one showed the deity appearing to fall into rest and enclose herself in some kind of coffin. It was covered with flourishing flowers, beautifully represented in detail, especially since the flowers covered most of the fresco.
<>
Still, I was very intrigued by this story. So, I decided to take a photo to study it later, if I had the chance, or to show it to someone more knowledgeable.
After my little tour, I returned to the others to assess the situation and figure out what to do next.
Karla: <
Estris: <
Nico: <
I explained the situation to them and led them to the wall with the fresco. However...
Hiyro: <
Estris: <
Nico: <
I had already faced a similar situation. It was exactly what happened when I tried to show the sphere to passersby in my world the day before my transmigration here. Thinking back, it was because of it that I ended up here!
Karla: <
Nico: <
Estris: <
So, I began describing in detail everything I could see, leaving out no detail.
Karla: <
Estris: <
Karla: <
Raysley approached the wall and placed her hands on it, as if examining its surface.
Raysley: <
Karla closed her eyes and scratched her head.
<
<
<
Now it was certain: there was a link between the temple and the abnormal growth of the forest. But why? Was it due to a large amount of ambient mana? No, if that were the case, Karla would have noticed. There was another factor. Just when we thought we were getting closer to our objective, everything became more and more vague and confusing.
Estris: <
Hiyro: <
Nico: <>
Karla: <
Suddenly, Raysley had turned pale and anxious. She could no longer even stand and could only lean against Rayzo. She had sensed something terrible, and it wasn't the first time she had this expression.
<