Chapter 56: Peek A Boo
Once ready, the awakeners entered the temple.
Honestly, Leonard wasn’t used to moving in such a large party. He preferred being accompanied by a few people he knew well rather than being surrounded by so many strangers whose names he didn’t even know.
Yet, considering the unknown danger that awaited them, it was probably for the best. Though he had to refrain from summoning Joker, since the mist would reduce the visibility of everyone in the party, turning it counterproductive.
Although he lacked a class, he was still mainly a front-liner, so he was positioned farther ahead.
Ironically, since Tanks were always placed at the front of the formation, Winston found himself leading the way alongside a few others who shared his class, exploring the interior of the temple.
Fortunately, one of the Tanks had a spare shield, which was given to him. The craftsmanship wasn’t anything to write home about, yet it was infinitely better than marching onward without any kind of protection.
"Everything is fine... Don’t forget to breathe..." Winston murmured to himself.
The further they walked, the dimmer the surroundings became. The only source of light had been the faint glow seeping from the entrance, yet it was becoming weaker with every passing second.
"It’s getting too dark. Cassie, cast Light." Russell ordered, his tone leaving no room for disobedience.
"R—Right away!"
Cassie was the only Healer in the group. She was a petite girl with red hair, brown eyes, and a small mole beneath her delicate nose. Despite being positioned at the back, she flinched in fright as if the command had been shouted directly into her ear.
"Light!"
Her skill materialized into a small ball of light that flew over the center of the party, illuminating their surroundings.
Of course, among the strangers in the party, Leonard paid special attention to her. Since she was the only Healer they had, he needed to know her location at all times, as she could potentially save his life at some point.
’It’s vital for Healers like her to feel protected at all times, yet she almost jumped when Russell called out her name. Either she is naturally this meek, or she has a very good reason to be terrified of him...’ Leonard took note of her reaction.
Regardless, there wasn’t much he could do currently. He opted to focus on surveying the area around them instead.
The floor consisted of large stone tiles with cracks running between them. Large pillars were erected, supporting the ceiling, which was so tall that it remained invisible even with the Light cast above their heads.
They might have gotten lost if it weren’t for the blood trail the tiger of the Orc Shaman had left behind.
Leonard’s attack had caused wounds that hadn’t closed even after passing through the snowy terrain outside, creating a clear path for them to follow.
Oddly, weird statues would occasionally appear. They depicted angels with their heads lowered and hands placed over their faces, hiding their features.
The first time Winston encountered one of them, he almost fell over backward, his face losing all color.
"C—Creepy!" He said, his teeth chattering, before taking several deep breaths to steady himself.
"Keep your eyes peeled. We don’t know what could be hidden in the darkness around us." Russell exclaimed, reminding the party.
He threw a side glance at Elizabeth, noting how her demeanor remained unshaken even under their current circumstances. Then fixed his eyes forward again.
With the lack of outside light, they had no way of knowing how much time had passed.
"There is something up ahead!" Winston’s voice echoed, bringing a sense of relief to the awakeners.
By now, they all craved to see anything other than the suffocating darkness.
The blood trail they had been following changed direction and ended at a large altar.
The saber-toothed tiger the Orc Shaman had used to escape lay dead, its throat slit, with a pool of blood formed around its body.
Strangely, large chunks of its flesh were missing, as if it had been interrupted midway through being devoured.
"By the looks of it, the shaman sacrificed the mount. But for what purpose?" Leonard’s eyes narrowed, struggling to understand.
Upon the altar, the words: "The wise will share, the foolish shall be shared." had been carved, offering no further explanation.
Beside the altar stood a stone wall that seemed to stretch toward the ceiling, blocking their way. A single passage had been created, with many interconnected passages.
There was no doubt. This was a maze, and it was the only way they had to proceed.
"Did it have to be a maze again?!" Winston grumbled. This was the second time he had to enter one, and his previous experience hadn’t gone well.
Especially since, unlike last time, there was no trail they could follow to easily find the exit.
"Do we really need to enter?" Cassie’s gaze dropped to the ground, disturbed by the tiger’s appearance.
Russell nodded. "We didn’t find my men or their remains along our path. They must have ventured inside, and we will go after them."
Naturally, his insistence on continuing wasn’t because he was worried for them but because there was nowhere else left to explore.
Albeit reluctant, the awakeners sighed bitterly, ready to enter.
"Just a moment."
Before anyone could stop him, Russell walked up to the tiger’s corpse with a smirk and teleported the beast away with his teleportation ring.
"The beast might have been roughed up badly, but it should still bring me a higher score! It seems the idiots I sent were too blind to realize it!" He laughed out loud, basking in his own genius.
After all, nobody else had thought of claiming the remains for themselves!
"Repulsive..." Harley looked away, finding the sight despicable.
Elizabeth’s eyes grew colder than normal, but she remained silent.
Leonard’s eyes darkened as he got a bad feeling. The tiger had been placed there for a reason, but it was too late to change the past.
Sadly, he had already sold all of the corpses in his Dimensional Storage, so he couldn’t place a replacement even if he wanted to.
After a short rest to replenish their energy, the party entered the maze.
The passages were surprisingly wide, not giving off a claustrophobic feeling. Even the ceiling remained too high to be seen.
Lacking any clue as to which direction to take, the party’s only idea was to keep moving forward. Yet the paths ahead often branched into different sections, forcing them to choose a direction.
With each passing second, Leonard’s uneasiness grew. It had started subtly, barely noticeable, and he had thought it was simple paranoia. Yet the sensation continued to intensify until it had become too strong to ignore.
’It’s possible we’ve taken the wrong route. And it would be bad if we couldn’t return to where we entered...’ He thought and glanced back.
His breathing hitched as he came to a complete stop.
"Hey." Leonard spoke, his words quiet yet loud enough to resonate inside the silent maze.
Russell frowned and glared at him.
"Who do you think you are to stop us?! Commoners should know their place and obey!" He shouted, stepping closer.
Leonard ignored him and pointed forward.
"Look."
Everybody followed his gaze.
Just beyond the reach of the light stood an angel statue, frozen mid-step. One half had entered the light, while the other remained engulfed by the tunnel’s darkness.
"That thing was getting closer until I looked at it." He announced, his words echoing.
"Remember the angel statues we saw on the way? I think they’ve all crawled into the maze to hunt us."