The influx of magic inside the temple had caused a small explosion. It had been strong enough to shake even Iris with her magic shackles.
Lady Hua was knocked out cold and her chest was not moving.
She was not breathing. Was she dead?
"Orpheus, what happened? What did you do?" Iris felt so warm and comforted by the magic surrounding her. The magic of the gods, of the ancients in the area really, it was all so comforting to Iris.
It made her think of home and warmth and things she should not want to do anything with for now.
"Me? I did nothing. Whatever happened, it was all your fault. However, if you want to see what happened, you better make your way up" Iris felt anger boil inside her.
She had been played like a fool.
She always knew something had been off with Orpheus but she had neglected it in favor of paying attention to herself and this festival's success. That had been the biggest flaw in Iris's plan.
It was tough to climb the stairs back with all the magic but Iris could not give up now.
The map of Oreta, the one that had been drawn on the floor was shining now. The glow was sharp enough to hurt Iris's eyes.
She felt bad for Lady Hua who had been left behind. but Iris had no time to get her and still make it to the top in time.
All this magic was interfering with her senses as well.
[2nd: 'The quest of the chamber unlocked… completed
Rewards will be distributed shortly]
Iris had no time for her system's bullshit. She wanted to shake it and ask it for answers as well.
But that bridge had already been burned. The system was a tool of the gods and Iris was no longer sure she could trust it to not lead her astray.
Sasha and Rhea were knocked cold as well. Iris instantly knew that they were not breathing as well.
She and Orpheus were the only ones who had survived this ordeal and Iris had a suspicion why. Maybe the story Orpheus had told her before had not been a lie.
As Iris made her way out of the temple, the lower Oreta became visible to her. But the picture it presented was not pretty.
The town was lit up with fire and monsters. She could see those demonic forms from even this far away. There was some kind of barrier around the town as well.
There was no way this all was unplanned. Someone had been working on this for a long time now.
"A pity. Oreta was on the verge of a change as well. It was just unlucky for them to be placed on top of Isis's tomb. But on a brighter note, they all would get to live on as her immortal servants from now on" Orpheus stood on top of the broken pillar, looking over at Oreta as well.
Iris did not hesitate to attack the other. Her magic lashed out toward Orpheus but did not hurt her at all.
Iris had no way to hurt the other at her current level, nor did she have the power to save anyone.
"How do we stop all this? There has to be a way to stop this right?" Iris could not help her helpless tone. Things were not supposed to be like this.
Oreta was supposed to survive and become a hub for the MC.
[New message received. Would the user like to read this message from the MC?]
Her system was working since the influx of magic in the area stopped Orpheus's influence on her. Or maybe it was Orpheus herself who had toned her aura down.
"Stop this? You can no longer stop the slumbering goddess's wake, just delay it. But the dead would still be dead. The only way to save them is to submerge the city and finish the ritual" Iris felt her breath hitch at that tone.
To finish the ritual would be a disaster for this world.
"Don't look like that. Even if you finish this ritual, it would take years for Isis to gain enough power to wake herself up. You will still have the time to finish what you started" Orpheus continues, her voice cold now.
Her words made Iris pause. To finish what she started? Iris was not sure what the other was saying.
"You might not be Iris in the traditional sense but you are her, nonetheless. I think you should know more about yourself a little and the reason you were out here. Apparently, you were cast out of the heavenly realm for killing a god" she did what now?
Iris had been powerful but surely she had not been that powerful?
"I have reason to believe that her consciousness was erased and replaced by you as a punishment for the same. Now it is up to you, would you continue her goal or follow the orders given to you?" Orpheus continues.
It suddenly made Iris realize that she had been played far worse than she had originally thought. Orpheus knew her secrets from the start.
Iris had never stood a chance at all.
"What about you? Why are you doing all this? First, you destroyed Oreta and then you tell me all this? What are you playing at?" Iris could not help but ask. Orpheus confused her a lot.
She had destroyed Oreta, played Iris and yet she sat here. She told Iris a lot of things she was likely not supposed to and even let a traitor like her live her life.
[Iris Character profile updated. Reached Lvl - 6]
The system's buzz told Iris that she had not lied this time. Why be this sincere after destroying Iris's life?
"Would you believe me if I said that I hated the heavenly realm as much as you do? I did what I had to to survive and I am not ashamed of myself. However, I would not have done this had I been given another choice" this was heading somewhere and Iris held her breath as she asked the next question.
"What do you want me to do?" Iris might not like Orpheus and her actions but she did understand them. After all, she quite remembered the feeling of not having control over herself when she first came here.
Besides, Orpheus was the only one who knew how to fix all this.
"Give me a reason to defy the heavens. I need you to choose here and give me an out. Either comply with heaven or walk away fully" Orpheus asked and Iris held her voice.
She could walk away from it all but she had a feeling that someone else would come and finish things for her.
And then, what would happen to Oreta and its people? Iris could not leave them like this. Was there another way?
Perhaps if she bided her time and waited, she could take her revenge. Revenge on gods and Orpheus as well.
"Let's go. We will flood the city and revive all those people" Orpheus's expression dropped at Iris's words.
Perhaps, this was not what she had wanted from her but Iris refused to fold.
"So you have chosen the easy way as the heaven's lackey?" Orpheus asked in a bitter voice. But she was in no position to contradict Iris.
"No, we are still defying the heavens but we will destroy them from inside. These people, they deserve a second life. Even if it is not human and not really living, they deserve better" Iris had a purpose now.
And soon the city was flooded with water. Everyone inside the city was dead and the water made sure to kill the demonic population inside the city as well.
Iris dragged her three companions inside the city with Orpheus' help and threw them into the pool that was Oreta.
Things had changed but Iris could not help be hopeful for a better future. She would get revenge for this and make them all undead in the future.