There was a certain reverence pervading my body. I felt the same towards each sarcophagus without even knowing who these people were. Whoever these people were, they were not ordinary.
A few operators carefully walked past me and then started taking pictures of everything. This room was picture-worthy.
I closed my eyes and slowly inhaled. I let out my breath and then performed a shallow bow. It was purely instinctual. I wasn't sure how I knew, but I was confident after stepping inside. These people were extraordinary.
Not just in the way an all-star athlete is special. These people were on a level that may have even surpassed Grandmaster Zym. They were true prodigies.
I walked up to the first pedestal on the right and examined the plaque. Of course, it was in a language that was undoubtedly lost in the sands of time. The strange language filled the entire 10"x20" plaque with a mere 1" margin.
Then, I remembered that Sigurd had provided me with a valuable tool. I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture of it. Subsequently, I moved around the room to take a photo of each plaque.
Once I had finished, I opened the application that Sigurd gave me. I then selected my camera roll and imported the pictures I had just taken.
This app was an artificial general intelligence. It was usually used to decrypt communications and decipher codes. It also had the ability to translate languages.
After about 15 seconds, it came back with results. As expected, it was an unknown language. However, it was able to translate most of the text on the plaques due to the amount of data it was provided with. If we could find more of this language, it would become even more complete and accurate.
For now, I had about 70% of the plaques translated to English. From them, I was able to gleam some insight into these people. These 10 individuals were exceptional High Priests of the Order of the Force.
What the heck is the Order of the Force? And a High Priest? Was it some religious organization? Was it similar to the Jedi Council?
The plaques detailed their accomplishments in life. One of them was a great warrior that led a crusade against evil witches. They successfully expelled them from the continent. Another one invented a communication method that allowed for instant contact with other temples across the oceans. One other had built this very temple.
Since they were communicating across oceans, this must have been a global organization. Where else were they located?
One of the plaques, however, caught my attention. Unlike the rest, his name was not included in his biography. He was referred to only as "The Smith". Apparently, he had single-handedly advanced the technology of the Order many times over. Some of his designs were so advanced that they were impossible to fabricate with the technology available at the time. Thus, they remained designs.
I walked over and came to a stop at the sarcophagus that belonged to The Smith. After eyeing the plaque with scrutiny, I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.
Thus, I walked past the plaque and stood next to the sarcophagus. Suddenly, I felt an urge to touch it. Feeling no danger, I slowly reached out and rested my hand on it.
For a few seconds, there was nothing. The cool stone wicked some heat from my hand but that was all. Then, something invaded my body. I felt helpless as it consumed me. Everything went black in less than a second.
Almost as fast as everything went black, I felt a ringing in my head as the sound of metal hitting metal smashed through my ears.
I was disoriented and confused. Everything was dark and cold. The ground was hard and rough, but relatively flat. It was not natural.
The sound rang through the air once more. It was coming from behind me. I turned my head and found an open archway with a gentle yellow and orange light bleeding into the darkness.
Once again, the sound exploded from the room. I pushed off the ground and stood up. With no other options, I walked towards the light cautiously. The archway was only a dozen yards away.
The sound was getting louder and more frequent. As I got closer, I realized that it seemed as if the sound was metal being struck by a hammer.
The hammer struck yet again. I reached the archway and found myself battered by an uncomfortable heat. It was streaming out of the room uncontrollably before dissipating into the cold darkness.
Another strike sounded as I walked through the archway. I felt sweat begin to form on my body. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and then wiped it on my pants. They didn't feel right.
I looked down and realized that my tactical gear was gone. I was now wearing a burlap shirt, loose pants, and loafer-like leather shoes.
The hammer struck again. I stepped inside the room. It was spacious and about the size of a studio apartment. On the far side of the room, there was a glowing furnace with smoke billowing out of the top before disappearing. The left side of the room had rows of bookshelves filled past capacity. They had overflown onto the floor. The right side of the room had a small bed, a table with a water bucket on top, a chair next to the table, a faucet, and a wood stove.
(Before anyone gets confused, a wood stove is made of metal but burns wood inside. You put pots, kettles, or pans on top to cook.)
Standing before the furnace was a muscular man of average height. Black hair was tied into a bun atop his head. He was wearing a leather apron with no shirt underneath, canvas pants, and leather boots.
He held a hammer in his hand that had a crystal embedded in it. From above his head, he struck down upon a piece of hot metal that was laid upon an anvil. His muscles rippled like a stone dropped in an unmoving lake. They stretched his tanned skin to the limit as they flexed.
He then put the hammer into a pocket on his apron before putting a leather glove on his hand. He picked up the red-hot metal and held it close to his face. Was he examining it from that close with his unprotected face?
The man nodded before stepping forwards and placing the metal back into the furnace. He stood there for several seconds in silence, gazing into the fire. Then, he spoke in a calming and deep voice. "Strange. I've never had a visitor before."