Upon the tomb falling as silent as a...tomb...Endyr's eyelid twitched. She couldn't help but turn to look at the open stone doors, where this exact situation had been carried out mere moments ago. Seeing her actions, Victoria coughed into her fist and flashed an awkward smile. "Generally speaking, the first person to go forwards turn into a corpse, about 90% of the time. So, we're a bit, uh, hesitant" she explained sheepishly.
Kulkiri laughed and stretched languidly before walking forward. "Well in times like these, I guess the person who asked the question should take the front" he hummed. "Besides, I trust in my reaction speed. Plus my Affinity is pretty good for defence too."
Endyr figured he was right, since killing a cloud of mist would be quite hard unprepared. However, she had seen Kulkiri be injured against that Grandmaster Vampire before meeting up with Aryll and Co. so she knew that his form had some weak spots. She toyed with the idea of asking him about it, but decided to shelve it until they were done the mission.
With Kulkiri boldly striding down the dark and eerie hallway, the others followed with a slight delay. Nobody dropped their guard, and all talk stopped. Only the muffled sound of their own footsteps could be heard, with the very air feeling heavy and old. If the Vampires were truly active deeper in the crypt, they didn't touch this portion at all. Endyr wondered if they knew who's tomb this was, but believed they didn't. If they did, then Kismet wouldn't have been the only powerhouse they called in. 'Unless...'
Endyr slowed down as her brows furrowed, her mind spinning as she noticed something she had just overlooked. 'I don't know how common Aesir is, but an ancient Race like the Vampires should have at least a few fluent in it. If they learned that an Ancient Goddess was buried here, wouldn't they send a true powerhouse to secure the remains? Kismet is only an Epic Tier, not nearly high enough to handle the corpse of a Divine. If it was me, I would dispatch a Legendary or maybe even a Mythic to handle it!'
Endyr's senses went into overdrive as her eyes panickily darted around, searching for any Mana signatures out of place. She, or rather Altair, had already observed Kieran Durnoff so she vaguely knew what a Mythic Ascender would feel like. Despite pouring as much Mana as she could however, she ultimately failed to break past the Crystal Mana's interference. If she tried any harder, there was a high chance she would directly pierce the Veil and attract the notice of the Gods and powerful entities in the Astral or Spirit Worlds again. However, Endyr at least managed to find that the source of the Crystal Mana was at the peak of Grandmaster but wasn't an Epic Tier. This dispelled some of her worries, but doubt still remained.
'There's a non-zero chance the Vampires didn't actually bother to translate the coffin, but if they opened the crypt door then they definitely know Aesir, so they must know who's in the coffin! Unless they didn't actually come through this way? But there was a clear hallway leading over to this tomb!'
Endyr's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts as she tried to figure out what was awaiting them on the other side. As she fought both sides of the argument, she came to a realization. There was a factor she had dismissed, an important one that would answer why the Vampires would have access to the tomb but not the coffin. And that factor was...
'Fallacy. "His" titles include the domain of secrets and mystery. If it was "Him", then "He" could have concealed the coffin, or just the Aesir written on it, from the Vampires! Yes, since "His" symbol is carved on the door, and the murals depict "Him" as a figure of authority, then "He" must have a tight connection to this place. Perhaps what the Vampires saw is different from what is actually there. Was this "His" goal then? Fallacy wanted me to find this tomb, or was it simply the bait to lure me into "Him"?'
Despite not having a full answer, Endyr's nerves settled considerably. While the System was adamant that none of the Gods of Orvonia were her friend, she was certain that "He" wasn't working with the Vampires to trap her. Even an amateur historian knows the bad blood between the God of Horror and the Evil Gods. Plus, Fallacy was known as a selfish and obtuse God: "He" would never share her with Navruavati or the other Gods. This plot was either made by "Him" alone, or with some slight assistance from Jester and Daemon.
While Fallacy alone was an undefeatable foe to face, especially as a mere Grandmaster, it was always easier to face a single enemy than a group. As long as she pinged everything that occurred from now back and forth, Endyr was confidant she would detect any coincidences or manipulation. Having a set strategy and ease of mind, Endyr subconsciously straightened her posture as she increased her pace. She joined Kulkiri in the vanguard as she tried to peer through the darkness.
Johan had been right: it was unnatural. Endyr didn't notice anything once they were in the thick of it, but looking back revealed the tomb behind them had been swallowed. They were in the middle of a dark tunnel, with the only light being around their feet. This caused Endyr to believe this darkness wasn't to blind those walking through it, but to conceal what was at the end of both sides of the tunnel from onlookers.
Just as people began to relax their tense muscles, the darkness in front of them began to disperse as the first rays of light came though. Endyr waited with baited breath as she saw what was on the other side of the tunnel.
The group of Adventurers were standing on an alcove that also served as a balcony, with a marble wall at the end. Below them, multiple figures were loitering around. Three woman and four men with various statures and hair colours, but all with red eyes and donning black cloaks. Only one Vampire was dressed differently: his cloak was imbedded with gold and silver threads, forming simple but elegant patterns. His hair was a shade of blue that was closer to black, and his red eyes were unusually dulled.
This Vampire was sitting cross-legged around a giant, floating crystal ball that was rotating on the spot. Every few seconds, it would pulse and send out a wave of Mana, which Endyr's eyes saw latch onto all other Mana in the room and devour it. Furthermore, each pulse caused the Vampires to grimace, with the sitting Vampire clenching his hands. Clearly, the process of converting the atmospheric Mana was uncomfortable for them.
Directly under the crystal ball was a pedestal carved from the black stone the tomb had been made of. Placed on top of it was an orb contained within a net of blackish-blue Mana that was similar to the Vampire's hair. The orb itself was only the size of Endyr's palm and an abysmal purple that was obviously unnatural. As Endyr watched, the orb slowly rotated on its side, allowing her to see that three golden rings had been carved on one side. At the centre of the golden rings was a white dot that seemed to stare back at Endyr.
And then it blinked.
As Endyr recoiled in shock, she noticed Kulkiri pulling out his two silver blades and coating them in Mana. Beside her, Victoria and Himmel similarly prepare or battle. "We take one each, and the person left over can help me take out that special Vampire. All of these guys are Grandmasters, so prepare for a tough fight. And for the love of whatever God you believe in, don't touch that crystal ball. I don't what to have to thaw you out, if that's even possible" Kulkiri instructed calmly.
Before Endyr could object or even say anything, Kulkiri had leaped over the balcony and plummeted to the ground. One of the Vampires was under him at that moment, and he looked up just in time to get a boot to the face. With a crunch Endyr heard clearly, Kulkiri stomped him into the ground like a Goomba. As the other Vampires started in surprise, and the other Adventurers joined Kulkiri, a phrase ran through Endyr's mind.