Nikolai immediately felt frustrated by this reality. Not only did he possess a legendary item capable of traveling through time and space that he was unable to use, as he also had his perfect combat physique taken from him by the system. It was as if he was playing a game where he started with a powerful character of maximum level, full of powerful items, but, right away, in the first cutscene, his character has his status reset and his items sealed
As if she could read Nikolai's thoughts, Adrestia let out a light laugh before trying to comfort him
"Fufufu, come on, don't be so depressed, it's not like the system did this on purpose, like I said it was an emergency. Plus, I'm here to help you get stronger. As long as you dedicate yourself to training, leveling up and completing the system missions and you'll be back to your peak in no time"
Nikolai calmly nodded, but as soon as he heard the last part, he started to have a bad feeling
"Q-Quests? What quests? Please don't tell me that–"
«Ding!»
«You have received a quest!»
«Main Quest – An Honored Cultist: A true Cultist is someone free from restraints. A traveler who explores and uncover the secrets of the world in search of self-discovery. At the same time, it is a shepherd who helps and guides the poor lost souls towards the right path. However, you who were chosen by the system to follow this path, were betrayed and had your freedom taken away. This is unacceptable, defend the honor of the system and prove that you are truly worthy of walking the path of the ultimate Cultist! »
-Objectives: Escape safely from the labyrinth 'Temple of the Forgotten God'
-Difficulty: C+
-Completion Reward: Unlock Cult Store feature!
-Failure Penalty: DEATH!!!
[Time limit: 04:59:58 ]
"Fuck, I knew it!"
"Ara, ara, I think I forgot to mention that," commented Adrestia innocently.
"…"
Looking at Nikolai's anguished expression, the Goddess realized that her moment to shine had finally arrived, she then cleared her throat, before continuing with a confident voice
"Fufufu, there's no need to fear my dear Nick. This big sister here will help you!"
"Really?"
"Yes, as the system manager, it is my role to guide you through the difficulties you will encounter along the way. You see, even though labyrinths are mysterious spaces, with each having a different design and internal structure. They all have some standard features, one of which is the hidden entrance and another being the fact that they have two exits
The first one you already know, that is, go all the way towards the entrance. This is the longest and most time-consuming option, usually used when conquering a labyrinth fails. In addition to this, there is also the second method which is much faster and more practical. Where one only needs to inject their energy into the labyrinth's core, once you do that, a portal leading to the labyrinth's exit will form. That's what you should focus on!"
"Well, now I just need to find a way to get there"
Nikolai commented, looking around trying to find a way out, only to notice a frustrating fact. Apparently, this room had no doors. In every direction he looked, he saw only ancient murals and more murals, with no opening resembling a door or exit
"Ugh, it has to be a joke. Are you telling me that I'm actually going to have to climb to the top to get out of this place?" he said disconcertedly, as he looked up, seeing what seemed like endless darkness
"No, that doesn't make sense, that fall didn't seem like it was designed to be the entrance to this place. Unless the murals are… Huh?"
It was then that his train of thought broke. For at that moment he saw, in one of the corners of the chamber… He saw a huge statue standing
Right away, Nikolai felt a deep sense of fear take over his body and unconsciously took a step back. This sensation only lasted for a second, and he quickly regained control of his body. Even though the memories didn't belong to him, he still vividly remembered how the last statues Samir found in the temple came to life and started killing the members of his group, even leading to his death
If this statue also came to life, in its current state, he had no doubt that only death awaited him
"It's okay, there's no need to be afraid. This is really just a statue, although it is very well made, it will not come to life and attack you"
With that confirmation, Nikolai finally regained his composure, before looking carefully at the statue. Unlike the ones he saw previously, this statue was much more detailed. It is carved from a lustrous black stone, and depicts a tall, muscular figure
The figure depicted was a man dressed in spectacular battle armor on the upper part of his body, which highlighted his well-developed muscles. Strangely, this same man was barefoot, with his feet in direct contact with the ground. However, the statue's greatest highlight was the four magnificent wings that protruded from its back
They were very vivid and realistic, giving the impression that the man was about to fly away at any moment
The statue of the man did not have a face, but not because it had deteriorated over time. But rather, because its creator didn't sculpt it in the first place, as if he didn't dare do such a thing, or simply didn't feel talented enough to accomplish such a feat. Instead, a small red diamond-shaped jewel was embedded in the man's forehead
Even though it was clearly just a statue, the figure exuded a feeling of solemnity and transcendence, as if it did not belong to this world. Making everyone who looked at it want to kneel and worship it
In fact, the presence of a kneeler in front of the statue demonstrated that it was here for exactly that purpose. After observing the kneeler for a while, Nikolai's attention was stolen by the two objects the statue was holding, a lamp and a scythe
The statue held the lamp in its right hand, pointing forward as if trying to light the path in front of it. The ancient oil lamp was golden, as if it were made of gold. It was not very large at approximately twelve inches, excluding its handle, and it had a peculiar shape, similar to a sand clock
Strangely enough, this golden oil lamp was still lit. And although its flame was small and weak, the light emitted by it was strong enough to illuminate the entire hall, even if it was more than a hundred meters long. However, what caught the most attention about it was that carved in the center of the lamp was a symbol very familiar to Nikolai — A green snake wrapped in a blood red skull
Nikolai looked at the golden lamp for a while with a thoughtful look, before turning his attention to the other object, which was in the man's left hand, a huge black scythe.
At nearly seven feet long and with an enormous curved blade measuring nearly thirty inches, the black scythe was a weapon to be reckoned with. The design of the sickle was very simple and unlike the golden lamp, it did not have many details or carvings
Furthermore, both on its handle and on its curved blade there were some stains and marks of time, with even rust taking over some parts of it, demonstrating the passage of time. The blade of the scythe lay silently against the ground, as if the man was dividing the land he passed through
This black scythe emanated a very chilling bloody and violent aura, showing that the number of lives it took was not small. Besides, for some reason a dark aura surrounded the ancient scythe. If the golden oil lamp could be described as a sacred object full of grace and light, this scythe could only be described as a demonic item, overtaken by darkness
Despite this, when facing the scythe, Nikolai not only felt no repulsion or disgust, but also a huge attraction, as if he could see the beauty in this cursed item. Fascinated by the statue and the strange objects, Nikolai slowly approached it
As, for some reason, an immense sense of familiarity and connection towards the statue grew with each second. It wasn't as direct a connection as the ones he had after integrating Samir's memories, or as deep a feeling of admiration as when he witnessed the power wielded by the first sinner. No, it was more like the feeling of meeting an old acquaintance you hadn't seen in a long time
With his eyes closed and immersed in this strange feeling of nostalgia, "You're mine now...". Nikolai stretched out his hand, unconsciously touching the statue, "Collect!"
In the next instant, a bizarre scene occurred. As if reality itself heard his words, the statue blinked, before disappearing along with the two objects it held