"Oh, you haven't heard?" Quicks said, his voice low and cautious. "There have been many who tried to enter that temple over the years, hoping to gain blessings from the ancient gods. But even after generations of effort, no one has made it to the deepest part of the temple. It's blocked by some kind of barrier."
He leaned forward and continued, "They say that a certain statue is needed to unlock that barrier. But the temple was built ages ago, long before our Great Lord took control of the Astral Plane, and any information about it is hard to come by. Finding that statue in such a vast star world would be like finding a needle in a haystack."
Charlie , better known as Green Lantern, raised an eyebrow. "But isn't there a rumor that your alliance has the statue?" he asked, testing their reaction.
Mercury's face turned pale, and he stammered, "No, that's… that's just a rumor! Our alliance has heard bits and pieces, yes, but nothing confirmed. Most of the search teams we sent out haven't even returned…"
Charlie knew they didn't have the statue because, in fact, he held it himself. He'd only asked to see if they would reveal any other leads. Realizing that he might be closer to finding the temple's secrets than he thought, Charlie's mind raced with possibilities. If he couldn't capture the missing commander quickly, maybe he could reach the temple first, awaken the ancient god, and gain its power.
Of course, he knew trusting an ancient god was risky, but it was still an option worth exploring if nothing else worked.
After a few more questions, Charlie was convinced these aliens knew little more about the commander. The Lantern Ring's lie-detection abilities ensured that the information he received was trustworthy.
He decided to try one last thing. "Do you have a star map?" he asked, figuring it was a long shot.
Surprisingly, they handed him a map. It was an abstract, complex map with strange symbols, but Charlie used the Lantern Ring to scan and download the data directly. Now he had it stored in his ring, accessible anytime he needed it.
The map, titled The New Edition of Yefgorn's Astral Map, marked each star field, star gate, and important planet with clear detail, showing him exactly where the major facilities were located.
Just as he turned to leave, Charlie noticed something odd. The inner hall was nearly destroyed by his meteor strike, reduced to piles of rubble. But curiously, there was one section of the floor that remained perfectly intact, untouched by the blast. The surrounding area had cracked and shattered, yet this section of the floor seemed as solid as ever, its material noticeably stronger.
Charlie turned back and held up his right fist. The Lantern Ring emitted a green light that scanned the undamaged area, and a notification appeared in his mind.
"Extra space detected: hollow structures below," the ring's voice reported.
"Oh? What did we find here?" Charlie murmured, intrigued.
He activated his ring, forming green light into giant shovels to clear the rubble. As the dust settled, he noticed a strange, keyhole-shaped opening in the floor. The aliens around him watched in horror, their eyes wide with fear. Mercury shouted in panic, "There's nothing down there! Don't look!"
"Lie detected," the ring announced.
Charlie smirked and summoned the most cowardly alien—the soft, pink one he'd questioned earlier. With a slight flick of his finger, the creature floated helplessly toward him, its face twisted in fear and resignation.
Why me, every time? its expression seemed to say.
Charlie merely gave him a cold look, and the alien crumbled under the pressure, spilling everything he knew.
"We don't know much! We just know that this area is off-limits. We aren't allowed down there! Our leader said it's somehow connected to the temple. Apparently, even if you have the statue, you still need something else to get past the barrier in the temple…" His voice was shaky and desperate.
"Truthful," the ring confirmed.
"Good job," Charlie said, letting go of his hold. The pink alien collapsed to the ground, relieved to be free.
Turning back to the keyhole-shaped opening, Charlie examined it closely. It was narrow and deep, with patterns that looked like they were made for a key. There was no key in sight, but that didn't stop him. He held out his fist and directed the Lantern Ring's energy toward the keyhole, creating a green light that filled the gap, slowly taking shape inside the narrow slot.
With a slight twist of his hand, the light solidified, forming the shape of a key. A deep rumbling echoed from within the floor.
The ground shook as Charlie adjusted the green light into the right shape. As he removed the light construct, the floor buzzed, and a hidden door opened slowly, revealing a dark passageway below.
The aliens around him were stunned.
"Didn't you say only the leader's key could open this?" one of them muttered. "How did he open it so easily?"
With a wave of his hand, Charlie created green cages around each of the aliens, trapping them before they could react. "Wait here. I'll be back," he commanded, stepping through the hidden door. "Don't move—I might have more questions for you when I get back."
The aliens could only stare, bewildered and trapped.
Charlie floated down the dark passage, which was narrow and dimly lit. It stretched out like a long tunnel, and the air felt heavy, as though filled with ancient secrets. But his Lantern Ring's force field surrounded him like a shield, and he moved forward without fear.
After a short distance, the narrow tunnel opened up, leading to a large, hidden chamber. The sight before him was breathtaking: it was a lush, green world, almost like a jungle, filled with strange plants and flowers.
He walked forward, the plants growing denser and more colorful around him. Some were bright red and blue, their petals glistening as if they were covered in dew. Others seemed to move slightly, almost as if they were alive. A bright red flower opened its petals as he approached, shivering as if it sensed his presence.
Charlie moved carefully through the jungle-like clearing, his eyes scanning the area. Then he saw something lying on the ground ahead.
It was a person, lying face-down and motionless.
The figure looked human, but it was hard to tell from this distance if they were dead or alive.