Li Xiang stepped onto the smooth ground.
Shrouded in a thick mist, the twelve members of the investigation team gathered around the first column on the left side of the temple's outer hall. Each of them wore high-tech glasses designed to transmit images directly to the large screen back on the ship.
"A depiction of the Valkyrie's campaign?" Adashino muttered softly.
The images engraved on the column, now displayed clearly on the screen, showed Morgan le Fay as a Valkyrie, standing at the center. Behind her was a vast, densely packed army. The most prominent figures were two knights flanking her war chariot—one large, gorilla-like knight wielding a broadsword and another, smaller figure that seemed to be a female knight. Due to the simplistic lines, their facial features were not clear.
Opposite them stood a classic fortress, complete with a moat and a tightly drawn drawbridge.
Li Xiang cast a levitation spell and floated up to the top of the column.
The capital of the column was adorned with three circular panels, each inscribed with decorative crow-like markings. Around the edges, there were intricate carvings of Morgan le Fay riding her two-horse chariot.
"The column is made of marble, about twenty meters tall. Apart from the crow and chariot symbols, there's nothing else of note," Li Xiang reported after thoroughly inspecting it.
He floated back down to the ground, joining Illyana and the rest of the team, who stood close together. The temple was eerily silent except for the sound of their voices echoing in the mist.
"Should we split up?" Li Xiang asked.
"Based on external measurements, this temple is about 100 meters long, 60 meters wide, and 25 meters tall. Overall, it's not that large, about the size of a soccer field. We're probably still in the outer hall, which is smaller. There's no need to split up right now. Our priority is finding the temple's main entrance," Illyana explained while swinging her flashlight. Despite the powerful beam, the light barely penetrated half a meter into the fog.
Li Xiang nodded. Adashino was commanding from afar, while Illyana was leading on-site. Since she had already made the decision, no one voiced any objections.
Observing the situation, Li Xiang speculated, "This mist must be part of a spell designed to block out light."
Illyana didn't respond immediately. She knelt down and touched the smooth, white stone floor.
"The mist is indeed a light-blocking spell, but it's not just that. The floor itself is made from a special phosphorescent stone. Normally, phosphorescent stones absorb light during the day and emit it in the dark, producing a silvery glow. However, this particular type seems to only absorb light," Illyana explained as she stood up, her face grave. "We need to be cautious. Whoever built this temple went through the trouble of sourcing these unique stones for a reason—likely tied to some sort of mechanism or creature that depends on the floor for energy."
"Understood."
Li Xiang gripped his projected spear tightly and moved slowly into the deeper parts of the temple, his senses on high alert. The team maintained a formation with about 30 centimeters between each person, moving in a circular pattern to cover all angles.
According to the digital readout on his glasses, they were required to check in every ten minutes.
"Stay alert, we've moved about 30 meters in," Illyana reminded the group.
Li Xiang swept his flashlight over another column. Every five meters or so, there was a new pillar, all with the same designs they'd seen before. Nothing seemed to change.
Then, suddenly, a scream pierced the darkness.
Instinctively, Li Xiang turned, but the mist obscured his view.
For a moment, chaos erupted around him as magical energy flared from his teammates.
"Don't panic! Hold your fire! Everyone, back-to-back!" Illyana quickly ordered, ensuring no one would accidentally injure an ally in the confusion.
The scream had lasted only a few seconds.
Li Xiang felt unnervingly calm, a cold detachment settling over him, sharpening his thoughts as if he were preparing for a crisis.
The twelve of them gathered in a tight circle.
Wait, twelve?
Li Xiang's eyes narrowed. If all twelve of them were here, then who had screamed? Or worse, had something infiltrated their group?
As they stood close enough to see each other's faces, nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
Could it be possession or mind control?
Li Xiang discreetly summoned a faint magic circle in the palm of his hand.
"Illyana," he called out.
"Yeah? What is it, Li Xiang?" Illyana, already on edge, nearly jumped at his voice, drawing the attention of the rest of the team.
"Soul Resistance!"
A burst of energy erupted from Li Xiang's right arm, sending a shockwave of magic through the air.
"Li Xiang, what are you doing?" Illyana demanded, startled but quickly catching on.
Soul Resistance, a first-level spell from the Evocation Department, was used to check for the purity of one's soul.
If Li Xiang was using it, he must have a reason.
She turned toward the nearest teammate.
Everyone except Li Xiang had a faint blue glow around them.
"McIntosh Sapp! He's being controlled!" Illyana shouted, noticing the black smoke rising from Sapp's body.
Before anyone else could react, Li Xiang's spear thrust forward, cutting through the air with precision.
Clang!
Sapp's right arm, now covered in bronze-colored scales like a dragon's, blocked the spear's tip.
What the hell is that?
Amidst the shocked gazes of the other teammates, Li Xiang's spear crackled with orange sparks, which quickly accelerated and transformed into flaming projectiles aimed directly at Sapp's face.
The entity possessing Sapp hadn't expected such a quick change in tactics.
It howled in pain.
Sapp's face was now a burned, charred mess, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air.
Seeing the rest of the team ready themselves to attack, Illyana held them back. "Everyone, except Li Xiang, stay together and don't engage! The lighting is too poor—you might accidentally hit him."
Li Xiang remained expressionless as the fireballs hit their mark. At the same time, his spear swept upward, aiming straight for Sapp's right eye.
But Sapp, though disoriented by the burns, had anticipated the move and shifted just enough for his scales to block the blow.
Clang.
Again, the spear was deflected.
Sapp had learned from the earlier attack. Now, his face and arms were fully covered in scales, transforming him into a grotesque, lizard-like creature.
Ugly.
Li Xiang frowned but didn't hesitate. His spear moved with lightning speed, feinting toward Sapp's eyes before quickly darting toward his heart, then shifting downward toward his groin as Sapp moved to block.
As Li Xiang's rapid thrusts continued testing Sapp's defenses, distant cries of alarm suddenly erupted from other teammates nearby, signaling more enemies had appeared.