"Hah~"
The deeper Arov descended, the thinner the oxygen became in the spiral staircase.
Yet, he felt a strange, intoxicating ecstasy, his vision starting to blur.
Suddenly, Arov opened his eyes and slapped his cheeks with both hands.
Fortunately, he regained his senses. His eyes widened as he realized something.
'It's not the oxygen that's thinning here. There's an aroma inducing this odd sensation,' Arov muttered to himself.
He paused to think, an idea forming in his mind. 'Can [Amir's Cloak] exclude this aroma?' he murmured, as though attempting to communicate with the cloak he wore.
There was no response, but thankfully, a faint golden-purple light began to shimmer softly and steadily.
As the intoxicating sensation faded, Arov's breathing gradually stabilized.
Moving cautiously, he ensured each step was silent.
Beneath the altar, he felt an aura of energy growing denser and colder.
After unlocking a secret seal, the floor beneath him revealed a path leading to steep stone steps.
Following the dark path, Arov felt an irresistible pull urging him forward, though his instincts screamed of imminent danger.
At the end of the staircase, a vast chamber opened up before him.
A thin, purple mist filled the space, mingling with the metallic scent of something far more ancient.
As far as his eyes could see, there was only this unending purple haze.
Arov moved cautiously, letting his body pass through the mist, prepared for anything that might occur.
He deduced what the mist might be but wasn't entirely certain.
In the center of the room, Arov discovered a large, black crystal artifact faintly glowing under the purple light.
Within it were ancient inscriptions, vibrating as if something alive resided within.
Arov approached the crystal, and for a moment, whispers filled his mind, revealing hints about a mysterious ritual capable of amplifying Abyss energy.
"This artifact… could it be some kind of energy catalyst?" he murmured, his eyes locked on the inscriptions carved into the crystal's surface.
Suddenly, a blue screen appeared before him.
[You have discovered the Divinity Crystal. The system recommends storing it in your inventory.]
[Store? (Y/N)]
Arov tapped the rectangular blue screen, and a brief description appeared before him.
[Divinity Crystal
An artifact used since ancient times to contain divinity…
Capacity: 101.1752904.../1,000]
"Could this be the product of the worshippers above?" Arov quickly stored the artifact. A blue light surrounded the Divinity Crystal, and it vanished with it.
He checked his inventory, confirming the artifact was now safely within.
As Arov prepared to leave the area, a peculiar glow caught his eye.
In the corner of the room, Arov found an older sacrificial site, unlike anything he had seen above.
There were traces of blood, long dried and hundreds of years old, forming mysterious patterns on the floor.
The surrounding walls were adorned with ancient paintings depicting a dark entity absorbing the power of sacrifices.
When Arov touched one of the symbols on the floor, he briefly saw a shadow of an entity resembling the giant statue in the plaza above.
The shadow appeared to be reaching out, as if trying to escape from another dimension.
As quickly as it appeared, the shadow vanished, leaving Arov with a profound sense of dread.
Near the sacrificial site, Arov found an ancient scroll made from old animal hide.
The writings were in an ancient language, difficult to decipher.
Even so, Arov managed to understand most of the text.
"The Ritual of Darkness... to fully open the Abyss Gate..." Arov hissed, reading the words filled with horrifying spells and instructions.
The scroll revealed the ultimate goal of the Abyss worshippers—a ritual requiring far greater sacrifices, allowing the Abyss to gain full dominion over this world.
If this ritual were carried out, Abyss energy would not remain confined to this place but would spread, flooding the entire world.
Arov gripped the scroll tightly. His heart raced just thinking about it.
His resolve grew stronger—he had to stop this plan!
Unbeknownst to him, a golden shimmer flickered within his pupils.
Golden threads also appeared at the edges of his vision, as if pointing toward a destination.