NOVPUB
Chapter 790: Chapter 801 Grim Reaper Envoy
"No, there’s absolutely no movable part." Bruto placed his hands on his hips, looking up at the statue almost twice his height, "I swear on my dwarf honor, there are absolutely no mechanisms inside these two statues, nor are they stone golems of any kind."
"Hmm..." Lancelot moved behind the dwarf, stroking the stubble on his chin, "These two scythes seem to be real... Can you pull them out?"
"I noticed that too, but no, I’ve already tried," Bruto shook his head. "There must be some special structure inside the statue’s palm that locks the handle of the weapon in place; it’s a common stone-working technique..."
"Is that so." Lancelot scratched his head, looking toward the somewhat trance-like vampire girl, "This is the temple of the former Lord of the Dead, can you discern anything?"
The undead blessed by Cranvo looked at the stone gate and the statues on both sides, suddenly speaking:
"In the name of the Lord of the Netherworld who oversees the dead, I command you to appear, guardians of the Reaper!"
Her voice carried a unique rhythm, but after she finished speaking, it seemed like nothing had changed. Just as little Isha was about to try something else, two translucent, smoky skeletal faces suddenly appeared in the statues, speaking in a slow, hollow voice:
"Who... has awakened... the tomb guardians..."
"It’s me." Isha stepped forward, "Can’t you see the mark of the Lord of the Dead on me?"
"...Strange mark... but indeed belongs to the Lord of the Dead..."
The reluctant skeletal apparitions spoke, then flew forward from the statues, revealing their cloaked and hooded figures floating in the air like ghosts, while the long scythes that the dwarf could not pull out earlier inexplicably appeared in their hands.
Seeing the blades gleaming coldly, the human knight cautiously drew his Frostslash, and the others also raised their weapons, but Isha stood fearlessly in place, still circled by the two gruesome shadows.
"...Respected phalanges... we obey... command us... please..."
"What’s behind this stone gate?" The calm vampire girl asked.
"...Sanctum..."
"Open the stone gate; we want to go in."
"We cannot do it... the correct sacrifice must be offered... only then will the door open..."
"What is the correct sacrifice?"
"Fill the blood pool with fresh blood..."
"Offer skulls on the altar..."
The two skeletal apparitions spoke simultaneously, pointing to the entrances of two passages on the side of the hall. Isha looked in the direction the apparitions were pointing, then turned to Lancelot and quietly asked:
"Brother, what else should I ask?"
"Who stood in front of the stone gate the last three times it was opened? How long ago was it?"
"...We only awaken when summoned and cannot perceive the passage of time..." The skeletal apparitions replied but did not deny answering because Lancelot asked, "As for who was there when the door opened... the last time it was a group of old women... the time before that, Peyton Derrick... and before that, Peyton Derrick too... but he was not a Lich then..." 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝙗.𝒄𝒐𝒎
"Is that all?" Lancelot furrowed his eyebrows, "What did Peyton come here for the second time?"
"...Don’t know... if the sacrifice is correct... we open the door... if not... we kill..."
"It looks like we will have to find the answers ourselves..." Lancelot shrugged, "This side is for blood, that side for skulls, right?"
"...Yes..."
"Very well. By the way, can you... uh, command the remaining undead creatures here not to attack us?"
"...No... they are the cursed ones... they can only fight ceaselessly... until they are destroyed... only then can they be liberated..."
"Alright." Lancelot nodded, "Thank you. We’ll see you in a bit."
"...Any more orders? Respected knuckle..."
"That is all... Ah yes, one more thing." Little Issa puffed out her chest solemnly, "The Lord of the Dead is now named Cranvo, and His envoy should be formally addressed as the Harbinger of the End. Please remember these."
"...As you wish..."
"Very well. In the name of the Lord of the Dead, you may leave."
After Little Issa finished speaking, the two skeletal shades flew backwards and eventually disappeared into the statues. Once again, tranquility was restored in the hall, and her companions looked at Little Issa with a new perspective, making her somewhat embarrassed.
"We’ve got quite the unique group here," Bruto remarked, "a priest of the God of Love, a disciple of the Queen of Ravens, a devotee of the Goddess of Magic, and now an envoy of the Lord of the Dead. Am I the only one without some mighty backing here besides my old man?"
"Who said that, don’t I lack it too?"
"Isn’t that called lacking? Prince of Twin Bridges Town?"
"Tijana isn’t a goddess..."
"I think she’s more reliable than a goddess, able to help us when we couldn’t defeat Visuvius..."
"Hmm, that does make some sense. But it’s not like you don’t have someone behind you..."
"Do I? Who?"
"Me."
"..."
"What’s wrong, not enough?"
"Damn, you got me..."
Amidst the laughter, the group had already entered a passageway on the side of the hall. The darkness engulfed them like dense fog, keeping the light from the Hammer of Dissolution within fifteen feet; occasional icy droplets fell from the ceiling, striking their armor with grotesque clanging sounds; corners seemed to host shifting shadows, but a closer look revealed nothing, casting doubt on whether it was mere imagination or something truly there.
Lancelot didn’t waste effort pondering the cause of these phenomena, as he was well aware they were just a ploy to instil fear in the hearts of outsiders—a taste very much in line with the previous predecessors of the Grim Reaper. However, once the appetizer was over, the main course was up next.
Having left the narrow, eerie corridor, the group once again entered a rather spacious room. The moment the last person set foot inside, torches fixed on the walls suddenly ignited with blue flames, illuminating the scene within the room.
"Shit!" Bruto cursed involuntarily, "Damn, what the hell are these? Scared me to death!"
"Torture chamber, obviously."
Lancelot answered in a chilling tone, his gaze sweeping over the room’s Iron Maiden, stocks, sawing frames, and other torture devices. The last victims of these devices were still there, their flesh long gone, yet the group felt as though they could still see their twisted faces in death and hear their silent screams.
Suddenly, all the skeletons’ heads shot up and turned toward the group’s direction.
"Ah, just as expected." Lancelot instantly drew Frostslash, "Everyone be careful not to shatter the skulls; we still need them as offerings later..."
