Despite being subrged for millennia, the stones looked pristine, as though ti had stopped. The surfaces were smooth and radiant, showing no signs of wear.
"So, could these stones be the reason the castle's residents perished?" Michael asked.
"[Most likely. Living atop a god's domain rarely ends well for anyone, miao,]" Miaomiao replied grimly.
"That ans, for us to live here, we'd need to remove all these stones. Is that even possible, Grandfather?" Michael asked.
"It might be easier to tear the castle down and rebuild it," Alfred said, his voice heavy with contemplation as he studied the inscriptions. Find more adventures on My Virtual Library Empire
Michael shared his grandfather's sentints. If that were the case...
"Miaomiao, do you think you could translate all the writing on these stones?"
"[I think I can, but it'll take so ti, miao,]" she replied. Leaping off Michael's shoulder, she dove into the water and swam gracefully, her green eyes glowing as she examined the stones.
After a while, she surfaced and began to read aloud.
"[I'll summarize the important parts, miao. 'Those who tread upon this land without offering worship will incur the wrath of the goddess. Oh, Goddess, vanquish the vile Radiance and return to us. With this plea, we leave the last remnants of the goddess's power in the lake.']"
Michael turned to Alfred, his gaze firm. "This explains why only the nobles died. The servants and villagers would have always been bowing their heads and behaving respectfully."
"That seems likely," Alfred agreed. "You ntioned there's a lake nearby, didn't you?"
"Yes. We need to go there. If I can absorb or eliminate the remnants of the goddess's power, the castle should be safe."
"I agree. Let's head there."
At that mont, Miaomiao called out, "[Wait! There's another inscription—it looks like it was added later. It's carved into a large cornerstone.]"
Michael turned back. "Read it for us."
"[It's also in an ancient script, but it seems more advanced than the earlier one—probably written around 2,000 years later, miao. It says: 'During the establishnt of this outpost, a detachnt stationed near the lake was found dead. Their bodies bore no injuries but were covered in a thick layer of dust, exuding an ominous aura. Alard, we left imdiately. The local tribes say this happens every year around this ti. The deceased were found near the lake, with no wounds or signs of disease. This serves as a grim reminder of sothing sinister in the lake. Therefore, I, General Tiberius, declare this area forbidden and warn all to stay away.']"
Michael listened to the warning and fell deep into thought. Dust-covered bodies with no injuries, a goddess of ashes and fire, an ominous energy—his mind began piecing it all together.
"A volcanic lake!" Michael exclaid.
He recalled stories of volcanic craters that, even thousands of years after an eruption, still released harmful gases and particles that made the area uninhabitable. This would explain the unnaturally clear water—mineral-rich hot spring water must be flowing in from the crater.
"Grandfather, there might still be a volcanic crater beneath the lake. If the Goddess of Ashes and Fire was once enshrined here, it makes sense that she would be associated with a volcano. The clear water, the dust-covered corpses—it all fits. The goddess's remaining power must be causing these disasters."
His heartbeat quickened. If the volcano were to erupt, it could be catastrophic.
Michael and Alfred hurried out of the basent and climbed onto Marcus's back.
"Marcus, as a red dragon, you should be able to sense volcanic activity. Is there a crater beneath the lake?"
"[Uh... When I was searching for ore, I wasn't paying attention to that. But if I concentrate, I should be able to tell,]" Marcus replied.
"Then let's go quickly. We need to resolve this," Michael urged.
Spreading his wings, Marcus soared toward the lake. As they circled the area, Marcus suddenly shouted, "[Here it is, Michael! There's a crater beneath the lake. But there's sothing strange—there are structures near both the lake and the crater.]"
They had found it.
The castle builders must have reused parts of an ancient temple that had been exposed over ti. While it seed impossible by conventional wisdom to construct a subterranean temple near a volcanic crater, this was no ordinary world.
"[Michael, I can sense the presence of a powerful force within the temple. It seems to be suppressing a potential volcanic eruption, miao,]" Miaomiao warned.
Michael hesitated. Would absorbing this power trigger the volcano? Yet, leaving the temple as it was ant the castle would remain unusable.
"I'm not sure what we should do, but we should start by examining the temple," Michael suggested.
Alfred nodded in agreent.
They discarded their tal equipnt and entered the cold water of the lake. Though frigid, it was bearable. Miaomiao and Marcus followed close behind.
As they descended, a massive barrier surrounding the subrged temple ca into view. The structure exuded an otherworldly aura, a blend of mystery and foreboding.
Miaomiao swam ahead, pressing her paw against the barrier. It responded like a living organism, parting to create an opening.
"[Deciphering and disabling barriers is a unique ability of sphinxes, miao,]" she explained, noticing Michael's curious gaze.
Michael was quietly thrilled at the versatility of her abilities.
Inside the barrier, the water vanished, replaced by an atmosphere that felt as if they'd stepped into another world. They could breathe and walk as though on dry land.
The group explored the temple. Massive pillars adorned with intricate patterns towered above them, and ancient inscriptions were etched across the walls.
"I can sense the remnants of an outer god here," Alfred murmured. "It seems that without worshippers for millennia, the deity has faded, leaving only this fragnt of its power behind."
Michael felt reassured by this. If it was rely the remnants of an outer god's power, he could absorb it without issue.
As they ventured deeper into the temple, the walls were lined with murals.
The first depicted a beautiful woman with four arms wielding fire, commanding volcanoes.
The subsequent murals grew darker. They showed a war, though the primary combatants were not humans. Giants, known only from legends, were locked in battle with the goddess, whose fiery resistance was vividly portrayed.
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