414: Chapter 40 Fear and Madness_1 414: Chapter 40 Fear and Madness_1 The little valley was quiet and serene, showing no signs of being a land of death surrounded by undead spirits.
Little Deer had ntioned in previous casual chat that the undead used to frequent this valley.
However, for the past two years, she had felt a surge of fear whenever she approached the valley, instinctively steering clear.
She also ntioned that other unintelligent undead spirits behaved the sa way, none had approached this place and there was not a single one dare to pass through the Soul Tunnel anymore.
“Two years ago, it’s very close to the tiline our client ntioned.” said Catherine cautiously.
“Didn’t they say that the area controlled by the undead began to expand about two years ago?
There must be a connection between the two cases.”
The group was on their way to the ancestors’ altar.
The valley where the altar was located had a peculiar layout.
After passing through the Soul Corridor, they could reach the southern half of the valley.
A ridge ran horizontally between the southern and northern halves, effectively blocking the view between the two like a screen.
To finally reach the ancestors’ altar, they had to take a small path around the east side.
The five of them did not ride wolves anymore.
They even left behind their Silver Wolves in the southern half of the valley.
The upcoming battle was likely not sothing that these magical beasts, unable to use Aggression, could participate in, even if they were Gold Rank.
Near the corner of the ridge, everyone prepared their equipnt for the last ti.
Despite knowing that soone might still be in danger and needed their help, everyone had steadied their emotions.
They were all seasoned adventurers and knew that going unprepared at this ti would be tantamount to suicide.
After ensuring that all equipnt and items were in check and their bodies were in the best possible shape for recovery, Catherine waved her hand and was the first to go around the corner and included the northern valley in her view.
“Is this…
the altar?” Catherine was stunned the mont she saw the northern valley.
After a brief pause, she said softly, “The clients ntioned that this should be an altar, a square altar carved from marble, about five ters long and wide.
But why now…”
“Sothing is not right here.” Marcia, who was familiar with the Beastman customs, also spotted what had astonished Catherine and spoke blankly, “The Beastn are certain that this should be an altar, but what’s here now is certainly not an altar.”
“Of course, it’s not an altar.” Lina sighed and remarked in an exasperated tone, “It’s not hard to tell, this is clearly a temple.
No one would mistake a temple for an altar, sothing unpredictable must’ve happened.”
“Look at the top of the temple.” Vivian, who had augnted herself with the Hawkeye Spell, sharply noticed details on the temple roof fifty ters away, “See those shattered boulders?
Unless there’s an unexpected twist, that’s the altar.”
The three ladies looked at Vivian at the sa ti with odd expressions on their faces, “Are you suggesting that this temple…
sprang up from underground?”
Indeed, what stood before them was not the imagined open northern valley with the altar at the center, but a gigantic temple that took up almost the entire valley.
The temple seed strange; it showed signs of erosion everywhere, but its surface was completely void of dirt.
The design of the temple was unique.
Based on its outward appearance, neither Lina, with her knowledge of the Deity’s church, nor Vivian, with her wealth of knowledge could determine which Deity the temple belonged to.
Outside the main entrance of the temple, there should have been a Path of Devotion paved with marble for devout followers to kneel and pray.
On both sides of the Path of Devotion, there should’ve been columns and sculptures representing the magnificence of the God, but they were all gone now, leaving only the temple body intact.
The area of the temple was enormous, even exceeding the total area of many current temple headquarters.
By current room calculations, the temple could accommodate hundreds of rooms.
“It’s unlikely to have sprung up from the ground.” Catherine said with a hint of hesitation, “Let’s not talk about how such a massive temple could have mysteriously sprung up from the ground.
If it had risen from the ground, the surface should’ve been covered with dirt.
But there’s not a speck of it.”
“The problem lies in the complete absence of dirt.” Vivian pointed at the temple, “If it had been here for a while, there should at least have been so dust on the surface.
But there’s none.”
“That’s normal.” Lina interjected seriously, “Any activated temple, whether recognized by the God or not, will naturally be surrounded by a Divine Power once it establishes a connection with the God.
This automatic shielding of Divine Power is extrely mild and practically serves no purpose.
But it has an appealing effect – the exterior of the temple will never be tainted by dirt, just like how the body of a God can never be dirtied.
So, the absence of dirt doesn’t necessarily an anything.”
“Hmm, Pannis, you’ve seen a lot.
What do you think about this…” Catherine turned her head, only to exclaim in surprise, “Pannis, what’s wrong?”
It wasn’t the first ti that the girls had seen Pannis in this state.
Pannis stood still, staring blankly at the temple not far away.
His face had turned deathly pale, he was breathing raggedly, and his lips were trembling, no, his entire body was shaking, just like his expression whenever he woke up from a nightmare.
His legs were trembling severely and could hardly support his weight; his cheeks and forehead were beading with sweat, which quickly dripped from his chin and wet his clothes, making them look as if they had been drenched with water.
His hair was quickly soaked with perspiration and clung to his face.
The dagger held in his hand was completely unstable and seed as if it could fall to the ground at any mont.
“Pannis, what’s going on?” In the girls’ minds, Pannis had been well-inford and competent since they left the Crying Cave.
Although he often did foolish things, he remained composed no matter what ca his way, save for the nightmares he feared the most.
But now, Pannis was clearly not dreaming, yet he was displaying the sa symptoms.
His every move betrayed a deep-seated fear and frenzy.
“Impossible, it shouldn’t appear here, absolutely impossible, impossible, impossible.
How can there be no solution?
There’s always a solution to everything, how can there be such insoluble things, let think, let think again, I am perfect, I am the most powerful, there can’t be any problems that I can’t solve, it’s absolutely impossible.”
“No, no, I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid at all.
I am perfect, I am fearless, I will never be afraid.
No one can make fearful.
Death…why should I fear death?
I am a perfect being, I should face death with composure.
I am not afraid, I am not afraid, I should not be afraid.”
“I am a sinner, I am a sinner, I am a sinner.
She died at my hands, I killed her, it was , it was , I am guilty.
No, no, I am perfect, I can’t be guilty, I can’t make mistakes, I am not a sinner.
I am a perfect saint.
No, no, I’m not perfect, I have never been perfect.
It’s all lies.
I’m just a weakling incapable of standing up to the strong.
I am just an ordinary person who is capable of fear.
No, I am not, I am a perfect saint, a perfect hero, no, I am, I am, an ordinary person, an ordinary person, an ordinary person.”
“I am scared, I am scared, I am scared.
I can’t face it anymore, I can’t go through it again, I want to leave, leave, leave.”
Pannis squatted on the ground, clutching his trembling head, muttering to himself at a rapid pace.
His blurred sentences were so unclear that no one could tell what he was saying.
The ladies could only perceive that his ntal defenses were becoming more and more chaotic, increasingly on the brink of collapse.
“Pannis, wake up.” Catherine took a deep breath and let out a powerful shout.
The sentences uttered with her knight’s battle cry ability hit Pannis with a strong shock and attack force, pulling him from his confusion: “What exactly happened?”
“Go, go, leave this place.” Pannis raised his pale face in a daze and said hoarsely, “Leave now, don’t stay here anymore, leave imdiately.”
“What exactly are you afraid of?” Pannis’ sudden loss of composure gave the ladies a peculiar feeling.
But Catherine, still fearlessly said, “Are you afraid of this temple?
Is there danger in the temple?”
“No, the temple is safe, no, I’m not scared,” Pannis said disjointedly, “No, no, I’m scared.
There’s no danger, but go away quickly.
I don’t want to stay here anymore.
Leave right now.”
Catherine’s determined gaze stayed on Pannis’ face.
After a mont, she said solemnly, “But if you don’t want to stay, why don’t you run away?”
“I can’t run, I am perfect, I am resolute, I can’t run.” Pannis, still in a daze, confusedly said, “I am not scared, I will not run away.
No, no, I am scared, I want to leave.”
“Okay, I understand.” Catherine sighed quietly, “Although I can’t guess what happened to you, I think I understand a bit more now.
But, are you really leaving?
We won’t retreat, so will you abandon and run away from here on your own?”
“I don’t want to go in, I don’t want to see this place again, I want to leave, the further the better, the further the better.” Pannis tremblingly spoke.
“Even abandon us?” Catherine asked.
“Run, run!” Pannis shouted hysterically, “Run now, now!”
“Then you leave.” Catherine sighed softly, “Goodbye, Pannis.”
Upon hearing this, Pannis, as if relieved, turned around and ran.
“Only those willing to reach out their hand to salvation will be saved.
We are not exceptions.” Catherine shouted after Pannis’ retreating figure, “If you choose to evade this ti, you will never have the courage to seek salvation again, Pannis.”
Pannis hesitated for a mont, turned around, glanced at Catherine, then resolutely kept running towards the valley.
In that mont when he turned his head around, in Pannis’ chaotic gaze, it seed that he saw that pair of eyes again.
Eyes filled with sympathy, pitty, reluctance, and love.
Was it Nellie’s eyes?
Or Catherine’s?
Pannis was so speedy that he disappeared from the girls’ view almost instantly, and he never looked back again.
(To be continued.
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