Chapter 75: Temple of Freeza
Caelum and Bonjour carefully observed their surroundings after arriving in the strange new region.
Ahead of them stood enormous trees whose leaves resembled crystallized ice instead of ordinary foliage.
Even the smaller shrubs scattered across the land possessed translucent icy branches, while flowers made from delicate frost quietly bloomed beneath them.
The entire place looked unreal.
Almost dreamlike.
"They actually look beautiful..." Caelum muttered while staring at the frozen vegetation surrounding them.
Bonjour, however, remained more focused on their current situation.
"But where exactly is the temple you mentioned?" he asked while glancing around cautiously.
"According to Zusur, once we arrived here, someone would eventually sense our presence and guide us," Caelum replied.
"For now, let’s keep moving first."
Neither of them felt comfortable remaining at the same location in such a mysterious place.
Thus, the two boys continued walking deeper into the crystalline forest.
After approximately the amount of time required to unload a dishwasher.
A sudden rustling sound echoed nearby.
Both boys immediately stopped moving.
Their expressions sharpened as they instinctively prepared for battle.
However, before either of them could react further, an overwhelming pressure suddenly descended upon them.
Their bodies instantly became stiff and immobile.
Then a gigantic creature slowly emerged from between the icy trees.
It was a reindeer.
A massive reindeer nearly fifty feet tall with enormous branching antlers that resembled ancient frozen trees.
Its eyes alone were larger than the two boys combined.
The colossal beast lowered its head slightly before speaking in an unknown language neither of them could understand.
After noticing their blank expressions, the reindeer coughed lightly.
BOOOOM!
The surrounding area trembled from that single cough alone while a strange divine aura spread outward.
Then, the words became understandable.
"Oh deer... a human and a barbarian?" the gigantic reindeer muttered while staring at them curiously.
"How did two little brats like you even arrive here? This is a protected region."
Caelum quickly calmed himself before answering.
"I wouldn’t exactly say we intentionally came here," he replied carefully while unconsciously infusing slight Qi into his voice.
"A dead knight directed us toward this place so we could escape the trapped region outside."
The reindeer blinked slowly.
"Oh deer... interesting."
Then its enormous eyes narrowed slightly while observing Caelum more carefully.
"You possess rather unusual energy," it commented thoughtfully.
"And as for the dead knight... yes, I vaguely remember someone like that arriving here a very long time ago."
The reindeer paused briefly before continuing.
"So you want to leave this place? But it isn’t my decision whether you can or cannot leave," the beast said calmly.
"Still, I can bring you to a dealer."
’Dealer...?’ Caelum repeated inwardly with confusion.
He and Bonjour exchanged strange looks.
The word sounded incredibly suspicious coming from a gigantic divine reindeer.
Still, neither of them dared question it openly.
The creature before them was simply too powerful.
Even Caelum could not properly grasp its level of strength through his senses.
Fortunately, according to Zusur, this reindeer should be a subordinate serving under Freeza.
So at the very least, it likely did not intend to harm them.
Thus, both boys cautiously followed alongside the gigantic creature.
After walking for a short while, the reindeer suddenly looked down at them again.
"Oh deer... at this pace, we probably won’t arrive until after dinner," it commented casually.
"Just climb onto my back."
Bonjour hesitated briefly before jumping upward first.
Caelum followed shortly afterward by stepping along the reindeer’s massive leg before climbing onto its back using his aura.
The moment both boys settled themselves properly, the reindeer spoke again.
"Oh deer... what unusual physiques you two possess."
Then its enormous body lowered slightly.
"Hold on tightly."
BOOOOM!
The gigantic reindeer burst forward at terrifying speed.
The frozen forest itself seemed to part before it as enormous crystalline trees bent away from its path while the surrounding scenery blurred instantly.
***
Caelum and Bonjour stared ahead in complete daze at the enormous structure standing before them.
The building looked like a strange fusion between an ancient temple and a colossal fortress.
Its sheer scale alone felt unbelievable.
Even the gigantic reindeer that had carried them here now appeared small in comparison.
The structure stretched endlessly upward while enormous frozen pillars supported massive halls carved from silver-blue stone.
Countless mysterious symbols were engraved across its walls, while gigantic statues of beasts stood guard near the entrance as though silently observing everything that approached.
There were also murals spread across the outer walls.
Ancient battles.
Unknown races.
Monstrous creatures.
Falling skies.
Each image looked less like decoration and more like fragments of a forgotten history.
However, the moment Caelum tried focusing too deeply on one particular mural, a sudden headache assaulted his mind.
His vision blurred instantly.
"Ugh..." he muttered while pressing a hand against his forehead.
Beside him, Bonjour appeared to suffer the exact same reaction.
Clearly, whatever was depicted on those walls was not something ordinary people were meant to look at.
Then, a gentle wind surrounded both boys.
Before they could react, they were lifted off the reindeer’s back through invisible magic and placed onto the frozen ground below.
The gigantic reindeer lowered its head slightly before speaking once more.
"Oh deer... just head inside," it said casually.
"You’ll find the dealer there."
Then without waiting for another response, the enormous beast disappeared into the snowy distance at terrifying speed.
Neither Caelum nor Bonjour noticed it, but the moment they arrived near this location, several even more terrifying existences hidden deep within the temple had already shifted their attention toward them.
"I really don’t have a good feeling about this..." Bonjour muttered quietly while rubbing his arms.
For some reason, despite his powerful barbarian physique, he suddenly felt cold.
Caelum slowly nodded.
"...Let’s just enter."
Truthfully, he was also feeling cold.
And strangely enough, the chill did not merely affect his body.
Even his soul felt cold.
Then, a soft melodious voice echoed from somewhere nearby.
The moment it sounded, the surrounding temperature dropped even further.
"What do you think?"
The voice paused briefly.
"Does a perfect being truly exist?"
