Chapter 326: Deeper into Ruined Chamber
Adam stood still in the center of the ruined library, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly. The Compass of Desire was still pointing firmly at the sealed door, but something else tugged at his senses.
*’There’s something down there...’* he thought, focusing his Hunter’s Tri-Sense beneath the cracked stone floor. A faint but distinct pulse of ancient mana resonated from below.
Without warning, Adam crouched and activated one of his skills.
[ Burrow - Activated ].
His body melted into the ground like liquid shadow. The stone parted around him as though it were water. The sensation was strange— cool, heavy pressure surrounding him from all sides. He had to hold his breath as he "swam" downward through solid earth and rock.
Seconds later, his hand closed around a small, cold object buried beneath the floor. He grabbed it tightly and immediately swam back up, bursting out of the ground near the center of the chamber with a spray of dust and stone.
Lilith’s eyes widened in alarm. "Adam!" she exclaimed, silver threads shooting out instinctively as if ready to pull him back.
Ignis jumped back in surprise, flames flaring. "Whoa! Adam just dove into the ground like a giant worm!"
Adam stood up, brushing dirt from his clothes, and opened his palm. Resting there was an ornate pendant made of dark metal, shaped like a perfect circle with a serpent devouring its own tail— the Ouroboros symbol. The pendant gave off a faint but steady pulse of mana.
"What is this...?" he muttered, holding it up so the others could see. "Is this the key?"
The moment the pendant was exposed, the massive metal door at the far end of the chamber reacted. The carved Ouroboros symbols on its surface glowed with a soft, synchronized light, matching the pendant’s energy.
Lilith stepped closer, her expression shifting from worry to intrigue.
"You felt something buried under the floor and just... dove in without saying anything?" she said, voice laced with a mix of relief and scolding. "You scared me for a second."
Ignis crossed her arms, still looking a bit indignant. "Yeah! You looked like a giant purple worm disappearing into the dirt!"
Adam gave a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry. I didn’t want to waste time. The compass led us here, and I sensed this thing calling from below."
Azrynn stared at the pendant with wide eyes. "That symbol... it’s the same as the one on the door. If anything can open it, that pendant probably is the key."
Isolde studied the pendant carefully, her Crimson Blossom Crown pulsing faintly.
"Be cautious. Ancient keys often come with conditions... or curses."
Adam held the Ouroboros pendant firmly and walked toward the sealed door, the rest of the group following closely behind.
The symbols on the door grew brighter the closer he got.
The moment the two symbols touched, a low hum filled the chamber.
The carved serpent on the door flared brightly, its eyes glowing with ancient power. A series of loud metallic clicks and grinding sounds echoed as hidden mechanisms within the door awakened after centuries of dormancy. Slowly, the heavy door began to slide open, dust and debris cascading from its edges.
As the gap widened, an overwhelming wave of pure darkness spilled out from within.
It wasn’t normal darkness.
This was an absolute, suffocating void— so deep and oppressive that it seemed to swallow even the light from Ignis’s flames and the faint glow of the runes. The air grew ice-cold, and a familiar, unsettling feeling washed over the group.
Adam’s eyes narrowed.
"This darkness..." he muttered.
Ignis stepped closer to him, her flames flickering weakly as if struggling against the void. Her voice was quiet, almost nervous.
"It feels just like that place..."
Lilith’s silver threads instinctively wrapped around herself and Adam, her expression growing serious.
"The same oppressive quality. The same way it seems to devour light and sound. This isn’t ordinary darkness. Something ancient and powerful is sealed behind this door."
Azrynn took an involuntary step back, her face pale. "I can barely see anything... It’s like staring into the abyss itself."
Isolde’s Crimson Blossom Crown bloomed fully, radiating a soft crimson light that barely pushed back the encroaching darkness.
"Whatever is inside... it’s been waiting a very long time," she said quietly.
The door finally opened completely with a deep, resonant boom. Beyond it lay a pitch-black corridor that seemed to stretch endlessly. The Compass of Desire in Adam’s hand glowed brighter than ever, its needle pointing straight into the heart of the darkness.
Adam stared into the void, his crimson-gold eyes gleaming with determination and caution.
"This is the place the compass wanted us to find," he said. "Whatever lies ahead... the Abyssal Bloom might be in there. Or something connected to it."
He took one step forward, the others falling in behind him.
The darkness swallowed them as they crossed the threshold.
The moment the group stepped fully into the pitch-black corridor, Azrynn let out a small, cute yelp of fear.
"Hiii—!"
Adam instantly became alert, his body tensing as he looked around sharply.
"What’s wrong, Azrynn?" he asked quickly.
Azrynn hugged herself, her voice slightly shaky. "N-nothing... I just felt a really strong chill run down my spine. It’s nothing serious."
Lilith glanced at her with an amused smile. "My, my... you really are quite the scaredy-cat, aren’t you?"
Azrynn’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She lowered her head slightly. "Sorry... I’m not really used to this kind of oppressive atmosphere. The darkness here feels... alive."
A cold, unnatural wind blew through the corridor, making everyone feel the biting chill deep in their bones. The darkness seemed to press in from all sides, swallowing almost all light.
Then, without any warning —
BOOM!
The massive metal door behind them slammed shut with a deafening sound. The Ouroboros symbols on the door went dark instantly.
Azrynn panicked and rushed back to the door, pushing and pulling desperately with all her strength. But the door didn’t budge even an inch.
"It won’t open!" she said, voice rising in alarm. "We... we might be trapped!"
Adam stared at the sealed door for a moment before calmly speaking.
"If the door won’t open, then we only have one choice — move forward."
Ignis raised her hand, creating a bright sphere of golden flame that hovered above them, providing much-needed light. Even so, the fire seemed weaker than usual, as if the darkness itself was trying to snuff it out.
The deeper they walked, the heavier and colder the air became. The corridor eventually opened into a much larger, ruined chamber. Broken pillars, shattered statues, and remnants of what once might have been an underground temple lay scattered everywhere.
Adam’s eyes narrowed as he spotted something ahead through the dim light of Ignis’s flames.
"There are more ruins up ahead," he said, pointing forward. "Let’s head there. Stay close and don’t get separated."
