Chapter 1041 Arriving at the Ice Temple
As the two climbed the slope, an ancient temple unveiled itself before them.
It was encased in vegetation, showcasing a lack of maintenance for an unknown amount of years. Despite the mosses and lichens that have spread across the ancient temple, its walls were robust and glowing—not weathered at all.
On top was a dome, stretched skyward, the source of the intertwining strings of energy.
Four solemn pillars guarded the entrance, standing sentinel beneath the weight of centuries. Each pillar, a stony witness to the passage of epochs, cradled the ethereal glow of azure, icy flame torches that flickered with an otherworldly radiance. It gave the luminescence as if the temple came from another dimension.
Knowing what lies inside, Adhara and Flunra don't find the appearance surprising.
"I have a question," Adhara said as the two kept on traversing the rocky, and uneven terrain. "If the Supernaturals in the ancient era were sealed by the ancient humans, why is that such a grand temple was made?"
Flunra raised an eyebrow, confused by what Adhara was saying.
"I mean, if the ancient humans are as bad as everyone is saying, then how come they were kind enough to make a grand temple for the Ice and Snow Moon princess? Almost as if they respected her" Adhara continued, clarifying her question.
Naturally, her question was quite logical.
Taking the Executor as the prime example of the ancient humans, this is quite honorable.
Had the ancient humans fitted with the display that the Executor was presenting now, it was very hard to believe them to make such a grant temple for a Supernatural. Thus, their choice for a containment site for the Supernaturals would be more likely to have been the ground, or perhaps even some sort of monument to mock the Supernaturals' weakness.
Upon hearing her question, Flunra was also put into contemplation.
'Hmm... She's right, this doesn't make sense' Flunra frowned, realizing the oddity of this.
Now that she said that, he was also confused.
Just like what Adhara thought, the ancient humans wouldn't expend effort on constructing an elaborate temple for the Ice and Snow Princess. While this might be plausible if they are talking about the Origins, given their revered status, even within the ancient human empire,—it was not possible in this case.
For a mere princess, she's simply not strong enough to earn the ancient humans' respect.
So this was certainly very odd even for Flunra.
"I survived the hunt of ancient humans for a long time before being captured and sealed. I'm lucky enough to survive the ordeal. Nevertheless, I believe I was among the early ones that was caught by the ancient humans, right after they transitioned from killing us to sealing our kind," Flunra answered.
Remembering that time manifests a slight headache for him.
It was fuzzy, and he couldn't remember much.
Flunra tried to remember more but that only made the headache worse for him, but he could still remember he was one of the early ones to be captured after the transition. Additionally, he also remembers running as fast as he could.
He couldn't picture where, but there was this loud sound of blazing flame and water.
Almost as if a flowing water and a fire is right beside his ear.
"Eughh..." Flurna grunted.
Adhara swiftly approached him as he stumbled, clutching his throbbing head in fatigue from trying to remember the past. "I don't know. I don't have the answer as to why the temple was constructed in this manner" Flunra confessed.
"It's alright, you don't have to know all the answers" Adhara replied comfortingly.
She didn't think her question would cause this.
Deciding to let him rest for a little bit to ease his mind, a frown crept to Adhara's face as she looked at Flunra with a peculiar expression, 'If Flunra couldn't remember what had happened in the past, then I assume most, if not all, also couldn't remember much'
But then again, sealing the entire Supernatural race is a substantial event.
A lot must've happened during that time.
After taking a brief break, both continued their climb and reached a flatland.
In order to reach the staircase, leading to the ancient temple's entrance, they needed to go past a pristine lake that mirrored the temple's antiquity. On the edges were cascades, they were the pathway of flowing water that fueled this still lake.
Looking at the water's depth, Adhara and Flunra could sense auras inside.
Obviously, these auras were a sign of the mutated animals inhabiting the depth of the lake.
Flunra kneels on the edge of the lake and dips his index finger inside.
He harnessed the moonlight energy from his core, guiding it down to his index finger visibly before a peculiar phenomenon unfolded. Upon contact with the lake water, his energy made the water freeze, solidifying it and extending about two inches from his submerged finger.
Seeing this, he nodded and stood back up again.
Just as he was about to say something, Adhara's body was already burning with flames.
"Going through the water is too dangerous, we don't know what kind of mutated animals are inside" She said before preparing herself to leap over the lake. Since it was not that far away, it wouldn't be a problem for her to leap the distance.
Flunra turned around, trying to stop her, "Wait!"
Swoosh!
However, he was too late as Adhara blasted the ground beneath her and made a leap.
Adhara cast a confused glance at him when she heard him trying to stop her, but it was only then that she looked up, sensing an energy materializing as she got higher, "Hmm...? What is that?" She mused to herself.
Only then that she realize that there was an invisible ceiling made of moonlight energy.
Crash!
She crashed onto it, sending a ripple across the entire ceiling.
Not expecting to hit anything, she began free-falling, heading straight into the lake's heart.
As she was about to hit the lake, Flunra sprang into action, stepping on the water's surface as though it were solid ground. With precise timing, he caught Adhara just before she made contact with the water.
Catching her in a princess-style embrace, he looked at her in concern, "Are you okay?"
"Of course I'm okay, that fall wouldn't do anything t-"
Midway through her sentence, Adhara's eyes widened as she beheld a colossal monster in the lake. Its massive jaws, stretching as wide as an entire house, opened menacingly right beneath the water's surface, right below Flunra's feet.
Had Flunra didn't catch her, she would've been swallowed whole by this monster.
But weirdly enough, the monster only waited there.
"Fear not, it wouldn't come out of the water," Flunra assured. "Only Werewolves can get past this lake by employing moonlight energy to freeze its surface. For anyone else attempting to reach the temple by swimming across, the monster will devour them. A leap would also lead to a collision with the ceiling, and the inevitable plunge into the water, ending with the same fate"
If it had jumped out of the water right now, it could've swallowed both her and Flunra whole.
"Fear not, it wouldn't come out of the water," Flunra assured. "Only Werewolves can get past this lake by employing moonlight energy to freeze its surface. For anyone else attempting to reach the temple by swimming across, the monster will devour them. A leap would also lead to a collision with the ceiling, and the inevitable plunge into the water, ending with the same fate"
Upon hearing this, Adhara raised an eyebrow, "How do you know all of that?"
"I've seen a similar trap pattern in the past," Flunra replied, his voice was quite nonchalant.
Flunra put Adhara down slowly, instructing her to focus her moonlight energy at the base of her feet. It was a test of mastery over her moonlight energy, and she struggled for a little bit before eventually managing to stand on her own.
Splash!
But then, Adhara yelped when she lost balance and dipped her right foot into the water.
Her reflex saved her as she balanced her energy again.
One small mistake and the entire lake water waved as the monster moved excitedly.
Just this alone shows that the monster is massive as it is capable of unsettling the entirety of the lake with a slight motion, eagerly anticipating Adhara's distraction and the potential of her falling into the water.
"Be careful, keep your focus firm. Make sure the energy in each foot is balanced" Flunra said.
Adhara nodded and tried to do exactly that.
Eventually, the two continued on, and they headed to the other side of the lake.
Surprisingly, the closer they got to the other side of the lake, the heavier their bodies felt as if there was an anchor tethered to their feet—pulling them down. Anyone attempting to make a dash across the lake would find themselves forcefully plunged into the water.
Its end result will be the same, devoured by the monster.
"Are these traps set to protect the Ice and Snow Princess' body?" Adhara asked.
Flunra nodded, anyone can come and kill her, so some sort of protection should be present.
"Yes, these traps are necessary. Anyone could exploit the vulnerable state of the Ice and Snow Princess. Normally, the Werewolves should be guarding this place, but it seems the location of this place hasn't been discovered by Baralt or the Storm Prince yet: He replied.
Upon hearing this, Adhara nodded her head a couple of times.
But then, a thought came to mind, "What if a Werewolf came and wanted to harm her?"
"No, that won't work either. The traps will sense their malicious intent, it was wired that way and would treat them as if they weren't Werewolves. A foolproof method with no loopholes" Flunra replied, quickening his pace as they neared the last ten meters.
It would be very heavy, and maintaining balance would be very hard.
Thus, covering the last ten meters as fast as they can would be the best possible option.
Swish!
Adhara firmed herself and controlled her own moonlight energy to gain a better grip on her stand before she looked forward, ready to made a dash of the last ten meters. She saw on the front that Flunra was nearing the edge already.
But as she was about to make a move, something light touched her shoulders.
Glancing at her shoulders, she noticed a series of translucent fragments, resembling shards of broken glass, hitting her shoulder gently before falling down and vanishing on the water's surface as if they were never there.
Seeing this prompted a frown on Adhara's face.
Curious, she looked up and saw that the translucent ceiling was still rippling.
It seemed her collision's effect with the ceiling earlier is still going.
'Is it breaking...? But considering what Flunra said earlier, the ceiling should be very durable. I didn't exert much force in that leap, there's no way it could be so fragile and break from that. So why is its surface still rippling like this?' Adhara wandered in confusion.
Not a shot that the ceiling is that weak when she didn't even use her full strength.
Nevertheless, her eyes were not lying.
Adhara observed the ceiling before her eyes landed on a spot right above her, the source of the translucent fragments that hit her shoulder earlier. It was hard to see from her position, but it seemed like there was a hole in the ceiling.
Upon seeing this, she squinted, trying to figure out if she was looking at it wrong or not.
However, her trance was disrupted by a shout.
"Come, Lady Adhara! It's going to be heavier the longer you stay on the lake!" Flunra, at the very front, standing on the other side of the lake shouted—warning her that she would not be fine if she stayed there for too long.
Adhara turned to look at Flunra and shouted back, "Okay! I'm coming!"
Giving one last look at the ceiling, she focused on her moonlight energy and made a dash.
Swish!
It didn't take long before she reached the other side safely.
Now that they were already past the traps, they could enter the ancient temple.
Given that it's merely the seal location for the Ice and Snow Princess, the temple shouldn't be excessively large, and the number of remaining traps should not be too many. Exchanging a nod, the two ascended the staircase, making their way to the entrance of the temple.
Unknown to them, a dozen of meters to their side, there was a small crack in the ground.
It was as if something landed on the ground roughly.
Follow current novℯls on f(r)eewebnov𝒆l