Chapter 156: Temple of Crota
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Writers-Ablood
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[Temple of Crota, Ocean of Storms]
A grim silence had gripped the lunar surface. The horizon had turned dark, clouded by a wicked viridian tide that seemed to hover above Hellmouth. The tide stirred, and thundered akin to a brewing storm. Chains made of sickly green flames whipped at its sides.
But despite all this, there was no sound.
A lull had captured the moon. Even the winds had stopped howling, afraid they'd disturb the slumber of the prince of ruin. As if the world itself had gone quiet, or rather it had been silenced.
Only the soft crunch of Void's boots against the chalky dust seemed to echo for miles.
Each step he took, felt heavier than the last. And as he approached the entrance to the Temple of Crota, a chill ran down Void's spine. The archaic temple loomed ahead like a scar cut into the world—carved into the wide maw of two adjacent cliffs.
A monolithic gate locked the front, resemble a locked jaw, with a mouth filled with jagged onyx teeth. The closer Void got, the more it resembled something that wanted to devour him.
"Talk about a design choice." Void took a short breath.
Void halted a few meters from the gate. His eyes traced its contours as he recognized the wicked artistry of it. It was no coincidence. The gate was made, as if every soul that entered was walking willingly into the belly of a beast.
~Amusing, we face the cradle of ruin itself. It is as harrowing as I had expected~ Zamyr chuckled.
Void shook his head, "Only you could appreciate this horrific look."
Zamyr smiled and flashed a fanged grin, his face forming beside Void's ~What is it they say? Art is subjective, O brother mine~
"Tsk. Your face is as creepy as that gate." Void clicked his tongue and walked closer to the gate.
~Take that back!~ Zamyr barked, but Void grabbed the hilt of his sword, and pushed it into the sheathe, cutting off the Ahamkara's voice.
Void took another breath. The air was thin, stale, and soaked with age-old magic.
He exhaled and vanished.
His form shimmered, cloaking itself in shadow as he activated his Light. The familiar sensation of weightlessness wrapped around him as he prowled forward.
Void moved through the Temple's maw, his form consumed by the darkness inside. Void walked forward, his eyes gleamed as he adjusted to the dark. Then, his descent into the lair of ruin began.
He moved down ancient spiraling stairs that seemed to never end, each step echoing softly into the deep. Faint green flames flickered from old sconces, illuminating narrow hallways laced with Hive runes.
The air grew colder as he continued underground.
Void continued, still trotting down the steps. The faint green flames flickered again.
Time passed. Void walked the steps, descending till the air seemed to grow denser. Till the Lunar soil changed to a murky blood soaked shade of red. He descended till the last ray of light seemed to dissipate into the dark.
Then, he saw green flames flicker ahead.
Void continued, and walked till he was sure he couldn't descend any further, till even the dark itself seemed to hesitate. He walked, till time itself betrayed his senses. He walked till he was forgotten.
Till he was older. Till he was but a pile of bones. Till he was but a wisp of a soul.
Till he took his last step. Then, everything changed.
~Brother~
A sharp whisper filled the abyss beside him and a phantom wrapped around his figure. It called again, but the voice seemed muddy. He couldn't understand a word it said, but it seemed to beckon him.
Void paused. A jolt ran through him, his eyes widened. His chest heaved as the air rushed to his lungs. A burning knot formed in his stomach as he dropped to his knees. His mind reeled, and then, life came rushing back.
Void hitched a breath, "What....happened."
"Void!" Obsidian barked flittering with urgency, "Are you okay?"
Void's vision grew clear as he hastily got to his feet, a burning headache pulsed through his skull.
Zamyr grunted grimly, ~A wicked spell that one.~
"Did we get caught?" Void pinched his forehead.
Obsidian replied, "No. We were descending normally. But you seemed dizzy. Then, you just stood still and your eyes rolled back. As if-"
~As if you'd seen death itself~ Zamyr continued, ~It was a bewitching spell. You were caught in it the moment you saw those flames.~
"I thought I could see the magic, what happened." Void frowned and pressed the side of his head.
~The dark's blessing is strong here. Energies have intertwined and are indistinguishable. As it seems, your sight is of no use against the oldest of magic~ Zamyr replied.
Void nodded, "How'd you get me out?"
~Once the spell activated, it was a simple matter to break it, I just absorbed the flames. But to avoid it entirely is a challenge~ Zamyr answered quietly.
Void looked ahead, the green flames had indeed vanished. This time he walked forward with caution. He passed from shadow to shadow, hiding perfectly.
Moments later Void passed through ancient galleries and hollow stone chambers marked with ritual scars.
"This place wasn't just a stronghold," he muttered, his voice low.
Obsidian hovered beside him, scanning passively. "Mapping shows an interconnected series of structures. Passageways, a lot of narrow passageways. No human could fit into those."
"So it's a network," Void said. "And this was the hub."
Indeed, the Temple of Crota wasn't just a shrine—it was a spider at the center of the Hive's lunar web. A central junction buried under centuries of ash and fear.
Void pressed forward. His instincts flared as he blended into shadow, and send Obsidian away.
An instant later, legions of Acolytes passed by, digging through the tunnels, clicking and hissing. But none noticed him. Their senses dulled to anything not drenched in Hive magic.
Void stayed silent.
He wove through them, like wind through a ruin, moving deeper until he arrived at a large junction chamber. It was a sinister chamber, carved beautifully into volcanic moon rock. At the chambers end, were ancient tunnels that branched outward like roots stretching into the dark.
"Obsidian," he whispered. "Keep mapping. Get everything."
"On it."
Void studied the paths. One seethed with activity—ritual magic and heat signatures. Another reeked of blood and chittering. The last was quiet. Too quiet.
Void's eyes narrowed. He followed it.
The path led into a large hall, filled with strange stone pillars covered with wax and blood.
As he walked inside, he realized what the place was. It was a catacomb—massive open, and filled with tombs sealed in ancient Hive wax and stone.
Void slowed, eyes sweeping the chamber. Large black crystals jutted from the walls. Each tomb was flanked by bone-carved obelisks inscribed with Hive incantations.
"Didn't think the Hive buried their dead." he muttered.
Zamyr's voice echoed in his ear.
~A ritual. Their rest is wicked. They sleep only to be used again.~
Void's senses tingled, he felt something watching him for an instant, and just then the presence stirred, fleeing deeper into the dark.
"Something saw me!" Void's senses flared.
~Find it, Omnigul must not know we are here.~ Zamyr growled.
Void's body snapped to motion, he darted and rounded a corner, then saw it—hovering in the shadows. A creature cloaked in billowing rags of bone and ethereal flame.
Vurok, Spawn of Eir.
Its presence was oppressive, its eyes aglow with necrotic light.
Void's interface lit up. A mission prompt snapped into his vision.
-
Special Mission: Toll the Dead!
Objective: Defeat Vurok, Eir Spawn before it contacts the Ascendant Omnigul!
Rewards: +1 Light Mastery Level.
Remarks: Nothing personal, just business. Let em have it!
-
Void's eyes narrowed. "Zamyr, that dog is summoning!"
Then Vurok raised its staff. The catacombs began to tremble as Void shielded his face. A haunting, otherworldly dirge filled the air. It vibrated through stone seeking to leak out.
But the air ruptured and pale light filled the catacombs. The spell flickered, as Void unsheathed his blade. An Ahamkara's phantom flared to life and shrieked!
Zamy'r phantom tore through the weave of magic.
Vurok panicked, seeing its spell destroyed so easily, the Hive wizard roared, sending out dark miasma as it sought to escape.
Void darted to the side, cleaving through the miasma, he jolted forwards, zipping towards Vurok. Void flickered, an inch away from Vurok's face as he swung his sword.
The blade clashed against an onyx shield as Vurok flung him back. Vurok unleashed his magic. The catacombs trembled again, but this, it was different.
The mummified Wizards began to writhe in their tombs. Cracks split the wax and stone. Then—with a horrifying wail—they burst free.
Dozens of undead Hive Wizards floated upward, bound by Vurok's cries. Their eyes glowed with unnatural fury.
"Son of a bit*h", Void readied his blade, lightning wreathed around him as he used his light to the extreme.
Vurok flew up, hurling a sphere of sickly green energy. The Hive wizards followed, conjuring chains of that slithered toward him, seeking to bind his limbs.
Void vanished mid-dodge, flickering past a column as lightning surged in his veins. He dashed left, zipped right and swung, cutting down a charging wizard with a clean upward slash. But the rest kept coming.
More spells. More chains. The ground buckled.
Knights formed in the far chamber. Gate spells crackled.
Zamyr screamed in his mind. ~Do it, now!~
Void growled, slashing through a wave of chains. He dashed between pillars, his sword lighting the dark.
"I KNOW."
A blast from Vurok barely grazed his side. Void stumbled. He looked up, his eyes darted from side to side.
Twenty Hive Wizards loomed ahead, led by Vurok. As they raised their palms, wicked green fire conjured on their palms.
Void grit his teeth, the storm inside him swelled. He snapped his blade to the ground., glowing arcs of lightning snapped across its surface.
Void lunged forward, blade roaring like a storm. He cleaved through the first wave, then the second. Each swing tore through souls, ripping energy from the Wizards and feeding Zamyr.
Vurok screeched, the wizards followed, launching spell after spell—but Void didn't stop.
He leapt, spiraling mid-air. Arc trails followed him. The blade crashed down.
A tremor exploded across the chamber. The catacomb's floor cracked. With each swing of his blade, Void killed the wizards, and their souls were consumed by Zamyr's hunger.
Vurok staggered, momentarily stunned as he saw the Ahamkara's phantom coming to life.
Void dashed in. A pale light surged around him. Shadow and dust arced around his blade as he swung.
The world shattered, light and dark coalesced as Zamyr roared, a crushing shockwave spread outwards. The blades tide struck Vurok, and the wizard et out a shriek of pure rage before collapsing into dust and shadow.
As the tremors died down, the hive magic finally dissipated.
Void stood alone, sword humming quietly. He panted for breaths, and dug his blade into the ground, supporting himself. Void looked up, and the system's screen flashed.
[Mission Complete!]
[Applying rewards.....]
[Light Mastery (Lv1 --> Lv2) !]
=
Bit of a quicker upload today, enjoy the chapter!
Do check out my Patreon! You can read upto 15 chapters ahead and participate in story polls along the way!
patreon.com/Writers_Ablood
[Temple of Crota, Ocean of Storms]
A grim silence had gripped the lunar surface. The horizon had turned dark, clouded by a wicked viridian tide that seemed to hover above Hellmouth. The tide stirred, and thundered akin to a brewing storm. Chains made of sickly green flames whipped at its sides.
But despite all this, there was no sound.
A lull had captured the moon. Even the winds had stopped howling, afraid they'd disturb the slumber of the prince of ruin. As if the world itself had gone quiet, or rather it had been silenced.
Only the soft crunch of Void's boots against the chalky dust seemed to echo for miles.
Each step he took, felt heavier than the last. And as he approached the entrance to the Temple of Crota, a chill ran down Void's spine. The archaic temple loomed ahead like a scar cut into the world—carved into the wide maw of two adjacent cliffs.
A monolithic gate locked the front, resemble a locked jaw, with a mouth filled with jagged onyx teeth. The closer Void got, the more it resembled something that wanted to devour him.
"Talk about a design choice." Void took a short breath.
Void halted a few meters from the gate. His eyes traced its contours as he recognized the wicked artistry of it. It was no coincidence. The gate was made, as if every soul that entered was walking willingly into the belly of a beast.
~Amusing, we face the cradle of ruin itself. It is as harrowing as I had expected~ Zamyr chuckled.
Void shook his head, "Only you could appreciate this horrific look."
Zamyr smiled and flashed a fanged grin, his face forming beside Void's ~What is it they say? Art is subjective, O brother mine~
"Tsk. Your face is as creepy as that gate." Void clicked his tongue and walked closer to the gate.
~Take that back!~ Zamyr barked, but Void grabbed the hilt of his sword, and pushed it into the sheathe, cutting off the Ahamkara's voice.
Void took another breath. The air was thin, stale, and soaked with age-old magic.
He exhaled and vanished.
His form shimmered, cloaking itself in shadow as he activated his Light. The familiar sensation of weightlessness wrapped around him as he prowled forward.
Void moved through the Temple's maw, his form consumed by the darkness inside. Void walked forward, his eyes gleamed as he adjusted to the dark. Then, his descent into the lair of ruin began.
He moved down ancient spiraling stairs that seemed to never end, each step echoing softly into the deep. Faint green flames flickered from old sconces, illuminating narrow hallways laced with Hive runes.
The air grew colder as he continued underground.
Void continued, still trotting down the steps. The faint green flames flickered again.
Time passed. Void walked the steps, descending till the air seemed to grow denser. Till the Lunar soil changed to a murky blood soaked shade of red. He descended till the last ray of light seemed to dissipate into the dark.
Then, he saw green flames flicker ahead.
Void continued, and walked till he was sure he couldn't descend any further, till even the dark itself seemed to hesitate. He walked, till time itself betrayed his senses. He walked till he was forgotten.
Till he was older. Till he was but a pile of bones. Till he was but a wisp of a soul.
Till he took his last step. Then, everything changed.
~Brother~
A sharp whisper filled the abyss beside him and a phantom wrapped around his figure. It called again, but the voice seemed muddy. He couldn't understand a word it said, but it seemed to beckon him.
Void paused. A jolt ran through him, his eyes widened. His chest heaved as the air rushed to his lungs. A burning knot formed in his stomach as he dropped to his knees. His mind reeled, and then, life came rushing back.
Void hitched a breath, "What....happened."
"Void!" Obsidian barked flittering with urgency, "Are you okay?"
Void's vision grew clear as he hastily got to his feet, a burning headache pulsed through his skull.
Zamyr grunted grimly, ~A wicked spell that one.~
"Did we get caught?" Void pinched his forehead.
Obsidian replied, "No. We were descending normally. But you seemed dizzy. Then, you just stood still and your eyes rolled back. As if-"
~As if you'd seen death itself~ Zamyr continued, ~It was a bewitching spell. You were caught in it the moment you saw those flames.~
"I thought I could see the magic, what happened." Void frowned and pressed the side of his head.
~The dark's blessing is strong here. Energies have intertwined and are indistinguishable. As it seems, your sight is of no use against the oldest of magic~ Zamyr replied.
Void nodded, "How'd you get me out?"
~Once the spell activated, it was a simple matter to break it, I just absorbed the flames. But to avoid it entirely is a challenge~ Zamyr answered quietly.
Void looked ahead, the green flames had indeed vanished. This time he walked forward with caution. He passed from shadow to shadow, hiding perfectly.
Moments later Void passed through ancient galleries and hollow stone chambers marked with ritual scars.
"This place wasn't just a stronghold," he muttered, his voice low.
Obsidian hovered beside him, scanning passively. "Mapping shows an interconnected series of structures. Passageways, a lot of narrow passageways. No human could fit into those."
"So it's a network," Void said. "And this was the hub."
Indeed, the Temple of Crota wasn't just a shrine—it was a spider at the center of the Hive's lunar web. A central junction buried under centuries of ash and fear.
Void pressed forward. His instincts flared as he blended into shadow, and send Obsidian away.
An instant later, legions of Acolytes passed by, digging through the tunnels, clicking and hissing. But none noticed him. Their senses dulled to anything not drenched in Hive magic.
Void stayed silent.
He wove through them, like wind through a ruin, moving deeper until he arrived at a large junction chamber. It was a sinister chamber, carved beautifully into volcanic moon rock. At the chambers end, were ancient tunnels that branched outward like roots stretching into the dark.
"Obsidian," he whispered. "Keep mapping. Get everything."
"On it."
Void studied the paths. One seethed with activity—ritual magic and heat signatures. Another reeked of blood and chittering. The last was quiet. Too quiet.
Void's eyes narrowed. He followed it.
The path led into a large hall, filled with strange stone pillars covered with wax and blood.
As he walked inside, he realized what the place was. It was a catacomb—massive open, and filled with tombs sealed in ancient Hive wax and stone.
Void slowed, eyes sweeping the chamber. Large black crystals jutted from the walls. Each tomb was flanked by bone-carved obelisks inscribed with Hive incantations.
"Didn't think the Hive buried their dead." he muttered.
Zamyr's voice echoed in his ear.
~A ritual. Their rest is wicked. They sleep only to be used again.~
Void's senses tingled, he felt something watching him for an instant, and just then the presence stirred, fleeing deeper into the dark.
"Something saw me!" Void's senses flared.
~Find it, Omnigul must not know we are here.~ Zamyr growled.
Void's body snapped to motion, he darted and rounded a corner, then saw it—hovering in the shadows. A creature cloaked in billowing rags of bone and ethereal flame.
Vurok, Spawn of Eir.
Its presence was oppressive, its eyes aglow with necrotic light.
Void's interface lit up. A mission prompt snapped into his vision.
-
Special Mission: Toll the Dead!
Objective: Defeat Vurok, Eir Spawn before it contacts the Ascendant Omnigul!
Rewards: +1 Light Mastery Level.
Remarks: Nothing personal, just business. Let em have it!
-
Void's eyes narrowed. "Zamyr, that dog is summoning!"
Then Vurok raised its staff. The catacombs began to tremble as Void shielded his face. A haunting, otherworldly dirge filled the air. It vibrated through stone seeking to leak out.
But the air ruptured and pale light filled the catacombs. The spell flickered, as Void unsheathed his blade. An Ahamkara's phantom flared to life and shrieked!
Zamy'r phantom tore through the weave of magic.
Vurok panicked, seeing its spell destroyed so easily, the Hive wizard roared, sending out dark miasma as it sought to escape.
Void darted to the side, cleaving through the miasma, he jolted forwards, zipping towards Vurok. Void flickered, an inch away from Vurok's face as he swung his sword.
The blade clashed against an onyx shield as Vurok flung him back. Vurok unleashed his magic. The catacombs trembled again, but this, it was different.
The mummified Wizards began to writhe in their tombs. Cracks split the wax and stone. Then—with a horrifying wail—they burst free.
Dozens of undead Hive Wizards floated upward, bound by Vurok's cries. Their eyes glowed with unnatural fury.
"Son of a bit*h", Void readied his blade, lightning wreathed around him as he used his light to the extreme.
Vurok flew up, hurling a sphere of sickly green energy. The Hive wizards followed, conjuring chains of that slithered toward him, seeking to bind his limbs.
Void vanished mid-dodge, flickering past a column as lightning surged in his veins. He dashed left, zipped right and swung, cutting down a charging wizard with a clean upward slash. But the rest kept coming.
More spells. More chains. The ground buckled.
Knights formed in the far chamber. Gate spells crackled.
Zamyr screamed in his mind. ~Do it, now!~
Void growled, slashing through a wave of chains. He dashed between pillars, his sword lighting the dark.
"I KNOW."
A blast from Vurok barely grazed his side. Void stumbled. He looked up, his eyes darted from side to side.
Twenty Hive Wizards loomed ahead, led by Vurok. As they raised their palms, wicked green fire conjured on their palms.
Void grit his teeth, the storm inside him swelled. He snapped his blade to the ground., glowing arcs of lightning snapped across its surface.
Void lunged forward, blade roaring like a storm. He cleaved through the first wave, then the second. Each swing tore through souls, ripping energy from the Wizards and feeding Zamyr.
Vurok screeched, the wizards followed, launching spell after spell—but Void didn't stop.
He leapt, spiraling mid-air. Arc trails followed him. The blade crashed down.
A tremor exploded across the chamber. The catacomb's floor cracked. With each swing of his blade, Void killed the wizards, and their souls were consumed by Zamyr's hunger.
Vurok staggered, momentarily stunned as he saw the Ahamkara's phantom coming to life.
Void dashed in. A pale light surged around him. Shadow and dust arced around his blade as he swung.
The world shattered, light and dark coalesced as Zamyr roared, a crushing shockwave spread outwards. The blades tide struck Vurok, and the wizard et out a shriek of pure rage before collapsing into dust and shadow.
As the tremors died down, the hive magic finally dissipated.
Void stood alone, sword humming quietly. He panted for breaths, and dug his blade into the ground, supporting himself. Void looked up, and the system's screen flashed.
[Mission Complete!]
[Applying rewards.....]
[Light Mastery (Lv1 --> Lv2) !]
=
Bit of a quicker upload today, enjoy the chapter!
Do check out my Patreon! You can read upto 15 chapters ahead and participate in story polls along the way!
patreon.com/Writers_Ablood
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