Chapter 1626: Portruding Bones

Adrius eventually contacted Erend through telepathy. "I think it’s time. We’ve examined the structure as thoroughly as we can from the outside. We should proceed with entering it."

"Alright. I’ll let Erebus know." Erend immediately acknowledged the message.

He turned toward Erebus, who was still using his shadow Magic to restrain the approaching monsters. Erend moved closer and called out to him.

"Adrius says we’re ready. We can enter the structure now."

Erebus immediately turned his head toward him. The tension in his expression for the past several minutes seemed to ease slightly, replaced by a glimmer of hope.

He glanced toward the enormous structure floating above the city, and his eyes lingered on it as though he could already see the end of their suffering waiting somewhere inside.

"Finally..."

He released a breath before withdrawing some of his shadows. The creatures remained restrained, but he no longer devoted as much attention to them. There were other members of the council who could help maintain control over the situation while he was away.

Erebus looked toward the council tower and contacted Valerian through their mental connection. "Valerian, I’m going inside that structure with the outsiders. Keep the others informed and make sure the protective barriers remain active."

"I understand. We’ll handle things here. Be careful, Erebus." Valerian responded almost immediately.

"I will." With that, Erebus ended the communication and turned toward Erend.

The two Dragonborn spread their wings and took off, flying toward the enormous structure. The Archmages soon followed, leaving their respective positions after ensuring that their formulas would remain stable to maintain the disturbance.

Before long, the five of them had gathered in front of the enormous structure.

It looked even more imposing from this distance. Its massive body hung above the city like an ancient monument suspended in the sky, surrounded by the dark energy that had concealed it for who knew how long.

The five approached slowly, their gazes moving across its exterior as they tried to examine every detail.

The closer they came, the more clearly they could distinguish its unusual construction. What had initially appeared to be irregular patterns across its surface gradually revealed themselves as strange protrusions resembling enormous bones.

They extended from the walls and pillars in unnatural arrangements, creating an appearance that was neither entirely architectural nor entirely organic.

Eventually, they reached the entrance and descended onto a broad stone staircase that led toward a massive door. Their feet touched the surface of the steps, and they examined their surroundings.

The building was constructed from grey and black stone. It looked ancient and weathered, yet its structure intact.

Thick pillars supported the walls, strange bone-like structures protruded from their surfaces at irregular intervals. Some resembled ribs extending from the stone, others curved like the remains of enormous creatures embedded within the architecture.

The entire place gave off an unsettling impression. It resembled something that had been designed around an entirely different purpose that they couldn’t identify.

At the top of the staircase stood a large stone door. It was made from the same grey-black material as the rest of the structure, with several unusual markings carved on its surface.

There were no handles or mechanisms and its size suggested that opening it would require considerable strength.

Erend studied the entrance for a moment. An ominous feeling began to settle in his chest.

He couldn’t explain exactly why, but something about this place made him feel as though they were approaching something that had remained dormant for a long time. Something had been sleeping inside this structure, hidden from the world beneath the curse.

Now that they had finally uncovered its existence and approached its entrance, he could not shake the feeling that their arrival might awaken what lay dormant within.

He glanced toward Erebus. He stood near the front of the group, staring at the enormous stone door. A sharp glint burned in his eyes, carrying a mixture of anger and determination. He wanted to enter more than anyone else.

Erend could see it in his eyes. The Dragonborn was barely holding himself back from rushing forward and tearing the door open with his own hands. Whatever dangers might await them inside, Erebus seemed ready to face them.

Erend turned toward Adrius. "How is it? Do you sense anything unusual?"

Adrius remained silent for a moment. He examined the door and the energy surrounding it, extending his Magic senses toward the entrance one final time. Sylmira and Lysander did the same.

After a short while, Adrius finally nodded. "I think we’re ready. Let’s go inside."

The others acknowledged his decision. They moved closer to the entrance, positioning themselves in a way that allowed them to react immediately if something attacked them from within.

Erebus stepped forward.

He approached the enormous stone door and placed both hands against its surface. His muscles tightened as he pushed, and the ancient door began moving with a deep grinding sound.

Dust fell from its edges as the heavy stone gradually opened, revealing a passageway hidden behind it.

The five immediately prepared themselves for an attack.

However, nothing emerged from the darkness.

Instead, they heard a distant scream echoing from somewhere deep inside the building. The sound was faint at first, but its eerie quality made everyone instinctively tense. A moment later, a foul smell rushed out through the entrance and struck their faces.

"Ugh! What the hell is that smell?" Lysander immediately grimaced.

He covered his nose with one hand while taking a step back. The others also noticed the unpleasant stench, although they managed to maintain their composure.

Adrius frowned slightly but did not retreat. He looked into the darkness beyond the entrance before turning toward the others.

"Stay alert. We don’t know what we’re going to encounter inside," Adrius said.

Adrius raised one hand and summoned several small balls of light. They floated above the group and spread throughout the passageway, illuminating the darkness ahead. With their surroundings finally visible, the five began moving forward.

The interior looked even stranger than the exterior.

Grey stone formed the floors, pillars, and walls, but countless bone-like structures protruded from nearly every surface. Some extended from the pillars like the ribs, some curved along the walls in irregular patterns.

Their pale grey surfaces contrasted with the darker stone surrounding them, making the entire interior resemble the remains of something enormous that had somehow become part of the building itself.

The pillars were particularly unsettling. Thick stone columns rose toward the ceiling, but their surfaces were covered with protruding structures that looked like overlapping bones that formed sharp ridges or twisted around the pillars in uneven spirals. Similar formations extended across the walls and ceiling.

The light from Adrius’s Magic illuminated only a limited distance ahead. Beyond that, the passage continued into darkness, while the distant screams occasionally echoed through the interior.

The five continued walking deeper into the building.