Chapter 281: The Gods Were Worshipping Someone?!

The same day, the same year.

After stepping through the passage, everyone found themselves inside a vast underground chamber.

The room was ancient, and its walls were covered in carvings depicting battles between gods.

But there was something strange about them.

The enemies of those gods were nowhere to be seen.

The carvings clearly showed the gods attacking something, yet the figures on the opposite side had been completely erased.

It was almost as though they had been fighting against invisible enemies.

Luke’s gaze soon moved toward the front of the chamber.

There stood the enormous ancient gate, towering thousands of meters high.

It, too, was covered in carvings.

But unlike the battle scenes around them, the carvings on the gate depicted something entirely different.

They were showing worship.

’Worshipping?’ Luke’s eyes became strange as he stared at the images.

The carvings seemed to depict gods bowing before and worshipping someone.

’A god... worshipping another?’

Just thinking about it was enough to make Luke’s worldview tremble.

Gods were supposed to be those high and mighty beings standing above countless existences.

Yet someone had actually made them lower their heads.

’Just how much strength would someone need to make gods worship them?’ Luke couldn’t even begin to imagine it.

However, he quickly shook his head, forcing those thoughts away.

There was no point in dwelling on something he couldn’t comprehend.

He then turned his attention away from the carvings and looked around at everyone present.

The hundred B-Rank warriors of the Sunborn Kingdom were already preparing themselves, checking their equipment and securing their weapons before the expedition began.

The representatives of the Empyrean Academy, however, were far more interested in the carvings.

Selene was among them, her gaze lingering on the ancient scenes etched into the walls.

But when their attention eventually shifted toward the enormous gate, the reaction was immediate.

Even they looked stunned.

’So they found it strange too.’ Luke couldn’t help but find their expressions amusing.

Yet another thought soon entered his mind.

’Do those gods even know these carvings exist?’ His lips curled slightly.

And if they do... what would their expressions be when their own believers discover that those supposedly untouchable gods once bowed before someone else?

The thought alone was enough to bring a mocking smile to Luke’s face.

For some reason, it reminded him of the myths from his original world.

’Gods who were supposed to be divine, yet were just as flawed and hypocritical as mortals.’

Maybe too much evidence was left behind.

Perhaps there had simply been too many traces of what happened during twilight era.

And before those gods were expelled, they hadn’t been able to erase every single one.

The more Luke thought about it, the more convincing the possibility became.

Maybe that was one of the reasons the people of Valtharion—even the strongest among them—didn’t truly worship gods.

Outside of the churches, most simply regarded them as another form of existence.

An existence far stronger than themselves, certainly.

But still an existence.

They bowed when necessary, especially when seeking their help against demons.

But the mortals at the very bottom know none of this.

Luke’s eyes flickered.

For the first time since arriving in Valtharion, he felt that he had managed to uncover a small piece of the truth surrounding its gods.

However, before Luke could think any further, Estelle suddenly addressed everyone.

"Everyone." Her voice carried across the chamber.

One by one, the conversations stopped, and every gaze turned toward her.

Estelle waited until she had everyone’s attention before continuing in a serious tone.

"Once we enter the ruins, every person will be teleported to a random location."

She paused.

"Alone."

The single word immediately changed the atmosphere.

The expressions of the Empyrean Academy representatives shifted, and even Luke’s face changed.

’They hadn’t been told about this.’

Estelle clearly noticed their reactions, but she didn’t show the slightest hesitation.

After all, anyone entering these ruins had to understand the risks involved.

The dangers were severe enough that even the Empyrean Academy would have reconsidered sending people here if they had known every detail beforehand.

That was precisely why this information had been left out.

Estelle continued, her expression becoming even more solemn.

"The interior is a massive maze, filled with monsters that have been sleeping for thousands of years."

Her gaze swept across everyone.

"And that’s not all. There are constructs, traps, formations, and other dangers scattered throughout the ruins."

She paused briefly.

"Every one of them can be deadly."

"And, We’ve already lost many people inside."

The room became noticeably quieter.

"So once you’re inside, remain extremely cautious. And above all else, try to locate the nearest person as quickly as possible."

With that, Estelle finally finished explaining.

She sincerely hoped they would be able to find one another soon.

Unfortunately, there was one problem.

They barely understood the ruins themselves.

They didn’t know where the pathways would lead, where the monsters slept, or where the various traps and formations had been placed.

So after entering—

There was little they could rely on.

Except luck.

Still, Estelle added one final piece of information.

"Fortunately, you only need to survive for thirteen days inside."

She paused before continuing.

"After that, a portal leading back outside will appear."

The announcement didn’t cause much of a reaction.

Everyone already knew about the thirteen-day limit.

Yet the tension in the room remained. The earlier revelation that they would be separated immediately upon entering had clearly unsettled them.

Estelle sighed inwardly as she noticed their expressions.

Even she couldn’t do anything about it.

There was one more thing she hadn’t told them.

Something far more important.

Something that, if handled carelessly, could cost them their lives.

’I just hope none of them provokes a being above the Early B-Rank.’

Estelle’s gaze swept across the gathered people, worry evident in her eyes.

From the outside, the ruins could only be entered by those at Early B-Rank or below.

But that restriction didn’t necessarily apply to what already existed inside.

Estelle herself didn’t understand why.

Perhaps some mechanism within the ruins had malfunctioned after surviving for so many years.

Perhaps there was another reason entirely.

They simply didn’t know.

What they had discovered, however, was reassuring to a certain extent.

No being above the B-Rank realm had ever been found inside.

It was almost as if the ruins themselves rejected their existence.

Still, that didn’t mean the danger was insignificant.

Estelle’s gaze eventually settled on Isaria.

Worry again, surfaced in her eyes.

Isaria was only at the Early Golden Knight level.

Her cultivation was considerably lower than most of the people they were bringing into the ruins.

Yet they had still decided to bring her.

Because her Origin Skill could prove tremendously valuable during the exploration.

And that alone was worth taking the risk.

’Just stay safe, Isaria.’