Chapter 36: The Ancient Sanctuary

Chris gritted his teeth as he crashed into the water, the impact sending pain through his entire body. For a moment, he continued sinking, unable to do anything but endure the pain until his momentum finally slowed.

After a few seconds, he stopped sinking and let out a sigh of relief when he realized the lake was deep enough.

’Thank goodness...’

Just as he was about to swim toward the surface, however, he suddenly felt something strange.

It was as if something deep beneath him was reaching out, calling for him to come closer. His heart began beating rapidly, and an inexplicable feeling spread through his chest, making him feel as though his heart was about to leap out of his body and dive deeper into the lake.

Strangely enough, he didn’t feel any sense of danger from whatever was causing this sensation. Instead, a strange excitement began building inside him, almost as if he had been waiting for this moment without even knowing it.

’What is this?’

Chris looked down into the dark water beneath him. He couldn’t see anything clearly, but the strange sensation continued to grow stronger, drawing his attention toward the depths.

After hesitating for a moment, he decided to investigate.

Taking a deep breath, he began swimming downward.

The deeper he went, the stronger the feeling became. It was difficult to explain, but he felt as though something was waiting for him, and the thought filled him with an excitement he couldn’t understand.

Eventually, he spotted something unusual in the rocky wall at the bottom of the lake. It looked like a door.

It was embedded directly into the stone, its surface covered in strange symbols that looked ancient. The surrounding rocks seemed to have grown around it over countless years, making it almost impossible to notice unless someone came close.

Chris approached the door and examined it carefully. He had no idea what it was or who had built it, but the moment he reached out and touched its surface, his heart gave a powerful thump.

At the same time, the symbols surrounding the door began to glow.

One after another, they lit up with a faint light, spreading across the stone until the entire door was covered in glowing patterns. A low rumble followed, and the massive stone door slowly began opening inward.

Chris stared at it in surprise before swimming through the entrance.

However, the moment he crossed the threshold, he noticed something strange. There was no water inside.

It was as though an invisible barrier separated the chamber from the lake, preventing the water from entering. The moment he passed through it, the water surrounding his body disappeared, leaving him standing in a dry space filled with air.

’What the hell?’

Before he could look around properly, however, his instincts suddenly screamed at him.

His eyes widened, and he immediately turned around.

Standing right behind him, on the other side of the entrance, was the cloaked figure.

The man had somehow found him in the lake, and now he was standing outside the strange chamber, his face still hidden beneath his hood.

Dark energy gathered in his palm as he raised his hand and aimed directly at Chris.

*WOOSH!*

A beam of dark energy shot toward him.

Chris’s expression changed as he watched the attack approach. There was no time to dodge, and he knew that if the beam struck him, he would die.

’Fuck!’

Just as the attack reached the entrance, something unexpected happened. The beam struck the invisible barrier and disappeared instantly.

There was no explosion, no flash of light, and not even the slightest ripple across the barrier. The dark energy simply vanished as though it had never existed.

Chris stared at the entrance, momentarily unable to process what had just happened.

The cloaked figure seemed equally surprised. After a brief pause, he rushed toward the doorway, determined to enter the chamber himself.

But the moment he tried to cross the threshold, an invisible force stopped him. The man pushed against it, attempting to force his way inside, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get through.

Chris watched the scene for a moment before finally understanding what was happening.

Then, he burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! What happened? Can’t get in?"

He raised his hand and showed the man his middle finger before turning around and pushing the stone door closed.

The moment the door shut, the symbols surrounding it dimmed, and the chamber fell silent.

Or at least, it would have been silent if not for the loud impacts coming from the other side.

*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*

The cloaked figure was still attacking the door, trying to force his way inside. Every impact sent a faint vibration through the stone, but the entrance remained firmly shut.

Chris couldn’t help but grin.

’That’s right! Keep trying, you bastard!’

After being chased for hours and nearly killed countless times, he finally had a moment to breathe. Whatever this place was, it had saved his life, and he was more than grateful for that.

Turning around, he finally took the time to examine his surroundings.

The chamber was brightly lit, although he couldn’t see any lamps or other sources of light. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of stone, and strange carvings covered almost every available surface.

Chris slowly approached the nearest wall, his curiosity getting the better of him.

The carvings depicted scenes of what appeared to be an enormous war. He could see countless warriors fighting against strange creatures, and after examining them more closely, he recognized the monsters immediately.

Demons.

He had seen similar creatures during his time in the previous dungeon, and he could recognize their unusual appearances even in these ancient drawings.

’So this place has something to do with the demons?’

His interest grew as he continued examining the walls.

The carvings showed humans fighting the demons across vast battlefields. Some humans wielded swords and spears, while others seemed to use magic, unleashing powerful attacks against their enemies.

However, one particular carving caught his attention.

Ten human figures stood at the forefront of the battle, leading the others against the demonic army. Each of them appeared different, carrying different weapons and wearing distinct armor, yet they all seemed to share the same purpose.

They were leading the charge against the demons.

Chris studied the carving for a while, trying to understand what it meant, but the figures alone didn’t tell him much. There were also strange symbols carved beside them, presumably explaining something about the ten individuals, but he couldn’t read a single one.

The writing was unlike anything he had seen before.

Still, the carvings were fascinating enough to keep him occupied for a while. He moved from one wall to another, observing the different scenes and trying to piece together what had happened.

Eventually, he reached the center of the chamber, where a large section of the wall was covered entirely in glowing symbols.

The moment he looked at them, that familiar sensation returned.

His heart began beating faster, and he felt an inexplicable connection to the inscriptions. He couldn’t read the symbols, yet something about them seemed strangely familiar, as if he had encountered them long ago.

More importantly, he felt that he could understand something hidden within them. Not the words themselves, but something deeper.

Chris approached the wall and sat down cross-legged in front of it. He couldn’t explain why, but he felt that if he continued studying the inscriptions, he would eventually understand what they were trying to convey.

With that thought in mind, he focused entirely on the glowing symbols.

Time slowly passed.

The sounds of impacts against the entrance continued in the background, but Chris gradually stopped paying attention to them. His entire focus was on the wall before him, and as he continued studying the inscriptions, his mind seemed to enter a strange state.

He no longer felt the need to move or think about anything else. Instead, he concentrated on the patterns, slowly absorbing the information hidden within them.

He didn’t know how much time had passed. It could have been hours, or perhaps even longer.

Eventually, Chris released a deep breath and opened his eyes.

’What just happened?’

He remained seated for a moment, trying to make sense of the strange experience. He couldn’t remember every detail of what he had seen, but one thing was certain. He had learned something.

More precisely, he had learned a technique.

He didn’t know who had created it or why it had been left in this chamber, but somehow, he now understood how to use it.

Before he could think about it any further, the sound of impacts against the entrance reached his ears again.

*BOOM! BOOM!*

Chris turned his head toward the door.

It seemed the cloaked figure still hadn’t given up. The attacks would stop for a while, only to begin again after a short silence.

’That bastard really doesn’t know when to quit.’

Chris shook his head and turned his attention back to the technique he had learned.

He had no idea what it was supposed to do, but considering the circumstances, he was more than willing to try it. If this place had protected him from the cloaked figure’s attacks, perhaps the technique could help him understand why.

Raising one hand in front of him, he closed his eyes and focused.

At first, nothing happened.

He continued concentrating, trying to recall the strange feeling he had experienced while studying the inscriptions. Slowly, he began sensing something deep within his chest, a faint stream of energy that seemed to originate from his heart.

Following the technique’s instructions, he guided that energy toward his raised hand.

A moment later, a small ball of white energy appeared above his palm.

Chris opened his eyes and stared at it in surprise.

The energy was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It radiated a gentle, calming warmth that spread through his body, making him feel strangely comfortable. There was no overwhelming pressure or destructive force coming from it, yet he could sense that it was something extraordinary.

’What is this?’

He had no idea what the energy was or how it had been created. He didn’t even know whether it was related to the strange power that had protected the entrance.

However, as he continued observing the small ball of light, he gradually realized something. The technique he had learned was clearly connected to the war depicted on the walls.

He couldn’t explain how he knew it, but he felt certain that this power had been used by the humans who fought against the demons long ago. Perhaps it had even been created specifically for that purpose.

Before he could explore the thought further, the ball of white energy suddenly began moving. It floated away from his palm, drifting through the air toward the opposite wall.

Chris watched it curiously as it approached the stone surface and disappeared into it.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, the symbols carved into that section of the wall began glowing one after another, spreading outward until an entire section of stone was illuminated.

A low rumble echoed throughout the chamber.

Chris stood up as a hidden mechanism activated, and the wall slowly shifted, revealing a second doorway that had been concealed behind it.

He stared at the newly revealed entrance, his eyes widening slightly.

’Another door?’

Walking closer, he examined the opening. Unlike the entrance through which he had entered, this door led deeper into the earth, and he had no idea what awaited him on the other side.

Still, he couldn’t return the way he had come. The cloaked figure was waiting outside, and even if the barrier continued protecting him, remaining trapped in this chamber forever wasn’t an option.

Besides, the technique he had just learned seemed to have opened this passage for a reason.

Chris glanced back at the entrance behind him as another heavy impact echoed through the room.

*BOOM!*

’Yeah, I’m definitely not staying here.’