Chapter 549: Venom in the Cracks

"Then hurry up and do whatever you remember!" Adam shouted.

"I’m trying! Stop rushing me!"

"Hard to do that when these things are trying to kill us!"

Adam barely finished speaking before the spear guardian launched another thrust. He twisted his body aside, but the weapon’s immense reach caught him off guard. The spearhead grazed the side of his head, tearing through his skin.

A thin line of blood trickled down his ear.

"Tch."

Adam touched the wound briefly, his expression turning colder. Before the guardian could withdraw its spear, Azrynn released an arrow.

The rune-enhanced projectile flew straight toward its head.

The guardian reacted faster than expected, tilting its upper body and narrowly avoiding the arrow. The projectile struck the wall behind it, exploding into a burst of purple light.

Azrynn clicked her tongue.

"Then let’s see how well you can move without stable footing!"

She drew another rune with her fingers. Purple symbols appeared across the floor beneath both guardians, spreading through the cracks in the stone.

The ground suddenly began to tremble.

The statues staggered as the stone beneath their feet shifted violently. One struggled to maintain its balance while the other’s sword dragged across the floor, carving a deep groove into the surface.

Adam immediately seized the opening.

He surged forward, Pure Mana gathering around his scythe once more. With the guardians’ movements disrupted, he struck the spear-wielding statue directly in the chest.

The impact shattered another section of its stone armor.

Fragments scattered across the chamber, but the familiar regenerative force quickly began pulling them back together.

"Adam!" Azrynn called. "Stop wasting your strength!"

He glanced toward her.

"Wasting my strength? I’m keeping them busy!"

"I know, but attacking them directly is pointless! Their bodies keep regenerating. We should focus on buying Sylphy time until she solves the puzzle!"

Adam grimaced as the spear guardian regained its balance and swung toward him.

"Damn statue!"

Adam let out a short, irritated breath before turning back toward the guardians.

"Alright, Come and get me."

He raised his scythe and stepped forward, deliberately drawing their attention away from Sylphy.

Sylphy darted toward the altar, her tiny body surrounded by swirling wind. The bowls began shifting under her control, their positions changing as she rearranged the offerings. She carefully adjusted the red liquid, guiding it through the grooves carved into the altar.

"I’ve been here so many times! How could I forget this part?"

"Less talking, more solving!" Adam shouted.

"I KNOW!"

Sylphy continued working, her expression growing increasingly focused. The altar responded to her movements, its crimson glow gradually changing. Yet one of the guardians suddenly turned its head toward her.

The spear guardian had noticed.

Its crimson eyes intensified, and its movements became more aggressive. It abruptly pulled its weapon back, raising the enormous lance before hurling it across the chamber.

The weapon tore through the air, heading straight toward the tiny wind spirit.

Adam’s eyes widened.

"SYLPHY!"

He immediately launched himself toward her, his body blurring as he crossed the distance. He wasn’t going to let that spear reach her.

But the sword guardian reacted as well.

It stepped between Adam and its companion, raising its massive blade to intercept him. The sword came crashing down, forcing Adam to change his trajectory before it could split him in two.

"Damn it!"

He couldn’t reach Sylphy in time.

The lance continued flying toward her.

However, Azrynn had already drawn her bow.

She released an arrow wrapped in purple runes. The projectile struck the lance from the side just before it reached Sylphy, its magical force altering the weapon’s trajectory.

The enormous lance spun through the air and crashed against the stone floor.

The impact sent dust and fragments scattering across the chamber, but Sylphy remained unharmed.

Azrynn lowered her bow slightly, her golden eyes still focused on the guardians.

"Don’t even think about touching her."

Adam landed between the sword guardian and the altar, his scythe raised defensively. He glanced toward Sylphy, making sure she was still safe.

"Are you alright?"

"I-I’m fine!" Sylphy replied, though her voice trembled slightly. "Just... keep them busy! I’m almost done!"

Adam let out a breath.

"Then finish it. We won’t be able to protect you forever."

The guardians began advancing once more.

Adam tightened his grip on his scythe, while Azrynn nocked another arrow.

They had to hold the line a little longer.

The battle continued, with Adam and Azrynn struggling to keep the guardians away from Sylphy.

Then, amidst the clashing weapons and rumbling stone, another sound reached their ears.

Footsteps.

A large number of them.

Adam’s expression changed as he glanced toward the passage behind them. The beastkin pursuers were getting closer. Their shouts echoed through the temple, growing louder with every passing second.

"Looks like our friends have finally found their way here," he muttered.

Azrynn glanced toward the entrance. "I’ll buy us some time."

She quickly drew a rune in the air. Purple symbols spread across the passage behind them, and the stone walls began to shift. A massive slab descended from the ceiling, sealing the corridor just as the first pursuers reached it.

The sound of stone crashing into stone reverberated through the chamber.

"Keep that barrier intact!" Adam called.

"I’m aware!"

Azrynn maintained the rune, her concentration focused on keeping the stone barrier in place. However, the guardians weren’t about to give them a chance to rest.

The sword-wielding statue raised its weapon and swung.

Adam barely managed to evade the blow, but the spear guardian immediately followed with another thrust. This time, he wasn’t fast enough.

The lance pierced his left shoulder.

"Ghh!"

The impact forced him backward, and the weapon tore through his flesh before withdrawing. Blood spilled down his arm, staining his clothes.

Yet the wound was already beginning to close.

Adam’s regeneration worked rapidly, knitting the damaged flesh back together and pushing the bleeding to a halt. He flexed his left arm, testing its movement, before gripping his scythe again.

"Damn stubborn things..."

Behind them, the stone barrier began to crack.

The pursuers were already trying to break through.

"Adam!" Sylphy suddenly cried. "I’ve got it!"

The tiny spirit darted toward the altar and made one final adjustment.

The red liquid flowed through the carved channels, completing the pattern. The altar’s crimson glow faded, replaced by a soft golden light that spread across the chamber.

A deep rumble followed.

The two guardians halted.

The spear-wielding statue froze with its weapon raised, mere moments away from striking Adam. The sword guardian stopped mid-swing, its massive blade suspended above the shattered floor.

Then, slowly, the crimson light in their eyes faded.

The ancient statues returned to their original positions, motionless once more.

Adam stared at them for a moment before letting out a relieved breath.

"Finally."

But the relief didn’t last long.

A loud crack echoed from behind them.

The stone barrier Azrynn had erected was beginning to collapse. Several large fractures spread across its surface, and the sounds of the beastkin striking it grew increasingly violent.

"We need to move!" Azrynn warned.

The passage beyond the altar had opened, revealing a dark corridor leading deeper into the temple.

Adam immediately turned toward it.

"Sylphy, lead the way!"

"Right!"

The three rushed through the newly opened passage. Adam made sure Azrynn and Sylphy were ahead of him before glancing back toward the entrance.

The barrier was on the verge of breaking.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Well, since they’re so eager to follow us..."

He discreetly released a small amount of Venom of the Void, allowing it to spread across the damaged stone barrier and settle into the cracks. The venom was nearly invisible, blending into the darkness and dust.

It wasn’t enough to kill anyone outright.

Just enough to make their pursuit considerably more unpleasant.

"Enjoy your welcome gift," Adam murmured.

Then he turned and disappeared into the corridor with the others.

Behind them, the stone barrier finally shattered.

And the beastkin pursuers rushed straight into Adam’s little surprise.