Chapter 373: Heart
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
* Dub—dub, dub—dub, dub—dub...*
He was not imagining it. The sound of a heart beating just ahead was real, and it gave Hao Ren goosebumps. He checked his Steem Membrane Shield instinctively like he was approaching some ancient being of horror.
He knew he had a pretty accurate sixth sense but he hoped it was wrong this time.
Leading in front and having forgotten about their previous creepy encounter, the husky screamed again. "Whoa! What's this?"
Hao Ren inched closer cautiously. His stopped breathing when he saw what was outside the cave.
It was another gigantic, ellipsoidal karst cavern, which had many similar smaller caves distributed evenly on all sides. The one Hao Ren was standing in was just one of them. Roots grew out from the caves, the walls, and the ceilings, joining into a giant lump in the centre of the cavern. The mass, which looked like a crater-laden meteoroid was roughly a thousand metres across. Dark-red skin tissue could be seen through the gaps of the entangled roots spread over a mass that emanated a red, light pulse. The tissue danced with the "lub-dub" sound like it was a heartbeat, or breathing.
The "heart" had its roots spread out into the earth and up to the surface.
Surrounding the heart was a pool of surging, dark-red fluid. It was like the water in Beinz Blood Lake, but darker. Its liveliness made it look like it was also some kind of living creature.
Even Y'zaks choked in awe. "There isn't such a ridiculous thing even back in my home."
Everyone knew the entire Gnarled Grove was a single life form. What they had seen back then was just a part of it—only the trees and the roots, which were pretty normal stuff. But this bundle of roots in the shape of a heart with its constant beating in the cavern was out of this world. It was a horrifying ancient creature.
Becky clenched her sword instinctively. But, she quickly doubted her weapon. She said, "Do you think I can jab this thing with my sword and see if it hurts? By the looks of it, the skin of this thing may be as thick as 10 metres!"
Cold sweat flowed down Hao Ren's forehead: he could not fathom why the maiden's first thought was to jab the thing...
Lily's eyes lit up in a golden glow as she raised her claws of ice and fire, all the while remaining behind Big Beardy. "Are you sure this is the sacred cavern?"
Although Big Beardy and his company were also half-stunned. However, they quickly regained their composure and became as cool as cucumbers again. "It looks exactly like the drawing in the ancient record, which the first pope drew when he found the goddess' sacred patrimony here. Guys, put down your weapons. This must be the sacred ancient one. We cannot afford to offend it."
Vivian pondered for a second. Then she took out a bat, shoved it into Hao Ren's hand and said, "Keep it in your Dimensional Pocket."
Hao Ren was flabbergasted. "What for?"
"If things go wrong, your Dimensional Pocket is the safest place to be." Vivian said, looking serious. "I could then transfer my consciousness to the bat—it's a way to stay alive, though a lot of fresh blood and energy may be needed."
Hao Ren never knew Vivian had such an ability—this bat was a fetish. As he pinched the bat a little before putting it into the Dimensional Pocket, he noticed a subtle change in Vivian's expression. Vivian said, "You should segregrate the bat from Lil Pea, the kid's grinding her teeth..."
"..."
He was sincerely curious about what was in Vivian's mind, and how she dealt with schizophrenia when she was split into a swarm of bats.
Everyone moved closer to the heart, which lay in the centre of the gigantic cavern. And they began to feel the pressure in their minds. The constant thuds of the heart sounded like it was pounding directly in their chests. It could drive a weak mind insane. The pulse of red light in the heart was ominous just by looking at it. So, what was underneath its skin? Blood?"
The heart was surrounded, or rather half-submerged in a pool of liquid. The surging, sticky fluid was another interesting part of the heart. The young ascetic nun took out a crystal bottle as large as her palm and carefully scooped up some liquid.
The sticky fluid surged even when it inside the bottle, dancing to the pulse of the heart.
"What is this?" Hao Ren asked, frowning and looking at the fluid in bottle. "Is it alive?"
"It's a liquid life form," the MDT replied. It got out of Hao Ren's pocket and analysed the fluid in the pool. "Amazingly, this fluid is a part of the Gnarled Grove, an organ of the heart. But, it can live on its own. Once it leaves the pool, it's an independent creature on its own."
Hao Ren's blood ran cold, imagining the possibility of the surging fluid-creature jumping on him suddenly. He took a step back instinctively—he shuddered just from looking at it.
Vivian glanced at Hao Ren, half smiling. "Oh really? My blood magic has a lot more fun than this thing."
Suddenly, the young ascetic monk called out from nearby. "Here! I've found something!"
Everyone scurried over. A pillar, or rather a stone altar of sorts was beside the pool. They did not notice it earlier as they were obsessed with the gigantic heart.
It was well-shaped and carved out of white stone. At three metres across, the altar had mysterious symbols and messy reliefs of the Disciples of Glory on it. Black and heavily weathered substances, probably residue of things used in rituals along with a black, dust-covered, perfectly-preserved, small box were on the altar.
"This is the item left behind by the first pope!" Staring at the altar in awe, Big Beardy said, "True to the holy words, a patrimony which would only be revealed in 3,000 years!"
Hao Ren was equally excited. "So, what is it? A forbidden curse? A new fetish? Another progenitor?"
Big Beardy rubbed his hands in excitement— there goes his characteristically cool composure. "I don't know. However, we must open it and bring it back to the Pope... as per the sacred decree.... By the goddess' mercy, the box is still in one piece though everything else was destroyed. This must be the will of God!"
Hao Ren rolled his eyes; he almost could not stand Big Beardy—it was obvious that the box was intact simply because it was well built...
Big Beardy held the box in his hands carefully. As he opened it up, he found a few parchments. They were heavily faded, but well preserved.
There were black writings—probably messages written by the first pope—on the parchments.
Both Big Beardy and Hao Ren took a deep breath; one was imagining some new oracle or sacred words, while one was expecting some secret recipe left behind by some older, white bearded man.
Vivian was not interested in the moldy skins at all. She sauntered thoughtfully along the pool surrounding the heart. Looking down at the pool of red fluid, she was fascinated as it made her think of her own blood magic.
She released a bat out to take a sip from the pool. She was not worried about the red-liquid creature in the pool suddenly attacking her. Because, she had a feeling that the liquid would be easy to control like normal blood.
Vivian's knitted her brows together as she found it a little salty.
Meanwhile, Hao Ren and Big Beardy had successfully deciphered the writings on the parchment. Big Beardy read it out in his low tone of voice.
"We... came from the stars..."