Chapter 1205: Vast Shape
Within the dense jungles of Nahua, where danger lay at every corner and death was just a step away for the unprepared, Berger, Blackie, and Edward had finally arrived at their destination.
The towering, blue-eyed youth stood inside a large clearing, breathing heavily. His body was drenched in sweat and blood, and arcs of lightning snaked across it from time to time.
He glanced at the corpses of the massive, black feline creatures around him with a dark frown on his face. Spitting a mouthful of blood to the side, he turned around and glanced at Berger and Blackie, who were observing everything unfold from the edge of the clearing.
"What do you think, old man?" Edward asked, his voice slightly hoarse. "This has got to be the place, right?"
Surrounded by dozens of corpses of these mystical jaguars, ranging from Mana Foundation Rank to the Mana Vortex Rank, it was clear that he was extremely tired. Though his body was riddled with scars, Edward appeared relatively fine.
Meanwhile, Berger casually smoked from the pipe as he sat atop Blackie. He glanced at the beast corpses littered on the ground with narrowed eyes before shifting his attention to Edward. Then, he said in a slightly stern voice:
"Your mana control is pathetic! What’s the matter with you? Just because you have abundant mana in your reserve, you think you can waste it however you please?"
Edward resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He plopped down and sat on the corpse of a giant jaguar behind him. He conjured a water flask from his storage artifact and drank large mouthfuls of water. Then, he replied casually:
"Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind. Anyway, this has got to be it, right?"
Berger snorted in slight frustration. He knew very well that the boy was ignoring his remarks once again. It would seem that he’d need to beat some sense into the boy. A good old beating always did wonders.
He shifted his attention towards the giant structure looming in the near distance, his eyes flickering with grim solemnity.
He took a long puff from the pipe and nodded. "It should be..."
The pyramid rose in a step-like structure, each tier stacked above the other until it reached a flat summit. The entire structure was built from massive stone blocks. It must have been once smooth and decorated, but now the surface had weathered into rough gray and brown colors.
Vines and patches of moss crept across its surface, giving it a wild, overgrown look. Though in some places, ancient carvings were still visible. They depicted giant serpents winding down the sides, jaguar heads, and sun motifs.
Most of these carvings were worn and faded, but enough details remained that hinted at the pyramid’s original grandeur. Despite thousands of years’ decay, the pyramid stood solid and imposing.
Some sections of outer stones had collapsed, leaving gaps and jagged edges, but the core of the structure remained intact, dominating the dense jungle around it.
The three had come across several such pyramids in their long and arduous journey. Most of them had turned out to be far smaller and empty—it wasn’t what they were looking for. But this one... it was likely that this one housed one of the six portals according to Adam’s calculations.
"So, then..." Edward rose to his feet, dusting his hands. His lips curled into an excited grin, and he asked in an eager voice, "Shall we head in then? There’s bound to be something exciting inside, considering the number of beasts that were guarding the pyramid."
Of course, Edward didn’t know that they were looking for a portal. All he knew was that something of great importance lay inside. And that it was most likely protected by an even powerful creature.
Blackie slowly made his way through the littered corpses, not even casting a glance at them. Then, he arrived beside Edward and nodded. "Good job, Eddie."
"Heh, of course." The blue-eyed youth puffed out his chest, his lips curling into a smug smile.
Meanwhile, Berger gazed at the pyramid with a solemn look on his face. More specifically, he was studying the carvings of the various magical beasts carved across the stones.
"Tell me, boy," he began. "What kind of beasts did we encounter on the way here?"
Edward frowned, wondering if the old man had suddenly developed some memory problems. Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud, afraid that the smoking pipe might leave a dent on his forehead. So, he said seriously:
"Uh, let’s see. There were those strange sun-like wisps that shot out Fireballs, and then these shadow jaguars. Though there were only two types of creatures guarding the pyramid, their numbers were unlike anything we’ve encountered before."
Berger hummed in acknowledgment. He took yet another long and steady drag from the pipe, his eyes narrowing as he studied the carvings of the third kind of fantastical beast on the stones.
"Very well," he said. "Let’s go inside."
The gnome turned to Edward and solemnly added, "Stay behind Blackie, and no matter what... do not engage. Understood?"
Edward was slightly taken aback by that warning, but nodded nonetheless. Then, the three of them walked towards the pyramid and, with vigilant looks on their faces, finally entered the ancient structure.
The interior of the pyramid was dark, and the air felt oppressive. Narrow shafts of light filtered through the cracks in the stones, but they did little to push back the shadows.
The walls were rough and damp, the carved stone blocks etched with faded glyphs and worn patterns that hinted at ancient history. The air smelled of dust, age, and... something reptilian.
The three of them came to an abrupt halt when they noticed something huge in the center of the chamber.
And suddenly... the vast shape stirred.
The moment Edward’s gaze landed upon this entity, his heart skipped a beat. He felt primal fear well up in his heart, and he couldn’t help but involuntarily take a step back, his eyes trembling with horror.
Meanwhile, Berger and Blackie had grim looks on their faces as they gazed at the colossal creature.
It was a feathered serpent coiled in silence, its massive body filling much of the floor. Its scales glimmered faintly in the dim light, green long feathers spreading outwards like a cloak.
The serpent’s head rested low, its yellow eyes half open...
And it was staring right at them!