Chapter 330: Chapter 330: The Mysterious Cave
When the figure unleashed another dark energy assault, Enzo took his chance and charged toward him. He gathered all his strength and aimed a powerful blow at the spot where the mysterious figure's energy fluctuations were weakest.
"Boom!" The sound of impact echoed through the room as Enzo struck the mysterious figure, sending him flying backward to crash heavily against the wall. The dark energy surrounding him began to dissipate, and he appeared to be gravely injured.
"You..." the mysterious figure attempted to say something, but he lacked the strength, his body slowly collapsing to the ground.
Enzo and the others approached the fallen figure. Enzo looked down at him and demanded, "Tell us, who are you? Why are you trying to stop us?"
Blood trickled from the corners of the mysterious man's mouth as he sneered, "You... will find out soon enough..."
With that, he lost consciousness.
Not bothering with the figure any longer, Enzo turned his attention back to the ancient door in the projection. At this moment, the runes on the door flickered even more intensely, as if urging them to open it quickly.
"Let's continue," Enzo said.
The group moved back in front of the projection, resuming their task of touching the runes in the order of their flickering.
As the last rune was touched, the ancient door in the projection began to slowly open, emitting a dazzling light that poured forth, accompanied by a powerful surge of energy.
"We did it!" Matilda exclaimed excitedly.
Enzo gazed at the opened door, filled with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. They were about to step into the source of the Ancestor Meat; what dangers and secrets awaited them there?
Taking a deep breath, Enzo led the way into the doorway.
Matilda, Kosor, Patricia, and the reclusive old man followed closely behind. The moment they stepped through the door, a radiant light enveloped them, making them feel as though they had entered an entirely new world.
Inside was a vast cave, its walls embedded with countless glowing gems that illuminated the space as bright as day. A mysterious aura filled the cave, and at its center stood a massive stone platform, upon which rested a piece of meat radiating an unusual glow—this must be the Ancestor Meat.
"Finally found it," Enzo whispered softly.
But just as they were about to approach the stone platform, a deep rumble echoed through the cave, as if some gigantic beast was awakening from the shadows.
"Everyone, be careful!" Enzo shouted, realizing that their new challenge had only just begun.
The group immediately halted, nervously staring into the depths of the cave. The growling grew louder, and the ground began to tremble beneath them.
"This creature must be formidable; we need to handle this carefully," Kosor said, gripping his great sword tightly.
Matilda frowned, "What's there to fear? One comes, we take it down; two come, we take them both down."
Patricia, meanwhile, was observing the surroundings, ready to cast support spells at any moment. The reclusive old man looked grave, as if he were trying to recall something important.
Suddenly, a massive figure burst forth from the depths of the cave. The creature resembled a gigantic spider but was covered in hard scales, with sharp claws on each leg and eyes glowing with a fierce red light.
"What the heck is that?" Matilda exclaimed in shock.
Without hesitation, Enzo charged forward and threw a punch at the creature. The beast easily dodged his attack and swiped at Enzo with its claws. Enzo quickly sidestepped, feeling the rush of wind as the claws grazed past him.
Kosor, not wanting to be outdone, swung his great sword at the creature's legs. The beast sensed the threat and leaped aside, and Kosor's sword struck the ground, sending sparks flying.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Matilda unleashed her icy divine arts, shooting streams of cold light at the creature. The creature was struck, and a layer of frost began to form on its surface, but it quickly broke free and lunged at the group once more.
"This creature is tough!" Enzo shouted.
The reclusive old man suddenly interjected, "This creature is likely weak to fire; you should use fire-based spells against it."
Enzo's eyes lit up as he summoned the fire elemental energy within him and launched a fireball at the beast. The creature screeched in pain as the flames hit it, causing it to recoil.
Seeing this, Kosor also cast a fire spell, igniting flames around the creature to keep it at bay.
Matilda continued to assist with her icy divine arts, further slowing the creature's movements.
Under the dual assault of fire and ice, the creature gradually found itself in dire straits. It roared in anger, desperately searching for an opportunity to counterattack.
At that moment, Enzo noticed a weak spot on the creature's abdomen, where the scales appeared thinner.
"Attack its abdomen!" Enzo shouted.
Kosor and Matilda immediately understood and concentrated their attacks on the creature's vulnerable underbelly. The beast attempted to evade but was too late.
With their combined force, they broke through the creature's abdomen, causing black blood to gush out. The creature struggled a few times before finally collapsing onto the ground.
"Phew, we finally took it down," Matilda sighed in relief.
Enzo approached the stone platform, gazing at the piece of Ancestor Meat that radiated an unusual glow.
"Is this really Ancestor Meat? It feels so mysterious," Enzo remarked.
The reclusive old man stepped forward, examining the Ancestor Meat closely. "Indeed, this is Ancestor Meat, but it is surrounded by a powerful energy barrier. We cannot touch it easily."
Enzo furrowed his brow. "What should we do? We worked hard to find this place."
Patricia thought for a moment and said, "Maybe we can use The Tear of the Stars to dispel this energy."
Enzo nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's give it a try."
He took out The Tear of the Stars and moved closer to the Ancestor Meat. The light emitted by The Tear of the Stars resonated with the energy surrounding the Ancestor Meat, and gradually, the energy began to weaken.
Just as the energy around the Ancestor Meat was about to vanish, the sound of footsteps echoed through the cave once more.
"This is bad; trouble is coming," Kosor said.
Everyone immediately became alert as a group of individuals clad in black armor entered through another opening in the cave.
"Hand over the Ancestor Meat!" the leader shouted.
Enzo stared at them defiantly. "Who are you? Why do you want the Ancestor Meat?"
The leader sneered, "We are from the Dark Temple, and the Ancestor Meat is our target."
Matilda scoffed, "In your dreams! If you have the guts, come and take it!"
The Dark Temple members charged forward, engaging in battle with Enzo and the others.
As they fought, Enzo and his companions tried to protect the Ancestor Meat while retreating. However, the strength of the Dark Temple members began to overwhelm them.
In that moment, Enzo suddenly had an idea.
"Let's take the Ancestor Meat deeper into the cave and use the terrain to our advantage against them," Enzo suggested.
Everyone nodded in agreement, and they began to run deeper into the cave with the Ancestor Meat in tow. The Dark Temple members pursued them closely.
The deeper part of the cave was complex, filled with narrow passages and caverns. Enzo and his team utilized the terrain, engaging in guerrilla tactics against the Dark Temple members.
In one of the narrow passages, they set a trap. When the Dark Temple members pursued them inside, they triggered the trap, and a massive boulder rolled down, trapping a portion of their attackers.
"Ha! Let them taste our strength," Matilda said triumphantly.
However, the Dark Temple members did not give up; they continued to chase after Enzo and the others.
In a larger cavern, Enzo and his team faced off against the Dark Temple members in a final showdown.
Enzo unleashed his elemental energy, engaging in a fierce battle with the leader of the Dark Temple. Matilda and Kosor each cast their spells and skills, fighting against the other Dark Temple members.
Patricia provided support by casting auxiliary spells from the sidelines, while the reclusive old man occasionally unleashed mysterious spells to aid Enzo and the others.
After an intense battle, Enzo and his companions finally succeeded in driving the Dark Temple members back.
"Phew, we finally chased them off," Kosor said, panting heavily.
Enzo turned his attention back to the Ancestor Meat. "Now we can take a good look at the Ancestor Meat."
The group gathered around the Ancestor Meat, beginning to examine it closely. It emitted a strange light, and there seemed to be some mysterious runes inscribed upon its surface.
The reclusive old man furrowed his brow. "This Ancestor Meat contains immense power, but it is also fraught with danger. We must study it carefully and ensure it does not fall into the wrong hands."
Enzo nodded in agreement. "Exactly, we need to find a way to utilize the Ancestor Meat as soon as possible while also preventing anyone else from stealing it."
Just as they were about to continue their examination of the Ancestor Meat, a strange sound suddenly echoed through the cave.
"What's that noise?" Matilda asked nervously.
Everyone immediately became alert as they noticed peculiar symbols beginning to appear on the walls of the cave. These symbols flickered with light, as if conveying some kind of message.
Enzo studied the symbols intently. "What does this mean? Could it be a secret related to the Ancestor Meat?"
The reclusive old man gazed at the symbols, lost in thought. After a moment, he seemed to have an epiphany. "These symbols might be an ancient language. We need to find a way to decipher them."
Enzo considered this. "Perhaps we can return to the Rage Temple; their library might have relevant materials."
Everyone nodded in agreement, deciding to take the Ancestor Meat back to the Rage Temple to further investigate its secrets.
As they exited the cave, they were startled to find themselves surrounded by a group of mysterious individuals.
"You're not going anywhere!" shouted the leader of the group.
Enzo and his companions frowned, realizing that they were about to face another tough battle.
Without hesitation, Enzo charged forward to engage the mysterious figures in combat. Matilda and Kosor quickly joined the fray, while Patricia and the reclusive old man provided support from the back.