Chapter 124: 118: Three Lairs and Three Tablets 4

"What's going on?"

Ryu didn't have time to ponder more about Seraphina when a bright light consumed them.

"I think Vein is opening the chest," said Seraphina.

It was the only chest on the pedestal, and everyone knew that whatever was inside that chest was very valuable.

"Damn it," Kai hissed as the light faded and Vein was reaching out for the content of the chest.

Without blinking, Ryu stared at the item in Vein's hand. It was neither the Lost Jewel of Tethyt nor a rare item nor an artifact. It was. . .

A piece of a stone tablet.

"What the. . ." Kai didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Fortunately, it wasn't him who suffered the blow of disappointment.

Something finally good came out of this ordeal as they got to see Vein's twisting face.

"A piece of a tablet?" Jane was curious, though. That tablet wouldn't be placed inside a chest if it wasn't important.

"W-what does it do?" Theodore asked. 

Kai, Jane, and Theodore were probing while Ryu followed them when they approached Vein's group to spy in their conversation.

"Read it," Vein said and handed the torn tablet to Masha.

"Uh. . ." Masha shifted the tablet left and right and up and down, but for the life of her, she still couldn't read runes.

Vein sighed. "Useless."

"What?!" Masha growled and pushed the tablet back to Vein before crossing her arms. "Then you read it if you know how to read runes!"

"That's why I gave it to you because I don't know-how. You're the hunter. You should have studied different languages and symbols."

"Runes aren't part of it." Masha defended herself. No one knew of it except the Queen of Beast and maybe the Gods when they were still here. 

"Now what?" Kai wandered around. There was no opening nor another secret passageway in this cave except the one they had just entered.

"I think we should go back first," Seraphina proposed.

With no other option, the group made their way towards the main hall where the three giant arches were located.

Along the way, Ryu, Kai, Jane, and Theodore were signaling each other. They didn't know what to do with Vein yet, and Ryu was having second thoughts about Seraphina.

Who knew if she was just pulling his leg?

Then, there was no other option than that. .. Ryu mouthed the words onto Kai and Jane. Both were shocked, but then their face changed to glee. That was right, with that. .. they would surely take the antidote from Vein. 

The only problem was. . .

They needed a chance. An opportunity. Even just a moment that Vein let his guard down.

While everyone was having secret eye contact, Seraphina briefly glanced in Ryu's direction and thought, 'It would be much faster if you go to Lizzaforth.'

Seraphina pouted and sighed. 

Back in the main hall where the three arches lay, the group was flabbergasted that the center archway's symbol dimmed. It was glowing faintly before, but now it was dead.

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"Is it because we killed the Reaper Leviathan?" Kai guessed.

Jane placed a finger on her chin and concluded, "Then this symbol must be the name of the beast of each arches.

"What do you think?" Vein asked Masha.

"It must be it. This must be the three lairs of the boss, and if I'm not mistaking, there might be a chance that the other parts of the tablet are there too," Masha said and added, "and the treasures like the center archway!"

Vein nodded, and without another second, he commanded Ryu to take the lead to the right archway.

"But before that." Jane blocked the right doorway and extended her palm at Vein. "If you want us to help you defeat the boss of this every lair, we need that antidote."

Vein's eyelid twitch. He peeked at the ceiling with his eyes set deep in darkened sockets like he was able to spot the light from above. Was it really nearing another hour? He couldn't tell since time in this place was distorted. But Vein thought that he couldn't create conflict nor disposed of Jane and the others. Not right now. Not unless he reached the Leviathan's lair and went to the next Islet.

Vein was sure that Marcus wasn't on this Islet as well as Morgan. But he wasn't sure if they were on the next Islet after this one, so he'll dispose of Kai and the rest of them before then.

Vein handed the vials to Jane without another word. Jane and the others drank the antidote while Ryu hid his and proceeded to the next lair.

The right corridor was the same as the central corridor but more on the decaying side. The floor was rough and irregular as though the earth beneath shrugged it off. Some vermin forage among the stone floor, finding some parasites and plants to gnaw upon. They produced scrabbling noises as they scurried into the holes when they approached.

A vertical carpet of moss and tiny fungus had utterly overrun the corridor's walls. Some stones and crystals sprouted from the wall giving illumination within the hall. They could be broken and taken as loot but weren't worth much, so no one bothered to stop and take a second look.

Ryu took a sniff. The smell of this passage was different from the central passageway. The air was stiff and stale, carrying with it the stench of rotting flesh and the filth of the deep sea.

Ryu took a peeked at Seraphina. The constant twinged of her nose was an indication that she smelt it too. She had a high sense of smell and hearing, which was odd considering that she was human. Or was she?

Then his eyes were drawn at her slender fingers, holding her staff close to her body. Thin, slender fingers seemed to delicately touch and caress everything that she held.

Shaking his head lightly, Ryu reverted his thoughts at the mysteries that surrounded her. Seraphina knew the ocean too much for a first-time adventurer even though she said she studied it in advance. She had a kin sense of hearing and smell, but there was no indication that she was a halfbreed or beast.

Or was she just good at hiding it?

She said she was on his side, and Ryu wanted to believe her if she would only tell her more.

Sensing his eyes on her, Seraphina met his gaze and beamed her brightest. 

Ryu wasn't embarrassed that he was caught staring. He averted his gaze and looked ahead with a stoic face.

As they neared the end of the hallway, Theodore was constantly picking at something with his fingers. His hair or nails usually received the blunt end while his eyes darted from one location to another.

Jane was focus ahead with a confident stride, but the excessive sweating on her face broke her façade. 

Kai readied his weapons and mind for the opponent that lies ahead. Though his mouth never stopped rumbling his discontent under his breath.

Rumble!

The entrance closed when they reached the other side, and the stone works settled with a quiet rumble, and steam of dust hissed onto the floor followed by the hissing sounds of the slithering tongue of a wyrm.

Atop the piles of bones laid a monster possessing a long, almost serpent-like body that stretched ten meters from its flat snout and a hideous fang-filled jaws to its sharp tail. Its body was corded in muscles and covered in scales with four limbs topped with razor-sharp claws. 

Its silvery-green skin shone when it came into the light, and its tiny menacing eyes sent shivers down their spine.

(Pic)

"It's a. .. !" The name was at the tip of Masha's tongue, but Seraphina always beat her to it.

"A Merwyrm!"

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