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Chapter 197 - 197-A Monstrous Creature? The Gate to the Abyss!

The astonished cries of the crowd lingered on.

"Oh my god!"

"What the hell?!"

"It can transform?!"

"Daniel, get back now!"

In the thick darkness, Daniel felt a sudden tremor beneath his feet.

After regaining his balance, he saw the four ghoulish faces on the furnace now superimposed upon one another.

Whether it had always been this way or was the result of the blows he dealt, the merging of the faces wasn’t flawless.

Behind each hollow eye was still a pair of spectacles, and transparent mouths held yet more mouths within.

With the four faces combined, the sight was even more terrifying.

Boom!

The entire altar began to shake.

Nearly knocked off his feet, Daniel shot silk threads from his hands into the ground on either side, anchoring himself.

Illuminated by the beams from the group’s torches below, he finally discerned the full scope of the transformation.

The altar, now sprouting thick tentacles from its base, stood significantly taller.

"Roar!"

A deafening roar echoed from the monstrous altar.

Daniel’s head buzzed as if it would split in two -- a sonic assault that even his immunity couldn’t fend off.

Whip!

He distinctly heard the swish of tentacles swinging toward him.

Swiftly, he jumped down to evade their grasp. Mid-air, a large blade formed of silk thread materialized in his hand.

Crash!

With a single swipe, he cleaved the altar beast in two.

Empowered with a force that magnified the blade’s damage a hundredfold, it tore through the creature.

In an instant, the halves of the altar monster thudded heavily to the ground.

Daniel gracefully landed atop its now motionless form.

His maneuver was as fluid as a drifting cloud, leaving the onlookers utterly spellbound.

The colossal creature, before it could even unleash its devastating power, was split in two.

Even those accustomed to Daniel’s extraordinary feats were taken aback by this swift display.

Julia couldn’t help but draw a deep breath, her exhale warm and heavy, her eyes filled with admiration as they fixed upon the lone, striking figure standing atop the altar’s ruins.

So incredibly cool.

Daniel glanced at the immense form now beneath his feet, its tentacles dissolving into a foul-smelling black liquid that spread around him.

As he prepared to rejoin the group, a blinding white light suddenly burst from where the altar had stood, forming a ’white hole’ that voraciously swallowed the surrounding darkness.

Approaching cautiously, Daniel peered in, only to be met with an endless white expanse.

The rest of the team converged on the anomaly.

Shielding her eyes from the brilliance, Julia questioned, "What is this?"

Brooks speculated, "Perhaps a portal. Like in video games, after defeating the BOSS, a transport portal leading to the treasure vault appears."

Mike’s eyes widened in excitement. "So what are we waiting for? Let’s go in now!"

Alex retorted coldly, "Without any intel, aren’t you afraid of meeting some inexplicable end?"

Mike shuddered, shooting Alex an irritated look. "Well, thank you for that delightful thought."

Then, Mike turned to Daniel and inquired, "Dan, what’s inside there?"

All eyes converged on Daniel.

He responded coolly, "My power has significant a side effect. It’s prone to causing a Resonance reaction, which means that I can’t foresee everything. At times like this, it’s about whether or not you possess the courage."

Without waiting for their response, Daniel took a step forward.

In an instant, he seemed to be drawn into the vortex, disappearing from sight.

The group found Daniel’s explanation quite plausible.

Every time an Evolver utilized their ability, a Resonance reaction side effect was produced.

The intensity of this side effect was determined by the extent of the power’s use.

With an ability as formidable as the Foretelling Future, the intensity of the side effects would undoubtedly be far greater than any of their abilities.

Otherwise, Daniel would simply be too extraordinary.

Yet, the reality often proved elusive.

For Daniel to truly foretell the future wouldn’t invoke a Resonance reaction, he would have to pay the ultimate price: his life.

The group exchanged their glances.

Mike seemed hesitant, but Julia, without a moment’s hesitation, jumped in.

Following suit, Alex and Brooks jumped in as well.

Mike stood by the glowing white portal, taking deep breaths to muster his courage.

"God, please watch over me," he murmured, "I’m still a virgin, after all!"

With that, he closed his eyes and then took the leap.

...

The darkness gradually faded.

Daniel gazed at the familiar scene before him, his brow slightly furrowed.

From behind, the group hurriedly approached, with Mike trailing.

His head swiveled as he surveyed the surroundings. "It looks... like we are back in the pyramid?"

The familiar tawny hues surrounded them, with torches aflame on the narrow pathway’s sides.

It did seem as though they had returned to the pyramid’s interior.

However, right before them, the path forked.

All eyes turned once again to Daniel, but his gaze settled on Brooks.

"Why are you looking at me?" Brooks asked, puzzled.

"I’m suddenly very curious about the nature of your Oracle power," Daniel replied.

Brooks appeared slightly unnerved by the directness of Daniel’s stare, especially coming from another man.

Shifting uncomfortably, he explained, "With the power of Oracle, any statement I make has the potential to become reality."

Words becoming law?

The phrase flashed across Daniel’s mind.

He pondered briefly before proposing, "Then you say that I become a level 5 Evolver now."

Brooks looked at him disdainfully. "How could that be possible? Theoretically, yes, it might work. But the success rate of the Oracle ability fluctuates depending on the difficulty of making the statement a reality."

"When I first activated my Life Gate and became an Evolver, I used the power of Oracle to declare myself the world’s richest man. Immediately, I experienced a Resonance reaction, and that declaration never materialized."

Daniel nodded in understanding. "I see."

The Oracle’s power wasn’t without its limits.

Mike interrupted the two, "Guys, can we focus on deciding where to go next?"

Daniel turned to Brooks. "Your call."

Brooks, initially hesitant, suddenly caught Daniel’s drift.

A grin spread across his face. "I never thought of using my ability this way. Clever move, Daniel."

He nonchalantly pointed towards the right-hand passage, "This path should lead to safety. We go this way."

Compared to the other, the right passage seemed considerably dimmer. Mike shrank back, "Are we sure about this?"

Brooks glared, "Are you doubting my power?"

Mike smirked, "It’s precisely because it’s your power that I’m concerned!" The unpredictable nature of the Oracle’s efficacy was no secret to any of them.

Without overthinking, Daniel chose to trust Brooks’ judgment.

"This way it is. We don’t really have other options right now."

Stumbling around aimlessly would only waste the uses of the Echo Stone; they might as well place their faith in the Oracle.

The group began their journey down the narrow corridor, more confined than any they had encountered before.

Daniel had to slightly hunch over to avoid scraping his head against the low ceiling.

As they ventured deeper, an unmistakable foul stench began to waft towards them, reminiscent of decaying corpses, prompting everyone to be on higher alert.

After about twenty minutes, they were once again confronted with a fork in the path, both routes looking indistinguishable.

Alex suddenly frowned, "Hold on. Something’s off. The corridor we just walked through was straight and took us about twenty minutes. That distance exceeds the limits of The First Pyramid. But here we are, faced with two more straight passages. It’s impossible."

"I believe we never actually returned to The First Pyramid."

This revelation intensified the group’s apprehension.

Being in completely unfamiliar territory always instilled an unsettling unease.

Daniel glanced between the two passages, manipulating the silk thread in his hand to form a dagger.

"This space is vast, and every pathway is eerily similar. I’ll leave a mark, so we don’t end up wandering aimlessly in this forsaken place."

As he spoke, he etched a symbol into the wall.

He then turned to Brooks, "Choose another path."

Brooks looked uneasy, "To be honest, I didn’t even feel the Oracle power at work with the last choice. Are you sure you want me to pick again?"

Daniel remained steadfast, "Choose."

With no other option, Brooks conceded, "Alright then."

He pointed seemingly at random, "Tired of deliberation. Let’s stick to the right."

The group pressed on, and ten minutes later, they were presented with yet another fork in the path. But this time, there were three.

Without hesitation, Daniel let Brooks lead the way.

Brooks, almost instinctively, headed into the far right corridor.

They lost track of time and the countless crossroads they encountered.

Sticking to their strategy of always taking the furthest right passage, they encountered no dangers and were soon greeted by a change in scenery.

"We made it out!"

"Damn it, no more forks. I thought I was gonna hurl." Mike exclaimed, collapsing onto the ground in relief.

Daniel gazed at the towering wall before him, his brows slightly furrowed.