Transcendent Gene
Chapter 259: Bloodless Crypt [3]

Chapter 259: Bloodless Crypt [3]

The Bloodless Crypt.

There had to be a reason why it was called that. Not many places could be called crypts, and "bloodless" was not an ordinary adjective.

When it came to clues, that was the only one the party had when they started exploring the worship area.

"The sign is here, but this can’t be the crypt itself," Serene proposed first.

"Crypts are supposed to be storage sites and graveyards. The only reason to turn a crypt into a site of worship is in a time of oppression, but this place doesn’t tell that kind of story."

There was blood everywhere. Obviously, the worshippers here had been slaughtered by something or someone. If that force was an opposing religion, the statue and other religious relics would have been destroyed.

The statue was only crumpling because of its age. For the most part, it was untouched. The blood on its outskirts had nothing to do with it.

"If this isn’t the crypt, then this must be the church it was attached to, and that statue is a holy figure from whatever religion this used to be."

Gio always thought organized religion was a human concept, but this suggested otherwise. The church area was very similar to many found on Earth from various religions, but this was definitely a monster territory...

’Everything here is human.’

The statue wasn’t just humanoid. It was clearly a human. The text was from an ancient human language. The architectural style was that of humans.

How could Gio ever consider this a part of monster territory?

’There’s a story here, and I don’t think it’s one I’ll like. If everything here presents itself as human, there’s no point pretending like it’s foreign.’

If he approached this place like it was made by humans and for humans...

"Bloodless Crypt," he said.

"If it was named by humans, then I’d assume it has something to do with a blood sacrifice."

It went against the name "Bloodless Crypt," but as Serene said, this was not the crypt.

Realistically, it was nothing more than a guess, but in Gio’s mind...

"Humans in monster territory are either captured or subservient. The only type that would set up a religious site worshipping humans is the former, and the only reason they’d do something like that..."

"...is to leave traces for others who might find them in the future," Neriah finished, nodding her head in agreement.

"If they merely wanted to pray, they would have created a statue of a God. That statue is clearly depicting an ordinary human, so it’s not an insane theory."

It had only been a minute or two since they entered the ruined worship site. If the rest of them had anything else to add or any other angles to try, they would have spoken up, however, they didn’t have the time to do anything of the sort.

Gio walked up to the statue and looked up at its form.

’The blood on the balcony belongs to monsters. The Bloodless Crypt is called as such because it is a place where human blood can never be spilled.’

The church likely had a similar concept before it was ruined, but its signage no longer existed.

’The theory is that if human blood is spilled...’

The crypt would recognize kin.

Gio drew a virtual blade and sliced it across his palm, allowing his blood to drip onto the podium where the statue stood.

He was met with instant gratification as the podium glowed the color of molten metal when it came in contact with the crimson liquid

As he turned to face his comrades, the entire wall where the statue stood turned. None of them needed to be told what to do.

They rushed through both sides before it could flip entirely, moving onto the room beyond.

"Huu...."

Shiro sighed and wiped his forehead in an exaggerated motion.

"That’s great. First try, huh? You guys are all geniuses, I get it."

"Not the time, Shiro," Gio responded wryly.

It was great that they made it through, but it was a terrible thing that Gio’s prediction was correct.

’How far does it go?’

Humans in the monster world who’d managed to live in hiding and create structures such as this one and monsters in the human world who were giving books of their language and secrets to amazing technology to humans...

Earth’s history was never supposed to be deep on an intergalactic scale.

Humans had a long history, sure, but they were caged behind the Great Barrier Wall and unable to expand further than their own Solar System.

Humanity was only introduced to the possibility of other life in the universe when monsters started to invade. Theories about the nature of the Great Barrier Wall also only appeared around that time.

’But if this is all from the same era, then there wasn’t enough time for all of this to be created. The chronology doesn’t make sense.’

Frankly, Gio had forgotten about his desire to grow stronger. The mysteries of the world surpassed the importance of strength when he realized the entire history of the Gehenna Complex as he knew it could be a lie.

Gio could feel his head pulsing. Between his original plans, the new things he was learning, and the lust for vengeance he was holding down, he was unsure of what to chase.

Control.

Control was absolutely vital to Gio. He came back because he knew exactly how he wanted the future to look when he was done shaping it. He knew exactly how he was going to move, and he knew exactly what was going to happen.

He accepted the fact that there would be changes. There were things he didn’t know despite his memory and there were things that would change because of his own interference.

However, even those were scenarios he’d planned for. For 100 years and then some, the only real conscious thoughts in his head were those he used to plan for his return.

Even outliers were under his control. Or, at least, that was what he’d assumed.

Meeting outliers outside his control filled his mind with restlessness. He wanted to get to the end of everything and learn everything so he could tweak his plans to account for the world’s truths.

As he and his party worked through the second room, another prayer room filled with pews and the remains of ornate decorations, his focus seemed to narrow in until he could only see pinpoints.

They made it through the room somehow. Gio’s memory started to blur. His perception continued to narrow until he forgot about even the [Memory Book]’s existence.

His group made it through the third room, and then the fourth.

The fifth was where they saw a real change. They weren’t faced with more doorless rooms that asked them to solve puzzles. They were revealed to what looked like catacombs filled with human skulls.

Perhaps this was it.

Perhaps this was the entrance to the true Bloodless Crypt.

If that was the case...

’VNGRD will be here.’

’We should finally find some answers here.’

’There should be a reward at the end of all of this, right?’

Three different minds thought of three different things.

And all three of those things were now gathered within the crypt.

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