Chapter 171 - Red

Creeek

Crakkk

The moon-like sphere in the ceiling was slowly moving. It twitched and shook. Dust fell from the ceiling as the object slowly started to rotate around itself.

Crackle

Crackkk

The group looked at the scene while frozen in their places, but the next thing that happened was even stranger. 

SHHHHH

Noises started to be heard from the platform-like structure that was located right under the hole in the ceiling. Right at the center of the platform and at the exact spot where the light fell on, a red dot was shining.

Tak

Tak

Tak

As soon as the red light appeared, suddenly the silver and white stars in the ceiling all turned bright red.

"What is happening?"

Captain Neal was visibly flustered. She hurriedly moved back and cast even more shields around the people in addition to Kairen's shields. As the captain of Monster Hunter Division, she had only dealt with monsters her whole life so such a thing was not normal for her.

Actually, even for the members of unit 5 who had been dealing with a whole bunch of strange stuff every day, this thing was still not normal.

Tak Tak Tak Tak

In a few seconds, all of the stars had turned red. The beautiful temple that looked like the night sky had turned into a scene right out of a horror movie.

ONNNNGGG

In addition to that, there was still the loud noise that apparently only Kairen could hear.

"It is dangerous!"

Kairen grabbed team leader Dain's arm and pulled him.

"We should leave!"

Kairen's instincts were telling him to get out of here. This place was dangerous. He didn't know why but he should get away from that worship room. 

"We have to get away from here!"

While saying that, Kairen cast barriers in front of the worship room and some more shields around the whole unit. 

At that moment... 

WIIIINNNGGG

The whole building shook.

"EEK!"

"What the-"

WIINGGG

"Head out! Hurry!"

Team leader Dains shouted as he pointed at the exit. Once the others turned to the place he was pointing, they could see the gates to the exit slowly closing on their own. 

Seeing that, everyone started to run towards the exit.

ONNGG

WIINGG

The red light at the center of the platform kept getting bigger in size and getting more and more bright. The dot-like shiny red orb was now the size of a fist. As the orb kept gaining size, the temple became died in red in a few seconds.

"It's too bright!"

"My eyes!"

The group that was running towards the exit had to close their eyes as the light got more and more intense.

Ceeeeeeeekkkk

"I've slowed them down! Move your asses already!"

Alan yelled at the others while running towards the gate. He was the first one to reach the exit and leave the temple.

The others turned towards him. He was right. The gate that was closing at a fast speed was now slowed down.

Seeing that, the group ran faster towards the exit. The distance was not far, but the bright light and the shakings of the building were making it hard to walk easily. No one knew what was happening here but they all could feel that staying inside wasn't a wise idea. They had to exit this place as soon as they could, so they ran with all their might.

Well, again except for Kairen.

Tap

Falling down to his knees, Kairen looked down at his trembling hands that were supporting his body.

'I feel weak...'

He couldn't move further. He felt drained of energy all of a sudden. 

No, it wasn't sudden. He felt energy slowly leaving his body as soon as the red light appeared on the platform. It was as if the light was absorbing his mana. As a result, Kairen couldn't keep up with the others and fell down before he could even reach the gate.

'I need to get away from this place!'

He screamed inwardly, but couldn't move at all.

"You fucking dumbass!"

At that moment, as soon as he heard Serria's words, Kairen felt his body move up. Someone was holding him from the back of his uniform and pulling him up.

"Ah?"

He couldn't turn to look at what was Serria doing as he started moving towards the gate as soon as he was raised from the ground. 

"AAHH???!!!"

Kairen couldn't see Serria, but he could get what just happened. She had sent... maybe shot Kairen towards the gate. 

"SerriaaAIAIAW!"

The small distance between the place Kairen was sitting and the gate was passed in a second, but that wasn't something Kairen could feel happy about.

THUDDDD

Kairen's body hit the ground right in front of the door with a loud thud. As he rolled a few times due to the impact, he reached the stairs in front of the door.

'No, wait!'

TAP

TAP

TAP

TAP

TAP

Unable to hold himself, he fell all the stairs down one by one.

"...."

Sprawled down on the ground below the stairs, Kairen looked at the sky with a blank face.

'Thank you Serria but no.'

He should've said that earlier. He should've stopped Serria before her attempt to 'help' him. Laying down there with a swollen face and beaten-up body, Kairen really wanted to cry.

"Ouch!"

"Kairen!!!"

"I-is he dead?"

The unit members who had been looking at the scene with blank faces all turned to the saved, but almost killed-in-the-process Kairen.

"Oh!"

Serria, still inside the temple, looked at the gate with a startled face.

"I forgot about the stairs for a... Huh?"

Serria didn't finish her sentence. She, as well as all the other members who were still inside the temple, turned to look at the red light in the middle of the platform.

The red light went out. 

It completely vanished as if it was never there.

As the light suddenly went out, the whole temple turned dark.

But that didn't last long.

"Ah?"

"Run!"

Before they could run away, it happened.

BANNNNGGGG

Something exploded inside the temple.

"Ugh!"

"The shields!"

A strange energy burst out everywhere. 

Starting from the center of the platform, it moved towards the whole temple and even the outside of it. Like a sudden flash of light, the red light, the red energy, engulfed the whole place.

BOOOMMMM

"GAH!"

Kairen was pushed further back due to the impact. As he was flung away, he saw the whole building flash red for a short amount of time.

The others also were flung away in different directions. The ones who were still inside the temple fell out of the gate and the ones who were already outside were sent in different directions in the yard just like Kairen.

"Holy-"

"ACK!"

"What was that?"

The explosion only lasted for a second. It was more accurate to call it a sudden burst of light than an explosion.

"Is everyone alright?"

Fortunately for them, Kairen and captain Neal had already cast several layers of shields around the whole group. As a result, no one got hurt because of the explosion and only some of them got minor injuries due to the impact.

But the strange thing was that the temple was intact even after the explosion. There was not even a single crack on the walls. It was as if nothing had happened at all.

"Is everyone alright? Gather in one place! Leave that temple immediately!"

Team leader Dains hurriedly ran towards the unit members, checking their condition while trying to gather everyone in one place.

"Kairen?"

Kairen glanced at Reyan who was running towards him and slowly rose his body.

"Argh!"

His whole body was aching.

Reyan knelt beside him and helped him sit.

"That stupid girl-"

He started to curse Serria as soon as he saw Kairen's injured body.

"No, that's not it..."

Kairen looked down at himself. He was injured all over and was bleeding.

But it wasn't because of his fall from the stairs. Yes, he was hurt badly after the fall, but not injured like this. 

It happened after the explosion.

"...Why does it look like... your flesh was burnt?"

But then, Kairen's eyes caught on something on the other side of the yard.

"...."

"Asa! Come over here!"

"...."

Ignoring everything, Kairen kept staring at a spot behind Reyan's back.

"How come you are the only one who got hurt when you were the farthest from the center of the explosion?"

"Who called me? Oh? Why do you look like shit again?!"

"....."

Tap

Kairen raised his hand and tapped Reyan's shoulder.

"H-hey..."

He then pointed at somewhere with his eyes.

"D-did they... Did they look like t-that from the start...?"

"What are you-"

Reyan shut his mouth as soon as he looked behind his back.

"....."

"....."

"....."

The three of them stared at the spot with pale faces.

"What are you guys-"

"Is Kairen-"

"...."

"...."

After seeing Kairen, Asa, and Reyan's faces, everyone else turned to where they were staring at.

"W-why are their eyes..."

Everyone could clearly see. 

The eagle statues... The two statues were placed beside the entrance. 

The eyes of those two stone statues.

They were visibly glowing red.