Chapter 61: Demon?

Shriveling, drying up, and falling away!

Amid the monster’s silent scream, the roots hanging from the ceiling underwent a dramatic transformation. They writhed incessantly, as if imbued with life.

With the roots’ support gone, the monster’s flesh began to drop piece by piece onto the floor. The creature seemed to understand something, desperately trying to piece the fallen flesh back onto itself. Yet for every chunk it pressed in place, two or three more slipped away and landed on the ground.

At last, the towering monster, over three meters tall, collapsed to its knees. Its flesh spilled out like a water balloon pierced and emptied, pooling in a glistening mass on the stone below.

With a whip of her tail, the Soul Naga sent the monster’s three heads flying.

Liuzhi paid little mind to this spectacle. His attention was drawn to the mound of flesh, where several human heads were partially buried beneath the gore.

He spared them no further glance. Calmly, he raised his head to inspect the ceiling, seeking confirmation of anything unusual.

Soon, he discovered that behind the roots lay murals, now battered and barely recognizable. Depicted within were scenes illustrating the purpose of the giant stone disk in the hall below.

This artifact had played a role in suppressing the demon long ago. It appeared the disk was used as a drum—whenever it was struck, the demon’s power would be reduced by half.

[Challenge four of the ritual completed. Reward: Divine Stone Drum. Using the drum reduces enemy strength by 50%. Player may choose to attempt the final layer of the ritual. If not entered, enemies will begin strengthening after thirty minutes.]

After grasping the situation, Liuzhi shook his head, tidied his ransacked pack, and circled around the stone drum, preparing to descend.

At that moment, he noticed a small line of writing beside the door leading to the last underground level.

Thanks to his mastery of Level 3 basic languages, Liuzhi had learned to recognize the scripts of the three great American empires. He understood the inscription at a glance.

“Leif Erikson.”

A name that did not fit the style of the three South American empires.

Who was this? Was it the demon’s name?

Questions flickered through Liuzhi’s mind.

Just then, a chime sounded in his ear, and a new prompt appeared before his eyes.

[Ding! Through study of the pyramid’s murals, you have acquired new knowledge: Occultism (City of Gold Demon) Level 1.]

“So, this is information about the final boss of the ritual. The demon is called Leif Erikson?”

Muttering to himself, Liuzhi prepared to descend with the Soul Naga.

Below lay the deepest level. Liuzhi and the Soul Naga sensed the passage widening as they went. After several turns and nearly twenty meters of descent—almost the height of the pyramid above—they reached the bottom.

There, Liuzhi found at the end of the staircase a massive stone gate, etched with the image of the Feathered Serpent.

Yet the serpent bore no flesh, only bare white bones.

The gate stood six or seven meters tall. Even exerting his full strength, Liuzhi could not budge it.

The Soul Naga slithered behind him, searching for another way in, but aside from this single gate, there was nothing else. Liuzhi was left speechless.

What sort of situation was this, barring entry?

Perplexed, he was about to try another approach when the immovable gate suddenly slid open on its own, revealing the hall beyond.

The hall was as vast as the pyramid’s foundation, built entirely of giant stones. Liuzhi noticed eight feathered serpent statues hanging from the hall’s periphery, mouths agape, spewing water from unseen sources.

Yet before the water could reach the floor, it was vaporized by the heat rising from the stones, filling the hall with a dense, swirling fog.

“Half an hour has passed. You’re late.”

A mocking voice came from within the mist.

Following the sound, Liuzhi saw, at the far end of the hall, a white man seated.

The man wore clothing from centuries past, his unruly red hair tousled as if he’d just awakened. He sat atop a massive red stone, taller than himself, watching Liuzhi intently.

Beside his feet was a plain iron sword, clearly his weapon.

Upon seeing Liuzhi enter with the Soul Naga, a flicker of surprise passed through the man’s eyes.

Due to the distance and the shroud of fog, Liuzhi did not notice this. He advanced until he was thirty meters from the man, then halted, speaking in a solemn tone: “Leif Erikson?”

“That is indeed my name, though it’s been a long time since anyone called me that. And you, little one—what’s your name?”

“Sandru. Sandru Elantz Id.”

As he replied, Liuzhi drew his longsword, and the Staff of Death dropped into his left hand. At the same time, the Soul Naga raised her arm, weapon poised to protect him.

“Interesting. But you are still late. Had you arrived within thirty minutes, another seal would have remained upon me. Perhaps you could have challenged me then. But now, with some of my strength restored, you stand no chance.”

Leif spoke as he leapt from the red stone. Without a visible movement, the iron sword at his feet sprang into his hand as he landed.

The Soul Naga flashed forward, intercepting Leif’s strike and shielding Liuzhi.

Only then did Liuzhi realize Leif had already begun his attack.

His speed was beyond anything Liuzhi had imagined—a single step, and it seemed as though he had teleported.

The man’s strength was formidable. As the Soul Naga braced herself, Liuzhi noticed she was forced to stagger backward by each blow.

Having fought alongside her for so long, Liuzhi knew her limits well. If not for Leif’s overwhelming power, such a situation would never have arisen.

And this was merely a basic attack; he had yet to unleash his true abilities.

How was he to face such an enemy? For a moment, Liuzhi was at a loss.

Suddenly, Leif darted behind him, swinging his sword at Liuzhi.