The damp air was thick with the scent of mold, and the ancient stone walls of the Snake Temple seemed to exude an ominous presence that had lingered for centuries. The twisted shadows of serpents flickered against the walls, writhing in the candlelight as if whispering secrets hidden in the darkness.
Lin Han's breath was ragged. The eerie vision from earlier still lingered in his mind, pressing down on his chest like an invisible weight.
"Serpent Tablet? Are you sure?" Noya's voice was low and cautious, her fingers tightening around the grip of her gun.
Lin Han nodded, his gaze fixed on the shadow lurking in the darkness. Its outline was human-like—yet not entirely human. It had no face, just a smooth expanse of pure black, as if stripped of any identity.
—Ssshhhhh…
A slithering sound echoed as the ground beneath them came alive. Countless snakes began to stir, their scales scraping against the stone floor in a nerve-wracking symphony.
"Shit, it's summoning something!" Lin Han hissed, stepping back instinctively.
"Too late." Noya's voice turned cold. In a swift motion, she raised her gun and fired.
BANG!
The bullet tore through the darkness, hitting the shadow squarely in the chest. But instead of recoiling, the entity merely wavered slightly—then, suddenly, its faceless void opened.
—Hissssss…
A piercing, high-pitched serpent's cry erupted through the air, sending a searing pain directly into their ears.
"Ahhh—!" Lin Han let out a strangled cry, dropping to his knees as an unbearable force wrenched at his soul.
His right eye activated on its own—and what he saw made his blood run cold.
Chains. Blood-red chains materialized from the void, coiling tightly around their shadows, locking them in place. And from within the entity's gaping mouth, a crimson serpent began to emerge, its flickering tongue forming an ominous curse.
Noya's face turned ashen. Almost instinctively, she grasped the charm hanging from her neck and began muttering an ancient Malay incantation.
"Dengan kuasa bumi dan langit, aku memutuskan segala ikatan gelap ini… (With the power of earth and sky, I sever all dark bindings…)"
The moment the words left her lips, the serpents on the ground recoiled slightly, and the blood-red snake protruding from the entity's mouth hesitated for just a second.
Now!
Lin Han gritted his teeth against the agony, forcing his trembling hands onto the ground—
"Symbol Reversal—Break!"
A surge of golden-blue light erupted from his palm, instantly carving intricate counter-runes across the floor.
The shadow creature let out a distorted, ear-splitting shriek as the crimson serpent dissolved into a cloud of vanishing mist.
For a moment, the air itself twisted. The temple's candle flames flickered violently before suddenly stabilizing.
Noya was gasping for breath, beads of sweat rolling down her temple as the charm in her hand trembled slightly.
Lin Han pushed himself up, his legs still unsteady. His voice was hoarse. "What the hell was that thing…?"
Noya's expression was grim. "A Blood Serpent Curse… That wasn't just an ordinary spirit. It was a manifestation of an ancient curse."
She turned toward the temple's inner chamber, her eyes dark with determination. "We have to find that Serpent Tablet."
Lin Han nodded, but before he could take a step—
—BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted from deep within the temple!
They exchanged a sharp glance before sprinting toward the source of the blast.
A deafening rumble echoed from the depths of the temple. The air was thick with dust and the scent of scorched stone, as if the entire space was trembling from an unseen force.
Lin Han and Noya exchanged a glance. Without hesitation, they sprinted toward the source of the explosion. Running along the damp stone passageway, they passed through a series of ancient archways. The murals on the walls twisted and flickered under the dim firelight, as if whispering forgotten secrets.
At last, they reached the innermost sanctum of the temple—a shrine dedicated to the ancient serpent god.
"This is bad…" Noya muttered, pulling out her dagger.
Lin Han's gaze fell upon the center of the shrine. A massive bronze stele, once standing tall, was now split in two. The fractured edges still glowed red-hot, and within the shattered remains, a thick black mist slowly rose into the air—an ominous presence awakening from its slumber.
——Hiss… Hisssss…
A deep, eerie sound reverberated through the chamber, sending a shiver down Lin Han's spine.
His heart pounded as he instinctively activated his right eye's ability, attempting to discern the true nature of the force before them. The moment his vision sharpened, his breath caught in his throat.
Crimson chains emerged from the void, writhing like living creatures, weaving around the swirling black mist. Within the darkness, the vague silhouette of a monstrous serpent began to take shape!
"This isn't just a spirit… It's the remnant soul of the Serpent God!" Lin Han cursed under his breath.
Noya's expression darkened. She swiftly formed a series of hand signs and slashed her palm with her dagger. Droplets of blood dripped onto the stone floor, instantly transforming into golden inscriptions.
"Lin Han, hold it off! I'll seal it!"
Before Lin Han could respond, the Serpent God's eyes suddenly snapped open—its blood-red pupils glowed with malevolence. With a thunderous roar, the entire temple quaked violently.
The carved stone serpents along the walls cracked open. One after another, spectral serpentine forms slithered out of the crevices, their bronze-hued bodies gleaming under the flickering flames. In an instant, they surged forward like a tidal wave, aiming directly at Lin Han and Noya!
Lin Han cursed and quickly traced a set of runes in midair. Pressing his palm against the ground, he channeled his energy into the sigils.
"Five Elements Suppression—Earth Guard!"
A golden barrier erupted from the inscriptions, expanding outward like a protective dome. The oncoming serpent spirits recoiled upon impact, writhing in pain as they were repelled. But the Serpent God's soul remained undeterred. It coiled its colossal form, then sprang forward like a striking viper, its massive fangs bared, lunging straight for Lin Han!
"Shit!"
Lin Han had no time to dodge. The shadow of the beast loomed over him, ready to devour him whole—
——BOOM!
At the last second, a blinding golden light burst from beneath the shrine!
Noya had completed her incantation. Clasping her hands together, she unleashed the full force of the sealing ritual.
"Heaven and Earth Binding—Seal!"
Golden chains surged from every direction, coiling tightly around the Serpent God's spectral form, pinning it to the ground.
The entity let out an ear-piercing shriek, writhing violently, but the seal had already taken effect. The more it struggled, the tighter the chains bound it, until its body began to distort and dissolve…
Finally, the Serpent God's remnant soul was completely sealed within the shrine, crystallizing into a dark red gemstone that lay motionless on the cold stone floor.
Lin Han gasped for breath, hands on his knees, his back drenched in sweat.
Noya collapsed onto the ground beside him, pale and exhausted. The sealing ritual had drained her energy almost entirely.
After a few moments of silence, Lin Han reached out and picked up the blood-red gemstone. He stared at it for a long moment before muttering:
"This… isn't over yet."
Noya lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes. There was a storm of unanswered questions within them.