There was no one there—no townspeople, no buildings. Just a huge circular altar surrounded by trees.
A giant stone pillar stood with carved writings on its surface, and on the very top sat a round, white gem. No one knew what it was for or what it meant.
"What is this place?" Aoi asked. Agares stayed silent, unable to answer.
Agares landed just outside the altar, stepping onto the grass. For some reason, every time he saw grass, it reminded him of the cruelty he had faced on the 82nd floor trial.
It almost took his life.
Aoi felt something was off about the altar. She jumped off Agares's shoulder and waited for him outside the circle. Agares turned his head slightly, then looked straight ahead, eyes locked on the altar.
Swallowing hard, he stepped forward onto the stone floor of the altar to reach it.
At first, nothing felt unusual. But the more steps he took, the more he could sense a surge of energy coming from the altar.
"Akh!"
