Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 278 You smell of her perfume

Just as he was in a state of high tension, Melina's ethereal voice suddenly rang in his ears:

"It is not hostile."

Lu Luming was so startled by the sudden sound that he almost jumped up on the spot.

He turned his head sharply to look beside him, but saw only empty air; Melina's figure did not appear.

"I rely on!"

He lowered his voice, complaining to the air with a lingering, shaken anger:
"Hey lady! Could you please give me a warning before you speak next time? You can scare people to death! Especially in this creepy place, when you're facing this kind of ghostly thing!"

He was still shaken, his heart pounding.

Just now, with all his attention focused on that terrifying monster, Melina's unexpected "whisper in his ear" had an effect comparable to being suddenly patted on the shoulder from behind while walking alone at night—the level of stimulation was off the charts.

"You're even scarier than this huge, dark guy..."

Lu Mingfei muttered to himself, and couldn't help but glance at the still motionless stone statue again. Only after confirming that it showed no signs of suddenly attacking or hurting anyone did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Although he trusted Melina's judgment—she was always reliable—Lu Mingfei subconsciously adjusted his position to ensure he could continue monitoring the situation out of the corner of his eye.

He lowered his voice and asked:
"What on earth is this?"

"Hero Gargoyle".

Melina said softly:
"An ancient and powerful guardian golem. Legend has it that they were forged from the remains of fallen heroes of ancient times, mixed with special stones and metals, and assembled using lost techniques, possessing the fighting instincts and power of the heroes in their lifetime."

Its strength is extremely formidable; looking across the entire border region, there are probably very few that remain intact.

It showed no intention of attacking and seemed to consider you not an enemy.

Lu Mingfei's tense nerves relaxed slightly, but he did not completely let down his guard.

Since we don't have to fight, that's naturally the best outcome.

He let out a long sigh of relief and slowly sheathed his two swords.

In any case, it would be unwise to clash with a monster of this level.

He turned away, ignoring the silent behemoth, and focused his attention on the two iron doors carved with beast heads and golden tree patterns.

The doors were tightly shut, completely sealed.

Lu Mingfei stepped forward, stretched out his hands, placed them against the cold, heavy door panel, took a deep breath, and began to push hard.

Creak—ya—

The heavy stone door emitted an ancient and harsh grinding sound that echoed in the silent temple.

A faint ray of light peeked through the crack in the door, accompanied by a scent that was a mixture of dust and incense.

Without hesitation, Lu Mingfei squeezed through the slowly opening door.

The interior of the temple is even more magnificent than it appears from the outside.

The walls were made of huge stones, with rusty bronze braziers fixed on them. Unidentified grease was burning fiercely in the braziers, casting a play of light and shadow over the entire hall, making it seem as if countless monsters were writhing on the walls.

Four pairs of massive stone pillars stood in a row in the center of the main hall. These pillars were entirely white, and the scenes carved on them made Lu Mingfei frown deeply.

Each stone pillar is embossed with a strong, wolf-headed, human-bodied beastman.

These wolf-headed beastmen were emaciated, with ferocious faces, and were struggling desperately.

Their necks were tightly bound and constricted by carved chains, the other ends of which were deeply embedded in the stone pillars. Their limbs were also firmly fixed to the pillars with even thicker shackles, and the whole image was full of pain and restraint, as if they were enduring eternal torture.

What kind of eerie place is this...?

Lu Mingfei felt a chill run down his spine.

These reliefs seem to convey a sense of suppression and punishment. Are they aimed at the orcs? Or at all living beings? Or do they hold a more hidden symbolic meaning?

Lu Mingfei's golden eyes surveyed the temple, and not far from him, a cluster of golden blessings was dancing in the air.

Deep within the temple, a colossal figure was shrouded in shadow. "Beast Priest" Gulang?

Lu Mingfei raised an eyebrow slightly.

Regardless, let's light up the blessing first, so that it will be more convenient even if we have to run away.

As the golden light flickered, the name of the blessed point also appeared in Lu Mingfei's mind.

【Temple of the Beasts】

Lu Mingfei's brows furrowed even more.

Temple of the Beasts, Beast Priests...

The beasts in the border region are indeed unusually powerful, but they seem far from forming a systematic "belief".

Orcs? The orcs of Famyazra? He recalled his first formidable enemy, and the half-wolf Blaze...

Is his existence also related to this belief? What does this 'beast' refer to? Is it some ancient bloodline, or some more abstract concept?

Countless questions swirled in my mind, but the most important thing at hand was dealing with this "beast priest".

He composed himself and stepped toward the enormous shadow at the deepest part of the temple.

As the distance closed, the details of the figure gradually became clearer.

A gigantic figure, estimated to be over three meters tall, knelt on the ground like a stone statue, covered by a tattered, oversized gray linen robe that completely concealed his body, making even his hands and feet invisible.

His posture was extremely strange, as if he were enduring some kind of great pain or pressure, and his whole body was trembling slightly.

As Lu Mingfei approached, the massive body moved slightly.

Beneath the hood of the robe, two crimson lights shone, like embers burning in the darkness.

Gulang raised his head, his face still hidden in deep shadows.

A deep, hoarse, and chaotic sound arose:

"You are... Gu Long? No... that's not right..."

The voice paused for a moment, as if trying to discern the meaning:
"You... smell of death... very strong... very peculiar..."

Lu Mingfei steadied himself and got straight to the point:

"You are the Beast Priest, Gulang?"

"It is indeed... me..."

Gulange's voice was broken and intermittent, as if it were being squeezed out from deep in his throat with great effort, accompanied by heavy breathing.

“I came here on D’s recommendation,” Lu Mingfei stated his purpose directly. “I heard you need… Dead Root?”

Upon hearing the words "Dead Root," Gulang's massive body trembled violently, and the two points of scarlet light suddenly intensified, as a surge of longing washed over him!

"I smelled it...it's death...pure death..."

His voice suddenly became urgent and fervent:
"Let me...swallow it...!"

He seemed to be trying his best to move, but the heavy pain forced him to remain in a kneeling position, letting out suppressed growls.

“...the faded ones..."

Gulang managed to suppress his excitement, and his voice became intermittent again:

"Offer up... death..."

“Collect… the dead roots… and offer them to me…”

"I grant...the power of eyes and claws..."

(End of this chapter)