Chapter 33: The Temple’s History, the Quest-Triggering Item

In an instant, the altar was blanketed by heavy fire, the damage from the blood-flame bullets continuously searing the Fallen Witch’s body. Her form was riddled with holes, her health bar plummeting as if it were collapsing, on the verge of being fully depleted.

*Whoosh!*

With a void-grasp, she yanked several black-robed deacons toward her, lining them up as human shields to resist the onslaught. It was futile. The blood-flame bullets were devastating; a single shot was enough to obliterate a deacon, their dark flesh and blood splattering across the altar without making the slightest ripple in the outcome.

The result of the Vampire Overlord’s doubled total attributes was a one-sided suppression. It simultaneously tanked the skills cast by the Fallen Witch while unleashing a frantic, relentless barrage. As her health dropped into the execution threshold, the Vampire Overlord lowered its twin pistols. Two crimson blood flames spiraled around it, and a violent, unprecedented power erupted.

[Crimson Feast]

The blood-flame spiral roared like a world-ending storm, carrying a force of absolute annihilation as it surged toward the Fallen Witch. Locked on by the Vampire Overlord, she had nowhere to hide from this ultimate strike.

*Boom!*

Her body struggled within the blood-flame storm. Fine cracks erupted across her skin, and her silhouette grew increasingly thin, stretching out unnaturally. Her 158,000 health points had been wiped out, yet she did not die completely. Instead, she wore a hideous expression, struggling madly within the torrent of flames.

"You all deserve to die! It was you who betrayed me! Ah—!"

The Fallen Witch roared in fury, but suddenly, she realized she had lost all control over her body. Gu Chen dismissed the Vampire Overlord; from the moment the boss’s health had hit zero, the battle was truly over. What followed was a reenactment of history.

The blood-flame storm subsided, leaving the altar filled with shifting light and shadows. Immediately after, a crowd of familiar figures appeared: guards, black-robed deacons, and crimson-robed priests—nearly a hundred in total.

"The Abyss has invaded; the corruption is spreading everywhere."

"Many have already been killed by the grey mist. Who can save us?"

"I don't want to die! Where are the gods? Where is our god?"

"Crimson Priest, you said drinking blood could break the grey mist. Is that true?"

"Hm? Are you questioning the divine decree?"

"Only by drinking the Saintess's blood can we resist the grey mist. Only by sacrificing the Saintess's heart can the temple be saved!"

"Then what are we waiting for? The Saintess is kind-hearted; to save the temple, she will surely be willing to sacrifice herself."

"Stop talking nonsense. All guards, follow me. We must find the Saintess."

The Crimson Priest stood at the highest point, looking down at the crowd, his face devoid of any emotion. The faces of the black-robed deacons were twisted; through their frantic eyes, it was clear they had lost their sanity.

The history of the temple continued to play out in the light and shadow. Inside the main hall, a group of black-robed deacons dragged the Saintess before the Crimson Priest.

"High Priest, the Abyss’s influence on you is growing more severe. You must accept the purification ritual."

"No, Saintess, you do not understand."

The Crimson Priest revealed a profile like withered bone, startling the Saintess.

"This is not corruption; it is the power of the gods. The Abyssal outsiders are not invaders; they are here to help us follow in the footsteps of the gods."

"Ah? How can this be! High Priest, you have been corrupted by the Abyss! Come with me to—ugh—"

The Crimson Priest grabbed the Saintess by the hair, his face vicious, a sinister light flickering in his eyes.

"I said! This is not corruption! The Abyss is the guidance of the gods! It is a divine miracle!"

"High Priest, the Abyss is eroding your sanity! Do not be controlled by evil!"

The Crimson Priest stared at the Saintess, his face twisted, the evil light in his eyes flaring intensely.

"Temple Saintess... *hehehe*... I need you to aid my cultivation!"

"No, High Priest! You have been corrupted! Someone, help—"

The Saintess cried out to the black-robed deacons for help, but their eyes held only numbness and madness.

The scene shifted. On the altar appeared the naked corpse of a woman. Her body was deathly pale, devoid of any color, her chest torn open with violent force, yet the ghastly wound showed no trace of blood. The Crimson Priest stood beside the corpse, his eyes filled with gloom and madness. Behind him, nearly a hundred black-robed priests and guards knelt, their eyes filled with piety.

The Crimson Priest looked up at the towering idol, chanting in prayer. The crowd behind him gradually lifted their heads, acting like madmen; they did not realize how absurd their actions were, feeling only wild ecstasy.

As the ritual ended, the Crimson Priest raised a glass bottle filled to the brim with blood. The kneeling clergy looked on with fanatical eyes, regarding the blood as a holy elixir, their expressions filled with intense longing.

Yet, just then, a thunderous boom shook the temple violently. The Abyss had erupted, and the outsiders were invading the temple in full force. Surging black mist appeared from all directions, turning into tentacles of death that began to tear down the temple’s architecture.

Outside the temple gates, a black-and-red storm raged across the sky like the end of the world, as an overwhelming army of outsiders surged forward. The scene grew dim; a terrible storm was approaching.

[You have successfully cleared the novice dungeon: Temple Ruins (Hell Difficulty)]

[The dungeon will end in 5 minutes; you may also exit directly.]

"It’s over? That's it?" Lin Yuan wore an expression as if he had swallowed a fly.

"So, what kind of dungeon is this? A story about a group of perverts killing a woman?" Lin Qingqing frowned.

"Even though we cleared it, why do I feel so stifled?" Su Ran was deeply dissatisfied with this ending.

Gu Chen was also speechless at the conclusion. Just then, he remembered the two quest items he had obtained. He took the two glass bottles from his spatial inventory: one sealed with a heart, the other with blood.

[Notice: Triggering quest items]

[Sealed Heart]

[Option 1: Return the heart to the Fallen Witch. The Saintess will briefly revive and sacrifice herself to end the Abyssal invasion.]

[Sealed Blood]

[Option 2: Pour the blood into the altar. The temple's corruption will be purified, and the clergy will gain the power to resist the Abyss.]

[If no choice is made, history will repeat itself: the Abyss will invade the temple, and everything will be reduced to destruction.]

[Please make your choice.]

"Just that?"

This time, it was Gu Chen’s turn to wear an expression as if he had swallowed a fly.

If he returned the heart, the Saintess would briefly revive but, having lost her power, could only end the invasion by sacrificing herself. If he poured the blood into the altar, the Saintess’s blood would purify the temple’s corruption, allowing those within to gain the power to resist the Abyss.

Regardless of which option was chosen, the Abyssal invasion would be stopped, and those in the temple would survive.

So, from beginning to end, this dungeon only resulted in the death of one woman? And an innocent one at that.

Damn it, this ending... it really leaves a sour taste in my mouth.