A Gorgeous White

Like a puzzle of blocks, the pieces of the shattering ceiling began to descend to the sea of treasures beneath it. Large ones appear like giant boulders falling from a cliff and down to the river that receives it. The quakes became stronger, and if one looked closely upon the gaps and cracks in the ceiling, they could see a green surface sliding in like a giant tentacle.

Roots, Colahn concluded. The answer soared deep into the core of his mind. Tree roots. They are drilling into the temple.

"Moulin!" Colahn turned his head to the youth beside him, gazing above and wearing a look of surprise. Colahn warned, "We have to leave now!"

His words seemed to slap Moulin back to himself. The young man narrowed his eyes, and swiftly, he stuffed Snow in his satchel, grabbed Colahn's arm, and dragged the seer away from where they were too exposed to falling debris. His steps were quick, heading towards one of the sturdy pillars that were devoid of any cracks at the moment. Briefly, he turned his head to the salamander following them, gesturing the beast to hurry.

Colahn couldn't keep up with Moulin's quick pace, and in the addition of the shiny obstacles that aimed to wound their legs, Colahn feared he'd lose the ability to walk without even escaping this place. "Y-Young master? W-What-"

CRASH!

A giant rock broke from the ceiling and fell before Moulin's figure. The young man stopped in time and felt the rocks and dust fall on his face. His nose was inches away from the jagged edges of the enormous rock before him. If he were a second too late, he would have been crushed. A few stones were falling in their path, and Moulin used his mana to conjure a sword and slashed the objects with tremendous force. Quickly, he pulled Colahn to one of the nearby pillars and pushed the Seer behind him.

The pillar's width was enormous. Although surviving for hundreds of years, its strength and durability could rival Helios's great hall of pillars. Thus, it suffered less from the shaking. However, Moulin wasn't sure how long it would withstand the violent tremors. The chamber's entrance was already buried under a hill of rocks. It was impossible to dig through it.

"Young master..." Colahn's gaze was riddled with fear. They were separated from their team, trapped in this unknown treasury, and now they were stuck in these dangerous circumstances. Was this how his life was going to end? Colahn slowly shifted his gaze and turned to look at Moulin. He stopped.

There wasn't an ounce of fear on the young man's face. His silver eyes are narrowed, gazing with determination as if predicting that a miracle would happen. How? There were no options left for them? They were-

RUMBLE!!!

Colahn instinctively raised his gaze to the ceiling. The noise was like a lion's roar, terrifying and loud. In the next second, a portion of the ceiling exploded, rocks flew from all directions, and a cloud of dust spreads throughout the chambers. The luxuries beneath were covered with dust and rocks.

And Colahn felt it. The familiar ruthless aura and the violent golden mana. 'He's found... us?'

Silver eyes softened. The tremors didn't stop, but the youth felt relieved cloud his mind.

The dust settled and a few figures dropped from the gigantic hole above the ground. Rocks crunched beneath their boots.

"Woah..." Ghana's eyes widened. For a moment, she ignored the quakes and settled her eyes on the mountains of gold covering the whole area. With the tip of her boot, she nudged a couple of lavish fabrics before her feet. Curiosity and amazement filled her eyes. Not long after, she turned to scan the area along with her comrades.

A heavy boot shattered a crystal with a crunch until it was nothing but glittering dust. The person didn't seem to pay attention to his steps. His eyes were cold, darkening at every second when he still found no trace of the person he was looking for. The cords on his neck tightened, suppressing a violent urge.

As the men hurried, spreading out and searching the area, restlessness grew within the High Lord.

Out of the blue, he stopped, feeling as if a cool drop of water soaked into the pores of his cracked-dried world. The man's eyes deepened, and he instantly turned his head.

"My Lord!" Colahn was waving at the men. He took a few steps forwards before an arm pushed him back just in time when a portion of the ceiling crashed down before them. Colahn paled at the sight.

"Moulin..." Ghana straightened and turned to Hadrian, who intently gazed at the aphrodite and the seer from a distance.

They couldn't be rash about the situation. The tree's roots were drilling into the temple like worms swarming and burrowing deep into the temple's core. The area surrounding Moulin and Colahn was collapsing. If one of the men went near them, they would be crushed by the rain of debris.

When Ghana and the men were wracking their minds to think about a solution, a flash of golden light appeared. The dust in the air seemed to freeze, and a crack of electricity filled their ears.

At the exact moment, Silver eyes deepened. Moulin took a step back, and the tall man appeared before his eyes. Golden pupils drilled their gaze into the youth before him. Moulin could feel it strengthening, the bond connecting them. It left him sighing, basking within the safety and warmth of it. However, there would be time to relish it after they escape this place.

A strong arm wrapped around the youth's waist and pulled him into Hadrian's chest. Moulin rolled his eyes, unaware of how Hadrian grabbed Colahn's arm, making the man pale at the frightening grasp. In the next second, they were gone in a flash.

"Ha!" Colahn could have fallen unto the pile of rocks if it wasn't for Hadrian's grasp. However, the emotions in his eyes shifted from fear to astonishment. 'Such powerful teleportation control! He even returned to the same place where he had stood!'

"It's time."

An unfamiliar voice spoke out, drawing Moulin's attention. Unable to pull away from the irremovable grip around his waist, the youth could only struggle to look over Hadrian's shoulder. There he saw a man, hooded and clad in black. He didn't recognize him as one of their own.

Moulin narrowed his eyes and whispered to Hadrian without removing his gaze. "Who is he?"

"A stranger." Hadrian replied.

"He helped us find you." Ghana added, glancing at the hooded person before turning away. "AGH!"

Her alarmed voice caught the attention of the whole group. She was drawing back while pointing the tip of her spear towards a particular gigantic creature. The salamander who befriended Moulin was tilting its head as it faced the spear. The men grew anxious when they realized the creature's identity. No maeruthan was ignorant about the existence of Artheia.

Moulin warned them not to hurt him, and the others flashed him confused looks. Colahn vouched for the young Lord to do as they were told. It was unwise to provoke the creature during their circumstances. The rest agreed without any objections. Obliviously, they didn't notice the deep stare the hooded man and the salamander gave to each other.

Shortly after, a thunderous noise pounded against their ears. The pillars and the walls were collapsing. Massive green tendrils burst out from the walls, burrowing into chambers and the mountains of treasures within them. The roots slammed into the ground, the walls, and the ceilings. It wouldn't be long before the place would bury them deep in the earth.

The hooded man turned his head. His hand is raised in the air. Mana shifted within the surroundings. Out of nowhere, a ring of pure concentrated energy was conjured. A portal big enough for all of them to enter. The man turned to the group. "There's not much time."

Before anyone could make a move, the giant Artheian Salamander rushed inside the portal. The men stared at the portal and exchanged gazes before they hurriedly entered it one after the other. Ghana guided the Colahn inside before glancing at Hadrian and Moulin. She sighed before she followed Colahn into the portal.

"My Lords..." The cloaked man spoke and gestured to the portal.

Moulin glanced at the devastated treasury. The young man shook his head. "Let's go..."

At those words, Hadrian held Moulin as they entered the portal. Afterward, the man stared at the gateway. His head shook slightly, and a whisper escaped his lips. It was unheard within the roaring noise around him.

'Lovebirds...'

...

Moulin and Hadrian appeared at the other side of the portal. Silver eyes widened in shock. The chambers weren't the less ravaged by the roots of Thundrei's trees than the treasury. Humongous curls of thick roots filled the entire room. The walls were unrecognizable, crushed. Plundered by the ferocity of the green tendrils swarming within the chamber. Even the once clear pond underneath was devoid of water.

Beneath Moulin's feet were half the hand of the carved statue of Galadin. Even the statue was destroyed.

"Moulin!"

Moulin blinked before a rough hand pulled him into an embrace. Unfortunately, he was drawn to stand beside Hadrian once more.

"..." Emlen glared at Hadrian.

Seriously? In this situation? Moulin couldn't help but sigh.

"My Lords, the exits are sealed off," Malyana reported anxiously.

The men were beginning to panic

Behind him, the hooded man stepped out of the portal. He calmly assessed the situation before tilting his head upwards, staring at the big hole in the ceiling.

"That is our way out..." He said before closing the portal behind him.

"!!!" Turmoil rose within the men. Was he insane? That hole was the most suspicious thing inside this room.

As if sensing the reluctance of the men around him, he only shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't responsible for their fears. They had nothing to do with him. However, he would offer them a way out. It was their choice to accept it or not.

All of a sudden, there was a pounding underneath them. The earth shook, and they thought another root would tear the ground that they were standing on. On Moulin's satchel, Snow growled in intimidation. Moulin sensed the little fox's hostility.

"Malibreeds..." One of the men spoke, shuddering in alarm.

"Kier!" Hadrian's voice boomed, and the wolf barked in reply.

Within the men's gazes, the black gold-blooded wolf suddenly tossed Colahn on his back and jumped on one of the moving roots. Terrified and shocked, Colahn had a death grip on the wolf's fur. Everyone watched as Kier swiftly jumped on the roots. Without a single thought, the creature entered the hole, causing a ripple as he passed through the invisible barrier. Everyone witnessed it.

The men watched in disbelief.

"Who's next?" The hooded man said calmly.

"..."

Hadrian turned to Moulin. "Go on first-"

The Lord's words were cut off when Moulin suddenly felt weightless. He yelped when the salamander suddenly drove its head between his legs and tossed Moulin on its back! The youth grunted, struggling to hold onto the smooth skin of the reptilian creature. His body almost bounced off the animal's body when he started jumping on the moving roots.

"Moulin!"

From behind him, Emlen's voice sounded. The youth struggled to turn his head. However, the salamander's movements stopped him from seeing clearly. His vision was blurry.

Before he could think of replying, they were finally entering the hole in the ceiling. Moulin lowered his head, shielding his eyes from the light.

In the next second, warmth enveloped his body. Fresh air welcomed his face, and in the exact moment, the lizard stopped his movements without warning. From the brief moment of distraction, Moulin's fingers had loosened, and he was sent flying in the air... and his body was rapidly aiming towards a person.

"My Lord! Look out!"

"!!!"

Crash!