Global Survival: I Have Endless Skeletons-Chapter 48: The Awakening of the Abomination

In a long, pitch-dark corridor, five figures clad in black robes walked forward with slow, measured steps.

Each of them wore a deep hood that concealed their faces, casting their features in complete shadow.

Their footsteps were nearly soundless, yet every step carried an unspoken weight, as though the corridor itself were watching them advance.

At the forefront of the group walked their leader. One hand was extended forward, gripping a mysterious jade pendant.

The pendant shimmered faintly in the darkness; its surface engraved with ancient runes that pulsed with a mysterious energy.

Thanks to the jade pendant, their journey through the sacred ground remained unnaturally smooth.

They passed from one stone chamber to another without encountering resistance.

Whenever Stonewall Tribe noble warriors appeared along their path, the moment those beings laid eyes on the jade pendant, they stepped aside in silence.

Not one of them dared to attack or even question the five intruders.

Hidden doors that should have remained sealed for centuries opened effortlessly before them, ancient mechanisms grinding as if obeying an unspoken command.

While Awakeners fought desperately for their lives, blood staining the stone floors as screams echoed through distant chambers.

Yet the five robed figures moved in stark contrast to that chaos.

They walked calmly, deliberately, as though this cursed place belonged to them alone.

After passing through countless hidden chambers and forgotten passageways, the group finally arrived at a vast hall that resembled a grand caravan.

The space was enormous, its ceiling stretching high above them, lost in shadow.

Torches hung along the stone walls, their flames flaring to life one by one as if sensing the intruders’ presence.

At the very center of the caravan stood an altar.

The altar was a grotesque masterpiece.

Its surface was engraved with countless human heads, each frozen in a different expression—terror, agony, despair, madness.

Their features were so lifelike that one could almost believe they were screaming silently.

Intertwined among the human carvings were the heads of beasts, their jaws open wide as if poised to devour the humans beneath them.

The beast heads appeared ravenous, their stone fangs bared, their eyes filled with eternal hunger.

It was horrifying.

Sinister.

Merely staring at the altar for too long created the dreadful illusion that one’s soul was being dragged toward the carvings, as though the beast heads were truly devouring the spirits of the living.

Above the altar rested a massive stone coffin.

Its surface was etched with complex, mysterious runes that radiated a faint, oppressive glow.

Beneath the runes, thousands of human bones were carved into the stone, layered so densely that they appeared endless.

The combined presence of the altar and the coffin weighed heavily upon the air.

It was suffocating.

Beyond the altar loomed a statue made from an unknown, dark material.

Standing over three meters tall, it radiated an imposing, terrifying presence.

The statue was faceless, its smooth surface devoid of eyes, nose, or mouth.

Yet despite its lack of features, it was unmistakably humanoid.

its form twisted into something bestial.

Massive claws extended from its hands, still dripping with fresh blood that pooled on the stone floor beneath it.

Behind the statue coiled a long serpentine tail, wrapped tightly around its lower body like a living restraint.

The statue emanated an overwhelming aura of bloodlust.

Savagery.

Brutality.

And above all else...evil.

It was the embodiment of a nightmare.

The air within the caravan grew tense, thick enough to choke on.

The five men in black robes froze in place, not moving an inch.

Beneath their robes and hoods, their spines were drenched in cold sweat.

Muscles tightened involuntarily, and their hearts pounded violently against their ribs.

For several long seconds, none of them dared to breathe too loudly.

Finally, one of them muttered in a low, trembling voice, forcing the words out with slow, measured breaths.

"Let’s... start."

A sharp inhale echoed through the group.

They swallowed the lumps in their throats and dragged their feet forward.

Although they had been promised that nothing would happen to them.

The presence of the ancient, evil statue made their skin crawl.

Every instinct screamed at them to turn back and flee.

All the hair on their bodies stood on end.

When they arrived at the foot of the statue, their breathing hitched.

Once again, they froze.

The dreadful atmosphere pressed down on them relentlessly, threatening to crush their resolve.

Only after several moments did they force themselves to move, one after another.

From beneath their robes, each man took out a small bag. Inside were strange stones, rough and uneven.

Kneeling down, they began to draw on the ground, forming shapes, some familiar, others entirely alien.

As the shapes grew more complex, they began carving strange symbols into the stone floor itself.

The symbols twisted unnaturally, defying logic, yet somehow fitting together perfectly.

Half an hour passed.

By the time they finished, the area at the statue’s feet was filled with bizarre shapes and interconnected symbols that formed a massive ritual array.

Next, they removed thick, blood-red candles from their bags and placed them at five distinct points around the array.

Each candle was heavy, its wax already stained dark, as though soaked in blood long ago.

Then, each of them took out a small box.

When the boxes were opened, live human hearts were revealed, still beating weakly.

These were no ordinary hearts.

They belonged to human genius awakeners.

They came to fight the abyss.

To protect their home world.

And now...

Slowly, reverently, the men placed the hearts upon specific symbols. Blood dripped onto the ancient stone, spreading in dark, glistening trails.

But the ritual was far from complete.

From their bags, they removed other human organs.

Lungs, livers, fragments of flesh, and placed them carefully at designated spots within the array.

Soon, the engravings were covered in human remains.

Only then did the five men release quiet sighs of relief. Everything had gone according to plan.

All that remained was the final phase.

They exchanged glances and nodded.

Each man moved to a specific position around the ritual array and sat down in a lotus position. As they settled into place, they began chanting in a strange, ancient tongue.

At first, nothing happened.

Whoosh!

The bloody red candles caught fire.

Then a gentle wind stirred within the caravan.

The temperature dropped rapidly, and the wind intensified, swirling around the altar.

The atmosphere shifted, becoming solemn and oppressive.

The chanting grew louder, rising steadily toward a crescendo.

Suddenly, a ghostly shriek echoed throughout the caravan, piercing the air like a blade.

The markings on the ground came to life.

Human organs lifted into the air, each one pulsating violently as if alive.

The altar began to tremble.

The carved human heads let out soul-rending cries, while the beast heads appeared to consume those wails with savage delight.

The five men did not stop chanting.

Their voices grew stronger, more fervent, as though nothing else in the world mattered.

The floating organs began merging together in a slow, eerie motion.

When they fully combined, the grotesque mass shot forward and plunged into the statue’s body.

The statue shook violently, struggling to awaken, restrained only by an invisible force.

But as the chanting continued, that force weakened visibly.

The men trembled violently, their bodies cracking beneath their robes. Still, they poured every ounce of strength into the chant.

Their flesh dried at a visible speed as their life force was violently absorbed by the statue.

Thud.

All five collapsed to the ground.

Their bodies shriveled, bones crumbling into dust, leaving only empty robes behind.

Beside the statue, a portal began to form.

With each passing second, it grew more stable.

At the same time, the massive coffin atop the altar shook violently, its lid sliding aside.

From within, a three-meter-tall humanoid rose.

Two sharp red horns protruded from his head. His powerful muscles radiated otherworldly strength, and his claws gleamed with lethal intent.

His face was etched with satisfaction and brutality as he gazed at the forming portal with anticipation.

Then.

A sound echoed from behind.

Turning his head, the horned being saw a young human step into the caravan.

*****

[AN:

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