Chapter 342 Horrible Statues
" What is happening?" Sirius asked aloud, drawing his wand and running forward.
Harry and Hermione, who were ahead, turned and looked at Ron with concern. They didn't know what had happened, but Ron's cry made them feel uneasy. They couldn't help but recall Sirius' warning that the Temple of the Centaurs was not safe. They drew their wands and increased their vigilance.
Magorian remained motionless and stared eccentrically at Ron, who was lying on the ground.
He seemed undecided but did not intervene.
"Inside... inside... those statues are all monsters!" Ron said, trembling, pointing to the dark room partly hidden by the stone door in front of them.
"Monsters?!" Sirius looked at him suspiciously and then turned his gaze to Evan.
Evan nodded and signaled to Sirius to be ready. He then quickly waved his wand, and a yellowish light the size of an egg shot out from the tip, hitting the stone door blocking the dark room.
The next second, the glow of the light illuminated the entire room.
They all took a step forward. Upon seeing what was inside, they couldn't help but exhale in amazement. They looked extremely shocked and took a few steps back.
"What in the world is this?" Harry asked, surprised.
Unexpectedly, in this ancient narrow room, there were many statues of strange creatures.
They all looked the same. They appeared strange, difficult to describe. They were horrible creatures resembling deformed insects, five feet long.
Their bodies were of bluish-gray rock, occasionally revealing pinkish tones.
The most outstanding feature was the enormous bodies resembling crustaceans with several pairs of giant dorsal fins or slender organs with wings, and six groups of arthropods.
The terrifying part was that they had a green ellipsoid complex covered in numerous short tentacles where the head should be.
Beneath the tentacles were all the head holes and orbits. The muscular membranes above looked like fly eyes magnified countless times; extremely repulsive.
Upon closer observation, they could see through the cyan film that the inside of the monster's head was a fleshy gray core.
It was like a huge tumor mutating out of nowhere.
With their breathing, the tumors seemed to tremble, but upon closer inspection, it was just an illusion.
These statues looked striking. They seemed not to have been moved in centuries. They were covered in thick dust, yet still appeared vivid.
In fact, they seemed too real, as if they were alive.
Evan remembered the people who had been petrified by the Basilisk the previous year. These statues resembled them. He couldn't help but think, 'they're all alive, just petrified.'
It was not a pleasant thought, but evidently Evan was not the only one thinking it. The others' faces were equally grim, and even Hermione involuntarily moved closer to Evan.
Feeling her cold hand, Evan sensed her inner turmoil and tension.
Imagining that in the ancient, mysterious, and dark Temple of the Centaurs, the small, shadowy unknown rooms were filled with statues of such malevolent monsters. What feeling would it evoke if these terrifying things suddenly appeared before you?
It was horrific to the extreme. No wonder anyone would feel so shocked.
After their great shock, Evan was relieved that they were statues instead of living monsters. Otherwise, the consequences would have been absolutely unimaginable.
Panting, he wondered what they were. He had never seen anything like this in any magic book. Was it perhaps the magical creation of some evil dark wizard?
Sirius was also extremely shocked, apparently learning of them for the first time. He quickly turned to protect Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione behind him, aimed his wand at Magorian in front of him, and asked, "What are those statues in there?"
"You know that our ancestors once believed in an evil god, who led powerful tribes towards madness and destruction. Those monsters were left behind by those exiles who strayed at that time!" Magorian said slowly, his voice much more measured than usual. "When it was at its peak, the Centaur colony was beyond your imagination. What you see now is just a small part of it."
"Just a small part?!" Evan looked down at the ancient wall and saw dozens of similar chambers before him. If they were filled with such monsters…"
Then he thought again that what he saw was only a part of it all.
This Temple was much larger than he had imagined. No one could guarantee how many hidden chambers there were or how many of those monsters remained.
And since it was created by the so-called evil god, would there be only one type of monster, or would there be other types?
"I care not if they are banished or not. Since you still have these creatures, you must take responsibility." Sirius was resolute and did not release his wand, "I require an explanation; otherwise, I will not allow the children behind me to continue risking themselves."
"Unlike humans, we will never shirk our responsibilities!" Magorian shouted. "If any of you manage to pass the final test and obtain the magical object left by the Castle's Founder, then he is the chosen one by the stars. The elder will explain and provide you with all the details."
"We will not move forward until everything is clear…" Sirius roared back as loudly as he could.
His face was flushed, and his wand continued to crackle.
"As you wish, Sirius, you are not the chosen one by the stars and destiny. You were already tested twenty years ago!" Magorian said fearlessly, his gaze slowly sweeping over Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "As for the four of you, either you progress and learn the truth through the test, or you retreat, reject the friendship of the Centaurs, and forever leave our Forbidden Forest. It is your choice, humans!"
Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other, wondering how to respond.
Sirius, standing in front of them, was panting violently, as if he wanted to advance and confront him.
Ignoring Sirius's gaze, Magorian approached and closed the open stone door, then took a few steps forward and halted.
He turned around and gazed proudly at the four, awaiting everyone's decision.