Chapter 363 The Summit Of The Temple And The Slaying Of The Dragon
In the dark Temple, Okegiga continued speaking with Evan.
The strong and resounding sound of the Centaur's hooves striking the ground mingled with his distressed voice as he said, "In the midst of the empty round chamber, I found a small wooden statue wrapped in withered plants on a square stone pedestal." Okegiga continued, "I cleaned the plants and brought the statue back to the tribe as proof of my reckless adventure, but I did not expect it to be the beginning of the disaster. It was all my fault..."
"The statue?" Evan asked softly.
"Yes, it was the image of the malevolent god that was carved into it." Okegiga vigorously waved the torch in his hand. "It was a cursed magical item. From that day on, as soon as night fell, we could hear a strange voice whispering to us in the colony, masquerading as the Forest God. In the dead of night, it promised us great power, the secret of immortality, and the ambition to conquer the Forest..."
Evan fell silent. It sounded exactly like the kind he had encountered in Aragog's Lair. They relied on the same methods to make others obey them. Perhaps this was what evil spirits had in common.
But they had different strengths and abilities, each with its own characteristics.
Furthermore, perhaps this was because Slytherin had split the self-proclaimed God of Death before, yet he did not seem as powerful as the malevolent god the Centaurs were facing.
Of course, it could also be because it was created by Herpo the Foul through dark magic, whereas the malevolent god they were now facing was a powerful creature discovered by ancient sorcerers in the endless void.
"At first, the Centaurs did not believe in that voice. Since ancient times, we have only believed in the power of the stars and the signs of the planets," Okegiga said resentfully. "After much debate, the elders decided to destroy the wooden statue I brought. They thought it was an evil black magic item created by a human wizard, but we failed in all attempts."
The wooden statue was the seal of the ancient sorcerers over the evil spirit. If it could be easily destroyed, they would not have left it there.
"After countless failures, we decided to seek help from the Temple of the Moon, and the Astrologers set out to take the statue away," said Okegiga. "We all believed they had successfully destroyed the wooden statue of the malevolent god. The voice had disappeared for a long time."
Okegiga had previously explained that the astrologers in the Centaurs' colony were highly revered and held in high esteem. Through the power of the stars, very few Centaurs could wield magic.
They were skilled in healing and stellar magic, somewhat akin to the existence of healers.
Only the most talented colts were qualified to become astrologers. After identifying the talented colts, they were individually taught in the Temple of the Moon.
This was the ancient tradition of the Centaurs, but Evan did not know when it would disappear.
In the modern world familiar to Evan, there was no faction of astrologers in the Centaur colony of the Forbidden Forest. All Centaurs could read the warnings given by the movements of the planets.
But then again, they could not sense magic or use it.
"Ordinary Centaurs are not allowed to enter the Temple of the Moon without permission. We do not know what happened in there. We just thought the astrologers had succeeded. But the reality was that they were all corrupted by the malevolent god," Okegiga continued, his voice gradually calming. "They secretly altered the sacred interior of the Temple of the Moon into what you see now. When this incident was discovered, it caused much turmoil, and the tribe split as a result. The followers of the evil god and the astrologers took the lead, and several elders and dissenters like me were exiled."
He halted his stride and lightly tapped the door engraved with the shape of the moon, touched the shutter, and the black door slowly lifted upwards, revealing a mechanical staircase behind it.
"Since then, the fallen Centaurs began to spread, hunting down every creature they saw and disrupting the balance of the forest," Okegiga led Evan, the sound of flowing water echoed from below as they began to ascend. Turning his head, Okegiga continued, "The precursors of the planets are worsening more and more, and great evil is approaching us. We cannot wait any longer. We must act. As I said before, it all began with my recklessness. I must end this farce myself..."
He vigorously shook his right hand and flung his torch far away.
Okegiga drew the long lance he had behind him, his hands clenched with all his strength, his muscles tensed, his eyes wide open, anticipating the impending battle.
Evan also took a deep breath, drew his wand, and looked down at the swiftly moving stone wall, mobilizing all his magic.
Their challenge had reached its most critical point, where success or failure hung in the balance.
Awaiting them at the top of the temple would be the malevolent god being summoned, the Centaurs who believed in him, a large number of indescribable monsters, and...
Roar!
As Evan and Okegiga reached the temple's summit, the roar of a dragon reached them, making their eardrums tremble with scorching heat as the sky filled with golden flames.
Evan did not hesitate and hastily waved his wand. In the next second, a magical shield appeared before them, blocking the dragon's flames. The energy shield, composed of pure colorless magic, immediately heated up until it glowed brightly red.
"To victory; CHARGE!" exclaimed Okegiga.
As the hooves of the Centaur moved, he leaped in front of the spewing flames, holding his long lance like a God of war.
Before them stood the black dragon they had encountered in front of the temple.
It lay on the ground, its fearful yellow eyes mixed with blood, fixed on Evan and Okegiga. Its left wing seemed to have been treated, but the scar that remained was striking and no longer usable for flight.
The dragon's eyes were filled with hatred. After spitting fire, it lunged forward with its enormous mouth full of fangs, roaring thunderously.
The unbearable heat intensified, shaking the entire place.
After advancing and charging for a while, Okegiga suddenly pivoted, facing the approaching dragon, with all four legs working hard simultaneously, and soared directly into the air.
Bang, boom, boom!
Evan paid no attention to anything else; they were now right above the dragon.
He waved his wand with all his might and summoned all his magic. A red curse as thick as an adult's thigh shot out from the end of his wand.
Due to the accumulation of so much magic, Evan could even hear the faint whistle of the magical collision, like a red lightning bolt, hurtling downwards.
It was Stupefy! Evan did not expect to be able to bring down a fire dragon with such a powerful magical defense in that way, but it was enough to leave it stunned and comatose.