Chapter 897 Forbidden Underground City
"..." Everyone was confused because they didn't know what the skeleton wanted to say.
Elena tried to send telepathy to the skeleton, but she got no response. The line of communication between the minds was blocked. Therefore, she asked Nell to do something. "Can you lift her dark curse? I can't comprehend anything by her jaws movements."
"It's not about lifting her curse, but making another flesh body for her. You may lose your past glory and the power you've forged for over a hundred years. You'll start all over again with your newly formed body. Can you accept that condition?" Nell flew closer to the skeleton.
"!!!" The skeleton nodded repeatedly.
"Then, wait a moment, and don't move." Nell stretched her hand forward and cast divine class magic to restore Dolla's mortal body and lift the undead's dark curse.
A golden light enveloped Dolla, and a golden magic circle appeared under her. The magic circle slowly rose upwards, and flesh emerged from thin air to surround the skeleton.
Nell created the nervous system, digestive, brain, and other organs using blessing and holy magic. It only took a few minutes, and she was done reshaping a body compatible with that skeleton.
A girl with short blonde hair and a mature body was kneeling on the sand. She was only clad in the golden glow of the Goddess of Blessings, without a single garment clinging to her body.
Due to their ethics and respectability, the men turned their gazes to the side.
"Hum-mm~" Nell nodded in satisfaction. She was sure the previous Dolla Khan was the same as this newly formed body.
"Wha-" Dolla looked at her hands. It was no longer the hands of bones but a pair of human hands. She held her face and body for a quick check. She was back to being human now.
Even though she lost all her strength and past glory, she could start all over again. She then prostrated before her Goddess and gave many thanks and praises.
Elena presented the naked lady with a desert cloak and clothes. "Please put on those clothes and tell us your situation, Dolla Khan."
"Y-yes!" Dolla immediately put on her clothes, and the divine light soon disappeared around her private parts. She then presently described her situation.
It all started with an encounter with a great demonic creature, then a sudden teleportation to this undead desert. A holy knight died before her, and she sacrificed her life so the others could escape from there. However, she ended up as a monster without knowing how or why.
"Please locate the Holy Princess. She and her guardian team are currently in danger. Please save them!" Dolla ended her explanation with a request.
"Some ancient forbidden cities in the past were destroyed because they were healers of the accursed. Is this forbidden underground city the same? They might want to make the Holy Princess come to their mouths to be sacrificed?" Lifa tried to guess the situation but wanted to know Nell's opinion.
"Why do they want to sacrifice Ella?" Evelyn paled a little.
"Perhaps, there's a catastrophic monster sealed there? It's not an accursed creature but an ancient creature. I don't remember if it was sealed in this desert's underground forbidden city, but we must go there soon." Nell rubbed her head as if she wasn't so sure. She then looked at Elena. "Quick, we're moving into the forbidden underground city now!"
"Tell me the location and we'll be there in no time." Elena heaved a subtle sigh and took everyone flying. They then sped through the desert that was being hit by the sandstorm.
After a while, they arrived at an ancient ruin half-buried by sand. A large hole led to the underground gate, leading to a dark passage.
That was the path Ella and the others used to escape when the thousands of strong undead siege ensued.
"Yes, this place. This is the place where we were suddenly teleported by that great demonic creature." Dolla pointed to the big hole under the ground.
"Thousands of powerful undead that overwhelmed even a Saint Holy Knight and four Holy Spirit Knights. All of this was well prepared. We will deal with the great demonic creature in question later. We will exterminate all the deviated undead down there. Go with me!" Nell raised her golden staff and entered the passage.
"Ooh!" The holy knights, priests, and brave heroes shouted excitedly. They brandished their weapons and charged into the monster's lair.
Yet, Elena's group didn't go after Nell. They stayed on top because Elena didn't move.
"???" Evelyn and the girls asked in wonder. They needed clarification as to why they didn't move in there immediately to save Ella and the others.
"Gio, can you help us? I want you to make your way to the underground forbidden city directly. They'll clean up the mobs, but we're going straight to the boss fight. Ella and the others might be there." Elena approached the little tortoise in Vanessa's arms.
"Rawr!" Gio jumped down and nodded. He then took the form of a gallant dragon-like man.
"Good. That place is said to seal an ancient beast, but this one is an evil calamity beast. Their scheme challenges us to give them an unforgettable life lesson. You'll be giving the mentioned calamity beast a valuable lesson, so they'll know where they are. OK?" Elena raised her finger, telling Gio's role and task.
"Rawrr!" Gio thumped his chest. He didn't like being challenged by another ancient beast, the evil one. He would make that calamity beast know its place.
"Boom!" Gio folded his arms and stomped his feet against the sand. He made a hole in the ground for everyone to come in after him. He was the immortal earth dragon, the ruler of the land, and he could locate the mentioned underground forbidden city in no time.
"Eh?" Nell just realized Elena, her big sister, Lifa, and the others didn't go in with her. They made a new path to the forbidden underground city and left without her!?
'Elena! You can't do this to me!' Nell voiced her protest via telepathy, but she couldn't turn around and follow the others because she had already declared her call to her followers.
'I can. Please lead your people and clean up the mobs. We'll go straight to the forbidden underground city with Gio's help.' Elena responded casually.
'I want to bite you! I'm annoyed!' Nell gritted her teeth but couldn't refuse the request because of the situation.
'You can take a bite of your dinner later. Don't complain, finish your task quickly. We will be waiting for you in the underground forbidden city.' Elena answered like a strict supervisor.
Nell voiced some of her frustration at Elena but continued to go deeper into the passage with her followers. The undead blocked their way, but those monsters possessed no threat to their combined force.
At that moment, Ella and her guardian team were still looking for a way out of the underground passage. However, they arrived at a wide and bright underground open space.
The crystals on the ceiling shone like warm sunlight. However, the illuminated ruins emitted a demonic evil aura. The place was so vast and was probably the ruins of a city in the past.
"This is a forbidden city..." Ella mumbled softly. She thought they were rushing upstairs but were they going deeper underground?
"What's going on? Why are we going to the most dangerous place? Are we deceived by a fake exit path?" Ariel widened her eyes when she saw the corrosion eating away at their holy barrier.
She could tell that Ella couldn't maintain their protection for long, even with the help of the divine suit.
"Heehee..." An intimidating and sinister hoarse laugh echoed throughout the ruins of the ancient city.
*Rumble!*
A minor earthquake once again shook the ground. The ground collapsed and blocked the only path for Ella's group to retreat.
"Ugh, this was all planned? We're just dancing on the enemy's palms?" Steph gritted her teeth.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Ariel put Ella down and stepped forward. She summoned her holy spear, ready for a high-level battle.
It was easy to tell that their enemy was powerful because of the evil aura that surged drastically.
"Heehee... We got the sacrifice. I was so lucky to find the holy maiden nearby." The hoarse and heavy voice sounded closer.
"!?" Ella could understand the ancient language. She finally understood their situation. Everything happened because the enemy was after her to be sacrificed!?
"We don't care about your vile goals. We will exterminate you here, no matter what scheme you have. Holy Light, Pierce the Evil!" Ariel raised her golden spear upwards. The golden holy light soon enveloped her spear. She then threw her glowing spear toward the source of the sound.
*Swoosh!* *Boom!*
A burst of light shattered an area within the ruins of the ancient city, obliterating the evil aura.
The destroyed area was there, but the evil aura soon enveloped that place again. Footsteps sounded closer, putting more pressure on Ella's group with each tap.
"A fairly impressive holy magic attack, but this golden spear possesses no threat before the Emperor of Darkness." A man in a black cloak came over, holding Ariel's golden spear. He crushed that holy weapon with his grip force.
*Clang* *Clang*
Ariel widened her eyes when she saw her treasured holy weapon being destroyed easily. Their enemy was at Emperor level!?
"I will awaken my ancient army and unseal the almighty lord, the legendary dragon, Mavin! All I need is the blood of that angel's descendant. Come here, holy maiden." The cloaked man extended his hand forward. A giant, muscular demonic creature appeared behind him and followed his movements.
"!?" Ella gasped in surprise when she found that the demonic creature was the same as the one that teleported them to the desert.
Dozens of black ropes popped out of nowhere and tied Ella's body like a captive. She couldn't move and fell to the ground.