Walking in these damn woods can’t become a habit, Sun Tie thought, swiping a vine from his face. They'd been tailing those three for twenty minutes. Cole's weird skill knew precisely the direction to go. Why can't making roads be a skill? Stupid place.

Cole looked back at Sun Tie, face full of determination.

“What?” Sun Tie’s voice was low.

"We're near something," Cole said, gesturing for Sun Tie to come over. When he did, the old man pointed. "You see?" A touch of awe in his words.

Sun Tie spotted a giant rock wall, maybe three hundred yards ahead. Next to it, another massive formation but circular. The surfaces looked smooth, at least from this distance.

“Incredible!” Cole whispered.

"Wow, giant rocks! You know you've reached peak old age when even boulders start to look exciting, huh?" Sun Tie said, his eyebrows arching as he mockingly touched Cole's shoulder. This time, the old man didn't return with his usual banter.

"Get closer, and you'll see," Cole said, starting to walk again. The light from the trio of suns was now coming in horizontally through the trees, hinting at the end of the day. What's waiting for us when night falls? Sun Tie mused, tailing Cole through the woods.

Questions about the point of this journey bounced around Sun Tie’s head at every step of the way.

Then, he saw it. It wasn't just some rock formations. It was a statue, a massive one. Rising above the tree canopy, he could see its vast arms extended out in different directions. That round rock near it was the head the statue was missing. And that head, crowned and dignified, was looking toward the horizon—right where those strangers had headed.

“It’s Christ the Redeemer,” Cole said, his eyes meeting Sun Tie's with a hint of awe, momentarily sidetracked from their mission.

"He must've been some kind of amazing leader or cultivator, then?" Sun Tie ventured, his tone tinged with curiosity.

"Leader, yes, for sure. Cultivator, no. Unless you consider making bread multiply a cultivation technique," Cole chuckled.

“Nonsense. Who is this man?” Sun Tie asked.

“He is a God from Earth, known in different religions,” Cole responded, removing his hat and looking at Sun Tie. “You are really from another world, aren’t you?”

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Sun Tie was thinking the same. He was also wondering about the powerful God responsible for this system. Capable of merging worlds and species. Such an interesting power this one.

“Yes, I reckon so, Cole. We have Gods, some who were cultivators like me,” Sun Tie said, straightening himself. “anyway, the other people… they’re close by, aren’t they?” He asked.

Cole shook his head, snapping out of what seemed like a trance.

"No, they lingered here for a bit but moved on."

"So they lied—how unsurprising for lowly peasants. The camp wasn't just a thirty-minute walk away." Sun Tie observed, stepping towards the towering statue.

“They could have been just wrong,” Cole said.

“Ignorance and malice both lead the cultivators astray, old man. They are one and the same.”

"Whatever, let's just investigate."

“Yes,” Cole responded, rushing his steps to catch up. The lean man was slowly getting back to his manners. "The funny thing is, kid, where I come from, this statue would be thousands of miles away from where I lived."

“And that means?” Sun Tie asked, glancing over his shoulders.

"How should I know? Were we transported to a new continent? Are we on some alien planet with Earth relics scattered about? Your guess is as good as mine," Cole shrugged, stepping next to Sun Tie and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I do know that back where I come from, we don't have undead wolves or giant bats. Are they native to your world?"

Sun Tie shrugged off Cole’s hand. "Absolutely not. We have dangerous creatures, sure, but nothing as vile as those monstrosities. That bat's bite... Ugh!" A shudder crawled down his spine at the mere recollection. "No, they're from this 'Umbraheim' place, as the god's message indicated."

Sun Tie stopped and looked harshly at Cole—an inquiring gaze borning in his features.

"Is this something this Christ figure would orchestrate?" He held up a pointed finger.

Cole’s laugh was loud and full of life. Sun Tie almost smiled, too.

"No, kid! No! Christ is more about love and kindness, not what you're thinking," Cole exclaimed, laughing with relief.

"I prefer the warrior kind," Sun Tie declared, eyes fixed on the intricate craftsmanship of the statue. The pair continued their trek towards the head.

“Solemn…” Sun Tie said.

“Yeah…” Cole asked. Both contemplated the oddity of their situation. “We’ll continue tailing them or get back to our camp?”

Before Sun Tie could decide, a white light burst from the mouth of the statue. It was expanding by the second. Cole and Sun Tie stepped back.

The old man had already his bow drawn, and Sun Tie assumed a fighting position.

After some time, the mouth of the statue was completely open, more expansive than it should’ve been possible. The light slowly faded, and a wooden door appeared.

You found the 1st [Special Dungeon].