Under Muria's watchful gaze, the snake-headed, human-bodied god, Li, rapidly expanded from his human-sized form into a towering figure over a hundred meters tall, his massive frame rivaling the nearby mountains.
Creak... Creak...
The deafening sound of stone grinding against stone echoed as Li began pushing the heavy lid of the massive stone sarcophagus. As soon as a gap appeared, an eerie force began to seep out, filling the chamber with a strange and oppressive aura.
The moment the power manifested, Arina, who had been curiously observing her surroundings since descending from the skies with Muria, let out a startled cry.
It wasn't because anything had harmed her—she remained safely within the protective aura emanating from Muria—but the same couldn't be said for the wyvern accompanying them.
The once proud and powerful dragon, which had climbed to greatness through sheer strength, determination, and luck, began to wither before their eyes. Its gleaming black scales dulled and lost their luster, its body rapidly shriveling as if drained of all vitality.
In the span of a single breath, the mighty creature collapsed, its body limp and hollow like a deflated balloon. Just as death was about to claim the wyvern, Muria extended a protective aura of his own essence, dispersing the devouring force and restoring stability to the creature.
Li wasn't spared from the effects either. Thin, mist-like tendrils of power streamed out of his body, drawn toward the sarcophagus. His expression twisted in discomfort as he struggled to endure the sensation of having his divine essence forcibly extracted.
"Enough. Step back. There's no need to waste your divine energy like this," Muria commanded calmly.
With a single glance, Muria discerned exactly what the sarcophagus was doing—it was draining life force and divine power. This revelation piqued his interest even further. Normally, a god's remains wouldn't exhibit such behavior. For this to happen, it could only mean one thing: the being inside wasn't truly dead.
Of course, Muria couldn't completely fault his student for misidentifying the contents. After all, Li was still a novice god who had stumbled into divinity by chance.
"Yes, Teacher," Li responded immediately, retreating without hesitation. The unpleasant sensation of having his energy siphoned away made it easy to obey.
"Let me guess," Muria drawled as he circled the sarcophagus. His towering golden dragon form shimmered with divine light, exuding an air of regal authority. "You offered this thing to me because you couldn't handle it yourself. You figured giving it to me would earn you a favor in exchange for a way back home, didn't you?"
Li lowered his head in embarrassment, his sheepish grin confirming Muria's accusation.
"Haha... Well, yeah... That was my plan," he admitted awkwardly. If he could have handled the sarcophagus's contents on his own, he wouldn't have considered giving it away. But since it was beyond his abilities, he saw no harm in offering it to Muria, hoping it would strengthen their bond.
"Stop grinning like an idiot. Sit tight and let me take a closer look," Muria ordered.
Protected by the immense power of his divine essence, Muria was unaffected by the devouring force. He peered into the sarcophagus, taking in the sight of a dried and withered humanoid figure. Despite its desiccated state, the entity radiated an overwhelming aura of reverence and majesty, compelling any ordinary being to kneel in worship.
"No wonder you thought this thing was an ancient god's corpse," Muria muttered, shaking his head. With his experience as an epic-tier being, he easily dismissed his student's assessment.
"Wait, you're saying it's not?" Li asked in disbelief.
"Of course not. Even if a god were to perish, their body wouldn't look like this," Muria explained with a hint of disdain. "A divine being is fundamentally different from mortal life. Their remains wouldn't degrade into this pathetic state."
"Then what is it, if not a god's corpse?"
"What else?"
With a flick of his claw, Muria grabbed the desiccated figure from the sarcophagus and tossed it onto the stone floor.
"It's the same type of thing as the biological armor your followers wear," he declared matter-of-factly.
"Armor? This... is a biological weapon?" Li stared in shock at the shriveled form on the ground.
"Exactly. It's a far more advanced version, though. And it's alive—just in a state of extreme starvation," Muria clarified.
"But how?" Li struggled to comprehend. "It looks like a corpse. How can it be armor?"
Muria sighed, exasperated by his student's ignorance. "How did you even jump to the conclusion that this was an ancient god's corpse? And why would a god put their own body in a sarcophagus inside a temple for someone like you to stumble upon?"
"Well... I..." Li stammered, unable to refute Muria's point.
"From now on, don't make bold claims about things you don't understand. It'll only make you a laughingstock," Muria admonished.
"Yes, Teacher," Li muttered, his face flushing with embarrassment. Still, he couldn't help but push back a little. "But if it's armor, why would it be sealed in a sarcophagus?"
"My heavens, how did I end up with such a dim-witted student?" Muria groaned, covering his eyes with one claw. "Who said this was a sarcophagus? Maybe it's a storage case. Ever heard of a weapon maintenance box?"
"Ah... I-I see. Sorry, Teacher. I didn't think of that."
"Good grief," Muria muttered. "Let me explain. This archipelago was once part of a massive energy network designed to power this divine armor. Then a godly battle broke out, and the aftermath destroyed the power system. Without a constant energy supply, the armor has been starving ever since..."
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