Chapter 329: The Descent
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed behind Samwell as though a massive balloon had popped.
He bolted out of the prayer hall without looking back, unwilling to risk getting splashed by the strange green liquid.
At that exact moment, a bolt of lightning struck down from the heavens, piercing the golden dome of the Temple of the Graces.
The dazzling white light blinded Samwell, leaving him momentarily unable to see.
Crash! Boom!
Thunder roared like the wrath of gods, and the deafening sound of the collapsing dome was reduced to a mere murmur in comparison.
Samwell gripped his greatsword tightly, his senses heightened and his body ready to react.
As the searing afterimage in his eyes began to fade, the interior of the temple slowly came back into focus.
Yet the thunderous roar of the lightning strike seemed to linger, a piercing vibration drilling into his ears.
Cautiously, Samwell returned to the prayer hall.
The Green Grace had been blasted into two gruesome halves, finally appearing truly lifeless this time.
But Samwell's relief was short-lived.
The giant harpy statue atop the many shrines began to move.
Its massive bat-like wings stretched outward, casting long shadows over the ruined hall. Its curled scorpion tail lifted high, the tip glowing with an eerie green light. Two ruby-like eyes shimmered with molten gold, staring directly at Samwell.
A guttural, grating sound escaped the harpy's maw, an unsettling mix of a hiss and a growl.
"This is the 'awakening of the Ghiscar gods' that was foretold?" Samwell muttered. "Doesn't seem very divine to me."
He tightened his grip on Dawn and asked, "Can you speak a language I understand?"
The harpy hissed again, this time forming words—but in an ancient tongue, possibly Old Ghiscari.
"Do you know the Common Tongue? Or Valyrian?" Samwell asked, switching languages.
The harpy garbled out another string of unintelligible words. Growing visibly frustrated, it raised one of its talons and pointed directly at Samwell's sword.
"You want this?" Samwell asked, lifting Dawn slightly.
The harpy nodded.
"Well, you should've just said so!" Samwell exclaimed with a wide grin, stepping forward as though ready to hand the blade over.
But as he closed the distance to within ten paces, he suddenly burst into a sprint, charging like a cannonball toward the harpy.
The greatsword flashed in the dim light as Samwell swung it down with all his might, aiming for the harpy's head.
Screeeech!
The harpy's piercing screech filled the air, louder than the thunder itself.
Samwell's head throbbed painfully, his vision splitting into disorienting afterimages.
Sensing an immediate threat, he raised Dawn instinctively to block.
Clang!
A massive chain whipped out, striking the sword with immense force and sending Samwell flying across the room.
He crashed into the ground, groaning as the air was knocked from his lungs.
The harpy leapt down from its pedestal, its towering, twenty-foot form looming over Samwell like a monstrous shadow.
Samwell rolled to the side just in time to avoid a crushing blow.
Boom!
The temple floor shattered under the harpy's weight, sending shards of stone flying in all directions.
Sharp debris pelted Samwell's bronze armor, ringing out like a chorus of bells.
The harpy shrieked again, and the chains attached to its feet slithered like serpents, seeking their prey.
Samwell refused to engage head-on, scrambling to his feet and bolting for the nearest exit.
The chains lashed out, tearing through the temple walls like paper, but Samwell pressed on, dodging falling rubble and ducking under debris.
Bursting into the temple's main hall, he found himself surrounded by the panicked cries of the Graces.
The women, dressed in their colorful ceremonial robes, stood frozen in terror at the sight of their revered idol come to life.
"Run!" Samwell shouted without slowing down.
His warning snapped them out of their stupor, and they scattered like frightened birds, their screams echoing through the hall.
Samwell burst out of the temple doors, pausing only when he heard the bloodcurdling screams behind him.
Turning, he saw the harpy tearing through the fleeing women. It showed no mercy to its supposed devotees, ripping them apart with claws and chains. Blood and limbs flew in all directions, staining the temple's steps red as streams of blood flowed outward like a grisly river.
Samwell's gaze hardened. He stopped running and planted his feet firmly on the ground.
Raising Dawn before him, he began tracing deliberate arcs with the blade, channeling invisible energy into the weapon. Flames ignited along its length, burning brighter and hotter with each pass.
"Hey, you ugly piece of shit!" he called out, his voice steady and commanding. "Leave them alone. Your fight is with me."
The harpy paused, its crimson-gold eyes locking onto Samwell.
It let out a shriek of rage and charged at him.
Before it could close the distance, a massive white shadow slammed into it from the side.
Boom!
Cleopatra tackled the harpy, pinning it to the ground with her massive weight.
The harpy flailed and screamed, its human-like face twisted in fury.
"Dragon Flame!" Samwell shouted.
Cleopatra obeyed, unleashing a torrent of fiery breath directly onto the harpy's head.
The harpy's shrieks were abruptly silenced as the flames consumed it.
But even as its body burned, its chains lashed out, coiling tightly around Cleopatra's limbs and body. The chains constricted, causing the dragon to roar in pain.
Cleopatra fought back, spewing even more fire onto the harpy, turning the entire area into an inferno.
Samwell charged into the blaze, his armor glowing red-hot from the intense heat. He raised Dawn high and brought it down on the harpy's head.
Clang!
The blade struck true, carving a deep gash into the harpy's golden skull.
But it wasn't enough. The sword became lodged, unable to penetrate further.
The harpy thrashed violently, nearly throwing Cleopatra off.
Samwell knew he had no time to waste. Taking a deep breath, he activated his latent power, converting all his mental attributes into raw strength.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded like a war drum, his veins surging with newfound power. His muscles swelled, his body growing larger and more imposing.
With a guttural roar, he lifted Dawn again and slammed it down with the force of a collapsing mountain.
Squelch!
The blade cleaved through the harpy's skull, splitting its head in half.
The creature's agonized screech echoed through the stormy sky, its death throes accompanied by a violent surge of lightning.
The harpy flung Cleopatra aside and shot into the air, a streak of golden light disappearing into the thunderclouds.
Panting, Samwell approached Cleopatra and freed her from the chains.
As the flames around them began to die down, his eyes caught sight of something glinting amidst the ashes—the severed half of the harpy's face.
He picked it up, noticing the ruby-like eye embedded within.
It glowed with an otherworldly brilliance, a mix of molten gold and crimson, with streaks of lightning flashing within.
For reasons he couldn't explain, Samwell felt an intense urge to consume it.
Without hesitation, he pried the eye free.
Samwell took the eyeball and played with it in his hand.
It feels soft, and is indistinguishable from real flesh and blood, unlike the half face which feels like metal.
Moreover, his hands felt sore and numb, as if an electric current was passing through them.
After hesitating for a moment, Samwell put the eyeball into his mouth.
The moment he swallowed, his vision brightened as the familiar interface of his status panel appeared:
---
Samwell Caesar
Title: Storm King
Territories: Storm's End, Eagle's Nest
Strength: 19.70 → 20.70
Agility: 9.86 → 11.86
Spirit: 39.88 → 40.38
---
Not only did his strength and agility attributes that were previously reduced due to Melisandre's influence fully recover, but strength even increased by 1.00, agility also increased by 2.00, and mental attributes likewise increased by 0.50. Since discovering that gold and silver had minimal effects on attributes, Samwell hadn't eaten any more of that junk for a long time.
Instead, he focused on promoting his noble rank, using the free attribute points that came with the rank to improve.
But now, he actually discovered another thing that could enhance attributes, and the effect was so outstanding!
Eager for more, Samwell mounted Cleopatra and urged her into the sky.
"Let's go," he said, his voice filled with determination. "We're not letting that bird escape."
(End of Chapter)