Warriors will die if they charge.

Marcus didn't immediately put on the strange turquoise helmet. He suspected that the thing might cause the feathered serpent to take over his consciousness, and it was better to maintain a certain awe towards these mystical things.

Of course, what I said to Feathered Serpent, that I am your father, and the series of things that followed, were all the fault of the Water Queen. She was tempting me to do something unwise.

The turquoise helmet was far more ornate and dignified than the bronze helmet Houqin wore. It emitted a faint glow in the darkness. He took the helmet off the platform and found that it was almost weightless, as light as a feather.

How much would this thing be worth if sold to Lor'sra...?

He swallowed hard, trying to dispel any disrespect he might have felt. This was a treasure he had acquired after slapping the feathered serpent over a hundred times; how could it be measured in money?

If you want to buy it, you have to pay extra.

Upon leaving the inner chamber of the pyramid and returning to the first step of the temple, the talkative Hagi leopard disappeared.

Between the two ancient warrior statues lies a bronze mirror inlaid with obsidian, its surface engraved with intricate star patterns.

"What a strange adventure..." He touched the python helmet tucked into his waistband, picked up the obsidian mirror that had fallen to the ground, and looked around, but found no strange traces.

Returning along the same path, the corpses on both sides remained silent, but Marcus suddenly had a strange feeling that they were thanking him. Although he didn't know how corpses with no eyeballs could express emotions, he still waved to each of the mummified corpses expressing their gratitude, indicating that they were welcome.

The three of them, having fallen into the underground cavern, were astonished to see Marcus return wearing a giant python mask. Jenny shivered and said:

"You, you, are you a human, or a ghost?"

"Of course I'm a person, a living, breathing person. I found this helmet inside. A voice told me to put it on, but I hesitated..."

He was just about to show off his amazing experience in the sacrificial pit when he suddenly felt a violent tremor, as if the earth was being torn apart by some force.

Not only him, but everyone sensed something was wrong. Bardin was the first to raise his hand, reminding everyone to stay calm: "If the ground collapses, watch your head. Honey, crouch down next to me."

The dwarf raised his round shield, ready to deal with any sudden falling rocks.

During the long earthquake, the rocks did not fall; instead, a blurry, almost transparent human figure emerged from a crack in the rocks.

Houqin's bronze helmet was mostly shattered, and his long-handled sword was gone. When he saw the giant python helmet that Marcus was carrying, a clear look of surprise appeared in his eyes:

"Brother, you have successfully awakened Kukulkan's will, even if it is only temporary... I still salute your honor! After countless years, the Python Brotherhood has finally welcomed new blood."

"Explain yourself, Houqin!" Marcus stepped forward, reaching out to grab the increasingly dim acolyte, but touched nothingness instead.

He stared at the hideous scars on Houqin's chest and suddenly realized, yes, the acolyte was already dead, and what he had been touching was essentially an illusion.

A shadow of the past, driven by unwavering faith, uses various methods to sacrifice the feathered serpent with the blood of the living in order to protect the last remnants of civilization.

"Haha, no need to be sad, this is the fate of a warrior, to bloom like a flower and perish at its most beautiful moment. Your appearance has given me a glimpse of hope." Houqin placed his illusory hand on Marcus's shoulder, as if he had grasped the last miracle of life before he vanished:

"The star map of the Smoke Mirror, seek out those who can understand the ancient incantations. It can lead you to the eternal doom of Tonatius, freeing our people from eternal death."

"Our compatriots? Houqin, I've noticed you have a particular fondness for labeling people and assigning tasks to complete strangers without authorization," Marcus retorted sternly.

"You will do it, Marcus. Follow the ancient teachings, and you will become a true serpent warrior."

"Then you have to survive first! Everyone's dead now, who's going to teach me?!"

Houqin's lips curled up slightly, and he pressed down hard on the young warrior's shoulder and shook him. At that moment, Marcus truly felt the acolyte's burning heart.

"Brother, I must go. Kukulkan needs me. I will serve him forever; it is the honor of an acolyte."

Houqin's figure gradually dimmed, just like his body falling into a tranquil pool, sinking to the bottom and turning into nothingness.

A green feather, symbolizing his past existence, gently fell to the ground.

Marcus picked up the acolyte's relic, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He was a warrior, a loyal and fearless warrior, but he was also a charlatan priest who tricked people into entering the bloodline.

He rolled the feather into the parchment and found that the paper, which originally contained only a short prophecy, now had lines of fine, ant-like writing that detailed how to become a true warrior.

The Way of the Serpent... Well, he's still a trustworthy friend; at least he didn't go back on his promise.

The system hasn't issued any tasks. Should I accept Houqin's mission?

He paused, carefully put away Houqin's belongings, and then, seeing the three people struggling in the earthquake, realized that the matter was not yet resolved.

They remained trapped underground with no exit, and Houqin had given no warning before disappearing.

Marcus held up the turquoise helmet, looking at the edges studded with magnificent feathers, and struggled internally. "Wearing it might just change my destiny forever..."

With a gritted teeth, I decided to ignore all the changes and be done with it, as it was better than dying in the Bloodline Apocalypse!

He put the helmet on properly, and a light, wind-like feeling spread from his head to his whole body. In the darkness, he could clearly see everyone's expression: Trish's wrinkled pretty face, Bardin and Jenny nervously fighting against the rock that would never fall, and every crevice in the rock in the cave.

It seems this helmet allows people to see in the dark. That's great, now I can clearly see Zhuo'er's long legs at night...

Wait, the field of vision is too wide, where's my helmet!

Marcus slapped his cheek, which stung, and felt a slight tingling in his right arm. He quickly tore open his studded leather armor and linen lining.

A giant serpent with green wings on its back coiled around a strong, powerful arm, its lifelike head branded on its shoulder, its eyes full of divinity, wisdom and benevolence.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" Triss asked in a low voice, taking a few deep breaths before sighing.

"If you have a way, then leave as soon as possible; if not..."

The helmet transformed into a tattoo, but it also granted Marcus some strange abilities. He could vaguely sense the direction of the wind, and a faint call emanated from a smooth rock wall.

"Let's go now, Bardin, give me the axe."

Marcus caught the axe thrown by the dwarf and slammed it hard against the rock wall that had given him the call. He cursed the feathered serpent in his heart, saying that without the helmet, he couldn't find his way out. It was as if they were forcibly binding him to Navatl's chariot.

The battle between Kukulkan and Seth intensified, and not only Marcus, but even the most obtuse dwarf could clearly hear the roars of the two giant snakes.

Huge rocks began to fall from above, nearly turning Jenny into a dwarf.

Fist-sized chunks of rock crumbled from the rock face, and Marcus quickened his digging pace. After digging about thirty centimeters, a long, narrow tunnel came into view.

He waved to urge everyone to evacuate immediately, and as he squeezed into the tunnel, he took one last deep look at the sacrificial pyramid at the end.

The statue of the giant serpent warrior wielding a long-handled sword was rapidly disintegrating and falling into the sea of ​​corpses and bones.