Cataclysm: Undead Dragons and Zero Empire

There was not a breath of wind in this underground cave; all was silent.

As Howard approached the pyramid, he couldn't hear his own footsteps; they seemed to be absorbed by the rough, black stone ground.

The two of them walked at the front, followed by many others who maintained a safe distance from each other, like a disciplined army.

Howard had never seen these people before. They must all be members of the Death Faction, all dressed in black robes with faces hidden under hoods, just like the people he first met with Terrence, appearing lifeless.

Ignoring his silent followers, he pressed onward, gazing at the magnificent and wondrous creation within this vast underground cavern, looking towards the distant pyramids, his mind gradually filled with only the word "miracle."

He could hardly imagine the scene of building this wonder, what kind of manpower and skills were needed to create such an astonishing masterpiece at such a depth underground. Now, even his journey to the pyramids felt like a traveler looking up at a mountain.

All the buildings here, including the pyramid, the staircase leading to the top, and the hollows carved into the walls, exhibit an extreme symmetry that even Howard, a person who doesn't understand art, can appreciate.

He could see traces of human craftsmanship everywhere: the intricate patterns on the sides of the steps, the tightly stacked black stone bricks, and the closely arranged stone carvings of hooded priests on the walls, all facing the central pyramid in worship, as if embracing the sun.

The long staircase is flanked by countless stone figures, large and small, without facial features, all stretching their arms toward the middle of the road as if they are crying and shouting, eagerly yearning to walk this path of pilgrimage.

The closer Howard got to the pyramids, the more he felt that this place seemed to have appeared out of thin air in the depths of the world, as if in accordance with the will of some great being, and then existed there forever. He really couldn't imagine how the ancient ancestors of mankind could have built this wonder.

The path to the pyramids has many transit platforms, filled with stone tablets from different eras, resembling a museum of human languages ​​and writing systems, from primitive cuneiform to the once-popular hieroglyphs, as well as a rich variety of evolved simplified characters.

Howard saw many things, even new stone sculptures depicting sages expounding wisdom here, cloaked and barefoot, as if everything else were external and only wisdom and faith were essential to life.

The inscriptions carved on the stone slabs are still as sharp as a knife, and the solemn stone statues seem as if they were handed over to the craftsmen just yesterday. Howard felt that this place must have been frozen in time, like a pebble that has sunk to the bottom of the river of time, washed away and forever kept as clean as new.

He was like an ordinary person who had stumbled into the temple of time, having the privilege of conversing with generations of great artists and observing their masterpieces of different styles.

As Howard learned more and more, he felt a chill creeping down his spine. Unconsciously, his life, and the lives of all those suffering from Dragon Dream Syndrome, became intertwined with the mysterious pyramid before him. When he tried to look toward his future, he could only see an abyss.

The power of death is like a curse to frail humans. It possesses both infinite allure, revealing a unique landscape beyond the harsh realities of life, and boundless immensity, like an invisible wall blocking the path of life, with darkness and oppression gripping the hearts of everyone who gropes their way to the edge of that wall.

Mortals are always tempted to peek into the mysteries of death; they reach out their hands, filled with fear.

"stop!"

Terence, who had been standing nearby, suddenly issued a warning, startling Howard out of his daze. Howard realized that he had been pointing his finger at the blazing black and red flames in the stone brazier, and was about to touch the flickering tip of the flame.

Howard quickly withdrew his hand, breaking out in a cold sweat. He had no recollection of making any move; he had unconsciously approached something dangerous.

What was drawing him to these dark red flames?

"This is your first time here. If you don't want to be tainted by death, and you can't wait to serve our Lord, I advise you to stay away."

Terrence's tone suggested he saw a reflection of his former self in Howard; he paused for a long time before continuing:

"After learning that the earth beneath our feet is a sphere, the pioneers calculated the locations required for the rituals, and we spent hundreds of years building pyramids all over the world, some of which even needed to be located below the seabed, so they were not finally completed until modern times."

Terence walked ahead, lighting up some of the huge stone braziers that hadn't been lit, making them look like stars adorning the night sky, adding a touch of bright and beautiful color to the darkness of the magnificent crypt.

"The material we use is called Blackstone, mined from underground veins where mass death occurred, containing a small amount of power from our Lord."

"In fact, every death is a sacrifice to our Lord, but only a death grand enough can give birth to black stone mines. Before the World Wars, pioneers usually found black stones in ancient fossil pits, which were probably remnants of the mass extinction."

Howard followed Terence up the steps to the top of the pyramid. Standing at such a height and looking down on the path he had come from, the scenes that had once shocked him became blurred. Their art was like a painter's palette, blended into a whole as his gaze shifted, a school of thought based on the theme of death.

This is a flat-topped pyramid, with a platform at the top that is unexpectedly flat, spacious, and clean, as if dust would never exist here.

"As I've said before, death rituals require us to shout; what matters is always the person performing the ritual, not the superfluous offerings and ritual implements."

"Even the leader of the death faction has to admit that it is always the believers who need the Lord, but the Lord who does not need the believers."

Terrence explained to Howard with a hint of self-deprecation as he slowly walked towards the center of the platform, his expression solemn.

Upon reaching the end of the journey, Terrence knelt down first, followed by Howard, and the silent followers naturally found their places.

Terence lowered his head, as if deep in thought. Slowly, a dark red aura emanated from around him, swirling endlessly like a storm.

The aura emanating from that color was chilling; Howard was closest, and the surging air currents practically brushed past him.

"Death, the eternal time has come, and you will demonstrate the power of death in the world."

"Now, become our voice and our chariot, roar for us, race for us, and reach the end of time! Reach the ears of our Lord!"

Terence's voice grew louder and louder until each word resounded like a great bell at the top of the pyramid, deafeningly loud. The air current gradually became violent, and even the ancient and eternal black stone trembled in response.

The storm descended and turned into a great fire, with black and red flames burning fiercely. Terrence instantly transformed into the flames, becoming a man of fire. He raised his arms toward the sky, and flames rose up.

As the fiery tornado rose higher and higher, Howard finally saw the whole scene clearly. At the top of the cave was a giant stone sculpture with human and dragon figures swimming opposite each other in a circle.

Black and red flames swirled at the top, then a rain of fire fell, with illusory sparks landing on the pyramid, on the stone slabs and stone statues, igniting everything as if we had entered the age of fire.

Howard felt the psionic energy within him begin to flow uncontrollably, following the path of the burning flames and eventually flowing into the interior of the pyramid, where the flames grew increasingly dazzling.

The concept of death had never appeared so vivid and clear to him.

The flowing black and red sky becomes the new background color of the world, and everything is fading and dying, with weightless gray fluff drifting out.

He, Terrence, and everyone present were no exception.