Grand Olympia - Chapter 30: Test

Grand Olympia: Further Horizon - Chapter 30: Test

"First, I'd like one of you to hand over your piece to someone else," George said, eyes sharp with curiosity. "Let's see what happens."

Both Fu Hao and Lapulapu exchanged glances with each other.

Lapulapu reached into his sleeveless puffer jacket and pulled out a golden medallion piece. The gold caught the dim light, gleaming dually seeing his reflection. He held it out to Fu Hao and without hesitation he gave it to her. 

The golden piece rested in her palm, heavier than it should have been. As soon as her fingers curled around it, a strange sensation settled in her chest—something deep, something instinctual inside her body.

"I didn't feel anything when I had just one. But with two, there's a strange connection… like something deeper, almost on a spiritual level." Fu Hao spoke her thoughts, her brow furrowing. 

She flexed her fingers, testing the weight of it. It wasn't just physical. She could feel it in her very being, like a pulse that didn't belong to her.

Lapulapu crossed his arms. "It's strange?" His voice was steady, but there was a hint of curiosity in his usually stoic expression. 

"My connection with it has suddenly been cut off. Like a part of my body felt missing."

George nodded, his arms folded as he observed them. "That's exactly what I was thinking. It's not just gold—it's something else entirely. Try giving it back."

Fu Hao hesitated for a second before placing the medallion back in Lapulapu's hand. The moment it left her grasp, the connection vanished, like a thread being cut. Lapulapu exhaled through his nose, feeling the weight settle back into him.

"This confirms a few things," George said, rubbing his chin. 

"Whoever holds a piece, it becomes a part of them. That means these medallions aren't just random things for rewards. I do wonder if we hold all three complete pieces."

Jeanne, who had been silently watching, finally spoke up. "Then what happens if all the pieces are brought together?" 

Her voice was cautious, but there was an undeniable spark of curiosity.

Billy smirked, leaning against the wall. "Probably something either real good or real bad. No in-between."

Musashi chuckled. "That's usually how these things go."

The air in the temple felt heavier now, as if the medallion itself had shifted something unseen. The group exchanged glances, the realization settling in—this wasn't just treasure. It was something much more strange and unknown.

"So far, we know we have a deep connection with the medallions, but how do we actually use them? Lapulapu, when you were fighting earlier, did you feel anything strange?" George asked, his gaze sharp.

Lapulapu thought back to the battle—the explosions, the three warriors he fought, and the massive onyx serpent that emerged from the chaos.

"I felt two things during that fight," Lapulapu said after a moment. "First, before the serpent revealed itself, I had this strange feeling. Like I could sense it much earlier, but I was too distracted fighting the three and dealing with the explosions around me. And then, when that fox-faced man in the fancy clothes appeared, I felt something inside him. It was faint—so faint that you could ignore it unless you really focused."

He pauses and looks at Fu hao. "Even now, standing next to her, if I concentrate, I can sense something on a… spiritual level."

"Wait—now that you mention it, I feel something weird when I'm next to you too," Fu Hao said, frowning.

Musashi smirked. "Heh. So we can sense who's got one of these medallions? That means we can hunt them down and rob them."

Billy laughed. "Ha! I like the way you think."

Jeanne shot both of them a disapproving look, concern clear in her blue eyes.

George interrupts the two. "Before the giant serpent appeared, I was ambushed by two people with their hoods on. They were hiding their faces. And that bronze-skinned woman also sensed it coming before it happened."

"You think…?" Jeanne trailed off.

George nodded.

Billy crossed his arms, scowling. "Man, how come you all keep getting treasure like it's candy? Meanwhile, ol' Billy the Kid's got nothin'! This is favoritism, I tell ya!"

"Now, I want one of you to touch the mural while holding the medallion," George said, his voice calm but firm.

Lapulapu, still gripping his piece of the medallion, stepped forward, ready to test it. But before he could, Fu Hao cut in front of him with a snarky smile.

"Let me do it this time," she said, her tone teasing.

Lapulapu didn't argue. He simply stepped back, silent as always.

George watched them both. "If something feels off, step away immediately."

Fu Hao gave him a nod.

The hallway fell into a deep, heavy silence as Fu Hao approached the mural. The air felt thick, charged with something unseen. 

She exhaled, stripping off her long glove from her left hand, revealing old scars and hardened muscle. Reaching into the pocket of her loose white pants, she pulled out the golden medallion.

She focused on it—on the strange, unspoken connection it seemed to have with her. Taking a steady breath, she pressed her bare palm against the golden light in the mural.

Everything shifted.

The sky above her was no longer the dim ceiling of the temple but a swirling black void. A heavy wind roared past her, carrying the distant sound of screaming. 

People ran in all directions—faces she didn't recognize, yet somehow felt familiar. Their mouths moved, shouting, crying, but no sound came from them. Their bodies flickered, as if caught between existence and something else.

A city stood before her. A grand civilization carved from stones, its towers stretching high, its streets lined with golden veins. At the heart of it, a temple—much like the one they stood in now—glowed with an ethereal golden light. It pulsed, a beacon in the dark, as people knelt before it in worship.

Then, without warning, the ground cracked open.

Water surged from below, a monstrous flood swallowing the streets, the people, the temple itself. The golden light flickered, then darkened. The city was gone.

Fu Hao gasped, her body jerking back from the mural.

She stumbled, catching herself before falling. Her heart pounded against her ribs, her breathing unsteady.

The others had already rushed toward her. Jeanne placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, concern clear on her face. "Are you alright?"

Fu Hao blinked, shaking off the lingering dizziness. "I saw… something. The city, the people, the temple—it was all there. And then it was gone. Drowned."

George frowned. "Like the mural. You saw it happen?"

Fu Hao nodded. "Yeah. But it wasn't just a vision. It felt real." She clenched her jaw. "Like I was there."

Lapulapu cracked his neck. "You were holding the medallion. That must be the key."

"Great," Billy drawled. "So now we got magic flashbacks on top of all the other weird sh*t going on."

Musashi leaned against the wall, thoughtful. "The temple in your vision… was it the same as this one?"

Fu Hao hesitated, trying to recall every detail. "Similar… but newer. Intact. And the golden light in the center—it was strong, powerful. Until the flood came."

George exchanged glances with Jeanne, then turned back to Fu Hao. "Did you see what caused the flood?"

Fu Hao's brows furrowed. "No. It just happened. Like the earth split open on its own."

Jeanne's grip on her spear tightened. "Maybe this temple wasn't built after the flood. Maybe it's what's left of that civilization."

Silence settled over them, heavy with the weight of what they had just learned.

Fu Hao rolled her shoulders, shaking off the last of the vision's lingering effects. "So what now? We keep moving?"

Lapulapu glanced at the others. "We should be careful. If the medallions are linked to this place, then whatever destroyed that city might not be just a story."

Musashi grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Then I say we find out what happened. And if something's still lurking around…" His grin widened. "We deal with it."

George sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You always pick the dangerous option, huh?"

Billy laughed. "Ain't that what makes it fun?"

With that, they pressed forward, deeper into the temple's darkened halls.