Chapter 38: The Serpent's Awakening

The damp night breeze whistled through the shattered temple doors, carrying with it the stench of decay and mildew. Lin Han stepped firmly onto the moss-covered stone slabs, fingers still cool from touching the ancient pillar. Slowly, he raised his gaze toward the black-robed old man standing before him, his eyes dark with suspicion.

That fleeting glimpse of the Genting Group emblem beneath the man's cloak had sent a chill down his spine.

Noya shifted slightly to the side, her fingers brushing against the holster at her waist, confirming that her gun was still in place. The motion was small, almost imperceptible, but the old man caught it. A ghost of a smirk flitted across his weathered face.

"Ah neh, you're late." The old man's voice was low and hoarse, like whispers long buried beneath the weight of time.

For a moment, the air itself seemed to solidify.

Deep within the temple, the bronze serpent statue gleamed under the flickering candlelight. Its ruby-like eyes gleamed with an eerie red glow, as though something long dormant was beginning to stir.

Lin Han's peripheral vision caught the strange symbols etched across the stone walls—bloody runes, writhing like living things, weaving themselves into a twisted web. The humid air thickened, carrying a dampness that made his skin crawl, as if unseen creatures slithered just beyond sight.

"Walau eh..." Noya cursed under her breath, wrinkling her nose as she caught a whiff of something rancid.

The sharp tang of fermented durian mixed with the coppery stench of old blood, slamming into her senses with nauseating force.

Then, without warning, the temple floor trembled. A deep, grinding sound echoed from beneath—a noise of metal scraping against stone, like some ancient mechanism stirring to life.

Lin Han's body tensed.

"He barely crouched down when he suddenly heard the sound of metal clashing."

The black-robed old man's lips curled ever so slightly, his sunken eyes gleaming with eerie amusement.

"Lin Han, do you know where you're standing?"

"Did you think this was just an abandoned temple?"

Lightning split the sky, momentarily illuminating the interior—revealing that the crimson symbols on the walls were no longer mere carvings. They pulsed with fresh, glistening blood, seeping from unseen cracks.

And the bronze serpent statue… was moving.

Lin Han's breath hitched.

It wasn't a trick of the light.

The statue—it was alive.

"Walao eh, what the hell is this nonsense?" Noya cursed, her grip tightening around her gun.

The old man let out a low chuckle. Slowly, he spread his arms, his tattered sleeves falling away to reveal withered arms, veins entwined with deep blue-black markings, resembling the scales of a snake.

Lin Han's gaze dropped to the center of the stone floor.

A real serpent was emerging from beneath the temple.

Its massive form slithered up through the cracks, its bronze-like scales slick with moisture, reflecting the dim candlelight. Its unblinking eyes gleamed with hunger, its forked tongue flickering in and out, tasting the air.

This was no ordinary snake. This was something ancient. Something that had been sealed away.

"Run." Lin Han's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Run? You've got to be joking." Noya scoffed, her pulse hammering, but there was a flicker of thrill in her eyes. She took a step back, fingers accidentally grazing a faded scar on Lin Han's chest.

He sucked in a sharp breath, his jaw tightening.

"Sakit kah?" she murmured, her breath slightly uneven. The police badge on her belt caught the rain-soaked light.

"…What do you think?" Lin Han muttered, his eyes never leaving the black-robed elder.

And that's when he saw it.

A glint of anticipation.

The old man wasn't in a hurry to attack.

He was waiting.

Waiting for what?

The answer came in a chilling instant—

The giant bronze serpent suddenly dipped its head, its forked tongue darting out, and a shift in the air sent an invisible pressure crashing down on them.

Noya's ears buzzed. Her heartbeat skipped.

They had no time.

"Move!" She fired, the gunshot ringing through the temple. The bullet barely grazed the old man's shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood. In the same breath, Lin Han grabbed her arm, yanking her into a sprint toward the exit.

But the temple doors slammed shut before they could reach them.

Noya skidded to a halt, nearly slamming into the wooden doors.

"Shit!" she swore, turning back toward the temple's depths.

The black-robed elder remained motionless, but his smile deepened.

He lifted a hand and pointed toward the blood-soaked runes on the floor. His voice dipped into a strange, rhythmic chant—

"The blood rite has begun."

And in that instant—the entire temple was swallowed in crimson light.