Chapter 308: The Dark Abyss

The Witcher master and apprentice moved swiftly from the eastern side of the cave to the west, climbed two ledges along several dried vines, and blew up several nests of miasma along the way.

They entered a spacious room without trouble, its floor paved with neat marble tiles.

Unlike the rugged, ruinlike cave, this room was more refined, more ornate.

The two stopped on the steps behind the door, staring at a stone tablet carved with Elder Speech.

His dark-gold pupils turned slowly. Relying on the quarter elven bloodline legacy in him, Roy easily understood the meaning.

“Gaze into the abyss, and be exalted in return?”

The low words fell, and in answer, a cold breath seemed to howl through the empty hall.

Roy raised an eyebrow.

Bald Letho fell silent.

“What does that mean?”

The Elder Speech gave him a feeling.

As if someone sunk in despair, struggling madly before death, had strayed onto a crooked path; had staggered forward with difficulty, and in the end obtained some kind of success.

“Fanatic. Extreme.” Bald Letho looked not far away, toward the center of the room, where the Orin brothers and Kael stood beside a ring of circular pillars. “And extremes mean danger. Nothing pleasant about that. Come on. No point wasting time. Let’s go over first.”

...

“You three find the key? Don’t tell me you’ve been standing here staring at this thing the whole time.”

Only when the two drew close did they realize how frighteningly tall the central pillars were. At least a dozen yards high, they connected the floor to the ceiling, their hard surfaces embroidered with rings of wheat-ear patterns.

They were like a giant cage.

Only the gaps between the bars were too wide.

One could come and go freely.

Between every two pillars stood a humanoid stone statue, expressionless, plain, and solemn.

They were like silent giants standing in shadow, their pale, cold stone eyes gazing toward some unknown distance.

“We killed a wraith ... then found a record...” Orin showed the two of them an aged sheet of cowhide parchment. It seemed to be a page of research notes.

“By order of our teacher Irenaeus von Steingard, we conducted a series of studies on drowner genes.

After administering pufferfish toxin, all subjects fell into unconsciousness. Twenty-four hours later, all lost vital signs. The experiment could not continue.

Signed: Matteo Sicula.”

...

“That matches!” Roy took out the receipt from before and compared the two, his face sharpening with excitement. “This teacher and the buyer of the golem are the same person. Irenaeus von Steingard, owner of this secret laboratory!”

“The key to that door must be on him!”

“Calm down, kid...” Kael immediately poured cold water over him. “We’ve searched the whole place. Aside from this research note and one wraith throwing itself at death, we haven’t seen so much as a rat, never mind a key!”