The singing was soothing and harmonious, but it grew louder in Telmar's ears.
It made his head grow heavier.
I really want...
...to follow the sound and find out what's going on.
He had an impulse to cast aside the tedious tasks at hand and abandon everything for the enjoyment of this sound.
"Calm down, calm down."
Telmar slowed his pace, took a few deep breaths, and regained his composure.
His heart was pounding.
And just as he was taking a deep breath, a pleasant musky scent rushed into his nose.
"What is this smell? Thorn, do you smell it?"
Telmar subconsciously touched the helmet he was wearing.
To prevent any potential gas attacks and external radiation, they had been using the internal self-circulating air system of their power armor from the very beginning.
It was impossible for any unfiltered smell to reach the inside of his power armor.
The readings on his helmet also showed that everything was normal.
But... he could just smell this intoxicating scent.
"Yes. I smell it too," came Thorn's affirmative words from behind him.
How strange.
Or rather, ever since they had entered this ruin, nothing they had seen had been normal.
Telmar had a premonition.
The enemy they were facing this time was very likely completely different from the ones they had encountered before.
He gripped the boltgun in his hand tightly.
The passage became more and more humid as they descended. Telmar felt as if he was crawling through the internal organs of some sea kraken.
Not only that, the light in the passage also changed from dim to bright as they descended.
Finally, the narrow passage reached the bottom in front of a door.
This door was also unusual.
When he got closer, he saw that it was carved with a lively and vivid relief of debauched dancing girls and revelers wearing various masks.
It was an extremely beautiful relief.
The Emperor's Children were a Space Marine Legion that placed great importance on art and beauty.
Even a rough and impatient new recruit like Telmar had a certain talent for art appreciation.
(Except for Arcur.)
But even he, a Son of the Emperor who often admired the paintings of countless famous artists from Terra in the La Fenice Theater, could not help but stop in front of this beautiful mural.
Beautiful.
So beautiful.
Whether it was the dancer's full and elegant posture, her makeup and appearance, paired with her licentious attire...
...or even the prominence of the stage beneath her, it all exuded a magical power that could draw all eyes.
Telmar was fascinated.
He subconsciously reached out his hand and gently touched this masterpiece that could surpass all others in the world.
As he got closer, the coquettish laughter of a young girl, accompanied by a soft whisper, also came to his ears.
He could almost smell the body fragrance of the beautiful dancer, as intoxicating as the pink mist he had smelled.
Telmar's hand unconsciously pushed open the door, and his previously tense body also relaxed.
He couldn't quite remember why he had come here.
The sound, light, and color before him made him feel as if he had fallen into a colorful dream.
He didn't need to do anything, didn't need to think about anything.
As if he were a guest invited to a party, he strode in with his head held high.
"Telmar, be careful!"
Someone from behind seemed to be calling his name.
Who was that? And why was he calling him?
Who cares.
None of that matters anymore.
Nothing matters anymore.
Telmar's mind gradually sank into this intoxicated state.
The layout of the room was surprisingly consistent with the relief on the door: it was a perfect hall filled with the ultimate enjoyment of sound, light, and color.
The light ball hanging high above shone with various colors, and the walls of the spacious room were hung with six beautiful and moving paintings. With a light sniff, the colorful fragrance in the room was even more captivating, as soft and alluring as a young girl's whisper in his ear.
A sense of spiritual comfort, as if he were slightly drunk, filled his body.
All kinds of guests were gathered, filling every corner of the stage, and looking forward to the performance on the stage, which was covered by a deep purple curtain.
Beautiful maids weaved through them, giggling as they offered the guests the delicacies in their hands and their "services."
As a Chemosian who had undergone Space Marine augmentation at a young age, Telmar, who had no experience in this area, was both shy and secretly a little interested.
With the rising and falling laughter around him, Telmar couldn't help but sit down in an empty space, his eyes fixed on the stage before him, looking forward to an art that would subvert his past imagination to be performed on this perfect land.
He was very much looking forward to it.
He didn't know how long had passed.
With Telmar's attention highly focused, his sense of time had long been thrown out the window.
He could, and only wanted to see, the beautiful dancer behind the curtain who had captured his soul.
He was very anxious.
Why isn't it starting yet!
How long do I have to wait?
Quick!
Quick, let me see, let me see!
Telmar's heart was being rapidly hollowed out, and an indescribable urgency and thirst were now constantly squeezing his body and mind.
It was as if all his value, all his reason for existing, was poured into that dancer of his dreams.
But fortunately, this urgency did not last long.
As he stared intently ahead, the curtain seemed to be slowly opening, bit by bit.
The lady of his dreams seemed to be right in the center of the stage.
He saw the beautiful dancer, even more beautiful, more vivid than the relief on the door.
But it seemed she did not start dancing immediately.
The dancer's eyes suddenly widened.
Her throat opened, but she could not utter a single word.
As if she was being choked by some existence.
Only a painful whimper came from her heart, making the people present feel sad.
And then, this painful whimper slowly turned into...
...a tragic wail.
A shrill howl!!!
She was howling, shouting!
But that howl, mixed with a sharp, trembling sound, would never come from the mouth of a beautiful woman.
Not even a human.
That dancer was not human.
Wait, then what am I doing here?!
Telmar, as if waking from a long dream, looked at himself.
Wrong!
I, Telmar, am a Space Marine of the Third Legion, the Emperor's Children. I am here to carry out the great mission given to me by the Primarch, Lady Fulgrim.
Not to attend some strange banquet!
His muddled brain, at that moment, got back on track.
Where is this? What am I doing?
And she is—
It's fire!
On the body of that dancer, a golden-red flame was burning!
"Jie Jie Jie!"
"I've finally got you, you little thing!"
From the Warp gate, which was shining with countless purple lights, a right hand with countless fine, golden-red cracks reached out.
It was fire.
Fire swept through everything in the entire hall.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (390 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (166 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (190 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (150 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (168 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (170 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (110 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (150 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it