The Eye of Oblivion

"Could there really be a monster in this pool? Four days and nights have passed, yet the water still hasn’t drained." "A monster? That’s impossible. I was bathing here just a few days ago. Stop talking nonsense, it’s giving me the creeps!" "Come on, it’s the modern age, and you still believe in monsters? I’m telling you, there must be an underground river." The villagers gathered around the pool, both the young and the old, buzzing with discussion. Surrounding the pool were four small pumps tirelessly extracting water day and night, yet despite several days passing, the pool had not been drained. Though the pool was not large, covering just over two acres, it was incredibly deep. The water level had dropped by eight meters, but still, the bottom was nowhere in sight. The pool had been leased to someone in the village, who originally planned to raise fish and shrimp there. Before releasing the fry, they intended to clean the pool, as it was known to harbor predatory fish like snakeheads, which were a threat to the fry. If these fish weren’t eradicated, the entire stock would be at risk the following year. Though they knew the pool was deep, no one expected it to be this deep. "Look, we’ve finally reached the bottom!" After who knows how long, a wave of exclamations spread through the crowd, as jubilant as if celebrating the New Year. "Hey, what’s this? A statue… and there seems to be a stone gate too!" A sharp-eyed young man shouted out. … “Liran, when we get there, observe more and act less. This is a rare opportunity for you to learn.” On the bus, a casually dressed man in his fifties or sixties advised. "Yes, Professor Sun. Thank you for this opportunity!" A slender and composed young man in his early twenties held a few photographs in his hands, speaking with sincerity. "Haha, no need to thank me. It’s rare these days to find someone so dedicated to research. But remember, the knowledge in books can only take you so far. This time, you’re bound to gain new insights." Professor Sun waved his hand, speaking warmly. The professor had grown increasingly fond of this student—intelligent, diligent, and with a budding expertise in archaeology despite his young age. "What do you make of these photos?" Professor Sun asked with interest, curious to see what unique perspectives his student might offer. Liran frowned in deep thought, then slowly shook his head. “These statues are very peculiar. They don’t seem to belong to any known historical period. And as for the patterns on the stone gate, I can’t decipher them. They seem like some sort of script, but perhaps my knowledge is still lacking.” "Haha, it’s not that your knowledge is lacking. It’s just that this is something entirely new. This discovery could fill a major gap in the archaeological world." Liran’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected this discovery to be so significant. His respect for his mentor deepened as he pondered the professor’s guidance. After a few hours of travel, Liran and the professor arrived at their destination. The pool was now cordoned off, with a police line extending a kilometer around the area. Armed soldiers stood guard, and crowds of curious villagers gathered beyond the barricades, their fascination evident. Liran and Professor Sun presented their passes to the soldiers, who promptly allowed them through. The archaeological work had begun days earlier, and the site was in the midst of clearing operations. Many of the workers seemed familiar with Professor Sun, greeting him as he arrived. Liran followed closely behind his mentor, adhering to the principle of "observe more, act less." Two towering animal statues, each about two and a half meters tall, stood guard on either side of the stone gate. These creatures were unlike any known to Earth, with no records of them in any books. One of the statues depicted a creature with wings on its back, four claws, and a body covered in scales. Its large mouth was slightly open, revealing menacing teeth. Though worn and eroded by time, it still exuded a fierce and terrifying aura. Liran glanced at the statue, quickly averting his gaze. Despite it being inanimate, he felt as though it had just crawled out of hell, ready to devour anyone in its path. The other statue depicted a beast with a spiral horn on its head, its body clad in what seemed like armor. Liran gave it a brief glance but did not examine it closely. "Let’s go inside. But remember, don’t touch anything. This place is far from ordinary." After exchanging a few words with the workers outside, Professor Sun turned back to Liran with a stern warning. "Professor Sun, are there traps in here?" Liran asked, feeling a sudden jolt of unease. "No, nothing like that has been found so far. But this place holds ancient ritual artifacts. Some things here cannot be explained by modern science..." Professor Sun trailed off, seeming hesitant to say more. Given the modern skepticism towards such matters, it was difficult to speak openly about them. Liran fell silent, a sense of dread tightening his chest. Behind the statues was a stone staircase made of basalt, leading downward. The mud and aquatic plants had been cleared away, and the surface was dry. The stone steps were covered in cloud-like patterns, though they had become blurred with the passage of time. Liran followed Professor Sun down the steps. After descending about twenty meters, they finally saw the stone gate. It stood three meters tall and a little over two meters wide, made entirely of two slabs of black volcanic glass. The stone gate was engraved with strange markings—perhaps patterns, perhaps writing. Though he had seen them in photographs, standing before the real thing, Liran felt an overwhelming sense of mystery. He was now certain that these markings were indeed a form of writing, an unknown script that had never been discovered before. The gate had been opened, but for some reason, he felt a cold, eerie sensation seeping from its entrance. Stepping through the gate, they found themselves in a long corridor built from perfectly square black stones. The corridor was dimly lit by placed lights, eliminating the darkness. The walls were covered in vivid, colorful murals that stretched all the way to the end of the corridor. These were narrative paintings, a means of recording history in the distant past before the advent of writing. As Liran walked, he examined the murals. They depicted a vast ritual scene of an ancient tribe. Sharp wooden stakes protruded from the ground, with sacrificial animals impaled on them. Blood trickled down the stakes, and on a few of them, even human figures were skewered. Around the stakes, thousands of ancient people, clad in animal skins and leaves, knelt prostrate on the ground. The scene was both terrifyingly bloody and eerily solemn, evoking an overwhelming sense of oppression. A few steps further revealed a new image. In the sky, a giant golden eye appeared, gazing down at the earth. Even the sun beside it seemed to pale in comparison. Below, countless people knelt, shouting something in unison. "This represents the ancient people's worship of the eye. To them, the eye symbolized the sun above their heads, a mysterious force bestowed upon them by the heavens." Professor Sun turned to explain. Liran nodded, but said nothing, feeling an inexplicable heaviness in his heart. After several minutes of walking, they finally reached the end of the corridor. But ahead of them was another stone staircase, leading further down into the earth. The stairs descended into a deep abyss, their end completely obscured. The silence around them was palpable. As they walked, the noise of the outside world seemed to vanish, leaving only the ethereal sound of their footsteps echoing against the stone. After an unknown amount of time had passed, Liran pulled out his phone from his pocket. As expected, there was no signal. It was already 2:10 in the afternoon. Since entering the cave, twenty minutes had passed, and apart from the few minutes spent in the corridor, they had been descending these steps for over fifteen minutes. He put his phone back in his pocket and continued walking for another ten minutes or so. Voices gradually began to echo from the bottom of the stairs—the sound of footsteps and conversation. Clearly, there were people down there, and quite a few of them. When they finally reached the bottom, they were greeted by the sight of a massive stone gate, three stories tall. The gate was half-open, seemingly designed that way, leaving a gap just wide enough for them to squeeze through. Liran and Professor Sun passed through the gap and stepped inside, where they were immediately taken aback by what they saw. A colossal hall unfolded before them, dominated by a towering human statue, tens of meters high. The statue gleamed with a golden hue, though it was unclear whether it was gilded or made entirely of gold. What was even more bizarre was the third eye on the statue’s forehead—this figure had three eyes. The three-eyed figure was dressed in a magnificent suit of armor, though it held no weapons or other adornments. The exposed parts of its body revealed menacing, muscular limbs. The statue was incredibly lifelike, with no visible chisel marks, as if it were a real person. Staring at the statue, Liran felt an inexplicable sense of fear. It was as if an immense weight was pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe. He could almost hear an imposing voice questioning him in his mind. "Sun Lao, you’ve finally arrived. And this must be the young Li you’ve mentioned." A rough voice shattered Liran’s trance, jolting him back to reality. He realized his back was soaked with sweat. “Haha, Captain Chen, let me introduce you to Li Ran, my student. He’s here for fieldwork. This is Captain Chen, head of the archaeological team,” Professor Sun said, making introductions. “Captain Chen, nice to meet you!” Liran regained his composure and greeted Captain Chen with respect. "Haha, young Li, no need to be so formal. I trust anyone recommended by Professor Sun. But be careful, and don’t touch anything here. This place is… a bit strange." “Oh? Strange in what way?” Professor Sun asked with interest. Captain Chen’s expression turned serious. “Sun Lao, when you first saw that statue, what did you feel?” Professor Sun pondered for a moment before speaking, "This is beyond the capability of primitive people. The statue is so lifelike that it could easily be mistaken for a real person. Even in modern times, creating such a colossal and realistic sculpture would be a daunting task. Moreover, the armor is exquisitely crafted, with intricate details that seem naturally formed, almost like a work of art. I can't imagine any era capable of producing such armor. For it to appear in a cave seemingly inhabited by primitive people is highly improbable." "Professor Sun, as perceptive as always. Take a look at this," Captain Chen carefully retrieved a stone axe from a nearby wooden box. "A stone axe! Then this must indeed be from the Stone Age," Professor Sun said in astonishment. "Though it's hard to believe, based on the artifacts left behind, this place appears to be a sacrificial site of a primitive tribe, estimated to be around ten thousand years old, if not older. And that statue should also date back to the same period, likely representing a deity worshiped by these early people. There's also something peculiar—a metallic object buried underground that we haven't fully excavated yet. Come take a look," Captain Chen said excitedly. Li Ran, standing nearby, suddenly recalled the giant eye depicted in the murals. Comparing it to the lifelike statue, which seemed out of place for that era, a strange thought crossed his mind. Could that three-eyed deity from ancient times have truly existed? "Li Ran, stay here for now. Captain Chen and I are going to check something ahead," Professor Sun said, turning back. "Alright, Professor Sun," Li Ran replied. Professor Sun and Captain Chen eagerly made their way towards a pit in the distance, while Li Ran carefully studied the surrounding murals. These paintings depicted the great deeds of the three-eyed deity: bestowing food upon the people, driving away fierce beasts, teaching them how to fight, and even engaging in battles against evil gods. Though the murals were crude, with many parts faded and unclear, the more Li Ran looked at them, the more he felt a profound sense of solemnity and reverence. His expression grew grave as an aura of sacredness enveloped him. At that moment, he felt something sharp beneath his foot. Lifting it slightly, he scraped the ground and uncovered several pale, almost fossilized finger bones protruding from the dirt. Using the tip of his shoe, he nudged the soil aside, revealing a black, pyramid-shaped object. He glanced up, intending to call out to Professor Sun, but the professor had already walked far ahead, engaged in discussion with the archaeological team. Deciding against it, Li Ran planned to pick up the object and show it to him later. Bending down, he reached for the pyramid-shaped item. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he took a deep breath, his face flushing red. He slowly lifted the object, no larger than a ping-pong ball, but to his surprise, it was unimaginably heavy. Had he not been physically strong from years of martial training, he wouldn't have been able to lift it at all. Even so, it required every ounce of his strength. This small object weighed around forty kilograms. Holding it between three fingers was an extraordinary feat, impossible for an average person. The pyramid-shaped object appeared unusually smooth, without a single scratch. Its surface was faintly etched with mysterious, spider-web-like patterns, and its sharp edges were razor-thin, without any visible imperfections. The entire object was matte and dull, its material unknown. As his fingers lightly brushed against one of its edges— "Zzz!" A thin cut immediately appeared on his finger, and blood began to seep from the wound. "This thing is incredibly sharp, sharper than any weapon I've ever seen," Li Ran thought to himself, a look of astonishment crossing his face. He hadn't noticed that a drop of blood had already adhered to the object. Suddenly, a surge of inexplicable terror washed over him, his heart pounding with uncontrollable dread, as if he were facing the wrath of the heavens. A paralyzing fear gripped him, leaving no room for resistance. Fear—an overwhelming, unshakable fear! This terror was not something he could suppress; it felt as though an external force had imposed it upon him. At the same time, a faint, furious roar echoed from behind him. With great difficulty, Li Ran turned his head. In that moment, the world seemed to come to a standstill. Everything moved in agonizing slow motion, and the surrounding archaeologists appeared frozen in time, as if turned to stone. An ear-piercing noise, like a jammed tape recorder, filled the air. Finally, his gaze landed on the statue of the deity. To his horror, the statue seemed to come alive, its once rigid face now brimming with life. Anger burned in its eyes, a fury that was unmistakable. Suddenly, the giant eye on the statue's forehead flared to life. A beam of white light, radiating pure destruction, shot across the space, striking Li Ran directly. In an instant, his body disintegrated, crumbling into dust like weathered stone. Yet a flash of light, enveloping the pyramid-shaped object, rose from his remains and flew towards the statue's third eye. It vanished in a blink. "Crack!" A fissure suddenly appeared on the three-eyed deity's statue. More cracks followed, spreading rapidly until the entire structure was covered. With a thunderous crash, the colossal statue crumbled into a pile of ruins.