NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: Ancient Paintings
Merlin stared at the paintings in front of him, filled with wonder and awe.
They were painted in shades of red, black, and white. One showed an ancient white gate, surrounded by mysterious chains.
Another depicted a bald, dark-skinned man with red eyes, seemingly laughing.
About two meters away hung a painting of another man. Unlike the previous figure, he had black hair and wore a white robe over a black t-shirt that showed off his muscular build.
In his right hand, he held a strange black magic staff that somehow made Merlin's heart race.
The man's face was empty, lacking a nose and eyes, with only a faint smile on his lips.
"What are these paintings?" Merlin asked, walking closer to brush his fingers lightly over the surface. "System, do you know?"
He waited, but the system remained silent, leaving him confused.
"System? Are you there?" he called hesitantly.
"[Ding! System here, Master!]"
The system's voice returned, and Merlin let out a relieved sigh.
"Do you happen to know what these paintings are?"
"[I don't know, Master. But you can examine them with your appraisal ability,]" the system replied.
Merlin blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected that ability to work here.
Without hesitation, he whispered, "Appraisal!"
[Status]
Name: Nameless Paintings
Era: ???
Description: These paintings have been swallowed by history. Their existence is an anomaly that should never have existed.
Merlin was dumbfounded. He rubbed his eyes repeatedly, as if trying to convince himself he wasn't seeing things wrong.
"System! System! What's going on? Why can't the appraisal describe the paintings?" he asked in surprise.
"[Eh? Is that so? Then something must be wrong with the paintings, Master. You'd better find out later. How about we move forward and check your spirit?]" the system suggested.
The vague words only deepened Merlin's suspicion.
'Something's strange about the system,' he muttered softly.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt the system was hiding something from him. It was as if the system and these mysterious paintings were connected—yet it refused to reveal anything.
His suspicion grew stronger. He wanted to press the matter but held back.
If the system didn't want to answer, there had to be a reason. Pressuring it would be useless and would only make their situation awkward.
Brushing aside his confusion, Merlin stepped forward. Before, he had no idea where he was; the surroundings had been pitch black.
But with the torch in his hand, he could now see a long, magnificent hallway.
On both sides, the walls were covered with various mysterious paintings.
Merlin studied them with awe and curiosity.
Suddenly, his gaze fell on a giant painting on the left—a depiction of an enormous dragon.
The dragon was red, with two massive wings on its back and two smaller wings behind them.
Its body was tall and sturdy, its skin a fiery red, covered in glittering scales. Two long red horns rose proudly from its head.
Its eyes were blood-red, with black pupils shaped like a snake's.
Though it was only a painting, a shiver of fear ran through Merlin.
'A dragon, huh? It looks a lot like the ones from Western legends,' he whispered softly.
In his previous world, dragons were just myths. Yet many cultures believed they truly existed. They came in different forms—some long and serpentine, others large and four-legged, like the dragon in the painting.
"Don't tell me…" Merlin smiled slightly. "The spirit I'm going to awaken is this dragon? Hahaha! It's funny just to imagine."
Of course, it was just a delusion. In the novel's storyline, Merlin Clay had awakened the spirit of a puppy.
He knew this time would be different from the original plot. After all, the system would never let him awaken a weak spirit, and he was certain of that.
As for the dragon in the painting before him, he also knew it was impossible.
The creature looked powerful and terrifying. If it were truly his spirit, he'd be eaten before he even had a chance to speak.
Shaking his head, Merlin took a step closer—unaware that the system was in a state of panic.
'[How can Master be this smart and clever?]' It muttered softly.
***
Merlin had no idea how long he had been walking until he finally reached the end of the hallway—two massive wooden doors.
"System, how do I open them?" he asked, confused.
"[Simply place both your hands there, Master. The doors will open automatically,]" the system replied.
Merlin obeyed, and as expected, the doors swung open on their own.
He stepped inside and froze, mesmerized by the sight before him—a vast hall. White pillars stretched upward, and the ceiling was covered with elaborate paintings.
Five large, slightly blurred windows lined the wall on the left. Strange, ethereal lights pierced through them, illuminating the hall in an otherworldly glow.
"What a huge hall," Merlin murmured, awestruck.
Standing there, he felt like an insignificant ant.
But just as he was taking it all in, something unexpected happened.
The mysterious lights streaming through the windows vanished, plunging the hall into darkness.
Merlin panicked and swung the torch in his right hand.
Suddenly, a gust of hot breath hit him from the front, followed by two massive, car-sized red eyes with black pupils, radiating pure murderous intent.
"A human? How dare you enter my territory…!?"