Chapter 107: Amazon Temple

Later that night, right before heading to sleep, Mark found himself standing once again inside the familiar, enormous rectangular chamber that made up part of his soul space.

The moment he materialized there, his gaze swept across the vast interior with the same fascination he’d experienced during every earlier visit. He’d already grown reasonably familiar with this place by now, yet it never seemed to lose its ability to genuinely impress him. Every return trip revealed another small detail in its architecture, another touch of craftsmanship, another quiet reminder that the world contained within his own soul ran far more extraordinary than anything he’d ever encountered outside of it.

The chamber stood as a genuine showcase of Amazon culture and artistry. Its walls, pillars, and massive decorative structures reflected a civilization whose craftsmanship had developed along an entirely different path from ordinary human architecture. The designs carried real weight, bold patterns, carefully carved surfaces, and intricate symbols that seemed to actively preserve the traditions of some ancient people.

While certain elements looked admittedly crude set against the delicate precision typical of modern human architecture, the raw strength and character behind the work remained completely undeniable. Every structure had clearly been built on a scale suggesting its creators never once needed to compromise their ambitions to accommodate smaller frames. Doorways, pillars, ceremonial decorations, all of it carried a genuine sense of grandeur, turning the entire chamber into something closer to a living monument honoring a powerful, long standing civilization.

Penthesilea sat enthroned at the far end of the hall.

In her full, towering giant form, she looked almost inseparable from the imposing atmosphere surrounding her. Her armor caught the chamber’s faint, ambient light, her weapon resting within easy reach beside her. Her posture carried itself with composed dignity, the clear authority of a warrior who’d spent much of her existence commanding real respect wherever she went.

The moment she noticed Mark’s arrival, she rose from the throne, retrieved her weapon, and began walking toward him.

Her footsteps echoed steadily across the smooth stone floor, each one producing a deep, measured sound rolling outward through the spacious chamber. The sheer scale of her enormous frame made the remaining distance between them shrink noticeably with every stride.

As she drew closer, her gigantic body began contracting steadily.

Her height dropped gradually, settling at roughly a third of her original towering size, letting her properly accommodate her considerably smaller summoner without losing the imposing presence that so clearly set her apart from ordinary humans.

Mark watched the transformation with genuine interest, same as every time before. Even after witnessing it repeatedly by now, he still found something fascinating in how naturally she adjusted her own massive proportions.

A smile spread across his face the moment she reached him.

Penthesilea lowered herself onto one knee, tilting her head and shoulders forward in a respectful bow. Despite the gesture, her remaining height still nearly matched his own, the heavy armor across her shoulders making her presence genuinely difficult to overlook entirely.

She stayed in that position a moment longer before finally speaking.

"Good to see you again. Always at your service, dear Prince."

Her voice carried real dignity and warmth, the measured tone of someone who clearly regarded the greeting as something far more meaningful than empty formality. She lifted her head, meeting his eyes directly, expression composed yet fully attentive.

Mark smiled back at her, gently patting one of her pauldron covered shoulders.

"You may stand, Penthia."

Penthesilea rose smoothly to her feet.

Even in her reduced form, she still stood well past eight feet tall, her broad frame and imposing armor placing her well above Mark’s own height. He had to tilt his head upward just to meet her eyes properly, a clear reminder of the genuinely extraordinary scale carried by the Amazon civilization she hailed from.

Mark tucked his hands into his pockets, still smiling as something he’d been quietly turning over in his mind finally surfaced.

"Prince, huh? Used to be Heir, back when Cassandra wouldn’t let either of you tell me much about certain identities or cultural details, something about my authority sitting lower than hers at the time. Guess that’s changed by now, right?"

Penthesilea listened quietly without interrupting.

Once he finished, she nodded in confirmation.

"You’re correct."

Her answer came direct, no unnecessary elaboration tacked on. That simplicity alone only deepened Mark’s curiosity about exactly what had shifted within his own soul space, and just how much authority he’d steadily gained along the way without fully realizing it.

He smiled again, pulling one hand free from his pocket to gesture toward the surrounding chamber.

"With that in mind, mind pointing me toward the sealed chamber belonging to the third member of the Amazon Order? I’d genuinely like to take a look."

Penthesilea’s expression stayed calm, though a faint hint of approval flickered behind her eyes.

"Of course. Take whatever time you need to properly research and examine the chamber."

She turned slightly, gesturing for him to follow along.

Mark fell into step beside her immediately.

Together, they crossed the massive hall toward a circular formation embedded directly into the floor. Its outline was marked by intricate patterns subtly different from the surrounding architectural designs. The symbols arranged themselves in a precise, geometric structure, faint lines tracing the circle’s outer edge before converging steadily toward its center.

Mark had encountered similar formations before, though each one seemed to serve its own distinct purpose. Some had carried him between different locations within his own soul space, while others appeared built to connect places separated by distances ordinary movement simply couldn’t easily cross.

He stepped into the circle alongside Penthesilea, glancing down at the patterns etched beneath his feet.

"Another transportation formation?"

"Yes," Penthesilea confirmed.

She stood beside him, hands resting calmly near her weapon.

"You should know the third Amazon’s chamber sits within an entirely separate temple, located elsewhere across the island."

Mark blinked, caught off guard.

"Wait, across the island?"

He’d honestly expected the chamber to sit somewhere within this exact same structure, maybe tucked behind another door, or down some corridor he simply hadn’t explored yet. The revelation that it belonged to a completely separate temple suggested the space housing his summons ran considerably larger and more complex than he’d previously understood.

Before he could ask anything further, the circular formation beneath them began glowing.

Light spread steadily through the intricate patterns underfoot, starting faint before gradually building in intensity. The glow climbed along each etched line, connecting symbol to symbol until the entire formation blazed with brilliant light.

Mark glanced around as the brightness intensified further.

The air itself seemed to hum faintly with magical resonance, the surrounding chamber slowly dissolving behind the mounting glow. He narrowed his eyes, trying to hold his focus steady, though the radiance quickly grew too intense to see through clearly.

For one brief moment, everything simply vanished into pure light.

Then the glow finally faded.

When Mark opened his eyes fully again, he found himself standing somewhere else entirely.

This new chamber carried a harder, distinctly gothic architectural style. Its walls climbed high overhead, decorated with elaborate carvings and dark, ornamental patterns lending the entire structure a solemn, almost intimidating kind of beauty. The interior stretched even wider than the previous chamber, an expansive floor extending out toward distant pillars and towering doorways in the distance.

Brilliant chandeliers hung suspended from the ceiling, countless points of light casting soft reflections across the polished surfaces below. Candelabras lined the walls at steady intervals, their flames illuminating the elaborate designs and throwing shifting shadows that drifted gently across the surrounding stone.

Statues occupied several scattered positions throughout the hall.

Some depicted imposing female warriors gripping weapons tightly, while others appeared to represent ceremonial figures dressed in elaborate armor. Their surfaces carried a hard, weathered quality, visible signs of real age suggesting they’d stood watch over this chamber for countless years already.

Despite their worn appearance, the craftsmanship remained impressive, and their expressions seemed to preserve the seriousness of the figures they represented.

Mark stood still for a moment, absorbing the surroundings.

The circular formation beneath their feet gradually dimmed until only faint traces of its outline remained visible. Once the light had disappeared completely, Mark stepped out of the formation and looked around with open curiosity.

Penthesilea followed him.

Neither of them spoke immediately, allowing Mark a little time to examine the new environment. His gaze moved from the chandeliers to the statues, then toward the enormous hall stretching ahead of them.

He had never seen a place quite like it.

The previous chamber had impressed him through its scale and craftsmanship, but this temple possessed a different atmosphere. It seemed older, more solemn, and perhaps more closely connected to the deeper traditions of the Amazon Order.

Mark turned toward Penthesilea as they began walking along the broad pathway.

"I’ve heard a little about the temple and the Amazon island where the Order originated. What else can I learn about it?"

Penthesilea walked beside him, her long strides adjusted to his pace. Her armor produced a faint metallic sound with each movement, while the steady rhythm of their footsteps echoed through the enormous hall.

"Beyond this place lies the island that houses the temples of the Amazons. It is called Amazora, a civilization where independent, confident, powerful, and fierce females of diverse races and cultures belong."

She glanced toward one of the statues as they passed it.

"But there is more to our civilization than its temples. The women who belong to these tribes are gigantic beings who have lived through countless years of history. Each has her own accomplishments, goals, and deeds, and each contributes to the legacy of the people who came before her."

Mark listened attentively.

He had already learned that Penthesilea was no ordinary summon. Her knowledge, bearing, and abilities suggested a history far more extensive than the information he had gathered through school lessons. Hearing about her homeland directly from someone who had witnessed its traditions made the explanation feel more meaningful than reading a few paragraphs in a textbook.

Penthesilea continued.

"The Queen establishes the rules, decrees, and principles that govern the giant Amazon females who serve within her Order. Her authority maintains the structure of our civilization and ensures that the traditions of the Amazons are upheld."

She spoke with a steady sense of pride, though her tone never became boastful.

"This island has been blessed and honoured by the Amazon Queen and the Primordial Gods. It became the home of one of the largest and strongest civilizations of its kind. We giant-born Amazons trained and learned not only to understand the differences in our size, but also to develop our special powers, traits, and talents."

Her eyes remained forward as they continued along the path.

"Those qualities shaped us into who we are. They allowed us to accomplish great deeds and achieve historical victories countless times."

Mark nodded slowly.

The explanation gave him a clearer idea of the culture Penthesilea came from. It also reminded him that the abilities he had gained through summoning were connected to histories and traditions that extended far beyond his own world.

He wanted to remember everything she had told him and research it further when he had the opportunity. There were still many unanswered questions about Amazora, the Amazon Order, and the origins of the beings who had become part of his soul space.

However, his immediate goal was more specific.

He wanted to understand his progress and determine whether he was finally close to unlocking the third member of the Amazon Order.

The prospect had been occupying his thoughts since he learned that another sealed chamber existed. If the previous summons were any indication, the next member could possess abilities and characteristics that would significantly broaden his options.

They continued walking until they finally reached an enormous double door.

Mark slowed as he examined it.

The entrance was considerably larger than the doors he had encountered in the other chambers. Its dark obsidian surface reflected the surrounding light faintly, while elaborate patterns covered its exterior. The designs appeared to combine decorative artistry with symbols that might have carried a deeper meaning within the Amazon culture.

The two doors stood side by side, creating an entrance so imposing that Mark had to tilt his head back to examine its upper sections.

He stared at it with growing curiosity.

The difference in size was difficult to ignore. If the scale of the entrance reflected anything about the person sealed behind it, then the third member might be even larger than the others. At the very least, the door suggested that this chamber had been constructed to accommodate someone whose presence demanded considerable space.

Mark wondered what kind of Amazon awaited him.

What tribe would she belong to?

What traits would distinguish her from Penthesilea?

Would she possess a unique fighting style, unusual abilities, or a title that carried significance within the Order?

The possibilities filled his mind as he approached the entrance.

He lifted both hands and reached toward the obsidian surface, only to stop when his palms encountered an invisible barrier several inches away from the doors.

His fingers hovered against the unseen obstruction.

He pressed gently, but the barrier remained firm, preventing him from making direct contact with the entrance. Whatever force protected the chamber was still active, and the sealed doors gave no indication that they were ready to open.

Mark’s expression became thoughtful.

He looked from the barrier to the patterns engraved across the obsidian, searching for any sign that might explain how the chamber could be accessed. The faint reflections on the door revealed nothing obvious, and the barrier offered no visible response to his touch.

For a moment, he simply stood there, studying the entrance.

Then his thoughts returned to the dungeon programme he had recently applied for.

The opportunity could provide the practical experience and resources he needed to strengthen himself. If his progress continued and the conditions were favourable, he might eventually reach the point where he could unlock the next summon.

The idea filled him with anticipation.

He had already come a considerable distance from the mundane student he once was, and every new discovery within his soul space reminded him that there were still possibilities waiting to be explored.

Mark lowered his hands and looked up at the enormous double door once more.

He could not yet see the Amazon sealed beyond it, nor did he know what challenges remained before he could reach her. But the existence of the chamber was enough to strengthen his determination.

The dungeon programme was another step toward becoming a more capable summoner.

And whatever awaited him beyond the sealed entrance, he intended to find out.