บท 1562: Hell is Open

The Lockpick Master sighed

The Lockpick Master's exhalation carried a tinge of impatience, his nod acknowledging the sentiment of the Oracle.

He was never that close to her. But he had dealings with her in the past

"Impatient as ever," he murmured, his words almost lost in the air around them.

From the void space, he retrieved a key, its existence ethereal until brought into the material world. 

Carefully inserting the key into an invisible cavity, a peculiar transformation began. 

Though nothing is visible initially, a subtle distortion marked the key's advancement. 

Then, as the key pushed forward, reality itself seemed to ripple and split, birthing a gate before them.

The atmosphere grew dense, a pall of darkness enveloping the surroundings. 

Even the distant geyser's frenetic activity quelled, and the once-vibrant grass drooped, its vitality drained.