Chapter 34: Questions Without Answers

Noah's chest rose and fell as he leaned heavily on his knees, the adrenaline slowly draining from his system. The fight had been brutal, pushing him to the edge of his capabilities. Mid-level mutant aberrations weren't new to him—he had faced one before and survived. But this one felt... different. Its attacks were sharper, its movements more deliberate.

His eyes wandered back to the battlefield. Scorched earth surrounded the mutant's corpse, and the faint smell of ozone lingered in the air. Noah knelt beside the remains, his gaze fixed on the jagged core resting within the creature's chest. The mutant core radiated an intense, almost sinister energy, its surface a swirl of deep crimson and black.

He picked it up carefully, letting the grindstone store it in his item box for now. "Another core for later," he muttered, standing and surveying the scene.

Then his eyes fell on it.

It was impossible to miss, even amidst the wreckage of the fight. The artifact stood tall and unyielding at the far end of the grove, its crystalline structure shimmering with an otherworldly brilliance. It was a massive, irregular sphere, its jagged protrusions catching the dim light as arcs of energy danced across its surface like tiny lightning bolts.

"Warning: Unknown artifact detected. High energy levels registered. Interaction is not recommended."

Noah frowned as the grindstone's message appeared. "Yeah, no kidding," he muttered, keeping his distance.

The artifact was clearly connected to this place. Its energy felt alive, humming in a rhythm that resonated in his chest. It reminded him of the Astral Core Fragment he had found days ago—though this was much larger and far more intense.

He couldn't help but feel a pull toward it, as if the artifact itself was calling to him. Questions raced through his mind. What was its purpose? Was it tied to the aberrations somehow? Could it be a clue to understanding this world—or escaping it?

But Noah knew better than to act impulsively. He had no idea what kind of reaction touching the artifact might trigger. For now, observing was the safest course of action.

"This thing has to be important," he murmured to himself. "There's no way it's just sitting here by accident."

Carefully, he began to circle the artifact, examining it from every angle. The crystalline structure was flawless, its surface almost hypnotic as the colors shifted and pulsed in time with the crackling energy. Strange, alien symbols were faintly etched into its surface, similar to those he had seen on the Astral Core Fragment.

Valerie's journal had mentioned anomalies like this—artifacts of immense power linked to dimensional interference. If this artifact was one of them, it might hold the answers he needed. But without Valerie's guidance, he was flying blind.

"I need her to make sense of this," he said, frustration creeping into his voice.

After a few more moments of hesitation, Noah shook his head. As much as he wanted to take the artifact with him, he didn't trust himself with something so unpredictable. The grindstone's warnings and the sheer power emanating from it convinced him to leave it here for now.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to step away. "I'll come back for it," he muttered. "When I know what to do with it."

With one last look at the grove and the silent artifact at its center, Noah turned and began the trek back to his cave. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. The artifact, the mutant aberration, the scorched remains he had found earlier—it all felt connected, part of a puzzle he had barely begun to piece together.

The walk back was quieter than he expected. The forest seemed subdued, as if the fight had driven off any other creatures in the area. Noah's senses stayed sharp, his eyes scanning the shadows for movement.

He tried to focus on practical matters—his supplies, the state of his shelter—but his thoughts kept drifting back to the artifact. What was its purpose? Could it truly help him find a way home?

By the time he reached the familiar mouth of his cave, the sun was dipping low in the sky, painting the forest in hues of orange and red.

Noah stepped inside, setting his pack down and letting out a long breath. For now, he would rest. Tomorrow, he would decide his next move.

But as he sat in the dim light of his shelter, his thoughts remained fixated on the artifact he had left behind. It was more than just a discovery—it was a beacon of hope, a glimmer of possibility in a world that had given him nothing but chaos and despair.

For the first time in a long while, Noah allowed himself to believe that he might find a way out of this nightmare.

End of Chapter 34.