"The Fallen Empire: Ancient City II"

Snake Calendar, Year 2025

27th Day? of October, ???

Fifth-Level Dimensional Gate, Ancient Ruin Teleportation Hub

After acquiring the Ancient Language that he would soon be able to understand and speak, Accel continued his exploration. He was deeply immersed in studying the strange symbols, the architecture, and the unfamiliar technology around him. The teleportation hub was massive, with towering stone pillars and intricate carvings glowing faintly in the dim light. The air carried a sense of mystery, as if the place had been untouched for thousands of years.

Lost in his thoughts, Accel unconsciously ventured deeper into the ruins. The further he walked, the brighter the strange lights on the walls became, illuminating patterns that appeared almost alive. He marveled at the structure, noting that it seemed far more advanced than anything currently known in the System World.

Then, realization struck him—he was lost.

"Damn... I should have marked my path," he muttered to himself, scanning his surroundings for any familiar signs. But the teleportation hub was an endless maze of corridors and staircases, all leading to unknown depths.

As he carefully retraced his steps, his foot suddenly pressed down on a mechanism embedded in the floor. A deep rumbling sound echoed through the structure, and the entire teleportation hub began to shake violently.

Outside, the scholars, researchers, and knowledge-based System Users who had been analyzing the ruins felt the tremor beneath their feet. Panic spread among them.

"What's happening?"

"Did someone touch something?!"

Before anyone could react, a massive stone door, previously hidden within the ruins, groaned open, revealing a stairway descending into darkness. The scholars' initial fear was quickly replaced by excitement.

"A hidden chamber! This is a groundbreaking discovery!"

Without hesitation, they hurried down the newly revealed path, escorted by a small group of elite adventurers for protection. Their curiosity overpowered any caution as they ventured further inside.

Meanwhile, Accel, hearing footsteps approaching, quickly hid behind a pillar. From his vantage point, he watched as the group entered the core chamber of the teleportation hub.

Their eyes widened as they took in the sight before them—a vast circular chamber lined with glowing stone runes, its ceiling so high it was lost in the shadows. In the center of the room stood a majestic sword embedded in the ground, its blade gleaming with an ancient radiance.

One of the scholars gasped. "This... this could be an artifact from a lost civilization!"

An elite adventurer stepped forward, gripping the sword's hilt with both hands. He pulled with all his strength, but the sword refused to budge.

"What the—? It won't move."

Another adventurer tried, followed by a researcher who was braver than he looked, but none could pull the sword free.

"Maybe it's bound to the ruins somehow," one scholar theorized.

As they debated, one particularly clumsy researcher stepped on an unmarked rune on the floor. The entire chamber reacted immediately.

Bright lights surged across the walls, and a pulse of energy burst outward. The researchers and adventurers braced themselves for an attack—but nothing happened. Instead, the glowing symbols slowly faded, and outside, something extraordinary took place.

The eternal darkness that had loomed over the world shifted. A brilliant light erupted from the ruins, stretching across the landscape like a wave. Within moments, the once-dying land transformed. The withered trees regained their leaves, the cracked ground softened into fields of green, and an unmoving sun appeared in the sky, casting warm light over the world.

At the Emergency Stronghold, now fully completed, students, instructors, and adventurers alike stopped in shock as they witnessed the sudden change. The sky, which had been a void of endless night, had turned into what looked like permanent daylight.

"What the hell just happened?!" an instructor exclaimed.

Back at the teleportation hub, the scholars were still in awe of what they had triggered. "Did we... restore something?" one of them wondered aloud.

Unnoticed by the group, Accel had spotted the sword earlier but had not attempted to take it. Now, seeing that no one could pull it free, he decided to try. Cautiously, he approached the weapon, making sure no one was watching.

He gripped the hilt and, with little effort, pulled it from the ground. The blade slid out smoothly as if it had been waiting for him all along.

For a brief moment, Accel hesitated, expecting some kind of reaction—an explosion, a curse, anything. But nothing happened. The scholars, busy discussing their theories, hadn't even noticed. Without wasting another second, he stored the sword in his inventory and silently left the chamber.

Moments later, the researchers turned back to examine the artifact—only to find it gone.

"Wait... where's the sword?!"

"It was right here! Did someone take it?!"

Confusion spread as they searched the area, unable to believe that something so large could simply disappear. The elite adventurers scouted the chamber, but there was no sign of an intruder. Left with no choice, they assumed that either the sword had vanished due to their actions, or that it had been an illusion all along.

Meanwhile, Accel, making his way back to the stronghold, noticed something strange. The footprints on his path were different from when he first entered the ruins.

Following the tracks, he walked for several minutes before coming to a stop—his eyes widening in shock.

Before him stood a massive, abandoned city. Its architecture was reminiscent of medieval European empires, with towering spires, vast stone bridges, and grand palaces that stretched toward the sky.

But something was off.

There were no signs of life. No monsters, no beasts, no people.

An entire empire, perfectly preserved, yet completely abandoned.

A shiver ran down Accel's spine as he whispered to himself, "What... is this place?"