Chapter 98: Into the Depths

The wind howled as Elias and his team approached the abandoned Vanguard outpost, the ruins stretching before them like the skeletal remains of a long-forgotten war. The walls, once reinforced with spell-forged alloys, were cracked and overgrown, their golden sigils faded with time.

Elias's HUD scanned the structure, mapping out the underground tunnels beneath. The entrance to the sealed passageway lay somewhere beneath the central command station, buried under layers of collapsed debris and ancient security locks.

Marco checked his datapad. "This place is completely off-grid. No Academy surveillance, no active mana signals—just dead silence."

Ivy adjusted her bow. "That usually means something bad is waiting inside."

Reinhardt grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Then let's wake it up."

Lira shot him a look. "For once, can we not tempt fate?"

Elias didn't waste time. He strode forward, stepping over broken steel beams and shattered floor panels, his gauntlet humming softly as it scanned the area. Vanguard architecture was built to last, but even their strongest fortifications couldn't fight time forever.

Cecilia moved beside him, her blades drawn and ready. "I don't like this place. Too quiet."

Varian followed closely, his golden eyes scanning the shadows. "There is something here."

Elias exhaled, steadying himself. "Let's find the entrance. Fast."

The team spread out, searching through the ruins. The ground was littered with debris, old supply crates, and half-destroyed machinery—remnants of a time when the Vanguard still ruled these lands.

Marco knelt beside a collapsed console, brushing away dust. "This thing's fried, but I might be able to reactivate some of its systems."

Elias nodded. "Do it."

Marco pulled a power cell from his pack, hooking it into the console's damaged core. The machine hummed weakly, flickering as it struggled to boot up.

Then, the ground rumbled.

Ivy's arrow was nocked in an instant. "That didn't sound good."

The console screen flashed, and suddenly—a hidden passageway groaned open beneath them, dust spilling into the air as metal grates slid aside, revealing a spiraling descent into darkness.

Reinhardt let out a low whistle. "There's our entrance."

Elias stared down the abyss. The forgotten tunnel. The only path into the Academy's capital.

No turning back now.

Lira peered into the shadows. "So, uh… who goes first?"

Cecilia smirked. "I vote Elias."

Elias rolled his eyes. "Naturally." He activated his helmet lights, casting a faint glow down the passage. "Let's move."

One by one, they descended into the depths.

The air grew colder the further they went, the walls narrowing as they moved deeper underground. Strange symbols lined the corridors, etched into the stone, glowing faintly with a long-dead energy.

Marco's voice echoed. "I don't like this."

Elias glanced at him. "What now?"

Marco tapped his datapad. "These symbols… They're Vanguard warnings."

Varian spoke calmly. "What do they say?"

Marco's voice dropped.

"'Turn back. Do not wake what sleeps below.'"

Silence.

Ivy whispered, "Okay. That's creepy as hell."

Lira groaned. "I swear, we do this every time. Why do we always go straight into the things we shouldn't?"

Reinhardt chuckled. "Because it's fun."

Elias ignored them, pressing forward. He didn't have time for doubts. The Academy would never expect them to take this path, but if they delayed too long, their window would close.

The tunnel stretched into a vast underground chamber, pillars rising into darkness like the ribs of a forgotten beast. In the center stood an enormous door, carved from blackened steel, lined with Vanguard sigils.

Marco's eyes widened. "That's it. That's the entrance to the hidden tunnel."

Cecilia frowned. "Then why does it look sealed shut?"

Varian studied the door. "Because it is."

Elias stepped closer, scanning its structure. "How do we open it?"

Marco hesitated. "Well… that's the problem."

Elias exhaled. "Marco."

Marco sighed. "This door is not just locked. It's sealed with an ancient security protocol. The Vanguard didn't want anyone coming back through here."

Lira crossed her arms. "Then how do we get through?"

Marco scratched the back of his head. "Uh… We might have to override the entire system."

Elias clenched his fists. The Vanguard sealed this place for a reason. If they broke the lock, what else would they be unleashing?

Ivy glanced around. "I don't like this. It's too quiet."

Reinhardt stepped forward. "Then let's stop wasting time. We came here to open it, didn't we?"

Elias nodded. "Marco, do it."

Marco pulled out his tools, connecting them to the ancient console beside the door. Sparks flared as he bypassed the security layers, his fingers moving rapidly across the interface.

The symbols along the door flickered, their glow intensifying.

Then—a deep rumble shook the chamber.

The door shuddered. Gears groaned. The ancient locks disengaged.

And then—the screaming started.

A hollow, inhuman wail echoed through the tunnel behind them.

Elias whirled around.

From the darkness, figures began to emerge—their bodies twisted, half-metal, half-rotted flesh. Their eyes burned with blue fire, and their movements were unnatural, jerky, like puppets controlled by an unseen force.

Lira swore. "What the hell are those?!"

Marco's face paled as his datapad flashed with warning symbols. "Oh, gods—they're Vanguard husks."

Cecilia's blades were already drawn. "What the hell is a Vanguard husk?"

Varian answered, his voice cold. "The result of a failed experiment."

Elias's gauntlet hummed with energy as the creatures rushed forward.

No time to ask questions.

They had to fight their way through.

Reinhardt grinned, swinging his hammer. "Now we're talking!"

Ivy loosed an arrow, striking one of the creatures through the chest—but it didn't stop moving. It barely reacted.

Lira muttered. "Oh, that's not good."

Elias fired his thrusters, slamming his gauntlet into one of the husks, crushing its skull. It fell—but another took its place.

There were dozens of them.

And the door behind them was still opening.

Elias gritted his teeth. No turning back now.

"Push forward!" he shouted. "We break through—now!"

The battle for the tunnels had begun.