chapter 18.4

As soon as Alcard ensured that the perimeter of the ruins was completely secure and no further threats lurked in the shadows, he signaled for his team to regroup. The dim moonlight bathed the crumbling stones, casting elongated, ghostly silhouettes across the overgrown terrain. A hushed silence settled over the area, broken only by the occasional whisper of the wind threading through the gaps in the old stone walls. With an air of unwavering authority, Alcard began distributing orders, ensuring that their next move would be executed with precision.

"We cannot leave this place unguarded," he stated, his voice steady but firm, his sharp gaze sweeping over his battle-worn comrades. "Four of you will stay behind to keep watch. If anything moves out there—if even the slightest sign of movement appears—sound the signal immediately."

One of the more seasoned outcasts, a broad-shouldered man with an old scar running along his temple, gave a curt nod. "Nothing will get past us. Not while we're standing."

Without wasting time, Alcard turned towards the entrance of the ruins, leading a group of six deeper into the forgotten corridors. As they stepped inside, the change in atmosphere was immediate. The air grew dense and humid, carrying the damp, musty scent of rotting wood and ancient stone long untouched by light. Towering tree roots coiled around fractured archways, weaving through the structure like veins of a slumbering giant, strangling what remained of the once-grand edifice.

"This place…" one of the younger outcasts murmured from behind, his voice laced with unease. "It feels… alive."

Alcard didn't immediately respond. His eyes trailed the soft glow emanating from patches of moss clinging to the cracked walls. The faint, pulsating green light ebbed and flowed, almost as if it were breathing. He narrowed his gaze. "Perhaps it is," he muttered under his breath, though he couldn't shake the feeling that the ruins were watching them as much as they were exploring it.

Then, a sudden noise—a deep rustling sound—echoed through the narrow passage ahead. Alcard instantly raised a hand, signaling the group to halt. His senses sharpened as he reached for his sword, eyes locked on the shifting shadows beyond.

A moment later, something massive emerged from the darkness.

From the depths of the ruined halls, a hulking entity lumbered into view. Its form was an amalgamation of thick, gnarled tree trunks and tangled vines, bound together by some unseen force. Its limbs creaked as it moved, and two eerie green orbs—its eyes—glowed with unnatural intensity, locking onto the intruders.

Alcard's grip tightened on his sword. "Prepare for combat!" he commanded, his voice cutting through the heavy air.

The creature let out a deep, guttural groan before raising an enormous arm, sweeping it towards them with the force of a falling tree. One of the outcasts barely dodged in time, rolling to the side as the creature's limb slammed into the ground, shattering the stone floor beneath it.

Blades and arrows met its wooden hide, but it barely flinched. Every strike merely bounced off its hardened body, the thick bark absorbing the blows with unnatural resilience.

"There's something on its chest!" one of the outcasts called out, eyes fixated on a faint, glowing crystal embedded beneath the creature's exterior. "That must be its weakness!"

Alcard reacted immediately. "Focus your attacks there! Break through its defenses!"

With renewed strategy, the group concentrated their strikes on the beast's torso, slashing away at the entwined roots and bark shielding the crystal. The golem retaliated with slow but devastating swings, narrowly missing its attackers as they weaved through its attacks.

Finally, after relentless hacking, a portion of the bark armor cracked, exposing the pulsating gemstone within. Seizing the opportunity, Alcard dashed forward, channeling all his strength into a single, decisive strike.

His sword met the crystal with a resonating impact, shattering it into fragments.

The effect was immediate.

The golem released an agonized, hollow wail as its body began to disassemble. Its limbs crumbled, roots untangling as they lost cohesion. Within moments, the mighty guardian was reduced to nothing more than a heap of decayed wood.

Panting, Alcard wiped the sweat from his brow. "Well executed," he commended, though his tone carried little relief. His instincts screamed that this was far from over. "But this is only the beginning. If there was one of these things, there could be more."

And he was right.

As they ventured deeper into the ruins, they soon found themselves in a vast chamber, its walls lined with ancient carvings illuminated by the faint, spectral light of the glowing moss. But what drew their attention most were the two colossal figures standing at the chamber's far end—immense golems, larger than the one they had just defeated, standing like sentinels before a massive stone gate adorned with intricate engravings.

They were dormant, unmoving. Yet the faint luminescence of the green crystals in their chests betrayed their slumbering awareness.

Alcard's eyes narrowed. "This… this will be much harder."

He quickly assessed the battlefield, noting the uneven terrain and potential cover. "We know their weakness now. Two of you will focus on distracting one, while the rest concentrate on the other. Hit them hard and fast."

The moment the first step echoed through the chamber, the guardians awoke.

The ground trembled as the ancient titans came to life. Their hollow roars reverberated off the walls, filling the chamber with a deafening sound. Then, with a dreadful certainty, they advanced.

What followed was chaos.

The battle unfolded with brutal intensity. Each swing of the golems' enormous limbs sent shockwaves through the ground, forcing the outcasts to move with absolute precision. They struck fast, targeting the protective bark surrounding the crystals, carving away at it piece by piece.

Alcard led the charge against the first, coordinating with his team to weaken its defenses. The second golem, meanwhile, proved even more formidable. It struck the ground with such force that it created fissures in the floor, making movement treacherous.

Despite the overwhelming odds, they pressed on.

Minutes felt like hours as the battle raged on. And then, finally—an opening.

With one last strike, Alcard's sword drove deep into the exposed crystal of the first golem, shattering it completely. Its immense frame collapsed with an earth-shaking thud.

"One down!" he called out, immediately turning to the second.

The final golem fought with relentless aggression, its blows carving deep scars into the chamber floor. The outcasts maneuvered carefully, exploiting its openings while avoiding its deadly swings.

And then—another crystal shattered.

The second guardian let out a final, guttural cry before disintegrating, its once-mighty body crumbling into nothing.

Silence fell over the chamber.

Alcard exhaled slowly, his grip still firm on his sword. His gaze lifted toward the massive stone gate that the golems had been guarding. The carvings upon it pulsed faintly, almost as if they were responding to his presence.

"There's something beyond this door," he murmured, his fingers tracing the ancient etchings.

One of the outcasts, still catching his breath, approached cautiously. "Do we open it now?"

Alcard shook his head. "Not yet. We secure the area first. We don't know what's waiting for us."

His team understood. They tended to their wounds, redistributed their supplies, and kept a vigilant watch.

And yet, even as he spoke, Alcard couldn't shake the feeling that the real trial had yet to begin. The gate was waiting.

And whatever lay beyond it was watching.

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