The Ancient Depths

The cold wind howled behind me as I stepped into the ruins. The entrance loomed like a gaping maw, devouring what little light reached inside. Stone pillars stood cracked and weathered, their carvings barely legible under centuries of erosion.

The air inside was thick, stale. It carried the scent of dust and something else—something old.

As soon as my foot crossed the threshold—

[System Alert!]

A transparent blue window flickered into existence before me.

[Mission: Complete the ruins and uncover the secrets within.]

[Rewards: +10 Stats Points, +500 System Points]

[Failure: ䷎䷂⬛⬛⬛☉⧖⧕☍⬛⬛⬛]

A wave of static flickered through the screen before the last line distorted into complete gibberish. The symbols shifted and glitched, as if refusing to be understood.

I stared at it for a long moment.

"That's a lot of stats points."

The system had given me missions before, but none with rewards like this. Something about this place was important.

Which meant there was something worth taking here.

Frozen Raven (perched on my shoulder): "Oh, now you're really screwed."

I ignored it and moved forward.

---

Exploring the Ruins

The first few corridors were eerily silent. The stone beneath my boots was smooth, worn down from time and weathering. Faint mana residue lingered in the air, though whatever enchantments once existed had long since weakened.

I kept my guard up. This place was too quiet.

Then, just ahead, something moved.

A faint scraping sound.

I crouched low, pressing against a cracked pillar as my eyes adjusted to the dim light. A small golem—no, multiple—shuffled ahead, their stone bodies rough and crude, like they had been pieced together from whatever rubble was available. Their glowing red cores pulsed faintly within their torsos.

"Scouting units?"

I gripped my sword and circled around, keeping to the shadows. If they hadn't noticed me yet, I could—

One of the golems suddenly stopped moving.

Its core flashed, and all at once, the others turned toward me.

Frozen Raven: "Oh, nice job. Stealth expert, aren't you?"

I clicked my tongue.

The first golem charged, its stone arm swinging in a wide arc. I ducked low, the attack smashing into the wall behind me and sending debris flying. Before it could recover, I lunged, driving my blade into the glowing core.

The golem shuddered, cracks forming across its body—then it collapsed into dust.

The other two rushed in, one from the left, one from behind.

I spun, using my footwork to avoid their clumsy swings. Summoning a small burst of wind mana, I propelled myself backward and raised my hand—

"Inferno Burst."

A burst of flames erupted from my palm, engulfing the golems in a swirling blaze. Their stone bodies cracked and splintered under the heat before crumbling entirely.

Silence returned.

"Tch. They weren't strong, just annoying."

But if scouting units were here, that meant stronger guardians lay ahead.

I exhaled and pressed forward.

---

The First Reward – A Glimmer of Treasure

After dealing with more scattered golems and a few strange insect-like creatures, I reached what looked like a small altar.

Weapons and artifacts lay scattered across the stone platform, their runes faintly glowing with mana.

I stepped closer, my eyes scanning the items.

A Grade 3 enchanted dagger—its edge gleamed unnaturally sharp.

A protective talisman—cracked, but faintly pulsing.

A runed gauntlet, likely used for elemental channeling.

Not bad. Not great, either.

Just as I reached for the dagger—

"Wait."

My instincts flared.

Something was wrong.

The air shifted—and then, I heard it.

A faint rumbling.

The ground beneath me collapsed.

---

The Fall into Darkness

My body plummeted into the abyss below, the world spinning around me.

"Damn it—!"

I barely managed to twist mid-air, forcing mana into my legs. Just before hitting the ground, I unleashed a burst of wind magic, slowing my descent. I landed hard, rolling to absorb the impact.

The chamber I fell into was massive.

Ancient pillars stretched toward the ceiling, their surfaces covered in glowing red glyphs. The air was thick with mana pressure, pressing against my skin like an invisible weight.

And then…

I wasn't alone.

Frozen Raven (serious tone): "Averis. Move."

I turned.

Something shifted in the darkness.

---

The First Guardian – The Obsidian Wraith

A figure emerged—a humanoid creature of pure obsidian, its body cracked with veins of molten energy. It didn't walk; it flickered, vanishing and reappearing like a shadow through light.

A second later, it was behind me.

"Shit—"

I barely dodged as its clawed hand slashed through the air where my head had been. It was fast—faster than anything I had faced so far.

I countered with a slash, but my blade barely scratched its shifting form.

Frozen Raven: "Well, that's annoying."

"Tell me about it."

If physical attacks weren't working, then…

I adjusted my grip and surged fire mana into my sword.

The next time it reappeared, I slashed—and this time, the flames seared into its core.

The wraith let out a distorted screech, its form shattering like glass.

---

The Second Guardian – The Frostbound Behemoth

Before I could even catch my breath, the ground rumbled.

From the frost-covered stone, a massive construct began to rise.

A Frostbound Behemoth.

It was a towering mass of bone and ice, its hollow eyes burning with cold flames. Its very presence dropped the temperature around me, my breath fogging in the air.

And then—

It regenerated.

Every wound I inflicted sealed instantly, the ice reforming as if nothing had happened.

Frozen Raven: "Oh, this one's worse."

I scowled. Fire magic wouldn't be fast enough.

"Then I'll just strip it down."

I called upon wind mana, shaping it into razor-like currents.

The next time the behemoth charged, I unleashed a storm of cutting winds, shearing away its ice layer by layer.

Once its regenerative shell was gone—

I drove my blade into its core, pouring everything into the final strike.

The behemoth shuddered, then collapsed.

"That should be the last of—"

I stopped.

A feeling washed over me.

A presence.

Something far worse than what I had just fought.

I turned toward the far end of the chamber—

And saw it.

---

The Final Chamber – The Ancient Dragon's Rest

At the center of the cavern, a massive dragon corpse lay broken and shattered, its skull cracked open like a ruined monument.

And sitting atop the dragon's remains—

A creature.

Its black scales shimmered under the dim light, its golden eyes burning like molten metal. Clawed hands rested lazily on its knees, as if it was simply waiting for me to notice it.

Even without moving, its aura crushed down on me, heavier than anything I had ever felt before.

Frozen Raven (low voice): "Averis. Run."

My grip tightened around my sword.

"I don't think I can."

The creature's mouth curled into a slow grin.

And then—

It moved.

—END OF CHAPTER 44.