Grove Of Shadow Trees (3)
Atlas crossed his arms over his chest, thinking. The protective seal was obviously ancient, but now he had a new tool, "Parsing Magical Structures." He might be able to figure out how it works without activating the trap.
He extended his hand, activating the ability.
[System Notification]
[You're using "Parsing Magic Structures"...]
[Mana flow analysis...]
[The seal is based on the principle of feedback resonance.If it is destroyed by force, the energy will be reflected back, enhancing the effect of the curse.But... a weak point in the weave of protection has been discovered.You can try to disable it without consequences.]
Atlas nodded, carefully following the fine lines of magic that were now visible due to his ability. He focused on the weak point of the weave, carefully interrupting the energy circulation.
[System Notification]
[You have successfully disabled the protective seal!]
[Your Magic Structure Analysis skill has increased to level 2!]
As soon as the seal disappeared, the air in the crypt became noticeably heavier, and somewhere in the distance there was a long, dull sound, as if something ancient had sensed his intervention.
–It's a bad sign. – Atlas muttered, glancing at the shark: –But since I've come to this…
He stepped forward and slowly slid open the lid of the sarcophagus.There was a man inside, or what was left of him. The dried-up body was dressed in black, half-rotted clothes.
And on the forehead of the dead man shone a small but strangely familiar symbol — the same one that was engraved on the Eye of Silence.As soon as Atlas looked at this sign, a voice flashed through his mind.
"You shouldn't have come here..."
A sharp pain pierced his mind, and fragments of other people's memories flashed before his eyes—dark corridors, hooded men, a glowing eye hidden in the shadows.…
[System Notification]
[You have received a memory fragment: "The Last Look of the Eye Bearer."]
[Your mind is shaken. Attention is reduced by 30% for 10 minutes.]
Atlas winced, still feeling the effects of the sudden vision, but it was too late to back down. He slowly extended his hand towards the sarcophagus, preparing to examine the remains.
[System Notification]
[You're using "Exploring Lost Artifacts"...]
[Structure analysis...]
[Items found: "Tarnished Amulet", "Diary of the last wearer of the Eye", "Destroyed bracelets with seals".]
Atlas frowned. Everything he had found lately seemed to hint at some old story shrouded in mystery.
He carefully picked up the diary, trying not to destroy the dilapidated pages. Unlike the records he had seen before, this journal looked more personal and not just a chronicle of events.
The first entry read:
"The Eye does not forgive. It's watching. We are just carriers, not masters."
The second one was less coherent:
"If anyone finds this... run. Leave the Eye. Destroy it if you can... but don't look inside."
Atlas raised his head, looking at the shark. She wagged her tail nervously, as if she also sensed something was amiss.
Then he took the charm. It was a simple piece of dark metal with a runic inscription engraved on it.
[System Notification]
The Tarnished Amulet is an artifact of unknown origin. Perhaps it can be cleared using the "Repair Forgotten Items" skill.
Finally, he examined the ruined bracelets. The metal rings were covered with old seals, but now they are torn. Atlas felt like they were holding back something very dangerous earlier.
He exhaled convulsively. It all seemed too important to just leave here.
[System Notification]
[You have received the items: "Diary of the last wearer of the Eye", "Tarnished Amulet", "Destroyed bracelets with seals".]
["Crypt exploration is 100% complete."]
Atlas closed the lid of the sarcophagus and straightened up. He sighed, looking around. Even though the crypt was now fully explored, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him.
–There's nothing else to do here. – he muttered, putting the finds in the inventory: – It's time to get out.
The air shark, catching his mood, floated a little higher, making a soft vibrating rumble.
[System Notification]
[You are leaving the explored location: "The Forgotten Crypt: Grove of Shadow Trees."]
[Saving progress... Completed.]
Climbing the dilapidated stone steps, Atlas climbed out. The evening air was cold, and the sky was already starting to darken. He glanced at the map.
A grove of Shadowy Trees spread out around him in a silent maze of twisted branches. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the cry of a night bird, and it strangely brought him back to reality.
He stretched wearily.
–What a day…
Now that he had left the crypt, he had time to consider his next steps.
Atlas did not linger in the forest. Despite the fact that most of the Grove of Shadow Trees had already been explored by 85%, the night in this place caused an unpleasant premonition.
He confidently moved towards the nearest safe zone, located near the old hunting lodge, which he had found a few days ago.
[System Notification]
["You have entered the safe zone. Recovery of health and mana is accelerated."]
– Let's see what we have here.…
A list of items he had recently acquired materialized in front of him.
1. "Diary of the last bearer of the Eye"
2. "Tarnished amulet"
3. "Ruined bracelets with seals"
4. "Fragment Of the Shadow Skin"
Atlas thought for a moment before reaching out and choosing a diary.
[System Notification]
["You are using "Exploring Lost Artifacts". The analysis has begun..."]
The first page of the diary was ruined by time, but a few lines could still be deciphered.
"We made a mistake. We shouldn't have woken him up. The Eye does not tolerate the weak."
"I can feel it whispering to me. I've locked him in here, but I know it won't be for long..."
There were fragmentary notes, and on the last page there was only one phrase:
"If you're reading this, save us or join us.
Atlas frowned.
– I don't like it more and more.…
Then he pulled out "A tarnished charm."
[System Notification]
["You can use "Repair of Forgotten Items" to restore the charm."]
Atlas took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the tarnished charm in his palm. He had encountered destroyed artifacts before, and repairing them was a difficult process each time. But his intuition told him that this subject was important.
– Okay, let's try…
[System Notification]
["You are using "Repair of Forgotten Items" (level 2). The chance of successful recovery is 63%."]
He felt his mana begin to flow into the artifact, enveloping it in a soft bluish glow. The amulet trembled slightly, as if resisting... or, conversely, responding.
– Come on, don't let me down…
After a few tense seconds, a flash of light illuminated the darkness around them. Atlas squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened his eyes, a restored object was floating in front of him.
[System Notification]
["Congratulations! You have recovered an artifact: "The Amulet of the Forgotten Guardian"]
["This amulet once belonged to one of the Guardians of the Temple of Silence. It carries fragments of their power and memory."]
–The guardian of the Temple of Silence?... Atlas muttered, turning the artifact over in his hands. It looked much cleaner now and even glowed slightly.
[System Notification]
["You have received a passive effect: Guardian's Fortitude (reduces dark magic damage by 5%)."]
Atlas whistled. It was a pleasant surprise. Any defense against the dark forces could be useful.
The air shark nuzzled his palm with interest, as if sensing the changes.
–Do you think I should check if this charm is connected to the Eye of Silence? – he asked her.
The shark only vibrated softly, but Atlas interpreted it as "do whatever you want."
To be continued, please like and save…