Ancient Ruins (Part 1)

Shirone's group was busy from the early morning.

While the girls were washing up, the boys cleaned the house, and when the boys went to the bathroom, the girls got ready in front of the mirror.

After finishing their bath, Shirone and Rian checked the girls' room and felt as if time had stopped. Amy and Tess were still in front of the mirror.

Shrugging their shoulders, Shirone and Rian had no choice but to eat breakfast first.

By the time they finished their simple meal with the food they had bought in the city last night, the sun had already risen.

The girls finally started choosing their outfits, and every time they opened the door, their clothes changed dramatically.

Sitting on the sofa and watching from a distance, Shirone and Rian felt like they were being tested.

It was understandable to change clothes if they didn't like what they were wearing.

But changing into something else, only to come back out in the same outfit later—what kind of logic was that? Were they seriously trying to test them?

This was an insult to the observers' memory.

Rian: "Ah, just wear anything. Are we going to slay a dragon? Why are you so obsessed with those flimsy pieces of cloth that don't even offer any defense?"

Tess glared at Rian in shock.

Tess: "Ugh, you're so crude! We're dressing up because you guys don't care about your appearance! We're doing this for you, so shut up."

Amy came out wearing a light blue dress.

Amy: "Shirone, does this look weird?"

Shirone: "No, it's pretty. You look good in anything."

Amy: "Really? Hmm."

Amy didn't seem to pay much attention and went back to her room, but Tess was envious.

Tess: "Please learn from Shirone. Ugh, you're so annoying."

Rian: "...What did I do wrong?"

When Tess slammed the door and went back inside, Rian turned to Shirone and asked.

Rian: "How do you always manage to avoid these situations? Teach me your ways."

Shirone: "Huh? There's no trick. I just can't say something looks weird when it doesn't."

Rian: "Hahahaha!"

Rian held his stomach and fell backward, laughing.

11:00 AM.

After finishing their preparations, Shirone's group checked their backpacks.

They packed emergency rations, a knife, a compass, and a rope, preparing for any unexpected situations.

Tess clenched her fist and shouted.

Tess: "Alright! Ruins exploration preparations complete!"

Rian: "Then let's sleep now. We'll definitely leave tomorrow morning."

At Rian's pointed joke, Tess blushed.

Tess: "Hey! It's not like I took that long! And Amy was preparing with me too."

Rian: "Is Amy some kind of hostage now?"

Tess: "And you, do you think your shabby outfit and that crude greatsword suit you? From a distance, you look like a caveman! Know your place!"

Amy fulfilled her role as the hostage.

Amy: "Rian, I'm sorry. It was actually my fault for taking so long. Tess was ready before me."

Rian: "Haha, it's fine. Amy, it's obvious you put a lot of effort into your preparation."

Tess's eyes turned cold.

Tess: "What? So you're saying I'm not pretty at all?"

Rian: "Hmm, let's see..."

Rian examined Tess.

Well, he had always thought she was pretty. Even without all the fuss, she was a beautiful person.

But today, it seemed like she had really put in the effort.

Even to Rian, who had no sense of aesthetics, she looked stunning.

Rian: "Yeah, I guess you're pretty enough to say that."

Tess: "Huh?"

Tess, who had been ready to retort, was momentarily stunned.

She hadn't expected Rian to say she was pretty.

Her face turned red, and the fact that her face was red made it even redder.

Tess: "D-don't think I dressed up to hear that from you! Idiot! Caveman!"

Rian: "Alright, I get it. Now let's get out of here. If the sun sets, we won't be able to see anything."

Rian pushed his friends outside.

And so, the group finally set out for their tour five hours after waking up.

Shirone's initial plan had been to investigate the ruins with just Amy, but as their friends had grown closer, it had become impossible to move separately.

They grabbed one of the carriages lined up on the beach and headed east.

It was a tiring journey since they had to go from the west to the east of the island. But they were so busy chatting in the carriage that they didn't even notice the time passing.

Shirone: "Hey, guys, look over there!"

Shirone pointed out the window.

About two kilometers from the road, they could see a mountain covered in dense forest.

The mountain range stretched like the humps of a camel, and according to rumors, the Kergo Ruins were located at the far end of that range.

Amy: "That's Mount Toa. My brother told me that Galliant was originally a volcanic island. Lava seeped up from beneath the sea and solidified, expanding the island's radius. After a volcanic eruption 500 years ago, it's now in a dormant phase, but there's still a chance it could become active again."

Shirone: "Hmm, I see. I heard that the Kergo Ruins are only half-restored because they were buried under volcanic ash."

Amy: "That's right. The Galliant autonomous government proposed a full restoration of the ruins, but it was rejected due to opposition from the natives. If you visit the ruins, you'll see just how much is still buried."

Tess: "Why would they oppose it? Wouldn't restoring the ruins be beneficial for the natives too?"

Amy: "I don't know. There must be some reason. Maybe there's a secret they don't want revealed. Anyway, the Galliant autonomous government has only been here for less than 100 years."

Shirone: "If that's the case, this place must hold a lot of secrets. It's clearly not just an ordinary tourist spot."

Amy: "Definitely. Among existing ruins, there are very few that are directly managed by the natives. That's why the Kergo Ruins are so historically valuable."

Shirone turned his gaze back to the mountain.

The jungles of Mount Toa were the domain of the Kergo people. Even the Galliant government didn't dare interfere in the native autonomous zone.

'It's a mysterious place. I'd love to explore it…'

At that moment, Shirone suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Was it just his imagination, or did he sense a wild, unexplainable gaze coming from deep within the mountain?

"..."

While Shirone was lost in thought, the carriage came to a stop about one kilometer away from the Kergo Ruins. The coachman explained that they couldn't go any further by carriage.

Hearing this, Shirone stepped out of the carriage and surveyed the area.

Numerous shops lined the streets, suggesting there was some kind of exclusive agreement between the carriage company and the local merchants.

'So they're blocking carriages to boost business?'

As he pondered this, a commotion broke out behind him.

Middle-aged Man: "What's this? I paid for the carriage, so why can't we go? What am I supposed to do with all this luggage?"

A middle-aged man who had also been dropped off here was yelling at the coachman. His wife and two daughters, who had also disembarked, wore equally displeased expressions.

Coachman: "But that's the agreement with the transportation company. There's a paid storage facility where you can leave your luggage."

Middle-aged Man: "You bandits! The road is wide open, and you're telling me you can't go? Do you think I'm going to fork over even a single penny more?"

Coachman: "There's nothing we can do about it. I'm sorry. Have a good trip."

As if this wasn't his first time dealing with such a situation, the coachman maintained a professional demeanor, turned the carriage around, and left.

In the end, the middle-aged man trudged toward the paid storage facility, carrying his luggage in both hands. When his daughters pointed to a snack shop, he put down the bags and bought them some treats.

After watching this, Shirone spoke up.

Shirone: "If we'd known earlier, we could've packed lighter."

Rian: "Does it really matter? It doesn't seem like there's any major danger here, but it's still good to be prepared. Our goal is exploration, after all."

Rian glanced back at the middle-aged man, who was now walking toward the ruins with a broad smile, his mood lifted by his daughters' antics.

Rian: "Cheeky, but clever. Tourists can't help but spend money."

Shirone: "You can't just call it a business tactic. If the local economy doesn't thrive, the natives won't be able to maintain the ruins."

Agreeing with Shirone, the group began their journey on foot.

True to its historical significance, the ruins were crowded with tourists. The closer they got to the site, the more the crowd grew, and by the time they reached the ticket booth, it was a chaotic bottleneck.

Amy: "Wow, look over there. There are people from other countries too."

Tess: "It must be world-famous. See that man standing by the arch? He looks like a native."

The group headed in the direction Amy had pointed.

A man of average height stood guard at the entrance. His clothing was modern, but the intensity in his eyes was unmistakably wild.

Tess shivered.

Tess: "Ugh, he looks scary. He even has tattoos on his face."

Amy: "Yeah. He looks strong."

Shirone: "True."

Shirone and Amy shared the same thought.

It wasn't just the tattoos. Their sharp instincts sensed genuine combat prowess emanating from the man.

Rian: "Hmph! Staring intensely doesn't make you stronger. There's no need to be scared."

While Rian's instincts might not be as sharp as others', Shirone thought differently.

No matter who the opponent was, Rian would always stand in front of his friends until the very end.

Shirone: "Alright! Let the exploration begin!"

After passing the ticket booth, the real investigation began.

The Kergo Ruins were a temple dedicated to a deity, forming a square structure two kilometers east to west and two kilometers north to south.

Crossing a 200-meter moat via a bridge led to a long corridor, and following the pilgrimage path for another 500 meters brought them to the central temple.

Amy: "Wow, it's huge. Was this really built thousands of years ago?"

Tess: "I heard from some people earlier that it's only this size because it was buried under volcanic ash. Apparently, it was several times larger originally."

Shirone looked down at his feet.

Since the volcanic eruption occurred 500 years ago, the ash layer would be beneath the surface.

Amy, who was walking ahead, turned back and called out to Shirone.

Amy: "What are you doing? We need to check out the central temple too."

"..."

Shirone stood still, not responding. A faint smile played on his lips.

Puzzled, Amy walked over to him.

Amy: "What's wrong? What's going on?"

Shirone: "Amy, it's the Spirit Zone."

Amy: "The Spirit Zone? Why are you bringing that up now?"

As soon as she asked, Amy realized what he meant and clapped her hands.

Amy: "Ah, I see!"

Mages could expand their senses through the Spirit Zone.

Even without digging deep, if something was hidden, it would inevitably register on their sensory radar.

Amy: "Got it. I'll give it a try."

Amy entered the Spirit Zone.

As she used her spatial senses to scan underground, her brow gradually furrowed. After five seconds, she finally opened her mouth, having sensed something.

Amy: "Shirone, this…"

Shirone had sensed it too.

Shirone: "Yeah. Nothing's registering. There should at least be bedrock, but there's nothing."

Amy: "Is it because the ash layer is too thick? What if we go deeper?"

While she struggled with the idea, Shirone immediately caught on.

Shirone: "Ah, that's a possibility."

Amy was capable of it. Her specialty was long-range targeting within spatial magic.

The targeting type, also known as the cross zone, positioned the mage at the intersection of two lines, which could be rapidly rotated to quickly hit a specific target.

But Amy didn't stop there. As a graduate, she had developed the targeting type into sniper mode, allowing her to form a perfect linear Spirit Zone that surpassed the cross shape.

This form was called the directional hand. While it had the disadvantage of slower rotation since the mage was positioned at the end of the Spirit Zone, it boasted a range four times longer than the targeting type.

Currently, Amy's basic radius was 68 meters in diameter. When converted to targeting type, it became 143 meters, and when she entered sniper mode, it exceeded 500 meters.

Amy: "Alright, I'll give it a shot."

Amy expanded her numerical sequence and entered the Spirit Zone.

The spatial transformation occurred at high speed, and she stood firmly in a cross shape tilted at 90 degrees.

'Now, switch to sniper mode…'

Amy's zone plunged downward like a waterfall.

A moment later, a groan escaped through her clenched teeth.

'What's this?'

As the Spirit Zone extended, its durability weakened. Without cover, it wouldn't be a problem, but the underground terrain was causing the Spirit Zone to warp uncontrollably.

"Ugh!"

Amy pushed harder, desperate to penetrate further.

Just as she thought she had touched something, her Spirit Zone shattered, and her consciousness wavered.

"Ah!"

Shirone: "Amy! Are you okay?"

Shirone caught Amy as she stumbled. Beads of cold sweat had formed on her forehead.

Amy: "Yeah, I'm fine. But this is going to be tough. I managed to get down to 300 meters, but beyond that, it's impossible. From there, it's like throwing a thread into the ocean—it just floats away."

Shirone could guess how powerful the force at work was.

Amy's Spirit Zone was far from fragile. Yet, she had compared her spirit to a thread.

Shirone: "But we've at least confirmed that there's something difficult to explore down there. That alone saves us time."

Amy: "I guess that's an achievement. But if we don't figure out what it is, it's all for nothing. Unless we have a high-level Joiner who can maintain durability while expanding the Spirit Zone, exploration will be difficult."

Shirone agreed. Without someone of that caliber, there was no way to explore the underground ruins.

Amy: "If I'd known this would happen, I would've asked my brother Ares. His exploration team probably has a Joiner capable of investigating this place."

Shirone: "Someone like Teacher Ethela?"

Amy: "Yeah. If it's her, it might be possible. No, it definitely is. I don't know how deep it goes, but I could easily penetrate down to 300 meters."

Rian chimed in.

Rian: "But if we're going to rely on others, why are we even investigating? I heard the headmaster gave us a hint. Doesn't that imply we should give up if we can't figure it out on our own?"

Shirone fell silent. Sometimes, focusing too much on efficiency made them forget the meaning behind their actions.

Amy conceded.

Amy: "Rian's right. But it's such a waste. If we could just break through here, we might not even need to investigate the ruins. Why don't we keep trying to find a way?"

Amy seemed genuinely regretful. But Shirone didn't want to narrow their options.

Shirone: "Let's look around a bit more. Using the Spirit Zone isn't something we can do right now, and this just makes me more curious. I think I'll only be satisfied if I see it with my own eyes."

The group continued their exploration.

But as time passed, they became more convinced that this was just an ordinary tourist spot.

As if mocking their serious investigation, the surroundings were filled with uncles chatting, kids running around with pinwheels, and the general hustle and bustle of a tourist attraction