Chapter 14 – Advanced Ruins

A day before departure, Niral stood inside Nolvar's office, his eyes fixed on the open document in front of him, arms crossed, and his voice calm yet sharp:

"This team is not qualified for this mission. C-7 has never been used as a training site. It has been closed for decades."

Nolvar didn't lift his eyes from the page he was reviewing and said calmly:

"And that is precisely why… we'll open it now."

He flipped the page in his hands, then added:

"Team 117, the team that was recently merged, right?"

Niral nodded: "Yes, but sending them to an unclassified zone without prior experience or advanced training is an ill-considered decision."

Nolvar closed the file quietly, then finally looked at him:

"I understand your objection, but this is a suitable opportunity to re-evaluate that zone. It can no longer be ignored."

Then he said with firm tone:

"You will lead the mission from an external monitoring point. You will not enter with them. And if you notice any danger… you withdraw immediately."

The next morning, the main square of the academy was bustling with final preparations. The sixteen teams stood in organized rows, each accompanied by its assigned supervisor.

Nolvar's assistant made the final announcement:

"Each team will be sent to an abandoned city outside the wall. We have 131 sites numbered from C-0 to C-130. The locations are distributed around the wall: north, south, east, and west. All of them are within 200 meters of the wall."

"There will be no communication between teams. Each team is responsible for its designated zone only. No deviation from the coordinate is allowed."

Once the instructions ended, the vehicles began moving toward their assigned locations.

Inside the transport, the members of Team 117 sat in silence. Romo was reviewing the map in his hands, while Ena was inspecting the bag beside her, then said:

"They provided us with swords and rifles. This rifle in particular was made in the Sixth Order, and it can fire elemental energy… water, fire, and maybe more."

Romo smiled and said, leaning back:

"Nice… I'll stick with the sword."

Then he turned toward Levan and asked:

"Levan, are you with us? Which weapon will you take?"

Levan looked at him for a second, then said quietly:

"Ah… sorry. I didn't train well with the sword. I'll take a dagger."

In the back, Niral was sitting in his place, his eyes half closed, then said in his usual tone:

"Outside the wall, the air is different. Oxygen is lower, and every minute you spend their affects your focus. The danger isn't in the fighting… but in the breathing itself."

"In rare cases, symptoms like dizziness, loss of focus, or even unconsciousness may appear. Do not stay out there for more than five hours."

Ena looked at the device in her hand, then muttered:

"This… is frightening."

Romo swallowed and returned the map to his bag:

"I think this mission won't be easy."

Levan simply kept looking out the window.

After nearly seven hours of travel, the silhouette of the wall began to appear through the vehicle's windows. A towering wall, rising into the horizon, more than thirty meters high, covered with watchtowers and systems—only parts of which could be seen.

Romo muttered while staring at it:

"Is this… the wall that surrounds us?"

Ena was watching it intently, then said:

"It's like we're looking at the end of the world."

As for Levan, he said nothing. But his hand suddenly rose to his neck, as if his body was responding to something unseen.

At that moment, Niral turned from his seat and said with a more serious expression:

"The location you're headed to is in the far south. The area here is hotter than other regions, and the air is heavier than usual. Don't go too far into the city, and don't rush your exploration. Try to complete the mission before sunset — that's less than five hours."

Romo nodded seriously:

"Understood, sir. We'll be careful."

Ena added while adjusting her equipment belt:

"We'll finish the mission on time."

Levan didn't speak, but nodded in agreement.

The vehicle slowly passed through the wall's gate until it reached a low plain surrounded by soft hills, where the outlines of the abandoned city C-7 gradually rose into view.

When the vehicle finally stopped at a fixed point, the rear door opened and the team began disembarking one by one, without anyone saying a word. Their heads automatically lifted toward the buildings ahead…

Before them were towering structures, some still standing despite their deterioration, others cracked, with dry roots and plants growing out from between their walls.

Romo slowly raised his head and said:

"Is this… a city?!"

Ena said while staring in astonishment:

"It still looks intact… like someone left its days ago, not centuries."

The ground beneath their feet wasn't muddy or rocky, but old, worn tile. The doors were open, the windows shattered, but nothing seemed entirely destroyed.

As for Levan… he was staring at one of the buildings, his expression calm, but clearly lost in thought.

Romo noticed and whispered:

"Levan… are you okay?"

Levan, still not looking away from the building, replied:

"I'm fine… I just feel like I… know this place, in a way I don't understand."

Before they moved, Niral pulled out a small scanning device from his bag. He stepped forward and passed the device in front of each of them, monitoring the readings on the screen.

When he reached Levan, he paused. The device showed no drop in oxygen or signs of fatigue — unlike the others.

Niral blinked twice, as if in disbelief, then put the device away without comment.

A thin layer of sweat appeared on Niral's forehead, and a hint of confusion crossed his face, though he didn't show it openly. After a moment, he straightened up and said in a more resolute tone:

"From here on, you'll be on your own. I'll climb to a higher observation point near the wall. The device you carry is linked to my personal system. Ena, you'll hold the device. If any unusual signals appear… I'll know immediately."

Then, the team began slowly moving toward the center of the city…