Ravine

The ravine looked like a scar carved into the earth. Crimson rocks rose like walls, and its depth was so immense that light barely reached the bottom. The air was denser there, thick with mana and the metallic scent of living earth.

Every adventurer had heard rumors or legends about this place. But few had the courage, or the stupidity, to actually come here.

To the world, it was a natural disaster. But Ethan knew the true origin of the ravine. And he knew that scar was, in fact, the best word to describe it, after all, it had been created by a single sword strike.

Ethan was the first to jump down from the carriage, snapping his fingers as he looked with interest at the colossal fissure before them.

"So this is the Crimson Ravine... Looks even more deadly than in the novel."

Aeris followed, staff in hand. Her eyes remained alert to their surroundings.

"There's really no one around," she said. "They say most who entered died before reaching the halfway point. And those who returned gave up adventuring because of their injuries."

Sylfie appeared shortly after, bow already on her back, her expression grim. "The monsters here are all level fifty and above. Without preparation, it's suicide."

Ethan smiled, unfazed by the warning. "Well, we're prepared."

"And what's so important here?" Sylfie asked, narrowing her eyes. "They say there's nothing but rocks, not even any usable ore."

Ethan smiled, locking eyes with her.

"A barrier," he answered calmly. "Our goal is to reach it."

Pointing toward the ravine, Ethan's eyes gleamed. "At the center. Where the mana is most unstable."

Sylfie sighed. "Great. Straight into the jaws of death."

The descent was cautious, well, Aeris was cautious.

Ethan used Nexus in the shape of claws to grip the walls and slide down swiftly.

Aeris created steps of light magic, descending carefully.

Sylfie, with natural grace, leapt from point to point like a true huntress.

Upon reaching the ground, the group found themselves surrounded by a fossilized forest, withered trees, leafless, where life seemed to have been drained centuries ago. No sound. No visible creatures. But the sensation of being watched was constant.

"They're everywhere," Sylfie said, eyes sharp. "Now I understand why so many died here before they banned entry. The distorted mana hides them, along with the depth of the ravine."

"Perfect for an ambush," Ethan said with his usual enthusiasm. "Let's keep the pace. I don't want to lose daylight."

They advanced in formation, Ethan in front, Aeris in the center, and Sylfie covering the rear. The terrain was uneven, with rocks and roots forcing each step to be deliberate.

The first creature appeared too quickly.

From a crack in the ground, a pair of red eyes shone. A spiked reptile leapt in front of them, snarling with a mouth full of black fangs.

[Rockscale Reptor — Level 53]

Ethan grinned. "Finally."

He lunged forward, shaping Nexus into a spear and striking the ground beneath the creature, forcing it to leap back.

Sylfie fired an arrow, slicing open its side. Aeris raised a light barrier when it tried to counterattack.

The fight was swift, brutal, and precise. Within seconds, Ethan drove Nexus into the Reptor's skull, killing it with a dry crack.

"Only one?" he muttered, disappointed. "I was hoping they'd come in packs."

Sylfie cleaned her arrow with a cloth. "Normally, one of that level would be more than enough."

Ethan shrugged. "Well, we're still at the entrance. Let's see how it goes on the way to the center."

Aeris glanced at the darkening sky. "If night falls while we're still in the middle... it'll be even worse."

Ethan just laughed, continuing onward.

The march continued in silence for long minutes, broken only by the muffled sound of footsteps over dry earth and the occasional rustle from the dead trees. The vegetation thinned the closer they got to the ravine's center, but the sense of danger intensified with every step.

"They're moving," Sylfie murmured, her voice barely louder than the wind. "There are monsters all around. Four... no, five."

Ethan paused and closed his eyes for a moment, trying not only to hear the creatures but also to feel the mana in the environment. Nexus pulsed on his arm as if sensing the imminent clash.

"Clever beasts," he said, opening his eyes with a golden gleam. "Come at me all at once!"

Aeris took a deep breath. "I'll prepare the shields."

With a gesture, circles of light appeared around the group, projecting translucent barriers in front and behind. Sylfie already had her bow in hand, three arrows between her fingers.

The monsters emerged from the shadows like starving predators.

First, a pair of black wolves with bared fangs and crimson eyes.

[Shadow Wolf — Level: 51]

Right behind them, a creature resembling a giant centipede, covered in bony plates and ending in a barbed tail.

[Bone-Eater — Level: 57]

Finally, an ethereal wraith floated between the trees, its presence draining the warmth from the air.

[Wandering Phantom — Level: 58]

"Happy now, Ethan?" Sylfie asked, firing the first arrow, which struck one of the wolves in the eye but didn't kill it.

"Very," he replied with a grin. Nexus formed into a pair of curved blades, one in each hand.

The first wolf leapt, but Ethan sliced it clean in two with a swift spin.

The second tried to circle him, but was hit by a burst of light from Aeris, leaving it stunned just long enough for Ethan to pierce it with precision.

The centipede lunged forward with surprising speed, spiraling as it attacked. Ethan barely dodged, one of Nexus's blades slicing through part of its carapace, which regenerated within seconds.

"Cool," he muttered. "Let's see how much you can take."

He jumped onto the monster, stabbing both blades into the top of the creature and releasing mana directly into it. The internal explosion sent fragments of carapace flying in all directions.

The Phantom shrieked, a sound that pierced the soul.

"Careful!" Aeris shouted. "It's an attack!"

"I know," Ethan replied, using Nexus to cover his ears. One of Aeris's light shields shattered.

Sylfie shot an enchanted arrow straight into the creature's torso. The arrow pierced through, but the Phantom only regenerated slowly.

Ethan concentrated mana into Nexus and launched a spear-like thrust directly into the creature's spiritual core.

A second later, the Phantom shattered into fragments of bluish light.

"The monsters here really are getting stronger," he said, yawning.

Aeris stepped in to heal him while Sylfie remained alert to the surroundings.

"And we're not even halfway there," Sylfie said. "The center's going to be hell."

Ethan laughed. "Perfect. I hope it is."

The journey continued, filled with more battles along the way.

Normally, Ethan would've been disappointed at not leveling up after so many fights, but he knew these creatures wouldn't grant him any experience. Though the system acknowledged them, they weren't exactly real.

The jagged rocks underfoot and the ever-present scent of scorched earth, remnants of past battles, made progress slow. The sky above darkened into orange hues, signaling the approach of night. But none of them suggested stopping. Not yet.

"Up ahead," Ethan said, stopping as he stared into the fractured horizon, broken by uneven terrain and twisted rock formations. "That must be it... the barrier is right in the center."

Sylfie, sweaty and bearing a few scratches, let out a breath. "We're not even close to the center yet, but... the mana density is definitely shifting."

Aeris nodded. "It feels like the air itself is being filtered."

Ethan knelt and touched the ground. Even here, he could feel a subtle vibration, like the breathing of something asleep.

"The core is near. The barrier's still alive."

"Alive?" Sylfie raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, alive." Ethan stood up. "It's an ancient magic far beyond modern understanding. A blend of will and sacrifice. The barrier isn't just active. It's waiting."

Aeris looked at him seriously. "Waiting for what?"

"Something, or someone, worthy of crossing it."

Sylfie crossed her arms. "Either way, this place will eat us alive if we don't rest. I say we camp here, elevated ground, good visibility, fewer attack routes."

Ethan hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. But just for an hour. I want to be closer to the barrier by sunrise."

Minutes later, the three of them sat around a modest campfire. Aeris prepared a small protective circle of magic while Sylfie silently sharpened an arrow. Ethan gazed up at the open sky, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"When we cross it," he said, "I wonder if she'll already be awake."

Sylfie stopped sharpening and looked at him. "You've been inside before?"

"No," Ethan replied. "If I had, we wouldn't need to come through this entrance."

Aeris looked at him gently. "My lord will be worthy. But what about us?"

"You don't need to worry," he said. "Only one of us has to be worthy."

Silence followed. Only the crackling of the fire and the distant echoes of creatures in the ravine filled the air.

Then, as if by omen, a faint light appeared ahead, between cracks in the rocks. A white sphere floated, still, like a supernatural beacon.

Sylfie stood immediately. "It's from the Guild… They're probably checking to see if we're still alive."

Ethan stood next. "Then let's go say hello."

"Is it okay for the Guild to see what we're about to do?" Aeris stood beside him.

Ethan smiled.

"One way or another… they were going to find out eventually. But it's not like that magic could ever cross the barrier."