“Sir, we have finished scouting the western side of the building!” A young magic user wearing a graphite black cloak made a gesture with his wand pointing upward. Standing before him was an older-looking man whose exposed shoulder skin bore the scars of beast claws.
“Good. Any special findings?” The older magic user brushed the dust off his cloak and scabbard. His eyes held a sharp glint, as if he were long accustomed to environments filled with hidden dangers.
He wore two mithril longswords at his waist, and his attire closely resembled Roland’s Demon Hunter Team from years ago. However, his presence felt more like that of a weathered grey wolf.
“On our side... there are many scattered magical tools, but they’re all useless now. It seems they’ve been here for far too long.” The male magic user scratched his head, looking somewhat perplexed.
“Anything else?”
“There is some dust on the floor, but I can't tell what it is. Other than that, there’s no sign of life at all.” He shrugged and couldn't help but shiver. Rather than this eerie silence, he would have preferred a straightforward fight.
“Sir! Ah... over here... over here...” A female magic user’s trembling voice drifted out. The serious man, who had been frowning in thought, instantly vanished and reappeared in a small room on the eastern side.
Under normal circumstances, he would have already finished searching the buildings here; the next step was simply to have his team members gather information. Although various signs indicated this place was strange and abnormal, there was indeed no danger—not even a magic trap.
“Didn’t I say we would gather before searching? Moving in small groups is extremely dangerous. Don't let it happen again!” The serious man walked past the trainees, who were already paralyzed with fear. The sight that met him made even this seasoned demon hunter’s scalp tingle.
Red, purple, and blue blood was frozen mid-air. Various giant beasts were suspended within these multi-colored droplets. The largest one occupied nearly half of the hall’s airspace. Sunlight streamed in through the broken dome of the building, passing through the purple-red blood crystals and casting a dim, violet-red glow over the entire hall.
“God... what... is this...”
“Where is the magic recording equipment? Document this quickly. we need to leave immediately.” Seeing the corpse of a giant beast that had clearly possessed immense strength in life looking so powerless and desperate made even this veteran demon hunter feel a chill. The beast’s strength was likely beyond that of a mere Great Mage; if he had to face it, he might have needed to fight with a suicidal resolve just to stand a chance.
He rubbed his temples, not daring to search randomly within this deathly silent space.
“Sir, do we still need to scout the other ruins marked on the map?”
“No. This place is far too dangerous. We need more hands. Record this scene, then we retreat immediately.”
“Understood.”
...
At a distant cathedral-like building, its floor plan was carved in the shape of a Latin cross. The side aisles were low, and the apse was semicircular. A tower should have stood on the west facade, but due to its age, it had completely collapsed, leaving only a pile of broken bricks.
“Not here either. I clearly felt a slight resonance, but the closer I get, the blurrier it becomes.” Li Yue casually tossed aside a severed limb. Her blood-stained palm was still dripping with fresh gore. Not far away, the body of a wailing beast was instantly impaled by blood crystals, leaving behind only a shattered husk.
From far away, an intense beam of light pierced through the walls of the surrounding buildings. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be the breath of an extremely powerful creature. It held its abyssal maw wide, its eyes filled with a severe bloodlust, perhaps provoked by the scent of blood around Li Yue.
Li Yue didn't move an inch. The area around her was a field of grey and white, devoid of all color. The moment the violent purple-red breath touched this region, it began to rapidly disintegrate, unable to even reach Li Yue’s skin.
Li Yue slightly raised her hand. A semi-solidified blood crystal condensed in her palm before being launched at high speed. The sharp, rhombus-shaped blade cut through the air with an ear-piercing sonic boom.
The blood crystal nailed itself into the giant lizard-like beast. Its body shuddered once before beginning to disintegrate inch by inch. The power of death began to dismantle its physical tissues, and its massive frame turned into flecks of dust that dissipated into the air without a single struggle.
Behind it, several small piles of dust remained. When the wind blew, they returned to the wilderness, drifting off to parts unknown. But it didn't matter; in the end, it was always ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
“The Key to the Gates of the Underworld...” Li Yue’s brow furrowed slightly. “During the last descent, I clearly felt it was within these ancient ruins...”
“Never mind. On to the next location.” She pulled out a parchment scroll, which was detailed with the dense locations of ancient ruins across the Western Continent. A prosperous ancient civilization had once existed here, but it seemed to have been destroyed, leaving only a vast amount of rubble and debris.
She walked toward the wilderness, leaving behind the ancient buildings that no longer showed any signs of life. She hadn't taken any items; if one had to say, perhaps lives barely counted.
In the distance, a faint aura caught her attention. An extremely familiar sensation seemed to be calling out to her. She raised an eyebrow slightly, finally showing a hint of interest.
“Rather than a home... that place felt more like a prison to me later on...” Li Yue let out a long sigh. “So, was I a tyrannical warden, or was I... a self-indulgent prisoner?”
Rate on N.U.
