n

n

n

nSoon, the group discovered a door set into the wall. Although their curiosity was piqued, they remained vigilant. They opened the door and found no traps; in fact, the room inside was

nempty.

nHowever, the room had a notable feature. Despite its unusually large size, it was imbued with earth-element mana, which was denser than in the passage. They concluded that this was likely a training room.

n

"A training room for those with an earth affinity,

" commented the Sixth Head.

nThis type of training room was something they had only heard about. Such facilities were typically found only in large factions like the Holy Lands or major countries, which had the resources to construct them.

nAfter examining the training room, the group resumed their journey forward.

nTime passed quickly.

nThe group moved through various rooms, each imbued with different elemental energies such as fire, wind, lightning, space, and water. They finally reached a strange barrier that seemed to be the last section of the passage.

n

"What's beyond this?

" the Fourth Head murmured.

nThey could see that a vast area lay beyond the barrier, appearing several times larger than the passage they had traversed.

nThe Eighth Head stepped forward, intrigued by the barrier. He raised his hand to touch it, only to find his hand pass through without resistance.

n

"Huh?

"

nSuddenly, he felt a strong pulling force, dragging his hand toward the ground. Surprised, he quickly regained his composure, clenched his fist, and resisted the force before pulling his hand back.

nThe Third Head watched curiously, wondering what had caused Eight Head to exert such effort.

nThe Fourth Head glanced at Eight Head and asked,

"What's beyond this?

"

nEight Head looked up and replied slowly,

"The environment beyond is harsh. Gravity is likely fifty times stronger, and the mana density is chaotic. It would tear apart low-rank experts.

"

nEveryone was taken aback by Eight Head's assessment. This meant that only a few people could safely cross to the other side.

nSouta found it intriguing that such a place existed within this ancient ruin. He checked his progress and saw that he had reached fifty-seven percent by merely traversing the passage. Eilish walked up to Souta and said,

"I'm going to stay here with Eilan. I don't think we can manage the area beyond this.

"

nSouta nodded in agreement.

nElder Hanmi and the others also decided to stay behind. Only the Nine Heads and Erkigal, who were strong enough to withstand the intense conditions, would cross the barrier.

nSoon, the group moved past the barrier.

nSouta sensed a distinct change in the atmosphere. It felt as though they had entered a

nseparate spatial structure, and an ominous vibe pervaded the air.

nGlancing at his progress, Souta saw that he had reached fifty-one percent simply by passing through the barrier. The progress was increasing faster than before.

n

"I sense some malignant force here,

" Erkigal said, her eyes narrowing.

nAlexander glanced at her and replied,

"This ruin has been here for thousands of years, so anything could happen. It's best to prepare for any situation.

"

nThe group nodded in agreement and continued forward.

nAfter a few minutes of walking, they emerged from the mouth of the passage, blinking as they adjusted to the sudden brightness of the open air. The ceiling hung approximately one kilometer above the floor, adorned with numerous crystals that emitted a light akin to that of the sun.

nThey found themselves at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a vast valley. Below them sprawled a silent town, surrounded by trees, bathed in the soft light from above.

n

"A small town?

" Souta raised his eyebrows. He quickly spread his energy and confirmed that there were no living beings in the town.

nHe jumped down from the cliff, and the rest followed.

nUpon reaching the town, they found it eerily quiet, with buildings in various states of decay. Roofs had caved in, windows were shattered, and thick vines and ivy crept up the walls. This was a stark contrast to the pristine city they had seen earlier.

n

"The ominous aura is everywhere,

" the Fourth Head muttered.

nThe pervasive aura sent shivers down their spines. They were certain that if they had brought their subordinates here, they would have lost their minds.

nThere was no sign of life in the town. The silence was palpable, as though time itself had abandoned this place.

nAt the center of the town stood a massive statue, towering over the ruins like a silent sentinel. The statue depicted a woman with noble and playful features, though she was worn and weathered by the harsh environment. Clad in a flowing dress, she wrapped her arms around her knees, looking down with a faint smile on her face.

nThe Third Head, usually reserved, finally spoke, her voice edged with unease.

"The statue... It feels like it's watching us.

"

nEveryone shared the same feeling.

nAlexander gazed at the statue, his eyes filled with deep emotion.

nThis ancient ruin had once been his home. After his reincarnation, he was unsure of what had transpired, but he suspected that the disappearance of the God who had protected the land had led to the chaos enveloping the territory.

nHe reached out, his finger brushing the cool stone of her hand. In that instant, memories surged back with vivid clarity.

nAlexander remembered the first time he met her, in a small, lifeless cave. He had sought refuge from the rain and was unaware that she lived there.

nAt that time, he had been lost, both figuratively and literally, wandering without purpose. Her eyes had conveyed a deep wisdom, and her smile-a small, knowing curve of her lips-had offered him a semblance of comfort.

nShe had spoken with her hand covering her mouth.

"None? What a peculiar name, but it suits you. Don't you think?

"

nAlexander had stared at her blankly, feeling as though her gaze could see right through him.

nShe had continued,

"You don't have a home. You don't have a family. You don't have any friends. You have nothing. See? There's no place for you in this world.

"

n

"That's why... I...

" He looked at her with determined eyes.

nAlexander came back to his senses and slowly withdrew his hand from the statue. From that small cave, he had built everything from scratch, eventually transforming it into this ancient

nruin.

nWith the God's absence, the territory had become vulnerable. It had been plunged into chaos, and the citizens were powerless to change their fate.

n'I need to find out...' Alexander thought inwardly.

nThe group continued to explore the town and eventually stopped in front of a larger house, which seemed to belong to the village chief.

nThe house appeared simple from the outside, but when they opened the door, they discovered

na large magic circle carved into the floor. Various symbols of a bird enveloped in raging flames

nwere etched on the walls.

n

"It suddenly gets hot,

" Eight Head remarked.

nThe atmosphere inside the house was starkly different from the ominous environment outside. It felt as though they were standing directly under the sun, with a temperature so high it could instantly burn lower-level experts.

nSouta examined the symbols of the red bird and thought, The Great Vermillion Bird...

n

"It's here...

" Erkigal said with a smile as she stepped forward. She then turned to the group and said,

"I'm going to stay here. If you plan to continue exploring, you can go without me.

" Souta observed her closely, wondering if what she sought was in this house. He sensed that Erkigal was on the verge of a breakthrough, given that she had been at the peak of the Sixth Shackle for a long time.

nThe others nodded in agreement. They had no objections to Erkigal staying behind.

nAfter thoroughly checking every corner of the abandoned town and finding nothing of value,

nthe group bade farewell to Erkigal and left.

n

"Be careful... The ominous energy is growing stronger,

" Alexander warned.

nThe others nodded; they could sense it too. The pressure intensified after they left the

nabandoned house.

n

"Dead mana...

" the Third Head muttered.

n

"Dead mana?! Don't tell me...

" Eight Head's eyes widened.

n

"It's to be expected,

" Souta said.

"This ruin has been buried for thousands of years. It's not

nsurprising that undead might appear.

"

nAt this moment, Souta sensed something unusual in the dead mana, though he couldn't quite

npinpoint what it was.

nThe group continued forward, and soon the surroundings changed drastically. The once lush trees were now withered, contrasting sharply with the vibrant foliage of the abandoned town. The soil was dry, and strange whispers filled the air.

n

"Given the environment, the undead here shouldn't be weak,

" Souta remarked.

nAlexander and the others nodded in agreement. They understood that a higher concentration

nof dead mana typically meant stronger undead.

nSouta glanced at the exploration progress. Exploration Progress: 72%

nThe progress was significant, and it seemed likely that he would complete the exploration

nsoon.

n

n