The heavy stone door groaned shut behind Kael, plunging him into near-total darkness. A damp, earthy smell filled the air, mingled with the faint scent of ozone, like static electricity before a storm. A staircase, carved directly from the rock, spiraled downwards. Faint blue light pulsed rhythmically from veins of crystal embedded in the walls, providing just enough illumination to see the treacherous steps. The whispering Kael had heard earlier was clearer now, a sibilant chorus just at the edge of hearing, seeming to echo from the depths below.
He descended cautiously, fists held ready. The silence between the whispers was unnerving. He'd taken perhaps twenty steps down when a section of the wall to his right shimmered, and a translucent, vaguely humanoid shape detached itself – a Restless Spirit. Its empty eyes glowed with cold blue light, and its wispy form drifted towards him, trailing chilling mist.
Kael reacted instantly, punching straight through the spirit's center mass. His fist met almost no resistance, passing through the mist, yet the spirit recoiled slightly as if struck. He felt a numbing cold seep into his hand. [-10 HP] - it seemed even touching it drained him. These things might be resistant to raw physical force.
The spirit lunged, its incorporeal claws reaching for him. Kael dodged, the chill intensifying as it passed close. He needed to pour on the damage. He focused his Strength, hammering the spirit with rapid punches. While each blow lacked satisfying impact, the sheer force seemed to disrupt its form. After a half-dozen solid hits, the spirit let out a silent scream and dissipated.
[System]: Restless Spirit defeated! +350 EXP! [System]: Loot Drop: Spectral Essence x1 [System]: Spectral Essence detected. Transmuting via Absolute Assimilation... +90 EXP! [System]: Total EXP Gain: 440 EXP. Applying 3x Multiplier... +1320 EXP!
The gain pushed him over the threshold.
[System]: Congratulations! You have reached Level 12! +15 Stat Points available. Health and Mana fully restored. Level 12: 980 / 7000 EXP
The familiar warmth washed away the chilling touch of the spirit. Perfect timing. He quickly accessed his status screen as he continued down the stairs:
Name: Kael
Level: 12
Class: Novice (Potential paths available)
HP: 1010/1010
MP: 75/75
Title:
Stats: (Including +1 from Title, before L12 allocation)
Strength (STR): 112
Dexterity (DEX): 16
Vitality (VIT): 79
Intelligence (INT): 11
Wisdom (WIS): 11
Stat Points Available: 15
Dealing with the spirit, even a relatively weak one, reinforced the need for overwhelming power against potentially resistant foes, but also the value of not getting hit. He decided to maintain his recent approach. He allocated the points: 8 into Strength, 4 into Vitality, and 3 into Dexterity. New Stats (Including Title): STR: 120, DEX: 19, VIT: 83, INT: 11, WIS: 11. Every point felt crucial.
The staircase eventually opened into a network of tunnels, wider than the cramped stairs. More glowing symbols adorned the walls, pulsing faintly in time with the whispers, which now seemed to coalesce into fragmented phrases: "...forgotten..." "...the Architect's slumber..." "...Blight seeps..." Kael frowned, the terms echoing the vague creation myths mentioned in the game's promotional material.
He followed the most prominent set of dragged footprints, clearly indicating Roric's path. He found a torn scrap of dark blue cloth snagged on a sharp crystal – Silverhaven colors. He couldn't pick it up, only note its presence as further confirmation. The trail led him through twisting passages, occasionally guarded by more Restless Spirits or Shadow Crawlers – fast, multi-limbed creatures of living darkness that ambushed from corners, requiring quick reactions. His increased Dexterity helped in avoiding their initial pounces.
Finally, he entered a vast subterranean chamber. The ceiling soared high into darkness, supported by massive pillars covered in the glowing blue symbols. In the center of the chamber lay a large, flat altar-like platform, also covered in intricate, pulsing runes. And lying upon it, unmoving, was Scout Roric. He was alive, his chest rising and falling shallowly, but faint streams of blue energy flowed from his body into the altar, converging on a fist-sized, multifaceted crystal embedded in its center. The crystal pulsed brighter with each stream it absorbed.
Standing beside the altar, seemingly overseeing the process, was a figure Kael hadn't expected. It wasn't a monster, but a tall, humanoid silhouette composed entirely of the same swirling blue energy as the symbols, bound in place by runic patterns on the floor. It had no discernible features, just a shifting, vaguely defined form – a Spectral Guardian, perhaps, or an energy construct. It radiated ancient power and immense weariness. As Kael stepped fully into the chamber, the figure turned its "head" towards him, and the whispers in the chamber coalesced into a single, resonant voice in his mind.
<
The Guardian raised an arm, and bolts of pure blue energy lanced towards Kael. He dove aside, the energy bolts striking the wall behind him with explosive force. [-55 HP] from just the splash damage! This was leagues tougher than the Golem.
<
Leaving wasn't an option. Kael charged, weaving between energy bolts. He punched the Guardian's form – his fist met crackling resistance, like punching solidified static electricity. [-20 HP] from the feedback alone, but he dealt damage. The Guardian staggered back slightly, its form flickering.
It retaliated, sweeping an arm that unleashed an arc of energy. Kael tried to dodge but caught the edge of it. [-70 HP]. He needed to end this fast. He noticed that the runes binding the Guardian to the floor pulsed in time with the altar crystal. Maybe there was a connection?
He focused his attacks on the Guardian, pouring his immense Strength into every blow, tanking the energy feedback. He ignored the pain, relying on his Vitality. As he hammered away, he noticed the Guardian's form flickering more intensely, and the light draining from Roric seemed to stutter. The Guardian was directly linked to the draining process!
With a final, massive effort, Kael landed a devastating uppercut. The Guardian's form flared brilliantly, then imploded with a silent shockwave of blue energy that threw Kael back.
[System]: Ancient Sentinel Construct defeated! +1500 EXP! [System]: Loot Drop: Resonating Crystal Shard x1 [System]: Resonating Crystal Shard detected. Transmuting via Absolute Assimilation... +300 EXP! [System]: Loot Drop: Map Fragment (Lower Ruins) x1 [System]: Map Fragment (Lower Ruins) detected. Transmuting via Absolute Assimilation... +100 EXP! [System]: Loot Drop: ???
Level 12: 6680 / 7000 EXP (After 1500 + 300 + 100 = 1900 base -> 5700 EXP gain)
As the Guardian dissipated, the streams of energy flowing from Roric ceased. The crystal in the altar dimmed slightly. Roric groaned, stirring weakly. Kael rushed to his side. The scout was alive, but pale and severely weakened.
Then Kael noticed the third loot drop listed as '???'. Where the Guardian had stood, hovering just above the floor, was a small, intricately carved stone tablet, humming faintly with residual blue energy. Unlike the other drops, it wasn't instantly transmuting. A system notification popped up:
[System]: Quest Item Detected: Tablet of Binding Wards. This item is intrinsically linked to the ruins and cannot be transmuted by Absolute Assimilation.
Kael stared at the tablet. A quest item? Something he could actually hold? He cautiously reached out and picked it up. It felt cool and smooth in his hand, covered in miniature versions of the symbols he'd seen everywhere.
He had found Roric and defeated his captor. But he now had an unconscious scout to worry about, a strange tablet he knew nothing about, and the lingering whispers and mysteries of these ancient ruins surrounding him. His simple investigation quest had just become far more complicated.