Ancient Ruins

In fact, the Ancient Ruins that Gawain remembered were not far from where the team had set up camp—they were located on the northern side of the Dark Mountains. Most of the structure was hidden within the mountain itself, with some parts exposed between the cliffs. Theoretically, by simply looking up towards the distant Dark Mountains, one could catch a glimpse of parts of the ruins nestled hundreds of meters above the ground.

However, the passage of time had erased many traces of civilization. Vines and mountain vegetation had spread across the cliffs, obscuring the ruins beneath layers of foliage. Coupled with the collapse of the ruins and the accumulation of earth and stone, it was now difficult to observe the exposed structures. Even the sharpest-eyed hunter would find it challenging to spot any anomalies between the rocks and vines from the campsite.

Once they had arranged their camp, Gawain and his three companions set off into the mountains. A mere ten years would not have altered the landscape much. With the satellite image from ten years ago still fresh in his mind, along with the route he remembered, Gawain and his group easily found their way up the mountain.

Amber appeared somewhat anxious. "I mean… we're going into the Dark Mountains to dig for treasure, and there are only four of us. Don't you think that's a bit precarious?"

Gawain glanced at the half-elf. "What do you suggest then?"

Amber gestured animatedly. "We need a team of at least a few hundred for protection, with a dozen master rangers and druids leading the way, knights clearing the path in front, mages holding the rear, and someone as skilled as me—a Grandmaster Thief—to handle the locks and doors. Isn't that the standard setup for treasure hunting in the mountains?"

"Standard my foot!" Gawain had expected something insightful, but instead, he got this nonsense. "What treasure-hunting team operates like a regular army? Besides, it's easy for you to say—why don't you organize a team like that?"

"Okay, I may have exaggerated a bit, but this is the Dark Mountains! The Dark Mountains!" Amber waved her arms dramatically. "Legend has it that every 800 meters there's a Demon Lord! And you're going in with just three others—one of whom can only cast Fireball…"

"Do you believe I could take you down without using Fireball?" Rebecca interjected, her temper flaring as she lifted her staff and pointed it at Amber. "Let me show you how powerful the women of the Cecil family can be!"

Gawain stepped in to restrain Rebecca, glancing at Amber with a resigned expression. "You're going to get yourself killed with that mouth of yours. And where did you hear that there's a Demon Lord every 800 meters in the Dark Mountains? That's just something ignorant villagers tell to scare children! If there were that many Demon Lords, they would have already swept through Ansu."

As he spoke, he looked up at the winding mountain path ahead.

"The Dark Mountains are indeed a dangerous place, but most people exaggerate the dangers here. In fact, during the time of the Gondor Empire, this mountain range was just one of the ordinary northern mountains, paired with the high peaks of the southern continent known as the Loren mountain range. Back then, the Dark Mountains were not dark at all; they were renowned for their rich resources and various minerals, earning the nickname 'Gold-Inlaid Mountains.' Unfortunately, after the Magic Tide erupted, the Dark Mountains were directly hit by the strongest elemental storm—its entire southern slope was eroded by the elements, forming the dreaded Black Forest, and that's when the mountains began to be referred to as the Dark Mountains."

Gawain shared what he knew—some of it from his memories, and some from recent studies.

"The Black Forest on the opposite side of the mountains is indeed dangerous, but it lies to the south. The mountain range acts as a natural barrier, almost completely isolating the chaotic magic energy seeping through the Great Wall from the Gondor Wasteland. The vast majority of the mutated monsters living in the Black Forest rely on chaotic Magic Energy to survive, so they don't venture out of the forest, let alone cross the ridge into this northern area, which would be suffocating for them. Therefore, the northern side of the Dark Mountains is actually quite safe."

The path Gawain chose had little vegetation cover, but now and then, they encountered trees growing sideways and vines creeping over from the roadside, blocking their way. These plants, resilient in the Dark Mountains, were somewhat affected by the taint of the wasteland—a trace of the "Elemental Wind" (or the Unclean Wind, as Viscount Andrew called it) that drifted in from the south each year. Under the influence of chaotic elemental forces, the plants appeared twisted and abnormally robust, giving off a somewhat sinister vibe.

Yet Gawain was well aware that aside from their frightening appearance, these plants posed no real threat. They were merely "stronger" versions of ordinary plants. The noble youths who wandered around the forests north of the Dark Mountains and returned to brag about their adventures in the Black Forest were merely exaggerating the dangers of this land—they had no idea what the true Black Forest was like.

He was confident that the pollution in the northern region of the Dark Mountains had receded, not because of memories or hearsay, but because of that satellite image from ten years ago.

By comparing the satellite image with his memories, it was easy to determine that this area was indeed a safe zone.

"People's fear of this place actually stems from two main points. The first is the fear of the Gondor Wasteland. Although the Sentinel Towers and the Great Wall built by the Elves sealed off most of the Gondor Wasteland, that magical barrier can only block about 70 to 80 percent of the chaotic Magic Energy. The corrupting force that seeps out from the Gondor Wasteland is the greatest threat to the border regions, and even though the remnants of the Magic Tide have receded, the fear and pressure that have accumulated over generations in these border areas won't dissipate so quickly. The terrifying tales from these regions have been passed down for 700 years and have become nearly part of the traditional culture," Gawain said as he sliced through the obstructive plants along the way. "The second… is the fear of the unknown."

"Unknown?" Amber frowned and asked.

"Exactly, the unknown. How many years has it been since the Ansu Kingdom ceased its southern expansion?"

Rebecca answered, "If we count from the signing of the order to halt expansion, it's been over 200 years. If we count from the withdrawal of all settlement efforts, it's been 100 years."

"Right, at least 100 years. For a whole century, this place has been designated a forbidden zone. Aside from those 'Adventurers' who come back to boast, no one dares to approach it, so no one knows what this place is really like. They can only learn about it through terrifying stories passed down through generations and the exaggerated tales from Adventurers. How could they not be afraid?"

Listening to Gawain's lengthy explanation, Amber finally sighed in relief. "Phew… so does that mean the horror stories about the Dark Mountains are all exaggerated? We're actually safe here?"

Gawain thought for a moment and suddenly leaned closer to the half-elf with a scary expression. "Actually, I was lying to you—this place is indeed eerie, dangerous, chaotic, and frightening, and there's a Demon Lord living every 800 meters."

Amber: "... Eek!"

"Still calling yourself a Grandmaster Thief, what a shame," Gawain chuckled, raising his hand to pat Rebecca on the head and pointing at a fallen log not far away. "Your Fireball Spell has a target—blow that thing up. If I remember correctly, we're close now."

Rebecca had been waiting for this moment for a long time. She nodded eagerly and raised her staff, launching a fireball the size of a head straight ahead.

It seemed like she was summoning fireballs faster than before…

"Boom—"

With a loud explosion, the fireball detonated, shattering the already decayed and fragile log, which lost its balance and rolled down the slope in two pieces, clearing the path ahead.

A clearing hidden within the mountains appeared before everyone's eyes.

This clearing seemed to have been deliberately leveled by someone; the rocks were cut into an astonishingly neat shape. Among the stones, ancient arches and collapsed walls could be seen, as if they were "embedded" between massive cliffs, giving the illusion that there had once been a grand fortress here, swallowed by the surrounding stones.

In reality, this ancient ruin was built within the mountain, with about two-thirds of its structure hidden behind the stone walls.

Whether it was Amber, who had been nervous all along, Rebecca, who had been seriously listening to the ancestral teachings, or Knight Byron, who was on high alert, all of them widened their eyes in amazement upon seeing the ancient ruins hidden in the mountain.

They stared in astonishment at this incredible ancient relic.

Gawain's gaze wandered around before suddenly stopping at a pile of collapsed rubble.

He approached the pile of stones, where a piece of something nearly unrecognizable was stuck—dark and rusted. After examining it closely for a while, he realized it was a severely corroded broken sword.

Next to the pile of stones, he noticed a line of deep engravings in the ground, so deep that even after 700 years of weathering, they remained clear: Squad 16, Cole rests here.

Rebecca's voice came from behind. "What is this…?"

"When the squad crossed the White Water River, they encountered pursuers. Squad 16 was responsible for holding the rear, and none returned," Gawain said slowly. "It seems the last surviving soldier retreated to this place when escape became impossible. Unfortunately… at that time, the Magic Tide was raging, and the entire Dark Mountains were shrouded in corrupting forces. In my lifetime, we never managed to reclaim this area, and by the time the Magic Tide naturally receded, no one remembered this place…"

Knight Byron unsheathed his sword and held it against his chest, bowing in respect to the simple grave.

The soldier buried here had a grave, but the warriors who built the grave and left the engravings were nowhere to be found.

Gawain stood in silence before the grave for a moment, then picked up a stone from nearby and placed it atop the pile: "Don't worry, everyone survived."

At that moment, he hoped he was speaking as Gawain Cecil, not as the transmigrator Gawain.

He then walked towards the nearby archway. "Come with me; I'll show you what your ancestors left behind here."