Beyond the Stone Gate

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The two Array Breakers had barely slept as they studied the runes on the stone gate day and night. On the evening of the third day, when the last ray of sunlight vanished beneath the distant ridge, the Grey-Robed Array Breaker let out a long breath, rubbed his bloodshot eyes, and stood up. He walked over to Kallen.

"My lord, it's ready." His voice was hoarse, but carried the relief of a burden lifted.

Kallen nodded and looked over the group. "Prepare to enter. Barton and Bally at the front, the two mages in the middle, the Array Breakers at the rear. Everyone else, stick to the formation we agreed on. Stay alert once we're inside. Don't touch anything."

Everyone stood up and checked their equipment, getting themselves ready. The clank of armor, the rasp of weapons being drawn, and the low murmur of conversation blended together, unusually clear in the silent wilderness.

Akes stood near the middle of the group, Old Chen on his left and the Wind Mage on his right. The mage had barely spoken during the journey. All Akes knew was that his surname was Zhou, he was ninth-rank, and he was a man of few words. At that moment, Old Zhou had his eyes closed as he regulated his breathing. A faint breeze stirred around him, and he was clearly adjusting his magic. Old Chen was checking the potion pouch at his waist, inspecting each bottle one by one as he muttered to himself.

In the open space before the stone gate, the two Array Breakers began their final preparations. The Grey-Robed Array Breaker took several fingernail-sized magic crystals from his robes and carefully placed them at specific points around the gate. The Blue-Robed Array Breaker crouched on the ground and used a small silver knife dipped in some kind of glowing powder to draw a complex pattern.

The Grey-Robed Array Breaker stood at the front and pressed both hands against the stone gate, closing his eyes. His lips moved rapidly as he silently recited something. A moment later, he opened his eyes, and a faint blue glow lit his palms.

The runes on the stone gate began to glow.

At first, they gave off only a faint red light. Gradually, it grew brighter, flowing along the lines of the runes until the entire gate was bathed in a deep red glow.

"Get back!" the Grey-Robed Array Breaker barked, leaping away.

Everyone quickly retreated several steps. Weapons were drawn all around them.

Boom—

With a deep rumble, the stone gate slowly opened in two halves.

Kallen was the first to enter.

Barton and Bally followed close behind, their greatswords drawn, the blades gleaming coldly in the darkness. The others filed in after them, and Akes entered with the group.

For a moment, everything went black. Then his vision cleared.

Beyond the gate lay a long corridor. Magic lamps lined the walls every few paces, automatically lighting up one after another into the distance.

"The magic array is still running," the Blue-Robed Array Breaker murmured. His voice echoed through the narrow space. "This place is at least a thousand years old. The fact that these lamps still work means there's a stable source of energy underground."

The group advanced down the corridor, their footsteps unusually clear in the narrow space. Akes watched the ground beneath his feet. The stone slabs were neatly laid, though fine cracks showed in places. Something dark red had congealed inside the cracks, like dried blood, and gleamed eerily in the lamplight. He reached out and touched the wall. The stone was cold and smooth, with clear signs of having been cut by hand. Yet beneath his fingertips, he could feel an almost imperceptible tremor.

The corridor wasn't long. They reached the end after about the time it took to burn a stick of incense.

The space ahead suddenly opened up.

It was a vast underground hall, several hundred meters across and twenty or thirty meters high. At first, Akes couldn't even see the opposite wall. The place was so enormous it looked like a natural cavern that had been modified by human hands. Neatly laid stone slabs covered the floor, each one identical, their seams so tight that it was almost impossible to tell they had been joined. Twelve massive stone pillars stood around the hall, each thick enough for three people to encircle. Intricate reliefs covered their surfaces. In the very center stood a raised platform about two meters high, on which rested a statue of a magical beast howling at the sky: a Red Flame Lion King. It was far larger than the ones they had seen outside, standing three or four meters tall. The statue looked so lifelike that it seemed ready to spring into action and unleash a world-shaking roar.

"First floor." Kallen stood at the hall's entrance and surveyed the surroundings. "Stay alert."

The group spread out to search every corner of the hall. Their footsteps echoed through the space, stirring up hollow reverberations.

Akes followed Old Chen to the nearest stone pillar. Its reliefs were rich in detail, arranged in several layers that spiraled upward. There were magical beasts, humans, scenes of battle, and scenes of worship. Old Chen studied them closely, occasionally running his fingers over the carved patterns, tracing the lines. Now and then, he closed his eyes, as if trying to sense something.

"These are records," Old Chen said in a low voice, his tone focused. "They should be accounts of the ruins' owner's life. Look here—"

He pointed to a scene carved into the relief. A human in robes stood on high ground, while countless magical beasts knelt below. The human held a staff, flames roaring at its tip. The fire was carved with such exquisite detail that Akes could almost make out its flickering shape. A wide variety of magical beasts knelt before the figure, from low-ranking Fire-Fierce Hounds to high-ranking Red Flame Lion Kings and Blazing Lizards. Every one of them had its head bowed in submission.

"A Saint-level Magus," Old Chen said with certainty. "At least a Saint-level Peak, perhaps even stronger. An ordinary Saint-level mage couldn't make so many magical beasts submit."

Akes nodded, his gaze settling on the flames. The fire carved at the tip of the staff was exceptionally detailed. It didn't look like ordinary fire. Its shape was unusual, almost like some kind of living creature slowly writhing atop the staff.

Something stirred in his mind.

But he said nothing and continued studying the other reliefs. The scenes that followed recorded the Magus's process of taming various magical beasts: battles, standoffs, and, finally, submission. Farther along were scenes of the ruins' construction, with countless magical beasts serving as laborers, hauling huge stones and carving runes. It was a grand undertaking.

The hall was quiet, save for the group's soft footsteps and occasional murmurs. Akes made a circuit of the place and found that most of the reliefs recorded the Magus's life—how he had reached the Saint-level, tamed magical beasts, and built the ruins. But the most important details—why he had built this place and where he had gone in the end—were nowhere to be found. The final scene showed the Magus standing on the raised platform as magical beasts knelt below. Then there was nothing. It was as if the last few pages had been torn out of a book.

"Finished looking?" Kallen called.

The group gradually returned to the center of the hall and gathered before the statue. It was so tall they had to crane their necks to see its top. The Red Flame Lion King's eyes gazed down at them. Though it was only a stone carving, it exerted an invisible pressure.

"Did anyone find anything?"

The two Array Breakers exchanged a glance. The Grey-Robed Array Breaker spoke first. "My lord, this first floor should only be an entrance. The real ruins lie below. But the entrance to the next floor is sealed, and we'll need to find a way to open it."

"Can you find it?"

"Yes, but it'll take time." The Blue-Robed Array Breaker picked up where he left off, gesturing around the hall. "In our experience, the mechanism is probably somewhere in here. It could be one of the pillars, the statue, or one of the floor tiles. This kind of design is common: the key is hidden on the first floor, and those who enter have to find it themselves. It's both a test and a way to weed people out."

Kallen nodded. "Then search. Work in pairs and be thorough. Don't overlook anything suspicious. Check every inch of the pillars' reliefs, the gaps between the floor tiles, and the walls."

The group dispersed and began a more thorough search.

Akes and Old Chen paired up to search the three pillars on the east side. Old Chen examined the base of each pillar and the ground. He was practically lying on the floor, tapping the stone slabs inch by inch with his dagger and listening to tell whether there was a hollow space underneath. Akes carefully inspected every inch of the carvings.

Time passed.

Suddenly, someone cried out.

Akes turned toward the sound. It was Old Zhou, the quiet Wind Mage. He stood before a pillar on the west side of the hall, looking uneasy.

The others gathered around.

A floor tile at the base of the pillar was visibly loose, its edge separated from the neighboring tile by a slightly wider gap. Old Zhou lifted it, revealing a skeleton underneath. The remains wore a tattered robe, and a ring still encircled one finger. The skeleton's hand was frozen in the position of gripping a staff, suggesting its owner had still been casting a spell when he died. It was half-reclined in a shallow pit, its limbs twisted as if its owner had endured terrible pain before death.

"An adventurer who came here before us." Kallen crouched to look without touching the remains, examining them carefully. "He's been dead for at least a few centuries."

The group's expressions turned grim.

The skeleton's presence proved that the first floor wasn't as safe as it looked. Yet there were no signs of a struggle nearby. How had he died? If a magical beast had attacked him, there should have been evidence of a fight. If he had triggered a mechanism, there should have been signs of it. But there was nothing. He had simply died beneath the pillar.

Akes's gaze passed over the skeleton, and he suddenly noticed something wrong. Its bones were an unnatural black, as if something had burned them, charred all the way through.

"Poison?" Old Chen noticed it too.

Kallen lightly touched the skeleton with a fingertip. The instant he made contact, its blackened bones crumbled to dust and scattered. A faint red glow shone among the powder. Kallen reacted quickly, lifting it with magic. It was a tiny crystal, no bigger than a grain of rice, glowing an eerie red in the darkness.

"A fragment of a magical beast's poison sac." Kallen studied it, bringing the crystal close to his eyes. "Ninth-rank or higher, with fire poison. He died from poisoning, and it was a slow one. The poison sac was left inside his body and slowly corroded him. After he died, it took centuries for his remains to decay like this. He must have suffered terribly."

"Fire poison..." Old Chen frowned. "Where would there be magical beasts in here? The first floor is empty. There's nothing."

No one could answer.

Kallen stood and put the poison sac fragment in a small box. "Keep searching, but be twice as careful. If you find anything suspicious, don't touch it. Back away first. There are magical beasts with fire poison here, which means either there's a hidden passage or the beasts can turn invisible. Neither possibility is good."

The group scattered again, their search now far more tense. Everyone moved more quietly, kept a sharper eye out, and held a hand near their weapon, ready to fight at any moment.

Another half hour passed before Bally called out from her side. She had found something strange about the statue on the raised platform.

Everyone gathered around. Bally pointed at the statue's base, a massive square plinth about half a meter high and more than three meters on each side. "Look here."

A ring of runes was carved into the base. They resembled those on the stone gate, but were more complex and precise. The densely packed runes circled the base, resembling some kind of seal or restriction. At their center was an irregular, palm-sized hollow. Its edges were smooth, with clear signs of having been shaped by hand. It had evidently been used often—or, rather, it had been designed from the start to be used repeatedly.

"A keyhole." The Blue-Robed Array Breaker took one look and stated confidently, "Something needs to be placed inside to open the next floor. This kind of design is common. The key item is hidden on the first floor. Find it, put it in the hollow, and the passage opens."

"What should we put in it?" Kallen asked.

The Blue-Robed Array Breaker shook his head. "I don't know."

Before he had even finished speaking, a low rumble suddenly rang through the hall.

The sound came from every direction, like something deep underground was waking. The group immediately went on guard, forming a defensive circle with their backs to one another and their weapons facing outward. But the rumbling stopped after only a few breaths, so brief it could have been a trick of the imagination.

Then light suddenly blazed from the walls in the hall's four corners, and four stone gates opened at once.

Countless black shadows poured out from behind them—

Magical beasts.

A dense horde of magical beasts surged through the four gates. There were Blazing Lizards, Lava Spiders, Fire Scorpions, and several species no one could identify. Some looked like enormous, flame-red wolves; others resembled giant serpents with smoke rising from their bodies. There were at least a hundred of them. Their eyes glowed red in the darkness, and their overlapping roars became a terrifying wall of sound.

"Form ranks!" Kallen barked. He darted forward, moving at astonishing speed and leaving several afterimages in his wake. A moment later, he was in the front rank of beasts. His sword flashed, and the heads of three Blazing Lizards flew off at once.

Barton and Bally stood back to back, their greatswords sweeping through the air and forming an impenetrable web of blades. Any magical beast that came too close was shredded, spraying flesh everywhere. Old Chen and Zhou the Wind Mage immediately began chanting. Magic glimmered around them: a green aura appeared around Old Chen, a support spell for healing and removing poison, while a gale swept around Old Zhou and blades of wind began to take shape. The archers and rogues found their positions as well. The archers took the high ground and sent a rain of arrows flying, while the rogues circled the edge of the battlefield, aiming their daggers at the beasts' vital spots.

Akes didn't hesitate. The Fallen Heart Flame surged out, forming a Fire Wall in front of him. It wasn't ordinary fire, but a nearly white blaze. The temperature around it soared as soon as it appeared, and the air began to warp.

The magical beasts charged at the Fire Wall. The first dozen couldn't stop in time and crashed straight into it. The Fallen Heart Flame's terrifying heat instantly burned them to charcoal. They didn't even have time to scream. The stench of scorched flesh spread through the hall. The beasts behind them instinctively faltered, driven to avoid the deadly flames and go around on either side.

In that brief pause, Akes launched his second attack.

The Fallen Heart Flame split into dozens of tiny firebolts and shot into the horde like a downpour. They were incredibly precise. Guided by Akes's mental power, every one struck a vulnerable spot: an eye, a throat, or a belly. The beasts that were hit fell with howls and rolled across the ground, but they couldn't put out the strange white flames.

More than a dozen beasts fell, but still more charged forward. There were too many of them. New beasts continued pouring out of all four gates, as if they were endless.

"Not bad!" Barton praised, sweeping his greatsword across three Blazing Lizards and cutting them in half at once. But a Lava Spider slammed into him, forcing him back two steps. Bally immediately took his place and pinned the spider to the ground with her greatsword.

The battle lasted a full incense stick's worth of time.

By the time the last magical beast fell, the hall was covered in corpses. The smell of blood and charred flesh mingled, choking the air. Blood ran across the floor, and severed beast limbs littered the ground. Some were still twitching.

Akes panted, having used up nearly half his magic. The Fallen Heart Flame consumed a great deal of energy, and that barrage of attacks had drained almost a third of his magic. Still, he didn't let his guard down. He scanned the four stone gates to make sure no more beasts were coming. After the last one fell, the gates had shut with a bang, blending back into the walls.

"Check for casualties," Kallen called, his voice still steady. He was covered in blood, but not a drop of it was his. Beast blood still dripped from his sword.

The group began checking over one another. Fortunately, no one had died. Only two mercenaries had suffered minor injuries. The tail of a Fire Scorpion had clipped the archer, leaving a gash on his arm with the flesh turned up at the edges and the wound's rim already blackened. The poison was spreading quickly, but Old Chen treated it in time, washing the wound with an antidote and using magic to accelerate the treatment. It was nothing serious.

"These magical beasts are guardians," the Blue-Robed Array Breaker said, crouching to inspect a corpse. "We must have triggered something that activated them. This kind of design is common. To stop intruders from searching at their leisure, a trigger condition is set. Once it's met, the guardians appear."

"Will they come again if we trigger it a second time?" someone asked anxiously.

The Blue-Robed Array Breaker shook his head. "I don't know. It depends on the ruins. Some only trigger once, and there are no more after the beasts are killed. Others trigger endlessly, sending out a new wave every so often."

Kallen thought for a moment, then looked at the hollow. "The problem is what the key is. We have to find it as soon as possible. Our supplies are limited. We can't afford to waste too much time here."

Akes stood to one side, looking over the magical beasts' corpses. Suddenly, an idea came to him.

He went to the nearest Blazing Lizard corpse and crouched down, cutting open its head with his dagger. He dug out its Magic Core. It was eighth-rank, warm, glowing red, and still pulsing faintly. He wiped the blood off on his clothes, stood, and looked at the hollow on the raised platform.

The hollow's shape seemed...

Akes walked over and placed the Magic Core in the hollow. It was the wrong size—far too small. He tried the cores of several other beasts: a Blazing Lizard, a Lava Spider, a Fire Scorpion. None worked. They were either too big or too small, and not one fit properly.

"It's not a Magic Core." He shook his head and stood up.

Old Chen came over and stared at the hollow for a long while. "Could it be blood? Some ancient arrays need blood to activate, and not just any blood. It has to be fresh blood from a living creature."

Kallen nodded, cut his finger, and let a few drops fall into the hollow. The blood flowed along the lines but quickly congealed. Nothing happened. The hollow remained cold, and the runes did not change.

"Not ordinary blood," the Blue-Robed Array Breaker said. "It might need a specific bloodline, or blood from a magical beast. Some ancient ruins' builders liked using beast blood to activate mechanisms, as a symbol of power or conquest."

Akes's gaze swept over the reliefs, and he suddenly remembered the scene he had seen earlier: the Magus holding a staff while magical beasts knelt below. The flames at the tip of the staff. The beasts' submissive postures. The aura of absolute authority.

He looked toward the statue.

It depicted a Red Flame Lion King, carved so lifelike it seemed real. But on closer inspection, its eyes didn't seem to be made of stone. They were a dark red, seemingly made of some special material, with light faintly flowing inside them. They looked like gemstones—or fire frozen in place. Deep within the eyes, something seemed to be slowly turning.

"Those eyes..." he said, pointing at the statue.

Everyone followed his gaze.

Kallen darted onto the raised platform and stopped at the level of the Lion King's head. He reached out and touched its left eye. The instant his fingertip made contact, he felt warmth. It wasn't the temperature of stone, but of a living creature. He pressed gently, and the eye sank inward as if he had activated a mechanism.

Rumble—

A deep sound came from the base. The ground around the hollow cracked, and a slender stone pillar rose up. It was only as thick as an arm, entirely black, and a palm-sized crystal vial rested on top.

"The key!" The Blue-Robed Array Breaker's eyes lit up. He almost jumped for joy. "That's it!"

Kallen picked up the crystal vial and examined it carefully. The runes on its surface were identical to those on the base, clearly designed to go together. He pulled out the stopper, and a wave of scorching heat surged from inside.

He poured the liquid into the hollow.

The instant it entered, the entire hall began to shake violently. This was no longer the faint trembling from before. The stone slabs beneath their feet shuddered, and rubble fell from overhead. The raised platform slowly sank with a tremendous rumble, revealing a spiral staircase descending into the darkness. The steps were narrow, wide enough for only one person to pass at a time.

The entrance to the second floor had opened.

Kallen stood at the entrance and peered down. A faint red glow flickered in the depths, like a fire burning underground. He turned to face the group.

"The second floor," he said calmly, his words especially clear amid the fading rumble. "It'll be more dangerous than the first. If anyone wants to turn back, they can stay here and wait."

No one moved.

Kallen's gaze passed over each person, lingering on every face. No one backed down. No one looked away.

He nodded. "Then let's go."

He descended the steps first.

The others followed in order. Barton and Bally were close behind him, followed by the Array Breakers, then the mages, and finally the mercenaries.

Akes walked near the middle of the group. The ancient stone steps beneath his feet were worn in places and wobbled slightly when he stepped on them. Magic lamps on either side of the walls lit up automatically, illuminating the path downward. The air grew hotter and drier, making it harder to breathe.

Behind them, the shaking in the first-floor hall gradually subsided. The magical beasts' corpses lay motionless in pools of blood, casting eerie shadows in the light of the magic lamps.