Suddenly, a strange bubbling sound echoed from a nearby small pond within the cavern. Ronan's expression shifted immediately.
"Something's wrong," he said, standing up. "That sound... something's coming. And I'm in no condition to fight."
Everyone tensed, hands instinctively going to their weapons. But instead of a monster, a familiar figure emerged from the water—a battered version of Ronan.
"Boss!" the clone shouted weakly.
"My clone?!" Ronan rushed forward, disbelief on his face. "How—?"
Kael stood beside him, tense. "That's your clone?"
The clone's body was damaged—its arm severed cleanly from the shoulder, deep cracks spiderwebbing across its form like broken porcelain.
Lirith wanted to say something but was unable to find suitable words.
Before Ronan could question further, the clone spoke, his voice strained and fading. "Not much time. Listen carefully. There's a hidden chamber beneath this pond. No monsters inside the water, but two lizard-like beasts roam nearby. I took care of those two lizard-like beasts... maybe there are a few more left. Look at their chest, there is a mark, destroy that you will be able to kill it."
He held out a Storage Ring, returning it to Ronan. "Check the items I took from inside. You'll understand. It's been fun working with you, boss."
And with that, the clone's form disintegrated into shimmering dust, vanishing with a peaceful smile. Silence followed.
Ronan slowly opened the Storage Ring, revealing its contents. Among them was a sword that emitted a gentle, constant steam.
Ronan examined it, then handed it to Kael. "I can't gauge its quality... but it's yours. It seems to have something to do with the mist or steam."
He then held up another item—a small, crystalline flame with hues of both blue and white. The very air around it seemed to chill and burn at once.
"An Ice Flame Source," Ronan said with reverence. "This is mine."
He turned to Mordek. "We're going into that pond in a few hours. You're welcome to come, but do not interfere. You can stay and explore the area or join us. Your choice."
Without another word, Ronan sat cross-legged, holding the Ice Flame Source in his palm. He began absorbing its essence, his breathing slow, focused.
Mordek furrowed his brow. "Is he insane? What's he doing?"
Kael replied without taking his eyes off Ronan. "He'll be fine. He knows what he's doing."
The fire crackled softly as the others sat in silence, watching Ronan's figure bathed in both firelight and the strange glow of the Ice Flame—a man of contradictions.
Mordek narrowed his eyes, silently watching Ronan. "Even though Ice Flame isn't very violent in nature... could he absorb it?"
Three hours passed.
Ronan, drenched in sweat and mana, finally opened his eyes. The Ice Flame had vanished, now fully absorbed into his body. He stood up slowly, slightly unsteady, and drank a healing potion in one gulp. Its cool rush soothed his aching muscles.
"Kael," he called out, his voice hoarse but determined, "let's go."
Kael, sitting nearby and tending to his own wounds, nodded and downed his own potion. Without another word, the two of them dove into the small, shimmering pond ahead.
Moments later, Mordek, Gorvath, Vexara, and Lirith followed, casting water-breathing enchantments on themselves. The magic was time-limited, so they moved with purpose.
It took thirty long minutes to swim to the bottom. At the base, hidden in the cliffside, was a massive wall with a gaping, ancient hole in the centre. Faint glimmers of what looked like submerged buildings could be seen through the murky water.
Ronan reached out to touch the wall—and to his surprise, passed right through.
"No barrier?" he murmured, startled.
One by one, the others followed.
As they emerged inside, Ronan looked back in awe. The water wasn't flooding the space beyond the wall. It simply stopped, as if held back by an invisible force.
Inside, the atmosphere was heavy, ancient. Two large Doomscale Lizards lay dead nearby, their monstrous forms twisted in unnatural angles. Each bore a burned-in handprint seared onto their chests.
Mordek narrowed his eyes. "That handprint... It's the same as the one from the creature Kael and Ronan fought."
They pushed deeper into the ruins, entering one of the worn-down buildings. Dust covered everything. Time had eaten away at the walls and furniture until only faded traces remained.
Gorvath scoffed, kicking a pile of debris. "So this is it? Dust and bones. I can't believe we followed you here."
Ronan didn't respond. He closed his eyes briefly, activating his Keen Eyes and Perception skills. Subtle traces, worn sigils, and faint mana residues began to reveal themselves to him.
Kael called out from the far side of the room. "Ronan! I found a memory crystal."
Ronan's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Does it still work?"
"Let me try." Kael poured a small stream of mana into the stone. It glowed faintly, then projected a hazy image of a man above it. His eyes were wide with panic, his voice rushed.
"Hello... If you're seeing this, it means I'm dead. This place was a research centre. Maybe from your perspective, it was unethical... immoral even. But that doesn't matter now."
The man paused, trembling slightly.
"If you find any Doomscale Lizard cores... please, destroy them. Or deliver them to the demon clans. No human should ever use those cores."
Kael and Ronan exchanged a glance.
The man continued, desperation in his voice. "We were trying to enhance the power of both demons and humans. But things went wrong. Very wrong. Please... whatever lies in the final chamber of this place... kill it. Kill it before it escapes."
The projection flickered out. Silence filled the room.
They explored the rest of the buildings. Each was the same: simple, decayed, and long abandoned.
Ronan finally turned to Kael. "Why hasn't this area been explored before? Didn't the Viridion family send anyone?"
Kael nodded. "They did. But only a handful of Grandmaster Tier mages exist. Most of the ones sent were Master Tier, between Tier three and six. Few ever returned."
"Returned? How?" Ronan asked, stunned.
Kael stepped forward dramatically, walking sideways as he explained, "According to Sir Alaric, those who returned used teleportation markers... artefacts that brought them back to a preset location."
Ronan's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?! Why didn't we bring those?!"
Kael sighed heavily. "Because we can't afford them. They're expensive, Ronan. We barely have enough funding for basic potions."
"Oh," Ronan said, deflating a little.
Mordek spoke up, curious. "How exactly did you kill that Doomscale Lizard, Kael?"
Kael replied seriously, "Like Ronan's clone said. There's a mark on their chests. That mark supplies them with unlimited mana. You can't kill them unless you destroy the mark."
Ronan summoned a small flame in his hand, shaping it into a sigil. "It looked something like this."
Mordek studied it for a moment, then shrugged. "Never seen that before." They searched another room. Still nothing.
Eventually, they arrived at a massive door. As soon as they stepped inside, the room lit up automatically.
The walls were made of polished white marble, and each stone was inscribed with ancient runes. On the right, shattered glass tubes lined the room, their contents long gone. On the left, dusty bookshelves leaned against the wall. A few books lay scattered on the floor. In the middle of the room, there was a teleportation circle.
Ronan walked slowly across the marble floor, taking it all in.
"This place... It's not just a ruin," he said softly. "It was someone's ambition. Their dream. And maybe their nightmare."
Kael nodded grimly. "We need to be ready. Whatever they sealed in here... it might still be waiting, or it may not."
Mordek tightened his grip on his weapon, and the others took a defensive stance.