Echoes Beneath the Ruins
When Ruko done discussed with varo he decided to take the road back to Axel since it's getting late at these time of night. "Sigh, really what's up with that guy, well no dwell in it I gotta hurry or I get an earful annoyance from aqua."
Ruko went back to Axel in this time of night they are alot of people who shopping and enjoying a good time. "While I'm here drenched in monster fluid everone enjoying themselves, sigh gotta go to the guild to claim my rewards even though they charge me much?"
Ruko enter the guild and claim his reward and Aqua catches Ruko!. "Ruko you moron where have you been since afternoon," Ruko feel disastify of how she caught him.
Aqua my worthless goddess I was on a quest of hunting money," Aqua feel shock. "Me worthless goddess, your so cruel!"
"Like I care," Kazuma sitting and enjoy the show. "Ruko that's what I like to hear," giving thumbs up? "I'll go to my inn see you guys tomorrow," Ruko go to the inn and slept off.
The morning sun shimmered over Axel's rooftops, painting the cobblestone streets gold. Ruko walked down the main road with his hands behind his head, whistling. Birds sang, adventurers laughed, and the faint clinking of armor filled the air — the perfect setting for trouble.
His smirk returned the second he spotted the familiar wooden doors of the guild. "Well," he muttered, "time to see if the world decided to get interesting again."
He pushed the door open. The smell of booze, fried meat, and desperation hit him instantly.
A few adventurers turned as he walked in — the guy who killed monsters way above his rank had become a rumor magnet lately, another guy say and he also insulted Aqua as well. Some whispered. Others looked away. Ruko just grinned, enjoying the awkward silence that followed his entrance.
"Yo, bartender lady," he called casually, waving to Luna, the receptionist. "Got anything new? Preferably something that pays enough to replace my nonexistent patience."
Luna sighed. "Ruko… you can't just walk in here and demand—"
He leaned forward on the counter, resting his chin on his hand. "C'mon~ don't be shy. I'm practically the guild's entertainment."
A faint blush crossed her face, and a few adventurers groaned in jealousy. "You're something, all right," she muttered, sliding two quest papers toward him. "Take your pick — monster cleanup near the ruins east of town, or a retrieval job for an alchemist."
Ruko scanned them both. "Hmm… ruins to the east that's were I exit from and met Varo," Ruko's thoughts. "Hmph cleaning monster's sound fun. Alchemist sounds boring I'll do that later when im done with the ruins."
He reached for the first, but before he could grab it — a hand tapped his shoulder.
"Mind if I join this one?"
Ruko turned his head and saw a familiar face: Varo. His cloak hung loosely, eyes hidden beneath a hood, faint grin playing at his lips.
Ruko smirked. "I didn't think you were the tagging type."
"Neither did I," Varo said. "But I heard the ruins hum at night. Some kind of resonance. Sounds like the kind of thing you'd poke until it explodes."
Ruko chuckled. "You know me too well already. Fine, tag along. Just don't whine when the world tries to kill us."
Luna blinked. "The two of you… together? The ruins east of town haven't been touched in weeks. Adventurers say the monsters respawn too fast."
"Then we'll just delete the respawn system since i hunt around there," Ruko said dryly, snatching the paper. "Come on, Varo. Let's make some noise."
---
The road to the ruins wound through tall grass and broken pillars, the air growing colder the deeper they went. The ruins themselves were a shattered temple half-buried in vines — the same strange markings glowing faintly beneath the dirt.
Varo crouched, brushing his fingers across one of them. "Old magic. Ancient structure. You sure this is just a cleanup job?"
Ruko smirked. "Nothing's ever just a cleanup job."
He stepped inside, boots echoing on cracked stone. The air inside buzzed — faint, rhythmic, like a heartbeat beneath the floor.
> [System Notice: Energy fluctuation detected – non-lethal class.]
> [Yew]: Be careful, host. That fluctuation isn't natural. It's… searching.
"Searching, huh?" Ruko muttered. "Guess we found the clingy type."
Varo raised an eyebrow. "You talk to yourself often?"
"Only when the voices are this cute," Ruko said under his breath. Yew's screen flickered faintly on his wristband — her faint digital looking unimpressed.
> [Yew]: Host, focus.
He smirked. "Yes, mom."
They ventured deeper, light fading until only their torches illuminated the way. Strange runes began to pulse brighter with each step — like they were watching.
A sound erupted behind them — scraping metal, followed by a guttural roar.
Ruko spun around. Three armored constructs emerged from the shadows, ancient guardians still functioning after who-knows-how-long.
Varo muttered, "They look old."
Ruko cracked his neck. "Then let's give them retirement."
The first construct lunged. Ruko dodged sideways, letting the blade slice past his face, sparks flying. His smirk sharpened.
> [Skill: True Copy – Partial Activate.]
He mirrored the guardian's swing and kicked it backward, shattering its balance. The second came in from the left — faster. Ruko ducked, rolled, and used Rewrite to redirect its momentum straight into the wall. It exploded in a burst of rust and sparks.
Varo whistled. "Not bad."
Ruko shot him a sideways grin. "You sound surprised."
"I'm impressed," Varo said calmly, before drawing his dagger and slicing through the final construct's chest. It froze, gears locking, before collapsing in a metallic heap.
Ruko stared for a second. That movement… wasn't human. Too fluid. Too precise.
He narrowed his eyes slightly. "You've got some tricks, too."
Varo smirked back. "Maybe I just learn fast."
Before Ruko could question him further, the ground shook violently. A deep rumble echoed through the ruins, sending dust and pebbles cascading from above.
> [System Notice: Unregistered Artifact Signature Detected.]
Yew's grew urgent.
> [Yew]: Ruko! There's something beneath the ruins! A containment seal — very old, very unstable!
Ruko exhaled sharply. "Perfect."
Varo's tone dropped low. "We should leave."
"Leave?" Ruko grinned, eyes glinting with excitement. "You must be new here. This is the fun part."
He stepped forward as the ground cracked open, revealing a glowing abyss below. A faint shadow-like aura leaked out, twisting the air.
> [System Warning: Shadow Resonance detected — correlation: 1.6%.]
Yew's faltered. "Shadow… lineage resonance… activating."
Ruko froze for a heartbeat, eyes flickering crimson. "Shadow… huh."
For a second, an echo of a voice brushed his mind — "Return what was lost…"
He shook it off, laughing quietly. "You again. Fine. Let's see what's buried here."
Varo gave him a sideways glance — silent, unreadable. "You're not normal."
"Never claimed to be."
Ruko crouched near the edge, staring into the glowing darkness below. The hum grew louder, faster — almost alive. He smirked again, that dangerous, playful glint sparking in his eyes.
"Let's dig a little deeper."
Varo sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Good," Ruko said, rising to his feet. "Means we're in the right place."
---
> [System Log Update: Instability Progress – 1.60%.]
[World Reaction: Stable. Evil Activity rising in adjacent sectors.]
[Yew]: Ruko, you're awakening something you can't control yet.
Ruko: "That's what makes it fun."
His voice echoed through the ruins, followed by the low hum of something awakening beneath the stone — something that had waited centuries for the Jizuko bloodline to return.