Chapter 5 – Beneath Crushed Stone and Starless Sky

Ash looked over at Jack and extended a hand. “So that cave down below… that must’ve been your camp, right?”

Jack took the handshake and gave a tired nod. “Yeah. I’ve been slowly traveling these mountains, collecting core shards. Everything was going great — until I ran into those damned beastmen. I got lucky and escaped, but one chased me all the way up here. Thankfully, they didn’t find my gear. I’d stashed my bag in the bushes near the cave entrance — and inside it, a fire soul orb.”

“When I got to safety, I lobbed it down at the cave. The blast collapsed the entrance and sealed it shut. Thought I was in the clear. But then my luck turned to shit. The explosion must’ve stirred up a nearby beast nest — they chased me up the giant tree. Good thing they can’t climb, or I’d be beast food right now.”

Arcea tilted her head. “But… why didn’t they use magic on you?”

Jack huffed. “Oh, they tried. But I was too high up. The fire-types were smart enough to realize they’d torch their own nest if they set this place ablaze. So they just waited — hoping I’d starve and fall.”

“Bastards,” he muttered under his breath.

Ash’s voice turned sharp. “You said you escaped the beastmen — from where?”

Jack hesitated, glancing toward the sparse trees and scattered bushes near the cave. “Shouldn’t we be getting out of here before more show up?”

Ash didn’t flinch. “We can’t. I’m an adventurer hired to rescue the farmhands that were taken. Where did they take you? How many others were there? And how many beastmen?”

Jack sighed. “At the edge of the ruined city. That’s where they dragged the villagers — five of them. I counted five beastmen… well, four now, if I killed the one in the cave. The entrance they used leads right into the outskirts of the ruins.”

Ash narrowed his eyes. “We need to get through that cave, then. But—wait. You mentioned a fire soul orb. I’ve never heard of that kind of orb before.”

Jack perked up a bit. “Ah, yeah! New invention. With people finally learning about soul capacitors these past few years, folks started experimenting with soul gems. Turns out, magic and raw soul energy don’t mix — well. Real explosive stuff when combined.”

He reached into his satchel and pulled out a small orb.

“This one here’s a fire soul orb. Looks like a regular orb at first glance, but see that divider inside? One half holds soul energy, the other holds extracted fire shard energy. This little thing glows red and green.”

Jack held it out, grinning proudly. “When it shatters, the two sides mix and boom — massive reaction. That’s why they only make ’em in small doses. Any bigger, and you’d probably seriously injure yourself.”

Ash nodded slowly. “Could we use one to blast open the cave entrance?”

Jack shrugged. “Sure. You saved my life, so I’ll open the path up for you. But if you’re going down there…” He eyed Ash’s gear. “You’ve got an older soul capacitor armguard. Still functional, but dated. I’ve got a spare soul capacitor bracelet — I got myself a newer model, so I don’t need it anymore.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek silver bracelet with a soul gem embedded in its center. Faint circuit-like lines crawled across its surface.

“This one should fit the young lady,” he said, holding it out to Arcea.

She stepped forward, took it gently, and slipped it onto her wrist.

As soon as it locked in place, the bracelet's design pulsed blue — and she felt it. A tingling warmth ran up her arm, into her chest, as if something had just awakened inside her.

Arcea’s eyes widened. “What is this?”

Jack smiled knowingly. “That look — first connection. Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”

“Thank you!” Arcea beamed.

Ash crouched, setting down his pack. He opened it and began sorting his remaining core orbs. “We don’t know what we’ll face down there,” he said, handing a few to Arcea. “We need to be ready.”

Arcea nodded, carefully handling the orbs with both hands before placing them into the pouch Ash had given her.

Jack stood up as they finished prepping. “Looks like you’re both set.” He held the fire soul orb in one hand and turned toward the collapsed cave entrance—

Ash’s eyes widened. “Wait—don’t throw it yet!”

But it was too late.

The orb flew.

A moment later, BOOM — a sharp, concussive blast echoed across the mountaintop. Dust and shattered rock exploded outward as the cave mouth burst open, fragments flying in every direction.

Jack blinked at the crater where the wall had been. “What? You said we needed it open.”

But Ash wasn’t looking at him.

From within the darkened cave… a low shuffle echoed.

Then, the light dimmed. A Night Stone had drifted into position, cloaking the area in unnatural dusk. Faint strands of corelight flickered and vanished — and from the hollow blackness of the broken cave…

Two beast-like eyes gleamed.

Ash took a step back.

“…Shit.”

Jack quickly pulled out an orb lamp and activated it, casting light across the rocky terrain and revealing the beastman.

The creature snarled like a cornered animal, its body riddled with wounds from the explosion. Without hesitation, it charged — straight at Jack, the nearest target.

Jack instinctively activated the blue core orb attached to his satchel strap. A shimmering barrier flared to life — but it wasn’t enough. The beastman’s claws tore through it and slashed across Jack’s arm, sending the orb lamp flying. The light flickered, sputtering in and out.

Scrambling backward, Jack’s spine hit a tree. Desperate, he fumbled through his bag until his fingers wrapped around a cold ice orb. He hurled it at the ground near the beastman’s feet. A burst of frost erupted, encasing its legs in thick ice and halting its charge — but only briefly.

Jack turned and clambered back up the tree.

The beastman roared and thrashed, trying to break free.

Arcea dashed forward, her slab of metal raised high. The beastman raised its arm to block — but it underestimated her strength. The weapon crashed down, shattering bone and twisting its limb at a sickening angle. It now hung limp and mangled like a snapped branch. The beastman screamed in pain.

Arcea readied her next strike, stepping in to follow up — but she had moved too close.

The beastman’s upper body suddenly lunged forward in blind fury, mouth wide open to bite down on her — but Ash was already there.

His polearm came down in a vertical slice, cleaving through the beastman’s face and severing its snout — a precise strike meant to stop it from biting down on Arcea. Blood sprayed as its snout hit the dirt, severed completely. The creature struggled violently, ice cracking under the pressure. With a final burst of strength, it shattered the frozen bindings around its legs and jumped back, landing on the dropped light orb lamp. The light blinked once, then died. Darkness swallowed the area.

“I can’t see it!” Arcea called out, her voice edged with panic as the oppressive darkness closed in around her.

Ash leaned in and whispered, “Don’t speak too loud. It might be able to understand us. Just stay sharp. Watch for its eyes and listen for movement and don't be afraid I will take care of the rest just protect yourself and be ready.”

“Alright,” Arcea whispered back, narrowing her eyes and scanning the shadows.

A rustle of grass. Heavy footfalls circling.

Ash listened carefully, hand gripping a fire orb. The sound drew closer — fast, from Arcea’s side.

He turned and hurled the orb. It arced past Arcea and exploded behind her in a burst of flames, setting brush and beastman ablaze.

“Now, Arcea!” Ash shouted. “Strike it with everything you’ve got!”

Arcea lunged, winding up the heavy slab of metal in a wide arc before swinging with full force. Her weapon slammed into the creature’s abdomen, launching it backward into the massive tree. The impact shattered bark and left a crater in the trunk. The beastman slumped against the base, its body broken and bloodied. Gore oozed from the deep abdominal wound, and its limbs hung at unnatural angles, twitching weakly

As the beastman writhed in its final moments, Jack dropped from the branches and drove his pickaxe into its skull — again, and again, cursing with each blow until the beast fell still.

Ash pulled out a small light and approached the cave entrance. He dug a shallow hole and planted his barrier shield, temporarily sealing the way.

Arcea joined him. “What now?”

“We wait for the Night Stone to pass,” Ash replied. “Then we move through the cave to the ruins.”

Suddenly, a surge of energy rushed through them.

Ash’s eyes narrowed as he spoke aloud. “This is stronger than any of the beasts we’ve killed before… What is this feeling?”

Jack, still standing over the corpse, answered. “The older and stronger a creature is, the more potent its soul. Even if we only get a fragment, the energy is dense.”

Arcea opened and closed her hand, feeling this new strength coursing through her hand, then she looked, staring at her bracelet in awe.

“So this is the bracelet’s power…” she whispered, watching as the soul gem shimmered faintly with green light.

They sat in the dark, waiting.

Ash glanced over. “What’ll you do after this, Jack? Once we go our separate ways?”

“I’ll stay here for a while,” Jack said. “Skin the bodies. Their pelts are still worth something, even torn up. And I’ll gut them to see if any shards are inside.”

“Inside them?” Arcea asked.

Jack nodded. “Yeah. That’s how they get their powers. Beast's are drawn to elemental shards and eat them. The shards mutate them — give them elemental abilities. So it’s not rare to find shards in their guts.”

“Once I’ve got the pelts and shards,” he continued, “I’ll head back to camp, load up my wagon, and make the trip to town in a day or two.”

“We didn’t see a wagon coming up,” Arcea said, thinking back. “Just the tracks the beastmen left behind.”

“My wagon’s hidden about a half-day’s walk northeast of here,” Jack said. “Follow the base of the mountains and you’ll find it tucked in some bushes. Has all the shards I’ve gathered so far. I would’ve been home already if those damned beastmen hadn’t captured me.”

Then — the sky shifted. Corelight broke through. The Night Stone passed.

They stood, picking up their weapons and supplies as the faint light of the core returned to the world around them.

“Take care,” Jack said.

“Be safe,” Arcea called back, giving Jack a big, wide wave as she smiled brightly.

Ash added, “Watch yourself. The beastmen have wagons. They’re using them to transport the abducted farmhands. Keep your eyes open.”

“Got it,” Jack said. He set down his bags and pulled a skinning knife from his bag.

Ash and Arcea turned toward the now-open cave.

“You enjoying your adventure so far?” Ash asked.

Arcea smiled. “The cave was a little scary… but yeah. I’m having fun.”

Ash grinned. “Then let’s keep going.”

Together, they stepped into the dark.

Meanwhile, just northwest on a different part of the Overlook Mountain Range, two figures were scaling the treacherous cliffs — an untamed, unexplored stretch of jagged stone with no trails or paths in sight.

The first was a girl around eighteen years old, with dark golden skin and long blue hair tied back in a high ponytail. Her sharp violet eyes were locked forward as she climbed with a brisk, determined pace, muscles tensed with urgency. Her lightweight outfit was trimmed with gold and black accents, and though she wasn’t armored, her confident movements hinted at her strength and training.

Behind her, a voice called out.

“Karna! You need to stop. If you keep rushing like this, you’re going to get both of us killed.”

Karna glanced back at the speaker — a tall, half-human woman with gray-blue skin, wild blue hair, and large, alert wolf-like ears. Her red and black outfit clung tightly to her athletic frame, designed more for mobility and aggression than defense. A jagged cleaver was strapped across her back, its brutal shape matching her sharp-toothed grin and confident gait. Despite her feral appearance, there was intelligence in her eyes and a cool, calculating awareness behind her playful tone.

“But we need to hurry, Xanathis,” Karna said. “You heard Iris. Ash went to hunt the beastmen — what if something happens to him? We need him for my master’s mission to succeed. I can’t slow down.”

Xanathis groaned, then stomped a foot against the ground. A web of frost spread instantly, and with a sharp gesture, she encased Karna in a block of ice — only her head remaining free.

“I was sent here to babysit you,” Xanathis muttered, “but I’m not going to die for your hero fantasy. You need to listen to the adult here and slow down. If we rush in like this, we’ll be too tired to help when it actually matters.”

She folded her arms and leaned casually on one hip. “Take a breath, Karna. Your master said this would be a long mission. We don’t even know when everyone else will show up. And Iris said her man is really capable — we shouldn’t have much to worry about.”

Karna gritted her teeth, then flexed — cracking and breaking through the ice with a sharp grunt.

“And you trust what Iris says?” she asked.

Xanathis grinned. “Of course. I trust her more than anyone.”

Karna grumbled but sat down on a nearby fallen log. She knew if she kept pushing forward, Xanathis would just stop her again — either with words or another blast of ice. Reluctantly, she gave in, stewing in her frustration but recognizing that there was no winning this argument.

Xanathis sighed in relief and leaned against a tree, her eyes drifting up toward the sky. Above them, the core shimmered between slowly passing Night Stones.

After a moment, Karna asked, “So… how do you know Iris?”

Xanathis smiled faintly. “We fought each other during the war. A lot. Our battles always ended in a draw. Over the years, we kept running into each other. Eventually, I guess you could say we became… friends, in a weird way. Even though we were on opposite sides.”

She smirked. “Well, up until the point I really pissed her off. But after meeting her today, she’s different. I don’t think she’s mad at me anymore — and she’s definitely mellowed out a bit since the last time I saw her.”

Then she stretched and groaned. “Enough talk. I’m starving. Let me eat in peace for a bit. We killed a few beasts on the way up, and I’m dying to find out what they taste like.”

As Xanathis started preparing a small meal, Karna stood and looked out across the overlook — eyes narrowing on the ruined city far below in the distance. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a strange compass made of blackened metal and glass. The outer ring shimmered faintly, and inside, the arrow trembled, then locked into place. Slowly, it began to shift — pointing from the southeast edge of the ruined city’s forest and slowly moved every few moments as the pointer slowly moved toward the city’s center. It was a relic given to her by her master — attuned not to magnetic north, but to something far older.— eyes narrowing on the ruined city far below in the distance.

Ash and Arcea exited the cave and descended into the forest below. In the distance, the broken outline of the ruined city loomed.

Ash turned to Arcea. “Now we need to be very careful. Keep an eye out for beastmen. You notice anything — speak up. Now let’s move.”

Arcea nodded. “Alright.”

They pushed through the thick foliage and reached the outskirts of the city. What lay before them was more devastation than settlement — tilted landmasses, uneven terrain, and fractured stonework everywhere. Chunks of the city had shifted during earthquakes; some areas were raised thirty feet high, others had sunken deep into the ground. The broken foundation had turned the entire city into a maze of collapsed buildings, ruined streets, and overgrown forest.

Near the entrance, Arcea spotted something glowing and pointed ahead. A tall, cracked tower stood among the debris, faint blue light pulsing from a massive crystal embedded near its top.

“What’s that?” she asked.

Ash followed her gaze. “This was once a magic city. Explorers think they powered it using something like shard cores — structures and devices that could store and channel magic.”

He stepped toward a ruined, moss-covered building. Pulling aside a chunk of stone, he uncovered a small, rusted compartment in the wall. Inside was a hand-sized glass tube.

“They’d charge these with mana,” Ash explained, holding the tube up to Arcea. “Used ’em to power tools, lights — whatever they needed. Just like shard cores.”

Arcea looked back to the glowing tower. “And that one?”

“That tower kept beasts away — at least, it used to. The earthquakes damaged its base, so it doesn’t function right anymore. Now it just leaks out power slowly. One day, it’ll run dry like everything else here.”

“Wow… If we had all this, we wouldn’t need shards anymore.”

Ash smiled faintly. “Would be nice. But it takes magic to use this stuff — and people who can still use magic are rare. Almost nonexistent now. We should keep moving.”

They took a few steps farther when the ground trembled beneath their feet.

Ash tensed. “Get away from the ruins!”

They quickly moved to safer ground as more stone walls crumbled behind them. The quake ended moments later.

Ash exhaled. “Alright. It’s passed for now. Let’s go.”

The journey deeper into the city became a physical challenge. They had to descend into craters, climb slanted buildings, leap narrow fissures, and scramble over fallen structures like they were scaling a mountain. Eventually, they reached a downward-sloping path that led to a partially collapsed underground tunnel.

This lower level opened into a narrow ledge hugging the wall — the only way forward, with an endless abyss yawning below, dropping into the Darklands. Arcea glanced down, her eyes widening as she saw the bottomless black stretching far below. A tremble ran through her, and without a word, she moved closer to Ash, clutching his arm tightly as they walked.

They pressed on carefully, their footsteps echoing against the cold stone. The path was barely wide enough for them to walk side by side, and in some places, sections had crumbled away, forcing them to climb broken chunks of masonry or squeeze around jagged edges. Slabs of ancient stone jutted from the wall like the shattered ribs of a giant corpse, remnants of a structure that had once stood above. Their progress was slow, cautious — but steady. Luckily, the cracked ceiling above let in beams of light that cut through the gloom, casting shifting patterns on the stone and helping them stay oriented as they crept forward through the abyssal gloom.

After crossing the narrow path, they emerged into a wide cavern.

Suddenly, the ground shook violently again — and the tunnel they’d just crossed crumbled behind them, falling into the abyss. Arcea froze in place, her heart skipping a beat as she turned and stared at the collapsing path. For a terrifying moment, she imagined herself still standing on that ledge — slipping, falling, vanishing into the darkness below. A cold shudder ran through her.

She instinctively stepped closer to Ash, clinging to his side.

"If we were even a little slower..." she whispered, voice trembling, "we would've fallen."

Ash stared back at the massive chasm now separating them from the way they came. “Well… we’re not taking that path back.”

They started moving toward the distant light ahead when a faint wailing echoed behind them.

Arcea stiffened. “Did you hear that, Dad?”

“Yeah,” Ash said. “Stay alert.”

As they approached the exit, another rumble shook the cavern — and this time, the wailing came with it.

They turned sharply. Two glowing red eyes emerged from the chasm.

Arcea gasped. “What… is that?”

Ash narrowed his eyes. “No idea. But it came from the Darklands.”

A massive, serpent-like creature began to rise — its movements unnatural. Dozens of tendrils shot from its body, latching onto the walls and ceiling like living grappling hooks. It pulled its forty-foot-long body through the air like a monstrous spider. Its hide pulsed with dim purple light, and small dragon-like wings twitched uselessly on its back. Its head resembled a dragon’s, but with a curved beak instead of a snout.

Arcea’s voice shook. “Dad… what do we do? It could swallow me whole.”

Ash stayed calm. “It’s fast. Those appendages let it move freely. We need to disable them first. Don’t attack yet — wait and lets see what it does first. then attack it.”

“Okay.”

The beast lashed an tendril at Arcea.

She swung her slab of metal — it struck, but barely slowed the tendril. It slithered back up and struck again, knocking her weapon from her hands and slamming it into the ground awat from her, The tendril quickly turned and launched itself again at Arcea.

Ash intercepted — a clean slice from his polearm severed the tendril. Purple blood sprayed across the floor.

The tendril writhed, then retreated back into the creature.

and two more appendages launched from its body.

The tendrils snapped at Ash and Arcea like whips. One lashed straight at Arcea — she ducked just in time, and the tendril whipped past her. But its momentum didn’t stop; it twisted mid-air and came around toward Ash, just as he turned to strike another tendril. He swung, his polearm slicing across the tendril’s side, but the blade failed to sever it. Then, the first tendril — the one that missed Arcea — slammed into Ash’s back with a sickening crack. He grunted and stumbled forward to his knees, breath driven from his lungs, his weapon momentarily lowered.

The creature followed up, both tendrils aiming to crush Ash while he was down.

Arcea leapt in front of him, catching both in her hands. She held firm, muscles straining as Ash recovered.

Two more tendrils launched — not at them, but past them, latching to the wall. The beast used them to hurl itself forward.

Arcea rushed in, jumped over the charging head, and landed behind it. With a powerful pull, she ripped both tendrils from its body. As they tore free, purple blood erupted from the torn sockets, splashing across the floor and walls. The severed limbs hit the ground and began writhing uncontrollably, twitching like dying snakes. Each one spewed thick streams of glowing gore, painting the cavern in sticky violet arcs.

At the same moment, as the beast lunged forward, Ash sidestepped and drove his polearm deep into its flank. With a forceful pull, he dragged the blade through the creature’s side from head to tail.

A deep, jagged wound split open. Purple blood gushed out in thick pulses, spraying across the stone. The beast shrieked, its body convulsing violently. It slammed its head against the cavern wall, shrieking in agony as it thrashed. The holes where the tendrils had once connected spewed arcs of blood that pulsed in rhythm with its spasming muscles, drenching the battlefield in gore.

The serpent screeched, flailed, then continued to launch tendrils wildly.

Ash shouted, “Catch!”

He tossed a small handle to Arcea — the beam dagger.

She caught it and ignited it. The blade flared bright just in time to sever an incoming tendril. Two more came — she dodged and countered.

The beast shot tendrils again, slamming into the walls and pulling itself forward at terrifying speed.

Ash met them with clean, precise strikes, cutting down any that neared him. But some still connected and hauled the beast toward them.

They rolled clear just as it blocked the exit.

Its head reared high.

Arcea spotted her giant metal weapon and ran for it. Four tendrils raced toward her.

Ash intercepted, slicing all four mid-charge.

Then the creature struck — its open maw crashing down.

Arcea had her weapon now. She swung upward with everything she had.

The blow slammed into its jaw, snapping its head back into the cave roof. One of its eyes burst from the force, and it collapsed, blood gushing from its mouth.

Still alive, it tried to rise.

Another earthquake struck — the cavern ceiling gave way.

Massive slabs of stone collapsed, burying the creature beneath rubble.

It thrashed, forcing its head free — just barely.

Ash advanced. The beast opened its mouth — its tongue, like a final tendril, lashed toward him.

He sliced it clean through.

The severed tongue writhed like a dying snake, flopping and spasming across the blood-slick ground. Purple blood sprayed out in violent jets, splattering the rocks and pooling at Ash’s feet. The beast screeched in agony, its jaws snapping reflexively as the tendril twitched and curled, spewing glowing gore with each spasm.

Ash stepped forward, raised his polearm, and plunged it into the beast’s exposed eye socket. The tip pierced through the soft tissue with a wet crunch, and the serpent immediately began to thrash violently. It wailed in pain, its entire body shaking and convulsing beneath the rubble. Ash gritted his teeth and pressed down harder, forcing the polearm deeper inch by inch. The creature screamed louder, tail slamming the stone in a blind frenzy — but it was trapped, helpless. The more Ash drove the weapon in, the more blood gushed from the socket, bubbling around the shaft in thick, glowing torrents. Its wailing reached a final, guttural shriek before faltering into a choked rasp. Then, with one final twitch… the beast went still.

A familiar surge of energy filled their bodies. Their soul gems pulsed slightly brighter.

Ash turned. “You hurt?”

Arcea panted. “No. Just scrapes.”She glanced over at Ash, then looked around the darkened cave. “Hey… where’s Lumin? its light could’ve made all those tunnels easier to get through.”

Ash sighed, resting his hands on his knees. “Lumin comes out when it wants to. For all I know, its’s sleeping right now.”

Ash looked up at the collapsed ceiling. “Guess we’re exiting through there.”

They began climbing, carefully scaling the jagged blocks of collapsed stone and remnants of ancient architecture that had buried the beast. Chunks of wall jutted out at odd angles, forcing them to navigate upward like they were ascending a fractured staircase. Some stones were slick with dust and blood, while others were still warm from the battle. Arcea leapt from one broken slab to the next with ease, while Ash chose his handholds carefully, pulling himself up with practiced precision. Cracks in the ceiling above allowed shafts of corelight to pierce through the gloom, casting shifting beams across their path as they climbed slowly but steadily toward the surface — toward the light of the core once more.

Ash and Arcea finally emerged from the collapsed tunnel, having scaled the rubble-strewn interior of the ruins. As they hauled themselves through a narrow gap in the ceiling, they found themselves inside what remained of an ancient structure — perhaps once a chapel or meeting hall. Its stone walls had mostly caved in, letting beams of the dim core-light filter through cracks in the ceiling above.

Three skeletons lay sprawled across the vine-choked floor, their bones long bleached and fused with creeping tendrils. Thick vines had wrapped around their ribcages and limbs like constricting parasites, fusing with their bones as if feeding off their death.

Arcea wrinkled her nose, but her attention shifted as she pointed toward a half-buried metal box resting in a far corner.

“Dad, look!”

She darted over and pried the lid open. A soft blue glow lit up her face — inside was a fully charged mana fuse, its core pulsing gently with stored energy. Her green eyes lit up in awe.

Ash stepped closer and peered over her shoulder, raising a brow. “Nice find. Hold on to it. If we come across an area still sealed or untouched, that fuse might get us inside… and who knows what kind of treasure’s waiting.”

Arcea beamed and tucked it carefully into the pouch at her hip, cradling it like a rare prize.

They continued onward, slipping through fractured doorways and squeezing through warped stone passages. After a long descent over broken masonry, they finally stepped out into the open air.

Before them stretched a wide, overgrown road, its cobblestone path cracked and buckled by time. Moss and weeds spilled over every edge. The road snaked its way upward toward the heart of the ruin — where a towering inner wall loomed in the distance, still standing despite its battered and crumbling state. Massive cracks spiderwebbed across its face, entire chunks had fallen away, but somehow, it remained upright.

They walked in silence, climbing and descending along the uneven incline, the broken city groaning beneath their feet.

Eventually, they reached the base of the inner wall.

Ash paused, eyes scanning the stone carefully. Arcea looked around as well, her eyes following the wall’s path as it curved around the old city ruins.

“So… where to next?” she asked, her voice soft with wonder.

Ash pointed to a massive split that ran up the wall — a jagged crack stretching from the foundation all the way to the top.

“There,” he said. “We’ll climb up and walk along the top. With any luck, we’ll get a good view of the inner city — maybe even spot those beastmen.”

The climb was difficult. Loose stones and shallow handholds made it dangerous, but eventually they reached the top. From there, they cautiously approached the inner edge of the wall.

The ruined city stretched out below them, tangled in trees and shadows. At its heart stood a half-collapsed castle, its once-proud towers reduced to stumps. Great roots had torn through its foundations and walls, wrapping around the stone and holding the broken husk aloft like a skeletal hand refusing to let go.

Arcea stared at the sight, her imagination clearly racing with possibilities.

Ash gave her a gentle tap on the shoulder. “Come. Let’s keep moving.”

They walked the length of the wall, careful with each step. Eventually, they reached an old guard tower still mostly intact. Faint mana light pulsed inside, barely illuminating the crumbling interior with a soft, rhythmic glow.

Ash stepped in and gave a small nod. “We’ll rest here. The next night stone’s coming soon — might as well get some food in us.”

They dropped their gear and sat down. A few minutes later, the light outside dimmed — the night stone had shifted into position, blotting out the planet’s glowing core. Darkness descended across the ruins like a shroud.

Inside the tower, only the faint pulsing light of the mana crystal remained. It flickered occasionally, as if threatening to go out at any moment.

They ate in silence.

After a few bites, Arcea finally spoke. “What if Toby’s granddaughter isn’t with the farmhands still trapped here?”

Ash didn’t answer right away. He stared into the shadows beyond the arched doorway before speaking.

“Then we wait. Hide until the next wagon shows up and follow it. One way or another, we’ll find out where they’re being taken.”

Arcea was quiet for a moment, then asked, “What do you think they’re doing with them?”

Ash exhaled slowly. “If I had to guess… they’re being used as slaves. But that’s just a guess. They’re not demi-humans, so I don’t know how beastmen treat other races. Until we find them, we can’t know for sure.”

He leaned back and stretched his shoulders with a faint sigh. “We’ve fought plenty already. Let’s get some rest — we’ve still got a long way to go.”

Arcea nodded and crawled into his lap, curling up against him. Ash settled his arms around her, gaze never leaving the tower entrance.

The barrier shield shimmered faintly across the doorway — weak, but still holding. Outside, the city slept beneath the shadow of the night stone.

The night stone finally passed, and the soft glow of the core returned to the sky.

Ash gently shook Arcea awake. She had fallen asleep curled up in his arms.

“It’s time to get up,” he murmured. “The night stone has moved on.”

Arcea rubbed her eyes and stretched with a soft yawn. Ash lowered the barrier shield with a quiet pulse, and together they stepped out of the tower and continued following the wall.

Not long after, a flurry of birds erupted from the treetops a few hundred feet from the ruined castle, scattering into the sky in a sudden burst.

Ash slowed his pace, pointing. “See those birds that just flew up?”

Arcea’s eyes narrowed. “Something startled them. Could be beastmen… or a predator.”

He nodded with approval. “Good. You remembered that lesson.”

She grinned.

“Let’s find our way down and sneak up on the area. Quietly,” Ash added.

They descended from the wall and crept toward the disturbance, weaving through broken stone and tangled undergrowth. Before long, they heard voices — low and harsh, drifting on the wind.

Ash held up a hand, whispering, “Keep low. Let’s get close enough to listen.”

They crawled forward and peeked over a ridge. Below them, four beastmen stood around a cluster of captured farmhands. The prisoners were tied together, huddled and silent.

The beastmen were arguing loudly.

A blue-furred one growled, “One of us needs to go after Wallace. He’s been gone a day. Shouldn’t take that long to secure one sacrifice.”

A brown-furred beastman snapped back, “Wouldn’t’ve happened if you hadn’t stopped to take a piss instead of watching them.”

An orange-furred beastman shrugged. “Wallace’ll be fine. What’s one little sacrifice going to do?”

A dark gray beastman lying on the ground muttered irritably, “Will you all shut up? I’m trying to sleep.”

Just then, a fifth figure approached from the west — tall and imposing. He had the appearance of a humanoid wolf, standing on wolf-like legs, walking on his toes with his heels raised off the ground, with powerful limbs covered in thick brown fur. A tailored brown longcoat hung from his shoulders, open at the front to reveal a deep-chested shirt with a loose collar and tight black pants tucked just above his clawed feet. His ears were sharp and alert, his yellow eyes narrow and calculating. Large claws flexed at the tips of his long fingers, and his tail swayed slowly behind him. His presence exuded calm confidence and restrained aggression — a predator assessing its prey.

The four others straightened. “Ren, you’re back!”

The brown-furred one asked, “Did you find the source of that disturbance out west?”

Ren crossed his arms. “There are two intruders approaching. One human female One demi-human female.”

The gray beastman grinned. “More sacrifices, then? Should we ambush them?”

Ren shook his head. “No. We have another problem. You idiots were too busy arguing to notice the pest watching us from above.”

He raised his voice. “Come out! There’s no point hiding. I can smell you.”

Ash leaned toward Arcea and whispered, “I’ll draw their attention. You circle behind and free the farmhands with the beam blade. They know we’re coming — let’s give them a surprise.”

Ren stood in front while the other four beastmen flanked him on either side, eyes scanning the ruins, nostrils flaring as they sniffed the air.

Then, without warning, a massive stone slab came hurtling toward them with tremendous force. The beastmen reacted instantly, their monstrous reflexes carrying them clear as the slab slammed into the ground and exploded in a burst of dust and fractured stone. Cracks spiderwebbed outward from the impact.

Ash landed on top of the slab, already holding a yellow core orb. Without hesitation, he hurled it at the orange-furred beastman. The orb struck his chest — and a blinding surge of lightning erupted. The beastman screamed as his body stiffened and convulsed violently, arcs of electricity dancing through his limbs.

Ash vaulted down to the ground, planting himself between Ren and the blue and gray beastmen, polearm at the ready.

From behind, the brown-furred beastman saw Ash’s exposed back and lunged to strike — but another massive slab suddenly crashed into the earth, nearly crushing him. Dust exploded outward as cracks burst beneath its weight.

Arcea stood atop the embedded slab, her expression calm, weapon at her side. She yanked it free from the ground with ease.

The brown-furred beastman scoffed at her, seeing only a child. He rushed forward.

Arcea met his charge with her own, swinging her massive makeshift weapon in a wide arc. He leapt back to avoid the strike — but she wasn’t done.

Letting go of the weapon mid-movement, she threw herself forward, raw strength surging through her limbs. The ground cracked beneath her feet as she rocketed into the beastman and drove a full-powered punch straight into his abdomen.

The beastman was launched backward, smashing into a tree with a sickening thud.

Arcea turned toward the farmhands.

Meanwhile, Ash kept Ren and the other two at bay, his polearm slicing and thrusting in sharp, precise bursts. But the tide began to shift — the orange beastman had recovered and was climbing back to his feet.

“Great,” Ash muttered. “Now they’re all back on their feet.”

He reached into his pouch, pulling out a large brown orb, and threw it at the ground.

A massive earthen wall erupted between them, blocking the beastmen’s advance. One leapt over the top — but Ash was ready. As it descended, claws extended, Ash stepped into its path and drove his polearm into its side, piercing through muscle and flesh. Not a fatal wound — but enough to slow it.

Then, an unexpected explosion blasted the wall apart. The shockwave hurled Ash backward, slamming him into the earlier slab. Dust consumed the air. Ash, dazed, struggled to rise.

Through the dust, Ren stood with a green-and-red orb in hand.

Ash’s eyes widened. A Fire Soul Orb.

Ren sneered, voice laced with arrogance. “Looks like this little trinket might be the end of your resistance. Funny thing — we found it on one of the sacrifices. Turns out it came in handy.”

He stepped forward. “Now, you can join them.”

But before he could throw the orb, a voice cut through the clearing dust.

“Dad! It’s done! They’re free!”

Ash smiled through the blood on his lip. Injured or not — it had been worth it.

He looked up at Ren. “Well, looks like your little sacrifices got away.”

Ren roared in fury and hurled the Fire Soul Orb at Ash — but Ash was faster. He smashed a green orb at his feet. A burst of wind exploded outward, launching the Fire Soul Orb away just before impact.

It arced backward — right toward Ren.

Boom.

A tremendous explosion swallowed the area. Fire surged into the sky. The shockwave rippled outward.

But the detonation triggered something worse.

The ground began to tremble.

Then it shook.

Hard.

Not just a tremor — a quake that tore through the bones of the ancient city. Walls cracked. Earth moaned. They couldn’t even stand.

And then the earth split beneath them.

With a thunderous roar, the ground collapsed, sending Ash, Arcea, Ren, and the rest plummeting into the newly formed chasm — swallowed by the depths below the ruins.