Volume 2 – Chapter 13 – Guardians of the Forgotten Door

The group reached the massive stone door and immediately noticed Emma and Ernest standing before it with weapons drawn. The door loomed like a fortress wall of carved obsidian, its surface dominated by an intricate crest of wings and branching sigils. Two towering pillars framed it, each inscribed with glowing runes that spiraled downward in vertical lines, their symbols flickering faintly as if whispering with old magic. Atop the pillars, massive crystalline spires shone with deep blue light, casting long beams across the cavern. All around, clusters of jagged purple and azure crystals jutted from the stone floor, their faint radiance painting the chamber in ghostly hues. The cavern ceiling dripped with stalactites that glittered with mineral dust, and faint streams of water trickled down the far walls, adding a soft echo to the heavy silence. Emma’s eyes widened as she spotted them.

“Is that beastman gone?” she asked quickly.

Ash gave a short nod. “Yes.”

Ernest lowered his beam shield only slightly, the energy shimmer dimming as his other hand kept his whip at the ready. “And what about that explosion? We could hear it even from here. What happened?”

Ash and the others explained the fight and its outcome. Ernest’s brows furrowed. “So… we’re stuck here then.”

“Exactly,” Ash replied, his tone firm. “Which means you’d better figure out how to open that door. Right now, it’s our only way out.”

Ernest sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We only arrived about an hour before you. Haven’t had much time to investigate. But I can tell you this much—it’s no ordinary door. Look at these lines—each rune is connected to a trap circuit. And these gems… they’re still charged.”

With nothing else to do, the group decided to rest while Emma and Ernest examined the massive structure. Ernest moved from pillar to pillar, brushing dust from the glowing runes and pointing out how the lines connected into geometric patterns across the stone, each like a circuit of mana waiting to be triggered. He traced one glowing symbol with a gloved finger, explaining how it bled into the crest at the center of the door. Emma crouched near the base, studying the faint scorch marks around the indentation as her hand hovered over the crystals embedded there. She tapped one lightly, noting how it pulsed in response, before straightening to examine the wings and branching sigils etched high above.

Sitting along the cavern floor, Karna tilted her head curiously at the siblings.

“So… why are you two all the way out here poking around ruins? Is this some kind of hobby?”

Ernest chuckled dryly, running his fingers over a cracked symbol on the stone. “Not exactly. Our parents were famous explorers, but RUIN forced them into service—dragged them away from our home when we were still children. Left us to fend for ourselves.”

Emma’s grip tightened on her weapon, her voice bitter. “We grew up with only their old journals and library. Learned everything we could about the Shattered Lands, the ruins, the ancient cities… hoping one day we’d find them again. But so far, no luck.” She looked down, her expression darkening as her other hand brushed against one of the dormant crystals.

“But,” Ernest added, trying to lighten the mood, “things should be easier now. We’ve got a sponsor backing our expeditions. In exchange, we give them information on whatever we uncover.”

Ash raised a brow. “What kind of information?”

“Lost technology,” Emma replied without hesitation. “That’s what they’re after—relics of the past. They’re obsessed with it.”

The siblings returned to inspecting the door. Ernest paused, tapping a rune with his knuckle before glancing over at Ash. “You must be something else though. I never thought I’d meet a six-star adventurer in person.”

Ash waved it off with a scowl. “Ignore that. I’m not nearly as strong as that title makes me out to be. Truth is, I didn’t even know what the stars meant until recently. Damn Toby must’ve exaggerated when he got that card from the guildmaster. I always worked with my wife when we took on hard quests.”

Emma stepped back from the door at last, frowning. “Well, I’m done examining it. And… it doesn’t look good. The thing is covered in traps. If we try to force it open, the defenses will trigger—and I don’t know what those defenses even are. Our only option is to find a key.” She pointed at a shallow indentation beside the door, where faint scorch marks hinted at previous activations.

“I’ve read about these in my parents’ books,” she continued. “They’re magical keyholes. The doors only open when the correct key is inserted—one that pulses with the right elemental combination. Get it wrong, or force it… and the traps activate.”

Xanathis tilted her head slightly, her arms folding across her chest with casual ease, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “Then why not just activate the traps on purpose? Let’s see what this door can really do.”

Ash considered it, then nodded. “That might work. If we move back and you use your blood magic on the key hole, we can trigger the defenses from a safe distance. Then we’ll know what we’re dealing with.”

Xanathis’s grin widened as she stepped closer to him, eyes gleaming. “you read my mind. Shall we try it, then?”

“Yes,” Ash said firmly. “No sense wasting time. If this doesn’t work, we’ll just force the door down. This cavern is large enough—so our attacks won’t be bring the ceiling down.”

Her grin sharpened into something feral. “Perfect.”

The two of them moved toward the far rocks, crouching for cover. Emma, Ernest, and Karna exchanged uneasy glances as they watched the strange pair smiling at one another in shared madness.

Karna groaned inwardly. Why did my master send me with these lunatics?

From behind cover, Xanathis extended her hand. Scarlet blood seeped from her palm, snaking unnaturally across the stone until it reached the keyhole. With a flick of her wrist, she forced the liquid inside.

The response was immediate. Blue mana gems embedded in the colossal door flared to life, glowing so brightly the cavern walls lit up like daylight. The earth trembled as stone shifted and fused.

A towering golem surged into being—its massive body of rock and earth carved with glowing lines, its eyes burning an unnatural blue. It locked onto the group’s hiding spot and charged forward with ground-shaking steps.

Emma and Ernest staggered back in panic. “What the hell do we do? That thing’s enormous!”

Xanathis licked her lips, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “What else? We fight.”

The group rose to their feet, weapons drawn, bracing for battle as the golem thundered toward them.

The giant construct came rushing forward, its sheer size making the cavern quake. Dust fell from the ceiling with every thunderous step, pebbles scattering across the cavern floor. Each finger of its massive hands was the size of a grown adult, and its towering bulk loomed like a moving cliff.

Ash barked, “Alright—let’s get rid of this thing!” He charged forward, hand darting into his pouch. Xanathis followed in tandem, her stride feral and eager, ready to strike at his side.

The golem’s hand lunged to seize Ash, stone grinding against stone with a deafening scrape. He flung an earth orb onto the ground, and it erupted into a jagged boulder. Using it as a springboard, he vaulted onto the golem’s arm. The arm shook under his feet as he sprinted upward, dust blasting from the cracks. He drove his polearm deep into one glowing eye; shards burst out, burning blue light spraying like shattered glass. Xanathis vaulted beside him, plunging her sword into the other. The eye fissured with spiderweb cracks before shattering outright.

The golem shrieked in a grinding roar and thrashed violently. Its arm whipped back and forth, hurling them through the air. They slammed into the stone ground, tumbling as the monster’s massive fists hammered the floor, sending shockwaves across the cavern.

Ash spat dirt and shouted toward the others. “Are you going to help—or just watch?”

The three froze for a heartbeat as the construct’s size overwhelmed their senses. Then Karna snapped out of it. Flames and stone surged along her gauntlets as she charged her fists. She tried to close in, but the golem’s massive arms swept about like collapsing walls, forcing her back. Each strike gouged trenches in the stone.

“I’ll knock it off balance!” Ernest called. His beam shield shifted into a new configuration, glowing lines etching across its surface. Karna crouched, waiting for an opening.

Ash and Xanathis struck again, darting in and out, slashing shallow cuts into its chest and shoulders. The creature bellowed, swiping at them with enough force to rattle the entire chamber. Ash narrowly rolled under a crashing palm, his polearm biting into its wrist, while Xanathis skimmed low, her blade carving frost along its side before being forced back by a backhand swing.

Ernest braced his shield horizontally, revealing its hidden mechanism. He slid a water shard into a slot and the device roared to life, humming with restrained power. Gripping the inner handles, he steadied himself against the recoil and fired. A condensed beam of elemental energy erupted out, cutting a blazing line through the cavern air before slamming into the golem’s chest. The blast struck with such force that the giant staggered backward, arms flailing.

“Now!” Ernest shouted.

Karna exploded into motion, her gauntlets blazing with compressed earth and fire. She slammed her fist into the golem’s leg. The impact detonated in a fiery shockwave, stone and dust blasting outward. The construct reeled, its knee collapsing as it buckled down on one leg. She followed instantly with another strike to its elbow, the crunch of shattering stone echoing as the arm buckled. The golem slammed to the ground, chest-first, struggling to rise.

Emma charged in, her hand cannon already bracing. She pressed it to the golem’s head. With a hiss of gears, the piledriver deployed, slamming a spike deep into the skull. Stone screamed and fissured outward, fragments raining down as the weapon reset.

The golem’s other hand lashed toward her like a falling wall. Ernest’s beam whip cracked and coiled around its wrist, the beam sparking as he strained. His heels dug furrows in the ground, but the sheer force of the monster kept driving forward.

Karna roared, rushing to intercept. Earthen arms surged from her gauntlets, massive constructs grappling the giant hand. Her boots screeched across the stone until she anchored herself, rock molding around her greaves to hold her stance. For a moment, the monster’s hand halted, stone grinding against stone as she strained against it.

Xanathis raised her hand high, her voice sharp as a blade. “Ice Executioner!”

A colossal blade of ice manifested above and crashed down, cleaving the golem’s wrist with an explosive crack. The severed hand fell, shaking the cavern floor. Emma seized the instant, her piledriver smashing again into the fractured head, widening the hole with a deafening crunch.

Ash called out firmly, “Emma, back away—I need that opening!” Emma quickly leapt back from the golem’s head, giving him room to rush in.

Ash darted forward, thrusting his hand into the fissure Emma had carved open. A flicker of earth energy bled into the cracks before he leapt back. “Karna—I need a shockwave! Finish it!”

Karna leapt high, stone spiraling around her leg as glowing cracks spread across the ground beneath her from the sheer pressure of her gathering energy. “Tremor!” she roared, slamming her foot into the golem’s back with an impact that sent a thunderous shockwave rolling through the cavern. The force rippled outward, spider‑webbing fractures up the creature’s frame as dust cascaded from the ceiling.

The glowing fissures pulsed with sudden violent power—and the golem erupted. Earth shards blasted outward in every direction, hammering the cavern walls and showering the group with debris. The creature’s chest split apart as boulders sheared away from its torso, limbs shattering into jagged fragments. The massive body convulsed one last time before collapsing into a mountain of rubble with a roar like an avalanche, the impact shaking the floor and drowning the chamber in a choking cloud of dust and grit.

Karna blinked, stunned. “What… was that?”

Ash exhaled, lowering his weapon. “While it was distracted, Xanathis and I carved fractures into its body. I planted earth core orbs in those cracks. Your shockwave triggered them all at once—blew the thing apart.”

The group caught their breath, leaning against the walls, armor scorched and weapons chipped. But Emma’s voice broke the relief. “Uh… everyone? The door’s gems—they’re glowing again.”

The rubble rose into the air, swirling with a grinding howl. This time, the fragments split apart—twenty smaller golems assembled, their forms snapping together with eerie precision, blue light flickering in their eyes.

Karna groaned. “Whose bright idea was it to activate the trap?” She shot a glare at Ash and Xanathis.

Xanathis only grinned, eyes glittering. “It’s fine. Think of it as training—you may know how to fight, but you still lack real combat experience.”

Karna gave her a flat, deadpan look.

Ash hefted his polearm, rolling his shoulders. “It’s not that bad. Twenty golems—five each. Let’s finish this.”

The group readied themselves. Karna surged forward, water flooding beneath her feet, propelling her in a glide. She struck with a palm to the first golem’s chest—high-pressure water speared through it, blasting straight through its core in a high‑pressure eruption, the force tearing stone apart and leaving a steaming cavity where its chest had been. Another loomed, only to have its arm melted away by Ernest’s beam whip. Emma darted in, piledriver smashing through the crippled construct in an explosion of fractured stone, a shower of pebbles and shards raining down across the cavern floor.

The rest pressed forward, ice crunching under their steps as Xanathis froze the floor. Frost coiled up the golems’ legs, slowing them. Ash slammed into one, his polearm butt-spike punching through its head. Another swung heavily; he ducked and countered, his blade smashing chunks from its torso until it collapsed.

“Back!” Xanathis cried. The group retreated as she raised her hand, frost spiraling up her arm in curling tendrils. Her voice cut through the cavern like a blade as she shouted, “Ice Stalagmite!” The ceiling groaned and split with cracking thunder as magic burst outward. Jagged spires of ice tore free, gleaming like spears of crystal, and rained down with cataclysmic force. The first line of golems were skewered through torsos and limbs, several crushed outright beneath the colossal spikes. Shards of stone and ice erupted in all directions, a storm of glittering fragments pelting the cavern walls. The air dropped to a biting chill as a freezing mist rolled outward, coating the floor in frost and leaving the shattered remains of the golems half‑buried in glittering ice.

Four remained, and they rushed at the group with heavy, pounding steps that shook the cavern floor. Ernest braced his shield and fired, the beam roaring out to meet one of the charging constructs. The elemental energy tore through its chest, but not before the golem staggered forward a few more steps, swinging wildly until it finally crumbled into fragments.

Another crashed in, forcing Emma to dive aside before bracing her cannon. She had been charging it to its maximum, the barrel glowing white‑hot with concentrated energy. She fired with a thunderous blast, the recoil echoing through the cavern as the projectile slammed into its head. The golem reeled, staggering back and staggering back as cracks spread across the wound as cracks spider‑webbed across its head. A second later, the head burst apart, shards exploding outward as a cascade of stone fragments and pebbles rained down around her.

Karna’s eyes narrowed as she drew deeply on her mana, the greaves she wore resonating faintly as they manifested fully onto her legs. The ground around her feet quaked as frost spiraled outward in a chilling gust, the very air hissing as it froze. She spun into a whirling kick, the magic igniting along her leg as a blade of ice erupted outward, slicing a golem cleanly in half. Shards of frozen mist hung in the air where it fell.

She landed lightly, her breath forming steam as she focused again. The cavern air swirled violently as raw mana rushed into her legs, dust and loose stones lifting from the floor under the pressure. Her skin tingled with the surge of power, her breath misting as the temperature around her plummeted. The last golem raised both arms high, ready to crush her beneath them like falling slabs of stone. Instead of retreating, Karna dashed forward, sliding between the descending arms and hurling herself upward into its guard. Her flying knee strike slammed into its abdomen, frost detonating outward in a bloom of ice crystals that burst through its chest. Before the golem could collapse, she kicked off the golem’s abdomen, twisting midair as her greaves flashed and she unleashed a final strike—a flip‑kick that sent a crescent of compressed air ripping free, shearing the golem in two with a resounding crack.

The group slumped to the ground, gasping from the relentless clash. Weapons smoked, mana reserves drained.

The rubble stirred again, pieces floating into the air as if to reform. The group groaned, pushing back to their feet, annoyance written on their faces. But the fragments collapsed suddenly, clattering uselessly to the ground. The door’s gems flickered and went dark—the trap had burned itself out.

Relief swept through the group as they finally allowed themselves to rest.

Several minutes passed as the group settled down besides the cavern walls, catching their breath and letting the tension bleed away. Weapons were set aside, armor loosened, and the dim mana lights along the cavern walls flickered weakly, casting uneven shadows in the heavy silence. Only when they had grown a little more comfortable, the dust of battle finally drifting down and their mana and stamina slowly returning, did Emma’s curiosity turn toward Karna.

“Karna,” she asked softly, still panting from exertion, “I noticed something while we were fighting. You cast your spells differently than Xanathis. You always channel them through your hands or feet and stay up close, but Xanathis casts hers from range. Is there a reason why?”

Karna exhaled slowly, eyes dropping to her gauntlets. “It’s a bad trait I inherited from my father. I can’t project my spells outward like others can. My magic only extends a few inches from my body, so I usually form the spells directly on myself. When I make contact with a target, I fully activate the spell. Or, I shape the magic on my body and use imagination to turn it into weapons.”

Ernest leaned forward, interest flickering in his eyes. “So what elements can you wield? From what I’ve heard, most mages can only manage two affinities at most.”

Karna shook her head. “That’s a lie—it’s just rare to have more than two. I’m one in a million. My elemental affinities are earth, fire, water, wind, and ice.”

Ernest gave a low whistle. “Five affinities… that’s incredible. I can only imagine what kind of monster you’d be if you could project them at range.”

Karna hesitated, then added, “There’s still a chance. If I can reach my mother’s birthplace, there’s supposedly a machine there that can fully open my mana pathways. If I can use it, maybe I’ll finally be able to project my spells.”

Emma tilted her head, curiosity sharpening. “Your parents’ birthplace? If a machine like that exists, why don’t they use it themselves to fight RUIN?”

Karna tried to summon the image of her parents’ faces but couldn’t. Her mind strained to recall their voices, their touch—yet every memory blurred like fog. Her expression sank, and her voice trembled. “I… I can’t remember. Most of my past is a haze. The harder I try, the more it slips away.”

Emma’s eyes widened with regret. “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean—”

Karna cut her off, shaking her head firmly. “It’s fine. The fog clouding my memories will fade one day.”

While they spoke, Ash sat apart, quietly sorting his remaining orbs. Lumin drifted around him like a soft wisp of light.

Xanathis snuck up behind him, leaning close enough that her breath brushed his ear. She sniffed once, twice, then whispered, “I checked the entrance. The beastmen aren’t trying to dig through, so our backs are safe. We only need to worry about what lies ahead.”

Ash’s brow twitched. “You’re a little too close.”

“Of course I am,” Xanathis replied with a sly smile. She inhaled deeply again, her nose brushing his shoulder. “You seem so relaxed. Is it because of that little ball of light?”

“Yes,” Ash admitted quietly. “I always feel at ease when Lumin is nearby.”

Xanathis narrowed her eyes at the wisp, trying to sense it. “That may be one of your affinities then. Close your eyes. Relax. Feel the connection with Lumin—feel its light.”

Ash nodded, gesturing Lumin closer. He closed his eyes, letting the glow wash over him. As he concentrated, he felt not only Lumin’s radiance, but something else—power seemed to hum all around him. Confused, he whispered, “I feel its light… but I also sense power everywhere, not just from Lumin.”

“Then you likely have darkness as well,” Xanathis murmured.

Ash’s eyes opened. “Is that good?”

“Both light and darkness are powerful,” she said. “But they are opposites. Combining them will be difficult. If you succeed, though… your magic will be powerful.”

Ash frowned thoughtfully. “Strange. I thought discovering affinities took longer. But now that I notice them, it feels… natural.”

Xanathis circled around him, taking his arm gently in her hands. Her finger traced down the length of his forearm as she spoke. “When I first met you, I thought you were a half-breed like me. But that isn’t right. You’re something rarer.” She stopped on the blackened skin of his arm. “This dark skin… it carries with it a faint but clear power of darkness, untainted and pure, unlike the muddled essence I smell in demi‑humans.” Her hand slid slowly along until she touched the pale‑lined portion. “And this white part… it gives off its own faint aura, a delicate but undeniable traces of light. I can sense it distinctly here,” and I’ve only sensed something similar once before—in your daughter.” Finally she cupped his face, her eyes searching his. “And then there’s the human side. But even that… it doesn’t smell like the humans of this world. It’s different. All these unique, pure scents—they make you intoxicating to me.” Her lips lingered closer as her face drifted toward his.

A sharp cough interrupted them.

“Uhhhm…” Karna cleared her throat, ears burning red.

Xanathis’s ears twitched in irritation as she shot Karna an annoyed look.

Karna raised a brow. “Trying to seduce him already? You’ve known him only a few days. Don’t make me tell Iris.”

Xanathis smirked. “It will happen eventually. I won’t let him get away.”

Karna rolled her eyes and quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, we’re all recovered. We’re ready whenever you are.” She turned back to Ernest and Emma.

Then, looking back at Ash, she added more softly, “Sorry. Instincts kicked in—I got sidetracked. But yes… it’s because of your special body that sensing your affinity comes easier to you. That’s a blessing.”

Ash gave a quiet nod.

Xanathis stood, brushing off dust. “Then let’s get moving.” She glanced over her shoulder at him with a mischievous wink before strolling toward the others.

Ash sighed inwardly, already imagining the chaos Iris would unleash when she inevitably heard about this from Karna. He tucked his orbs back into his pouch, stood, and rejoined the group, still focusing on the subtle pull of the elements around him.