It was huge.
That was the first thought which appeared in my brain when I entered inside the ruin.
It was simply massive.
But the entrance or the place where we were currently was in shambles.
It was given since this ruin has been here for so long, it might even exceed centuries.
Those 4 people were nowhere to be seen. They must have ventured further inside.
I can see some monsters corpses lying on the ground nearby.
Well, it saves me the trouble of fighting them.
But now, it raises a question inside me, how did I survive when I came here the first time?
I was completely powerless, even a low rank 1 beast child could have killed me back then.
"This... it hurts."
Then suddenly, a pained voice sounded from my back. I instantly looked at her, only to find Vaelora grasping her clothes near her chest.
"Is it your heart?" I asked.
"Y-yes..." Her voice was breaking, and within seconds, she was covered with swear all over her body.
You owe me this one, lizard.
I placed my hand on her head, scanning her body.
It didn't take me long to find what was the issue with her.
Her demonic heart was beating faster, much faster than what it should have been.
It was actually resonating with what's in this ruin.
That dead dragon might be doing something with her.
I covered her with my mana and calmed her heart. She felr relieved soon.
"It won't be long before you feel it again, so try to not move too much."
Saying that I turned away and walked further.
She stayed behind for a while and gazed at me blankly.
Her small hands released her clutch on her clothes. Her tiny eyes gleamed with a different light.
For the frist time, beside her father and mother, someone else has shown care for her.
Even though it wasn't anything from my part, but for her, it was different.
Her heart beat again, faster at that. But this time there was no pain neither it was done by someone else.
It was different.
So different that her small age wasn't enough to describe this feeling of her.
She placed her hands on her head, at the same part where I has placed my hands on.
Unintentionally, a small blush appeared on her face.
She seemed glazed.
Not knowing what this feeling was, she ignored it for now and followed behind me.
Unaware of what was happening behind me, I couldn't tknued to walk forward.
I could sense those 4 engaging in battle just ahead of me.
But more than that, i was attracted by the walls of this ruin.
This ruin looked nothing like a desolated place or a place completely destroyed and the only thing remaining were debris. It looked nothing like that, it was more like a burial place.
Everything here was made with upmost precision, very well crafted.
And especially these walls.
They were inscribed with runes.
Runes are not the medium for only enchantment or using magic without mana, it is also a language.
A language used by gods many years ago.
And these walls were communicating something.
It could be translated as...
Yokoso watashino soul soci- cough, cough.
It wasn't that.
It was actually...
(Absolute... a thing we can only feel but never achieve.)
(Nothing is Absolute in this world. This is a world with imperfections.)
Seems like it was written by someone drunk. What kind of edgy line is even this?
But I kept going forward. These ruins extended as I went ahead.
(Not even death.)
(Ever wondered what is that absolute, that perfection that everyone desires?)
(People are willing to slaughter their own kind, betray their loved ones to reach that edge or the apex called perfection, which will make them complete.)
(But maybe the creator himself did not make us that way. Maybe he wanted us to live this way with imperfections.)
More load of crops.
This doesn't make sense at all. Someone who is saying everything is not complete.
Yeah it isn't, there is nothing that is complete. Everyone knows that.
(Do you know how you can reach that perfection? That even the creator himself refuses to give to you?)
This slightly picked my interest. Did this guy found something?
I read further.
(If you wish to know that, then kill all the others present here.)
(I know you are reading this. I even know you are not alone here.)
Hmm?!
(No need to be alarmed, I am dead already. This is just an assumption mine.)
(Kill them all... the truth requires sacrifice. The supremacy can only be achieved by few. So kill the others.)
What kind of shit is even this? I am disappointed. This guy is really a fool.
The runes were only that much. There was no text further.
But when I looked down, I saw a last runic sentence.
(Greed is good.)
But I didn't react reading that. Till now, i was feeling that all of this might be just non sense.
But at that last part, I felt something. It wasn't merely a simple runic text, it held something else.
I suddenly felt a buzz on my head.
That rune... it wasn't normal.
I had enough willpower to not fall for that, butvthat couldn't be said for others.
The mana i felt, when I thought that those four might be battling a monster was wrong.
They were actually fighting among themselves.
Looking at their facial expressions, I was unsure if they even knew what they were doing.
They looked to be frenzied, and were attacking each other without any reason.
Soon, I realized that the rune held a hypnotic ability. They might have read them too and that last line... it changed them.
They were not giving it their all, trying to kill each other, so they will get the answer for absolute.
"Gggrrrrrrr... bwwwwrrrrrrr..."
Then suddenly, a defeaning roar sounded from the depth of the ruin.
It was the roar of a monster, a very powerful one.
It's mana was immense.
Those 4 who had lost their senses stopped and looked at each other.
They didn't even know why they were fighting with each other.
"Bwwwwrrrrrrr..."
And before they could even get their thoughts together, another roar arrived from that same direction.
All of them became alert, it wasn't a weaker beast at all.
It's mana was equivalent to a beast of rank 8.
Now it was getting problematic for me too. None of us present could fight against a rank 8.
But then an evil... no, a survival instinct kicked inside me.
Using those fools as the bait.
Even if they can't kill it, they can still injure that beast.
I will wait till then.
"What is that sound?" One of them asked, trembling in fear.
He was only a rank 6, when that beast was at rank 8.
"Damn that demon, even after his death, he is still playing tricks on us. Do not read the runic texts now, we do not know what else he has planned." The rank 7 mage said... more like he cursed.
He then continued again,
"Stick together, we might have the chance of killing that beast. I do not think there is another one inside this ruin, it must have killed every other beast. Be in formation and do not be careless, if either one of us dies here, then all of us will die."
True, if either of them dies here, then all of them will die for sure.
As for me, if it comes to it, I will use my domain and kill that beast.
I watched as they carefully went ahead, three of the knights, unsheathed their swords and were fully alert.
The mage began to chant some spells, covering those knights in a red aura.
They walked further, preparing for the battle.
Then suddenly, I felt a pull behind me.
I looked back, to find that Vaelora was pulling my clothes.
"What is it?" I asked.
Her face turned a bit red when I asked her that.
"Are you okay? Feeling that pain again?" I asked.
"N-no..." She turned her gaze away from me, but kept glancing at me frequently.
"What is it? Spell it out." I asked again, slightly annoyed.
She grumped hearing my loud tone and pouted, "I was going to tell you that beast is a dragon, but since you do not know how to talk, I won't do it."
Huh?
"So that beast is a dragon. Thanks for the heads up." I said and turned away from her.
Her face looked confused. I don't know what to call it, childishness or stupidity.
And without looking back at her, I said...
"You are an idiot."
***
Thanks for reading everyone.
I hope you liked this. So comment if you did. From tomorrow, I plan to do 2 chaps per day, the chapters may range from 1000 words to 1500 based on my moods, so bear with it. If you hate the idea of me getting overworked, you can raise your voice out now.
Stay tuned for more fellas...