Begins
The air inside the ruins was thick with ancient magic, and every step Lennon took echoed ominously. The walls were lined with runes that pulsed faintly, their glow illuminating the dark corridors in eerie patterns.
Suddenly, the floor beneath him shifted. Instinctively, Lennon jumped back just as a spike of pure mana erupted from the ground, slicing through the air where he had stood.
"First trap," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Figures it would be immediate."
The ruins were designed to kill. Every corner, every hall, and every chamber was a potential death trap.
Only those with the cunning and strength to navigate these dangers could hope to claim the inheritance.
He pressed forward cautiously, activating his defensive spell, Void Barrier Fortress. The shimmering energy field surrounded him, providing a measure of protection against sudden attacks.
His progress was slow, but deliberate. Each new trap tested his reflexes and magical prowess.
Blades of compressed air, pits filled with corrosive liquid, and glyphs that unleashed torrents of fire--Lennon faced them all.
Hours passed, and Lennon found himself before a massive stone door adorned with intricate carvings. He could feel the powerful barrier sealing the room beyond.
"This must be the first trial guardian," he muttered, stepping forward.
With a flick of his wrist, he activated the door's mechanism. The stone creaked and groaned as it slid open, revealing a towering construct made of dark metal and glowing runes. Its eyes flared with an unnatural light as it sprang to life.
"Third-circle spell: Eclipse
Barrage!" Lennon shouted, unleashing a devastating salvo of void energy. The blasts struck the construct head-on, but it barely staggered.
The construct retaliated with a beam of concentrated mana. Lennon barely managed to evade, the beam grazing his shoulder and searing his flesh.
"This is going to be a long fight." he thought grimly.