Chapter 25: Dyú Gulch

9 hours before the dungeon

The clone made it's way through the forest while killing Beasts and Monsters alike, farming for system points and exp that'd be converted into Chakra just like he had been asked to. He avoided Humans as he had overhead a group describe him with his mask, saying something about an inheritance or legacy.

He made a bee line before bumping into a group of bandits, who then proceeded to try and rob him. of course without much of a problem he dispatched all of them before looting their cold corpse. while performing this action he soon found a Map drawn on an old beast skin, it wasn't too detailed considering how old it looked but it was enough for him to understand.

Apparently, the Bandits seemed to have attempted to find the treasure but happened to have been chased back by something. Then they spotted the Clone and decided to vent their anger on him but ended up losing their lives instead.

After sorting through the loot, He began tracing the Bandit's footsteps towards the direction they came

as they didn't have the to cover their tracks.

(A/N:Play SASUKE theme-hyouhaku kokuten- Naruto shippuden)

Soon he found an abandoned mining village and He approached it with caution, Immediately he noticed how old and abandoned everything looked. A gust of dry wind blew through the maze of ancient houses where windows have long shattered in the weakness of their structures and rotting boards, some broken, others hanging try to cover the empty eyes of every abandoned home. Doors hang on the few threads of their hinges and groan with pain at every sway.

 It had less charm than a graveyard, at least those are places built out of sentimentality and love. obviously This was a place built by greed and abandoned without a backwards glance.

"Dyú Gulch" was the Name, as stated on the beast skin. It was the home of this said treasure and now it's his for the taking.

As he quietly observed the surrounding areas, a "snap" sound broke the eerie silence and put him on high alert. The clone then continued on his quest to find the treasure as he didn't notice anything but he still remained cautious.

After a few more steps, he found an ancient looking alter with several bones of different shapes and sizes littered above it, While a funnel like hole flowed into the base of the alter like it was meant to feed something. after inspecting it, he noticed That although it was dried up, The Blood of the above people must have been used to Resurect something sinister.

He also Noticed that whatever was in there, broke out and killed the Surrounding people that seemed to have been watching, judging by the way the bones were littered across the immediate vicinity. Curious, He started to investigate more seriously.

Even though this was called a village, it looked more like a monster den, Abruptly, a chill rose up his spine making him shiver. Something was here with him and he could feel it.

the clone whipped around trying to find this hidden enemy as Sounds of hushed whispering seemed to be erupting and spilling from the Alter walls.

"Humph petty tricks ," he thought to himself as he noticed a silhouette in the midst of overgrown weeds, It had Ash colored skin with eyes that glowed red, a blue hazy aura circled around it. it's body was quivering, shaking, trembling but somehow it's eyes were still focused on him.

The creature snarled, exposing a row of yellow fangs before charging in a frenzied manner.

ROOOOOAAAAAARRR!!!

An incredibly loud roar sounded out, as The creature changed and became twice the size it originally was before it rushed out – this was most likely the creature that escaped and massacred this village.

The clone narrowed his eyes and slashed out with his Kunai as he infused Chakra into it.The Creature quickly moved it's head in a different trajectory, Showing that it was quick on it's feet. The creature used its sharp claws to swipe at the air, sending out an air blade but the Clone had already increased the distance between them, the moment he missed.

Bang!!

An explosion sounded out as the air blade collided with the Floor before forming a Dome as the Air Force moved violently in a spiralling motion. The immediate vicinity was instantly destroyed by the air blade.

Seeing it missed, it once again mustered its strength to attack but the Clone had already begun his counter attack as he Dashed at the monster while performing hand signs < Hitoshizeru Bakuhatsu No Jutsu (Hidden Explosion Technique)>.

Boom!!!

Rotating his Chakra within his body, Smoke and Several Floor tiles around the alter immediately got shattered with several debris being pushed into the air. This masked his actual location, sending the Creature into confusion.

"Ninpou Kawara Shuriken (Roof Tile Shuriken Technique)" Thought the Clone as it preformed another jutsu, all the shattered floor tiles stabbed into the creature like shurikens...

PUCHI!! PUCHI! PU!...

it used its hands to defend it's vitals, but it was still forced back 5 or 6 steps. The clone or "Haru" noticed that it had used it's right hand to cover the entirety of it's Heart.

"Ho? " Haru thought with raised eyebrows behind the mask.

He the shot forwards and sent his Chakra into the Kunai he held in both hands like daggers, causing it to give off a sharp, silver light. The Creature raised its sharp claws, slashing towards "Haru", but He swung The Kunai diagonally, cutting the Creatures arm off.

The Creature roared in pain, and used its other claw to swipe at him but he did not dodge or retreat, and instead rushed forwards and stabbed the kunai towards the Creature with both hands.

Chi!

The Kunai easily pierced through the creature's heart, and it fell to the ground, and An Orb made out of chakra was absorbed by Haru. This is the effect of the item he had bought earlier.

After killing the Creature, "Haru" walked towards the Area he saw the creature and found a dried trail of Blood that was lead him to the Mines.

Soon He found rows of Bones arranged in a spiral shape and at the center of it laid a skull with a Ruby embedded in it's forehead.

A formless shockwave rippled out into the surrounding in a certain rhythm as he approached it cautiously. Clearly someone had used this village for something and it all went south in the end.

But "Haru" felt quite surprised – he felt that as long as he could pick up that Ruby, He would gain something very important. This was an unexpected surprise...

But the question was whether the surprise is good or bad.

"Haru" snuck over and as he approached the skull, nothing still happened, he touched the ruby embedded on it and still nothing happened. He did it for close to three times before confidently pulling out the Ruby but then...

Clang!

The sound of Broken chains Echoed in the air forcing him to scowl as this wasn't a good sign.

A few seconds later, a small wooden hut appeared before him from nowhere. This hut was worn down by years of disrepair, giving it a very aged look about it.

"hmm? it popped up from where the treasure is located on the Map." "Haru" thought cautiously.

Choosing to ignore everything else, he walked straight up to the wooden hut and entered.

once he entered, he didn't see the interior of a hut but instead a forest laid before his eyes. the initial high humidity Upon entering the hut and the scent of mould gone!...

Black lines covered "Haru's" forehead. Who would have thought that it was some kind of formation used for teleportation or transportation.

With the conviction that 'something was always better than nothing', "Haru" looked behind and as expected, No Hut.

with a sigh, he began exploring the Surrounding areas for clues.

but At this moment, a dazzling beam of light suddenly shot out from a distance startling countless birds in the forest.

Like his butt was on fire, "Haru" dashed in that direction as he either dodged trees or jumped from Brach to Branch.

Screeeee...

Screeeeeeeech!

spectral shaped creatures hiding in the Shadows made their presence known as they screeched after him. While running towards the light and watching this things cautiously, they Surprisingly weren't after him, it was more like they were rejoicing and leading him there.

Soon He could see a cave ahead with the light from earlier slowly dimming out, with a hint of happiness within his Voice he said. [Found it.]

The Cave laid at the base of a cliff, "Haru" cautiously inspected the Rocky mouth and Body as he followed the receding light. at the end of the path was another cliff leading down and a rocky wall facing him on the other Side.

[Obviously I'm supposed to go down there...but... ] "Haru" said as he began thinking aloud.

[haa...]

with another Sigh, he jumped without hesitation and kicked off the Rocky wall with chakra infused within his legs, When he was close to the cliff wall, he repeated the same thing till he found a rhythm which he continued to perform till he got to the bottom.

What greeted him was a twisted Rocky entrance. a grand fallen temple in a gloomy marsh laid majestically within.