Into The Ruins

As far as Arthur could remember, the Ruins he was in was one of the least known locations in Morpheus Online.

There were several reasons for it too. The first being the fact that it was in an area that not many would be able to reach. Then there was the fact that one needed to know that a ruin like that existed in the first place.

If one didn't know that, they might not even think about coming this deep into the forest. They would end up facing a large number of enemies that might tire them out leading to them being killed.

One might think that the enemies here were only high leveled, thus one could grind a few levels before coming back. But that didn't work either, as one would need to be level ten or above to actually be able to fight the enemies here on an equal level.

Of course, by that point, they were already qualified enough to leave the newbie village.

The desire to obtain their first class as intense and there was no way they would delay in obtaining one. This led to barely anyone exploring the northern forest of the Kestrel Village.

'If not for all these factors, I wouldn't have this advantage either…' Arthur thought to himself.

He observed the ruins carefully, ensuring that there were no enemies hiding in plain sight.

"Let's take a look…" Arthur stepped into the boundary of the ruins, triggering the Quest notification again.

>Quest Updated!<

>You've discovered the ruins in the Northern Forest. Uncover the secrets within and obtain appropriate rewards<

"Being vague, huh… Definitely more than one thing here." Arthur muttered to himself as he started to explore.

As Arthur explored the ruins, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sheer magnitude of the place.

Everywhere he looked, there were signs of ancient magic and long-forgotten rituals. From the elaborate carvings adorning the walls to the strange mottled runes etched into the stone floors, the temple was a testament to a bygone era of myth and legend.

But as he delved deeper into the ruins, Arthur began to sense a palpable sense of danger. The air grew thick with the scent of decay and the sounds of rustling underbrush grew louder. He realized that he was not alone in these ancient halls, and that something sinister may be lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.

Arthur drew out his Black Tear Short Sword, holding it firmly in his hand.

"This has been silent for a while now…" Arthur muttered, his eyes sharply scanning everything.

A scraping sound could be heard in the next moment, as a strange being jumped out from the shadows.

CLANG!

Sparks flew from the collision, as Arthur was pushed back. Faint sunlight fell from the missing parts of the roof, illuminating a part of the corridor, allowing him to finally see the creature.

"So this is the guardian." Arthur muttered, before using the Inspect Skill.

>Inspect Successful<

——

Target: Kestrel Ruins Guardian (Hound)

Rank: Uncommon

Level: 6

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

——

In front of him was a creature that looked like a mix of a dog and rocks. Its body had hundreds of granite like stones longed in it, while its dark green eyes glowed within them.

Its claws were like that of polished rock, and reflected the scattered sunlight when it fell on it.

The strange creature growled at Arthur, as if telling him that he had intruded on its territory.

DENG!

But Arthur didn't give it any time to linger and attacked first. His sword struck the rock like surface of the beast, letting out more sparks.

[0% Damage]

"This will be difficult. I need to find the weak point." Arthur knew that the beast's defense was too high.

Plus with the weapon that he had, he wouldn't be able to deal much damage unless he targeted the beast's vulnerabilities.

Arthur circled around the beast, while it lunged at him, trying to glance at its weakness.

The beast didn't wait either and attacked Arthur, unleashing its claws and fangs against him. Arthur tried his best to parry or deflect most of the attacks, but a few still managed to get to him.

[-10% HP]

[-12% HP]

"Ugh… My armor is not enough for it." Arthur glanced at his armor that was already damaged.

Even though he had only bought it recently, it was already damaged.

<Equipment>

——

Chest Armor: 1. Hemp Shirt [Clothes]

[Defense: 1] [Durability: 76/100]

2. Bull Leather Chest Armor [Armor]

[Defense: 10] [Durability: 72/100]

——

It was only his chest armor that was damaged for now, along with his body but he knew that if he let this go on for too long, he would be unable to last.

"There!" But as he was fighting the beast, he finally saw what he was searching for.

A dark red patch could be seen in the center of the beast's chest.

Without hesitation, Arthur lunged forward, his blade aimed at the beast's chest. The creature was quick to react, dodging his attack and swiping at him with its sharp claws.

Arthur narrowly avoided the attack and parried with his sword, striking the beast's side with a glancing blow.

'Need to distract it to make an opening…' He thought, while his mind moved like lightning.

The creature howled in pain, but it wasn't deterred. It charged at Arthur, slamming into him with the force of a battering ram. Arthur stumbled backward, nearly losing his footing on the uneven terrain.

[Critical Damage! Player Arthur's HP has fallen below 50%]

[-30% HP!]

"Shit!" Arthur cursed but didn't lose focus.

With a quick recovery, Arthur struck back with his sword, aiming for the creature's head. The beast dodged again, but Arthur was prepared. He faked a thrust, causing the beast to move to the side, before spinning around and striking it on the other side.

It caused the rock covered beast to lose its footing this time, allowing Arthur to strike true.

[Critical hit!]

[Fatal hit!]

[-100% HP]

With the short sword piercing its chest, the rock beast's eyes dimmed and it turned into fragments!

Crumble!