Chapter 4.17 - Rulend - The Stone Ruins

After walking for about half an hour from the school, we finally reached our destination. The Stone Ruin. This place used to have a name but it was completely forgotten by the time we were born. It was only called The Stone Ruin today. The place looked like an abandoned castle. Vines growing out everywhere at the ruin. From the rooftop to the pillars and even the flooring were covered with moss.

"This place looked ancient."

Asia Mercury, one of the members of Team Supernova that decided to join our squad momentarily tries to describe the whole area. To which then, another one of Supernova member replied,

"I don't get it. Why do we have to help Team Stardust with treasure hunting?"

Sally Mahogany was displeased of Team Stardust apparently. Her cousin, Rose Lindow then answered for her,

"Rika told us that she'll be busy with Fitz for a while. She even said that she owed Team Stardust. So this is like returning a favor."

"Why would we return the favor when she's the one who's suppose to do that. What's so important that she can't even join us then?"

Sally sulked. Rose tried calm her down but she was then pushed away by Sally. Having noticing all of that, I intervened.

"Can we just get this thing done? The sooner we possess the Runix Cube. The sooner you guys can return to whatever you were doing."

"He's right, Sally. You should calm down for now. This is only temporary."

Asia successfully calmed her down after Sally gave a huge sigh of displeasure. It seems that for some odd reason, Sally really despise Stardust. What have we ever done to her?

Then, we finally came to a stop once we reached the entrance of The Stone Ruin. Two path was visible. The obligatory entrance and the exterior stairway that lead to somewhere above. Looks like we have to split up.

"Alright then, we have to split up. Zone...what do you think?"

Zone then replied, "I'll be joining you for today. Are you fine with that?"

"...alright then. Asia and Sally, you two with me as well. Hosuke, you lead the other.

"Alright, Rulend" nodded Hosuke.

As all four of us finally stepped into the entrance of the ruin, an earthquake suddenly shook the whole area. Rocks from the ceiling started to fall apart, we took cover under a desk that we saw. Once the dust has been settled, we found out that the exit has been blocked by the falling rocks.

"Great. Just great. This is another reason I don't want to help Stardust." Sally was definitely not happy.

Asia then scolded her, "Sally, can't you please be more concerning of the situation?"

Sally was scolded by her cousin. At the same time as well, Zone laughed a little.

I decided to ask him why he laughed, "What is wrong, Zone?"

"Oh it's nothing crucial. It's just the fact of how unlucky your choices are. You haven't even considered the manpower you got in this split. Meanwhile, Hosuke and the others are probably pressing through the castle with ease especially when most of them are combat type wizards."

"We're not doing this right now, Zone. We need to find the Runix Cube."

"Fine, fine. I hear you. Just don't get mad if I messed up. It was your decision to accept me."

I don't really understand what was going on in his head. I thought that accepting whatever he said would make him more understandable toward me. Even after I helped for a bunch of times for the past 4 years, he haven't changed one bit. I just wanted him to see the light and not be such a corrupt person. Is it that hard for you to be a decent person, Zone? But I digress, we got a whole lot of different stuff that we need to attend to right now and worrying about correcting a person is not on the top of the list.

"Do you think Rose will be fine, Rulend?"

Asia asked me. I turned toward her and confidently said,

"She'll be fine. It's not like she's a supporting type wizard, right?"

Asia grinned, showing a sign of agreement when she considered of her cousin's abilities.

"Let's get moving."

Zone lead the way and brought us to an empty hall filled with creepy statues around it. This place looks a bit...weird. I'm feeling some Infinitum energies nearby but I'm not quite sure if it was either Hosuke and the others or something near us...It was until Sally notices something.

"Does this statue looked familiar to you guys?"

"What do you mean, cousin?"

"I don't know...It awfully looked...real."

Upon closer inspection of one of the statue, I noticed that the statue looked like a monster. Especially when it has the features of a horn and a wing. And it looks like Zone knows what it was,

"This is a statue of a Gargoyle."

"A Gargoyle? Wow. It looks as scary as both Rika and Fitz when they are angry." Sally immediately joked about her other cousin that weren't here.

"Sally..."

"What? I'm trying to lighten up the mood, Asia"

Suddenly, I interrupted them and said, "Hold on, guys."

I got a bad feeling about this. Something was definitely not right.

"Sally...you said these statue looked...real, right?" I started to be more cautious than before.

"Um...yes?"

The moment we finally come to a realization was when the Gargoyles started to ambush us. A Stone Gargoyle...what else can it be? Some of the gargoyles seemed to be holding a long axe. There were also halberds as well. But most of them were barehanded. Even so, we still have to be cautious of them, those guys have sharp claws that could rip our skin to shreds.

One of the gargoyle started to shriek loudly that we could even see the soundwave approaching us. Asia immediately grabbed Sally away from them.

Asia then said to Sally, "Sally, you should take cover. Your ability won't work around here."

"What about yours? Even your ability requires a certain situation."

"That's when you are wrong. Haz who was on the squad gave me this."

Asia displayed a bottle that was apparently filled with these 'bullets'. Even I wondered what was it.

"What are those, Asia?" wondered Sally.

"The bullet? This thing is a compressed aluminum. I'm not really sure how much of aluminum was compressed for each bullet but one thing is for sure...with my ability Gravitational Bomb, I can shoot these things and stick it to the gargoyles."

"And then what, cousin?"

"Watch and learn. This is what you call the power of gravity."

Asia shoots out several numbers of bullets by using her finger and it successfully stuck to the gargoyles thanks to its body that was entirely made out of stone. Asia then opened her right hand and moved it in front of her. She smiled a little and closed her hand tightly. The gargoyles was then blown up into pieces in a massive explosion caused by the over-compression of the aluminum-compressed bullet. It's blast radius was relatively big. Thankfully, Sally brought us to a safe distance away from the explosion. Asia on the other hand...

"Oh great... She got caught in the blast as well."

All the gargoyles was crumbled into pieces but Asia end up collapsing to the ground from sacrificing herself against the gargoyles.

"What were you thinking, Asia?" I asked her.

"Sorry about that, Rulend. I'm just doing what I always do. Taking care of the enemy. All three of you are not combat-type wizards. It's my job to handle them."

Zone then barges in and said, "What a madman you are, Asia Mercury. It would be better if you joined the gargoyles as well. But now we have to carry you around. You're just going to slow us down."

"Zone! Can you please be more considerate about her?"

I came face to face with Zone.

"What? I was just stating the obvious. She's just going to be a burden after this. We can't keep dragging her lifeless body around this huge place."

"I've had enough of you, Zone. You have shunned and graced me for the last time, Zone Helmine."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that, Rulend Soft!"

For some reason, I think I saw Zone's eye was glowing purple for a few seconds ago. But it was just that. A few seconds. I don't really understand what was happening. But I also got the feeling that my vision was all purple for a few seconds as well. Now I'm not so sure if it was my vision or Zone's eyes that was purple...

The earth began to shake once again, only this time the pieces of stone that was left behind by the gargoyles started to combine with each other. It slowly formed into a large humanoid monster. During that time as well, Sally was looking around while holding her cousin in her hand. She seemed to notice something but I haven't got the time to concentrate on her especially when Zone and now the huge monster started to make a bigger mess for all of us.

"Well, well, well. Look what we got here, Rulend." Zone casually walks away from me.

"What is it?"

The humanoid monster had a stone crown. Its eyelid slowly opens to reveal a purple eye glowing.

"That's a Stone Golem. Like it or not, we have to settle our matter for another time, Rulend..."

TO BE CONTINUED