-Chapter 26- The Ruins

Arthur Leywin P.O.V.

I woke up laying on a bed, what had happened? Last I remembered I was falling down a really deep ravine. Did someone save me? How? I was falling hundreds of feet. Even if someone found me I would just be splatter on the ground.

I get up and look around, the room I was in looked barely used, hell it didn't look like it was used for hundreds of years. There was dust everywhere and the walls were either breaking down or on their last leg before crumbling to the ground.

I wander around the house trying to find the person who had saved me, "Hello? Anyone there?" I yell to try and get the attention of anyone around.

The house looked the same as the room, old and broken down. The architecture was old and didn't even look like it was from the same century as places in Sapin.

Upon finding no one around I go back to the room to see if I had missed something, I look around for a note or something the person who had saved me might have left behind.

Finding nothing I decide to look around more and I check the closet, there I find a small chest of items, opening it I look around and find an assortment of items. Things like clothing items, figurines, and some jewelry. Taking a look at the figurines I notice something peculiar, they look like people I know.

I pick up the first one I see and investigate its features, it... it looks like Ellie... startled I pick up another and look at it. This one was me! I go through the entire box and take out all the figurines. There was Ellie, me, and Kathyln. The rest were people I didn't recognize, there was a boy with glasses and an elf girl. The rest were confusing because they didn't look human or were humans with strange features. There was a large dragon with runes all over their body, a small girl with horns, a man with elk-like antlers, a young man with white hair and purple eyes, a girl with purple hair and horns on the side their head.

Who are all these people? Were they people I would soon meet? Or were they important somehow? Confused, I placed down the figurines and took my mind off of them.

I look down at my clothes and realize they are all tattered and torn with blood stains of mana beasts all over. I decided to change into the clothes in the box, there were strange markings in the clothes but they didn't emit any mana so I didn't question them further than just a design choice.

There was also a lot of jewelry in the box, roaming through it may be to find something interesting, I found a ring with runes inscribed on it. Could this be a dimension ring? I put it on my finger and put mana into it, I store the figurines inside the ring.

Amazed, I go back to the box of jewelry looking around to try and find more dimension rings. Like a madman, I try to put mana into several different jewelry items to hope that at least one of them is also a dimension ring. Finding nothing that will react to mana, I give up and leave the room. It had nothing left in there so I decided to adventure around outside of the house.

The outside wasn't any better than inside the house, the buildings and houses in this small village were broken down or just barely still standing. There was no sign of any life at all living in this town. If there was no one here then who saved me? Looking up to see why it was so dark I realized that I was still underground. This entire town was built underneath that dungeon. Dwarves couldn't do that due to the looming danger of the mana beasts right above them. Could this be the work of the Ancient Mages?

I looked around for more clues on who or what exactly lived in this town, I soon found what looked like a small military base. Were they at war? Or was this just in case since this town does look to be hidden underground for a reason? I walk over to the base and look within, there I find more deteriorated walls and broken down decorations. I wander around inside the base trying to find something or someone.

The entire town gave off a feeling of dread, it felt cold everywhere I went as if I was haunted by some kind of spirit of this Ancient City. It also felt like it was guiding me, pointing me in the right direction to find what I needed to do.

It felt like it was pointing me in the direction of some kind of side room. I turned the handle to the door but the door hinges snap when I try to open it making the door just fall to the ground, That works... I entered the room and there I saw it was a small living quarter for one person. I see a bag on their bed, it was packed as if they were getting ready to leave. Would they mind if I looked through their stuff? They are probably dead so what does it matter? I shrug at my thoughts and walk over to the bag and open it.

Inside the bag was more clothing but it was for an adult male this time, besides that and some rations that were no longer edible I found a big black stick. It sort of looked like a staff or walking stick. I took it out of the bag to learn that it was too heavy to be some kind of walking stick or staff. Is this a sword? Looking closer I find the separation for the handle, gripping both ends I pull out the blade of the sword. I was amazed to see what had come out. It was a thin blade and was built well, but that's not what amazed me. It was the design of the blade. The blade was a translucent purple color that shimmered in the light. It looked like it had two layers, the first and outer layer was solid and had a translucent glass-like purple blade, and the first layer looked thin. The inner layer was different, It looked alive and moved around as if it refused to have a shape. It looked like some kind of liquid substance was inside the sword and when it reached the outside it hardened into what made up the first layer.

I swung it around a few times and got a feel for it, it was slightly too big for me but this would be a great weapon for the future. I started moving mana into it when suddenly it began to shine a deep purple, the glow began to touch my skin as it then coated my entire arm. Then suddenly it shocked my hand forcing me to drop the blade to the ground in surprise.

Looking at it on the ground it began to shake violently as it then grew smaller. Once it had finished shaking I picked it up and learned that it now fitted my size. Did it readjust itself to suit my preferences?

Curious I placed mana into it again and it began to shine like before although not as bright, it glowed a dim purple and it then began to coat my arm again. That's cool, is this serving as some kind of arm protector?

I then begin to test it as I did with my other swords, I begin to move elemental magic into them to test its limits. First fire, no changes, then water, no changes, now for wind. That's when it surprised me. This thing can handle three elements at once, wait... don't tell me... I then begin to move earth magic into the blade as well.

It's not breaking! It's withstanding all four elements! Not even the rapier Kaspian gave me could do that! My surprise was cut short when suddenly the glow on my arm began to sink into my skin and soon my skin became purple like the blade of the sword. Excuse me? What the hell?

I stopped moving all four elements into the sword and my purple skin began to turn back to its original color. How does the sword do that, and why? All these questions that were forming in my head I knew couldn't be answered right away so I knew I had to do some testing at a later date.

I put the sword into its sheath and put it into my newly acquired dimension ring,

(*Legend of Zelda theme plays* You found a sword!)

I leave the base and look around again, I look around and find exactly what I was looking for, a library. This is where I can most likely find the answers I'm looking for. I head inside and grab a book and open it... Fuck.

Every single word is written in the runic language, which of course I can't read. Pissed off I kick the counter and end up breaking a large hole into the side of it. That shows how old this place was, I didn't even use mana in that kick.

Still, though I look around trying to find something that is in the language I could read, I end up finding nothing. So in the end I just grab a bunch of books and scrolls and pocket them into my dimension ring. Maybe it could be useful later.

While stealing- I mean borrowing the books I feel a cold sensation crawl up my back making me shiver.

"Descendant~" I hear echoing through the town. Right, I forgot about the damn haunted town you'd find in the average horror story. This reminded me of those dumb horror stories Nico would read to try and impress Cecilia to show he wasn't a coward.

I disliked thinking back to those moments in my past life but I couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the dumb memories of when I was with them both. But it seemed the voice of horrors decided that it didn't like me reminiscing on the past and called out to me again.

"Descendant~"

"Yeah yeah, I heard you." I begin walking towards where the voice was leading me expecting to be met by some cringy outdated jumpscare.

I follow it across the entire town till it leads me to a big door. It stood over 30 feet tall and the entire thing was made of metal. All across the door were runes are written all over almost looking like graffiti.

"Descendant~" the voice called out again.

I sigh as I open the ridiculously large door, I should be more scared but I don't feel any danger.

Opening the door led to a large dark room, as I walked in the doors shut closed behind me as the entire room was engulfed in darkness.

Then the voice began to speak more.

"Don't use mana here Descendant,"

Why were they calling me descendant? Did my family tree connect to the Ancient mages? I listen to the voice and I don't use mana.

"Step up to the platform,"

I couldn't see anything inside this room so I just walked forward enough till I felt my foot kick a higher elevated stage. I stepped onto that assuming it was the platform. Now what?

The voice didn't say anything more, it was silent. Eventually what the voice had wanted soon began and whatever it was it started doing something. I felt a warm energy flow into my body from beneath me, as the warm energy flowed into my body. I then felt weak as my legs gave out from underneath me and I fell to my knees. I felt something burning on my arm, it was excruciatingly painful as my arm felt like it was on fire. Suddenly a light began to shine, not from any lamp or crystal as a light source.

It was only for a second but I saw purple particles floating around in the air, they glowed and gave off a light that allowed me to see for the short moment I could see them before they disappeared.

Suddenly the pain stopped as I regained strength in my body. I wanted to check on my arm but without light, I wouldn't be able to see anything.

"Descendant, escape through the portal, this town will be collapsing. Heed my instructions, find more of our cities and learn the truth. Learn the truth behind it all."

I was about to ask what portal but then suddenly on the far side of the room I see a teleportation gate light up. At that moment I can hear from behind me the town crumbling down and rubble from above falling and burying the town underneath. I ran to the portal before it could reach me. Running through the portal I was met with a sensation I had felt once before.