Around the same time Liam and Ivan discussed the ancient bloodline, a small team of four high-level investigators approached the new chasm north of the city. Upon reaching the edge of the cliff, they stopped in order to observe the surroundings.
“So, any initial thoughts, Varahmir?” the youngest member of the team asked. His short, blonde hair wavered in the breeze as he leaned over the edge with hands on his hips. With red eyes, he stared at the debris with a sharp gaze that could unnerve even the most powerful of beasts.
The man named Varahmir breathed deeply, his powerful musculature pressing against his leather travel armor. “It doesn’t look natural…” the man muttered. His voice carried the tone of one who once led armies, broken by the shouts and commands of battle. Although his head balded long ago, the age lines on his face displayed just how long he had lived.
“Zavi, you should back away from the edge before you fall over…” the only woman in the group warned, speaking to the young blonde. Wind whipped her auburn hair around while she looked at him with concern visible in her brown eyes.
“Not like I’d get hurt from such a thing,” the young man Zavi replied.
“Can we just get this over with, please?” the fourth member asked while leaning against the nearest tree that had not fallen into the chasm. Hands shoved deep into his pockets, the man stared lifelessly at the crater. The sword at his hip hummed with powerful magic.
“Hah! If your wife is so terrible as to make you like this, how about I remove her for you, Kallex?” Zavi offered, smiling at the man with a sinister glint in his eye.
“Touch her and I slit your throat,” Kallex threatened. Although his gray eyes showed no emotion, the others knew he did not crack jokes.
“He does have a point. We should head down,” Varahmir said.
“I’m first, then!” Zavi replied. Without waiting for affirmation, the young man bounded from the cliff and throttled through the air until he smashed into the rubble a good hundred meters below. Chunks of stone and dust exploded in a circle around him when he landed.
“That kid is going to get into trouble before long with an attitude like that…” the robed woman muttered.
“Can’t agree more, Lady Luna,” Varahmir said. “Hopefully he learns before accidentally jumping into a den of lions.”
“Well, his safety is more your business than mine, but it’s hard not to worry when he reached such heights before turning twenty,” Luna said, sighing.
Stepping between the two, Kallex mumbled, “At least the kid doesn’t stand around talking.” Then, the man hopped over the edge and gracefully slid down the steep slope while keeping his left hand on the silver hilt of his blade.
“Sometimes I wonder what the magistrate was thinking when he formed this team…” Varahmir said. Then, facing Luna, he asked, “Well then, shall we?”
The woman nodded. While Varahmir jumped down in a similar manner to Zavi, the air around Luna crackled with energy and lifted her off the ground. Floating down behind the retired commander, her simple yet elegant black robes fluttered around her. Eventually, she joined the other three at the bottom.
“So, lady,” Zavi spoke before she even touched the ground, “you going to use your special magic?”
“Yes,” she replied, soundlessly landing upon a large stone.
“Well, hurry up, then. We haven’t got all day,” Zavi said, his permanent smile sending shivers down the woman’s spine.
“You aren’t the one in charge, Zavi,” Varahmir scolded. “However, if you will, Lady Luna.”
“Very well. If you could all remain quiet for a few moments, I would appreciate it,” Luna replied.
The three men watched as she sat cross-legged and pressed her palms against the ground in front of her. A translucent purple ring appeared around her and pulsated a few times before expanding rapidly in every direction. The ring passed seamlessly through the bodies of the three men like fog through a sifter before scanning over every loose stone and fallen tree.
Once the ring finished spreading over several hundred meters rubble, it bounced back like a rubber band until it entered the woman’s body. Instantly, the woman coughed and sputtered, spitting blood all over her robes and the ground. She crawled to her hands and knees and coughed blood for several seconds.
“What happened just now?” Varahmir asked, drawing puzzled stares from Zavi and Kallex. “This has never happened before.”
After the short coughing spree on her hands and knees, the woman returned to a sitting position and wiped the blood from her face using her sleeve. Then, gazing weakly at the old soldier, she answered, “It’s a backlash…”
“What kind?” Varahmir worriedly asked.
“It hasn’t happened to me for several years, but it means that whatever caused this was no natural disaster and was far beyond my level. I won’t be able to find out what happened unless I increase my skill level,” Luna answered.
“Aren’t you, what, level eighty-nine or something?” Zavi asked.
“Yes…”
“This just got really annoying…” Kallex muttered, sitting on the nearest lump of debris.
“Annoying isn’t the word I would use,” Varahmir said, scratching his temple. “If even a single person around our level decided to cause harm to the Empire, they would be able to cause massive damage before anyone could stop them. If it’s simply an adventurer that had a tough fight, then there probably won’t be any danger, but if it’s a monster or enemy...”
“Then we find it and kill it,” Zavi said, sneering at the old man. “Why so scared?”
Staring blankly at the young man, Kallex muttered, “If it’s that strong, you’d be wise to take it more seriously, kid.”
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“Since when did I not take a fight seriously?” Zavi retorted.
“Enough. We need to search the place by hand since Lady Luna cannot do it,” Varahmir said, rubbing his eyebrows out of frustration.
Kallex sighed and stood. “Where do you want me, old man?”
“Go search the western edge. Zavi and I will head in the other direction.”
“It’s fine if I go a bit overboard in smashing things, right?” Zavi asked.
“As long as you are far enough away to not bother me,” Varahmir answered, drawing out a frightening chuckle from the young man.
While Kallex ambled away from the group, Varahmir and Zavi headed in the other direction. The old man walked with back straight, full of pride and honor. On the other hand, Zavi skipped along in anticipation of the destruction he would soon cause.
Meanwhile, Luna sighed and stared at the ground. Although she did not tell them the details because she herself did not want to believe it, her skill could, in fact, show her visions of recent events caused by beings several levels higher. Only creatures or people at least fifty levels above her own could cause any sort of backlash, and it only worsened at higher level differences. Among the members of the group, perhaps only Kallex could cause even a small backlash.
“By Sanguis, I pray we haven’t stumbled upon some sort of disaster…”
Then, in order to restore her lost HP and MP, she assumed a meditative position. For now, she would simply have to wait for the others to find something.
Meanwhile, Kallex casually ambled over the piles of rubble. As soon as he figured he had traipsed far enough away from the lady magician, he drew his sword.
“Thanatos, come.”
A subtle laughter echoed from the darksteel blade as a dark miasma began to ooze from the metal. Dark shades of purple and black vapors crawled up the hilt and twirled around his right arm. When the miasma reached his shoulder, it began to expand and solidify, forming an eerie armor. The blade itself molded with his fingers, morphing into sharp claws.
Sighing, Kallex muttered, “Man, I miss the days when you were a normal sword…”
Then, he stabbed the claws into the ground and began flinging debris all over the place. Honestly, he hoped he would not be the first one to find anything.
To the opposite end of the crater, Varahmir and Zavi stood at the edge of another chasm, which happened to be the same one Liam found in the cave system a few days prior just outside the tomb.
“That’s quite deep…” Zavi said, nodding. “I’m not jumping into that one.”
“If I’m not wrong, this is the Pit of Finality,” Varahmir said.
“Never heard of it.”
“It used to be the execution ground of death row prisoners,” Varahmir explained.
“Well, that’s cool, but I think I’ll get to exploring now,” Zavi said, waving off the old soldier’s words. Then, the young man kicked a large stone, knocking it into the pit before wandering off.
Although Varahmir desired to teach the kid some manners, he doubted he would get out of it without injuries. Only Kallex could keep the kid in check, though the man generally avoided such things. Ruing his own weakness in comparison to the child, the old soldier stepped away from the hole, only to stumble a moment later.
The earth rumbled and a low roar echoed deep within the pit. Eyes wide, Varahmir craned his neck in order to look at it. Even Zavi stopped whatever he was doing.
Sounds of crumbling stone could be heard from within the pit one crash at a time, closing in on the surface every second.
A drop of nervous sweat slid down Varahmir’s forehead. If some sort of high-grade creature appeared, then fighting it would be difficult without a healer. Suddenly, Zavi appeared next to him and excitedly asked, “What do you think it is?”
“Whatever it is, we should retreat if possible. We need a healer.”
“The lady over there can use some healing spells, right? It should be enough.”
“Her healing spells are for small wounds,” Varahmir replied. “It probably wouldn’t be enough.”
Rumbling echoes approached quicker and quicker until an enormous scaled appendage crashed into the ground just above the pit. Another followed. Then an enormous head appeared from the abyss. Scales red as blood covered the entirety of the creature’s hide. Four golden horns sprouted from the back of its skull. Matching golden eyes blinked upon greeting the surface. Finally, the monstrosity crawled from the hole, complete with a tail as long as its body. Still staring silently at the two, it cracked open its wings which spread over a fifty meters. Blinking, the creature shuddered, shaking the earth around it.
“Is that… a dragon?” Zavi asked.
“I believe so, kid,” Varagmir hesitantly answered.
The dragon glanced over its surroundings, gazing at each of the four humans from the closest to furthest. Even Kallex had stopped and could easily see the huge creature from several hundred meters away.
“It seems,” the dragon growled, its voice deep and powerful like thunder, “that little upstart left. Ah, to see the blue sky once more!”
“Don’t you dare attack it, Zavi,” Varahmir warned.
“I’m not the type to throw my life away for nothing, old man,” Zavi replied, gazing in awe at the majestic beast of legend.
Peering down at the two men closest to it, the dragon asked, “Are you two actually humans? You are very small.”
“We are,” Varahmir replied, all the while wondering if they would even have the opportunity to return safely and gather a defence force.
“Run along, small ones,” the dragon said. “I am hungry and don’t enjoy eating humans.”
“Were you the one that caused this damage?!” Zavi exclaimed.
“Quiet, you fool,” Varahmir immediately chided.
“Hmm?” the dragon faced the young man. “What’s with your strange mana? Did those other upstarts do something? I suppose you wouldn’t know. Well, I happen to be in a good mood, so I will answer. I slept below the ground until that pebble fell on my head just now. Therefore, look elsewhere for your suspect. Now, I shall take my leave. Goodbye, small ones.”
The dragon flapped its wings, generating powerful gusts of wind that nearly blew the two men from their feet. All they could do was plant their weight and watch the beast slowly lift into the sky and fly away.
“Hey, old man, the old writings said dragons were dumb yet powerful beasts who served ancient demons. I think I kind of doubt that now,” Zavi said while watching the creature disappear among the clouds.
“I couldn’t say,” the old soldier muttered. “I thought dragons died out long ago.”
“Hah. HAHAHAHA! Great! Something stronger than the current me! There are heights yet to reach!” the young man exclaimed toward the sky, laughing like the crazy kid he truly was, causing Varahmir to shake his head in response.
A few minutes later, Kallex, along with Luna, arrived at the scene to ask what happened. As the two approached, Zavi glanced nervously at Kallex’s demonic arm.
After hearing the short explanation, Luna muttered, “To think a dragon slept here all this time and nobody knew…”
Nodding, Varahmir said, “At this point, we can’t go back without answers. This will definitely reach the Emperor.”
For the rest of the afternoon, the four dug up as much of the debris they could, whether it involved Kallex flinging boulders, Zavi smashing them, Varahmir lifting them with earth-related skills, or even Luna using magic to completely erase rubble from existence. Within a few hours, Kallex ended up discovering something of interest first, to his displeasure. From there, they gathered at the ruins of a small room.
“These are… weapons?” Zavi asked, picking up a black and green short sword that glimmered in the sunlight.
“Not just weapons,” Kallex muttered, “These are masterworks beyond the level of even my Thanatos.”
Investigating a black and silver longsword with a hilt shaped like a ram’s skull, Varahmir added, “It means this place holds more significance than we thought. Collect everything, and we will bring it back to the magistrate.”
“I’m keeping this,” Zavi proclaimed while admiring the blade in his hands.
“It should be fine,” Varahmir replied, “but leave the decision to the magistrate, or perhaps the emperor if it comes to that.”
“My wife is going to be pissed when I tell her what happened today…” Kallex muttered.