"I suddenly have the urge to jump off the path."

Iris peered over the edge into the abyss, the enveloping clouds shrouding the mountain below. Her voice carried a casual recklessness that made my heart skip a beat.

I nodded in agreement, "Yeah. We all have that urge."

For hours, we'd been trekking along the narrow path etched into the mountainside, inching our way toward the midpoint of the colossal landform.

It was a treacherous climb, with no handrails and ancient stones that often dislodged, tumbling down the steep slopes.

One wrong step, and we could take a permanent plunge into the clouds.

With each turn around the mountain, the air grew thinner, and the temperature plummeted, testing our endurance.

If we weren't superhumans wearing advanced uniforms with temperature control, our small group would've long died without proper mountain climbing gear.

The biting, high-speed winds whipped at our hair, stung our faces, and threatened to send us hurtling over the precipice.

Unbelievable! We were almost halfway up the mountain, and things were this crazy! This mountain is bloody colossal!

As we ascended, it wasn't just the wind that intensified. The ancient ardor I'd sensed at the mountain's base now saturated the very air we breathed.

I activated the ardor meter on my bracelet, and it went mental, showing an astonishingly high reading of ardor.

The ardor was so dense I could practically taste it, a bitter dark chocolate flavor dancing on my tongue.

For reference, normal ardor tastes like regular chocolate. Don't ask me how I know the taste of ardor—it's a tale from a rather peculiar evening.

I turned around to check on the rookies. Carlo looked resolutely ahead, scanning for loose stones while gripping his claymore, alert as if expecting enemies to descend the path.

Behind him, Ava clung to the mountainside, her grey eyes fixed ahead, deliberately avoiding the edge and its precipitous drop.

Her nerves were palpable, a sharp contrast to her earlier confidence.

Looks like somebody is not too fond of heights.

A mischievous grin crept across my lips as I contemplated the array of pranks I could pull on Ava.

Following the apprehensive Baskerville, Krystal walked dangerously close to the edge, her expression hinting at a shared inclination to leap into the abyss, much like Iris and me.

Trailing behind her at the rear were the Fray twins. Artemis played with her Yoyo, wearing a bored expression as she strolled along the precipice, occasionally letting it dangle over the edge before deftly reeling it back in.

Meanwhile, Apollo defied gravity, walking backward and firing water bullets with a finger gun.

How he managed such a feat without toppling over or hurtling down the mountainside remained a mystery to me.

Truly a colorful group of characters.

"Are you all holding up?" I shouted above the roaring wind, which had intensified in both ferocity and chill.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Ava's response echoed back, her eyes inadvertently glancing toward the edge before she let out a panicked yelp.

Clamping her eyes shut, she pressed herself against the icy, rugged surface of the mountain. "I loathe heights!" Her cry was nearly lost amidst the frigid gales.

"Yep, we're doing awesome!" Krystal hollered over the winds, flashing a thumbs-up while balancing precariously on one leg at the edge.

By the Incarni! Did this girl possess any sense of fear?

Apollo called out from the rear, "All this walking and climbing is getting boring! Are we there yet?"

Iris shot him a smile. "We'll be there soon. Perry and Basil should return from recon shortly." She deftly sidestepped a dislodged stone and veered left.

Except, there was no left.

"OI! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" I lunged forward, snagging her collar just in time to prevent her from hurtling off the mountainside.

Iris stuck out her tongue. "Oops."

"The path goes only one way! How do you manage to mess that up?" I exclaimed in frustration. This girl is utterly hopeless!

Just before I could give her a piece of my mind, a familiar cry, and hiss pierced through the wind's howl as Perry and Basil descended the path ahead of us.

A smile spread across my face at the sight of my beloved mechanima. The white mechanical serpent had shrunk to the size of a rat snake, her green eyes glowing with familiarity and warmth as soon as she saw me.

Basil emitted a contented hiss and coiled around my leg, tilting her adorable head to the side, clearly delighted to see me.

"Were you nice with Perry?" I asked, stroking her head. Basil emitted a satisfied hiss and offered an innocent nod, indicating that she had indeed been on her best behavior.

A disgruntled squawk erupted from Perry as he leveled an accusatory glare at her with his glowing blue eyes.

Raising an eyebrow, I glanced back at Basil, only to find her attention diverted to Carlo, who seemed uneasy under the mechanima's gaze.

I sighed, deciding to address the matter later.

"Did you have a good look ahead?" I asked. Basil nodded affirmatively with a hiss, while Perry confirmed with a squawk.

Iris smiled and stroked Perry's silver feathers. "Can you show us what you saw?"

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Perry eagerly nodded before shooting Basil a smug look. I hadn't realized mechanimas could exude such smugness.

Basil's eyes glimmered, and she parted her jaws with a menacing hiss, her fangs gleaming dangerously.

"Easy there," I reassured, patting her small head. "Let's give him a chance. But you're still the finest mechanima I've ever known."

Basil turned her head towards me, the menacing glow in her emerald eyes fading as she visibly relaxed, even sporting a hint of smugness in response to my compliment.

Again. How do they even do that?

Perry's eyes glowed as he projected a holographic screen, displaying the video footage captured from his perspective.

Gathering around Iris, we watched intently as Perry soared high above the path, with Basil trailing closely behind on the ground.

After completing another sweep around the mountain, the end of the ancient path came into view, emerging from the shroud of clouds and mist.

And it took our breaths away. The sight left us speechless.

"No way. Is something like that really on this mountain?" Carlo exclaimed in disbelief as he watched the footage.

"It's colossal!" Ava exclaimed in wonder.

"Look at the intricate details," Artemis remarked, squinting to discern the finer elements visible in the video.

The footage showcased the magnificent sight from various angles as Perry circled around, capturing as much information as possible.

Meanwhile, Basil swiftly maneuvered on the ground, gathering intel from her unique vantage point.

It seemed Perry made one final circle around the area before descending the mountain, with Basil closely following suit.

The video paused just as I grabbed Iris's collar to prevent her from plummeting.

"Well, that was a close one," Iris remarked casually, to which I responded with a smack on her head.

"You think?" I scowled, still reeling from the near mishap.

Shaking my head with a sigh, I addressed Perry, "Thanks for the heads up," earning a cheerful squawk in response.

I exchanged a glance with Iris, and we silently agreed on our next course of action.

"We're almost at our destination," Iris announced to the rookies, her lips curling into a mischievous grin. "Shall we go uncover an ancient ruin?"

"Hell yeah!" Apollo whooped, echoed by enthusiastic nods from the others, their eyes alight with excitement and anticipation of adventure.

"Alright, follow me!" Iris exclaimed, stepping forward, only for me to snag her collar once again.

"Not so fast," I interjected with a knowing look. "You're probably the last person who should be leading the way." I nodded toward Basil.

"Since Perry isn't the most reliable navigator either, Basil will be our guide."

"Aw, man," Iris pouted, crossing her arms.

I shook my head at her and turned to Basil with a smile.

"Lead the way, Basil."

*******

"I've already seen it in the video, but damn. It's even more impressive now that I'm here in person," I remarked with a whistle as I gazed upon the breathtaking sight before me.

After another hour of climbing, we arrived at a sizable plateau on the northern face of the mountain, perfectly concealed by snow, mist, and clouds.

It was as though a massive scoop had been taken out of the mountainside, leaving behind a flat, rocky expanse.

Like ice cream.

I now have the sudden urge to eat ice cream.

Stretching out before us were the crumbling remnants of an ancient time.

Weathered arches of white stone, still retaining a hint of their former grandeur despite the ravages of time, loomed overhead.

Towering columns, possibly crafted from marble, stood sentinel-like, even as the structures they once supported lay in ruins.

Decaying statues, resembling various ardimals, were scattered throughout the area as we ventured in.

Judging by the layout, plots bordered by stones, columns, arches, and statues, it appeared this was once a garden.

We split up to explore the ruins further. I paired off with Artemis, navigating through archways and over crumbling walls.

"Amazing," Artemis breathed, her eyes wide with wonder as she reached out to touch one of the columns.

"The craftsmanship here is ancient, likely predating the establishment of the Kingdom," she remarked in awe.

I gave her a curious look. "You into archeology?"

"I'm obsessed," she replied, her golden eyes glittering with excitement. "This is mind-blowing!"

I nodded in agreement. She wasn't the only one captivated by this place.

Despite the relentless passage of time and the harsh mountain environment, these structures had managed to remain in this place.

And they were still beautiful, especially the statues. Though crumbling, the level of detail on them was extraordinary.

Just what the heck is this place?

"This is quite an unexpected discovery on the mountain," I remarked, surveying the ruins from where I stood.

I noticed the ancient stone path we had followed merged with another path made of faded white stone that wound through the heart of the ruins, with numerous smaller paths branching off.

"Interesting," I murmured, poking a small arch, only for it to topple beneath my touch.

Panic surged through me.

Had I just ruined an ancient ruin?

Artemis gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. It's quite common, especially to stones exposed to these conditions for a long time."

"Notice anything unusual?" she asked.

"What do you mean, unusual?" I frowned, and then realization dawned on me.

The wind and heavy snowfall had ceased.

While we'd encountered wild weather halfway up the mountain, now the ruins were eerily calm, with only a layer of snow covering the ground, effectively concealing the white stones of the main pathway.

An almost unsettling silence enveloped us as we stood before a solitary column, the only sounds being the crunch of snow underfoot and the thud of our boots.

"What the...?" I surveyed the ruins, searching for an explanation.

"It's like we're in a bubble," Artemis remarked.

"Like a barrier," I concluded, my eyes narrowing. "Curious."

A barrier on a mountain? Intriguing.

"Hmm," I mused, then carefully touched the smooth column.

The marble was icy cold, but I ran my fingers along its ridged surface. I streamed a small amount of ardor through my arm and into the column.

"Very curious," I remarked, meeting Artemis's gaze. "It's faint, but there are traces of ardor in these stones."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "No way!" She tried to confirm it herself, using the same method I had employed.

"Incredible," she breathed, gazing up at the column with newfound awe.

My gaze drifted to the crown of the column, where I noticed something peculiar.

Summoning a blood tentacle, I carefully brushed away the accumulated snow, revealing a symbol carved into the white marble itself.

Both of us stared at it in utter shock.

"What in the name of the Incarni..." I breathed, my eyes widened at what I uncovered.

A four-pointed star with light rays radiating from it, surrounded by a ring of flames.

The intricately carved symbol stood out starkly against the column's top.

The symbol's presence baffled us.

What was it doing here, of all places?

Artemis voiced the thoughts swirling in our minds.

"What is the symbol of the Order of Lux doing here?"