Leaving the inn, I walked with a calm and measured pace until the first bend of the road. Only when the path veered and the inn was out of sight did I break into the run that had become familiar over the past day. Running right after leaving the inn would have been improper; I could have been misjudged as, from an outsider's perspective, it would look suspicious: the sheriff had just judged a case, and now he was dashing off.
The verdict, accepted by the locals, left me with a gnawing feeling inside. I understood Turgan's motives. A father of many, barely making ends meet – what wouldn't you do for your children? Especially since he hadn't committed a serious crime. Just some minor deceit, that's all. And he clearly didn't steal too much, because otherwise, despite the lack of direct evidence, he'd simply be kicked out of the tunnellers' team, end of story. No sheriff's decision would be needed for such an expulsion since team composition is their internal affair.
By how the district sheriff looked at Turgan, I felt he knew about the dire situation of the father with many children. Perhaps Hanrich himself could have settled this dispute but didn't want such responsibility. Even I, hearing about the horde of children, initially wanted to give Turgan money to help. Five gold, I think, would have covered all his financial troubles. For me, at this stage, such an amount was a mere trifle. Probably, if I didn't retain memories of the future, I'd have done just that. But today, I couldn't bring myself to give him the money. Because the "past me" at the end of the Cycle genuinely despised rats who steal from their own, even in small ways. And in this, my current self agrees, so I decided not to reward a rat, no matter how noble his motives. Especially considering the minor things Turgan was deceitful about; his troubles weren't that significant, and he could've solved them by just taking on extra work. But no, he chose the "easier" way, probably thinking, "Why work when I'm cunning?" He apparently didn't consider that this cunning was at the expense of his teammates. Well, I hope my decision, admittedly a lenient one, will set him straight.
These thoughts somewhat soothed the agitation in my soul, and I continued my run without tormenting myself. I ran, reflecting on various things. About my meeting with Arien, about Miranda, about Molly Moon and her accomplices, about Gianni and his infatuation, and much more. My thoughts flowed smoothly, one leading to another, and I didn't linger on any of them for long.
After about an hour of leisurely jogging along the track, I spotted the crossroads I was looking for. The road branching off to the left seemed long-abandoned. Not only grass but also the occasional shrubs broke through its old stone-paved surface. At first glance, it was clear that this road hadn't been used in a long time. Using the innkeeper's directions as a reference, I stepped off the main path, donned my gambeson, slung my bags over my shoulders, grasped my spear with both hands, and turned onto the abandoned route.
Seguna shone brightly that night, allowing me to make out the path with ease despite the late hour. Still, after moving a couple of kilometers from the crossroads, I shifted from jogging to a brisk walk. Who knows, perhaps the local tales about the cursed ruins of the town ahead have some basis in reality.
The ruins of Belgran appeared before my eyes somewhat unexpectedly. As I bypassed one of the tall hills crowned with an impressive oak grove, the antique town - or what remained of it - revealed itself all at once.
Perhaps, in ancient times, Belgran was a small, cozy, and quiet settlement. It sprawled in a little valley between hills, stretching along the banks of a tiny river that could be more aptly described as a rather big brook. It was a pretty small town, three times smaller than even Katiyer, and certainly paled in comparison to Tries. I doubt that even in its prime, more than five thousand people lived here, though such estimates were largely speculative after so many years.
Now, this town was nothing but deserted ruins. Even determining the original number of floors in its buildings was challenging at a glance. It seemed as if some creature the size of Godzilla had once "stomped" over this town extensively. Or perhaps that wasn't far from the truth. From the tales of the Last Cycle that I remember, just five kilometers westward beyond the hills lies the Ridge of Stone Beasts. Beasts that weren't always made of stone but were once very much alive. At least, that's what local legends claim.
From my vantage point high above the settlement, I carefully surveyed the ruins. At first glance, there was no movement amidst the rubble. Still, I was confident that this impression was deceptive. If humans haven't inhabited these places for a long time, wild animals must have made it their home. The question was what kind of creatures they might be and whether they'd be aggressive. Boosting my Perception aura to its limit, I began a leisurely descent towards the ruins. In principle, I had no real need to visit Belgran itself, but I couldn't just pass by either. I needed Runes, any kind, and in such a long-forgotten and abandoned place, they might still be found. I didn't really believe I'd find anything, but I had to at least try.
With every step that brought me closer to the ruins, I could almost physically feel the lack of diversity in my repertoire of techniques and spells. The skills I currently possess are meager for someone of Wootz rank. To be honest, I'm simply not prepared for any real confrontation right now. All I can hope for is that the town truly is deserted and that there aren't any overly aggressive monsters, beasts, or creatures here. Sure, something or someone definitely inhabits these ruins, but I don't think they're truly dangerous for a Wootz fighter, especially considering that paladins had visited this town, as per the innkeeper's words, and had likely cleared it of any menace. True, that was many years ago, but a genuinely formidable monster would also need decades to reach its full power.
The town wasn't just devastated; it looked as if it had genuinely been trampled. All the buildings were not just in ruins but seemed as if they were swept away by some giant force. Only piles of rubble and cracked blocks remained of the structures. Barely recognizable outlines stood in place of walls. Only a few nearly intact columns rose here and there, hinting at the town's former beauty. Intricately carved, even lacy, made of white marble and now thickly covered with dense ivy, they seemed out of place amid all the destruction. Tall, waist-high grass and overgrown shrubs had taken over the town. Even in the ruins, something grew on the rocks, mainly creepers. Numerous young trees lined the long-abandoned streets. Judging by the soot on the stones and the height of the young trees, a significant fire had passed through here relatively recently, perhaps five to ten years ago at most, completely clearing the remnants of Belgran from old growths. The abundance of vegetation and the fact that all the shrubs, trees, and even the grass appeared healthy indirectly suggested that no dark curse loomed over the town. Otherwise, all the trunks would be twisted and contorted, and the shrub leaves would have an unhealthy color. It was somewhat of a relief.
Most likely, there are no ghosts here after all. And even if there are, and they're the ones wailing at night, these specters are of the common variety, not dark cursed souls or banshees. If I had noticed distortions in the town's vegetation, I would've had to retreat and bypass the settlement. For without armor or the Aura of Spirit, it would be recklessly dangerous to poke my nose into ruins truly cursed by Darkness.
Before stepping onto the cracked cobblestones, I looked up at the sky as if asking Seguna for advice. And, it seemed to me, she, momentarily obscured by a rare cloud, appeared to give a reassuring wink. I hoped that this Sign of the Echo wasn't just my imagination. I placed my bags under the nearest bush and, shifting my spear into combat position, moved forward.
A cursory inspection of the first ruined house significantly dampened my optimism about finding anything useful here. Just broken stones, bricks, cracked blocks – all dumped into large piles. It seemed as though someone intentionally destroyed the houses and then put together low mounds, no taller than a person, from their remnants. Some, presumably where normal houses once stood, weren't very large, but there were others, several times more expansive. Most likely, they were formed in places where public or religious buildings once stood.
Upon reaching the first intersection, I heard a whistling howl, long and slightly unsettling. But instead of being frightened, I felt at ease. Unlike the locals, I understood that such sounds were made by the wind swirling around numerous twisted marble columns. It was unsurprising - the town's location in a river valley between tall hills meant the wind always blew in the direction of the main street, where most of the miraculously preserved columns stood. Without stepping out onto the intersection itself, I looked around from behind the bushes but saw no imminent danger. Yes, the ruined town was teeming with life, but it was primarily small creatures like field mice and ground squirrels. I even saw a small steppe coyote casually running about its business. I hid as best I could in the night shade and observed the local fauna but found nothing dangerous. The only concerning thing was that the shadows seemed restless. It felt as if someone was pulling at them, demanding something. This wasn't the best sign, hinting that someone or something agitating the shadows was indeed present in these ruins.
Shadow monsters are among the most unpleasant adversaries. They ambush when they are ready, avoiding open combat. If one attacks you, it usually means you've let your guard down somewhere, and the outcome of a swift assault won't be in your favor. I sincerely hope that my Affinity with Shadow will help detect an ambush in time and avoid it, especially since Seguna tonight is brighter than ever.
I tried to activate "Shadow Player," but my head immediately started spinning, and I heard an indistinct whisper in my ears. It scared me a bit, and I was about to leave the ruins when I noticed a relatively small slab, half the height of a man, buried in the ground beside me at the corner of the intersection, hidden within thick young shrubs. I approached it, cut the bushes with my spear, and removed the branches. The slab bore a single word painted in now-faded white, which would roughly translate to: "Cleared." Beneath the word, there was a date from eighteen years ago, and the Sign of Antares was depicted. The Paladins of Light were never verbose, and one has to admit, there was a certain charm in that.
This discovery was somewhat reassuring. From what I knew, it would take many decades for spectral monsters to gain strength. If there's anything supernatural lurking in the ruins of Belgran, it's relatively "young," if one could say that about ghosts. So, in theory, I should handle it even at my Wootz rank, especially considering my Affinity with Light and the fact that my second Affinity, with Shadow, should warn me of any potential attacks.
Calming myself with such thoughts, I began to explore the ancient town, starting with the outskirts, still wary of approaching the center. Near where the main square should have been, the shadows grew more restless. Taking this as a warning, I decided not to venture there without good reason. A potential discovery of Living Runes is tempting, but life is still much more important.
I first scoured all the western outskirts but found nothing. Literally nothing, except for countless stones. Even simple inscriptions, signboards, and mural paintings on the walls didn't survive the centuries. Sure, sometimes traces of paint or fragments of reliefs could be seen on the rubble, but it was all so fragmented that there was simply nothing for the eye to catch onto. Of course, I wasn't conducting full-fledged archaeological excavations. Such an endeavor would take years, even decades, for a group of specialists. I just examined what was on the surface, moving from one pile of rubble to the next. After a couple of hours, I only found a few beautiful stones, apparently remnants of a column. I even considered taking them, but realizing the folly of the gesture, I discarded them.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Moving through the shadows so discretely that not even the ground squirrels paid me any attention, I circled the town center and began inspecting the eastern part of Belgran. To my great regret, this time was wasted, too.
The only thing that caught my eye were the remaining columns and a strange coyote that constantly followed me. Yet, the beast never got closer than about a hundred and fifty steps. Sometimes, it would disappear from sight, but as soon as I stopped near a pile of rubble, it would immediately appear on a nearby mound made of ruins. In general, this creature looked harmless, apparently full and curious. Maybe it was seeing a human for the first time. Coyotes are inquisitive creatures, and even on Earth, they sometimes approach human camps quite closely, always trying to snatch something edible. Maybe this little beast is waiting for me to break for lunch and wants to steal something. To check if it was a real animal or a shadowy illusion, I pulled out a piece of dried meat from my bag, placed it on a rock, and retreated about a hundred steps. The curious creature, feeling safe, immediately ran up, grabbed the meat, and sprinted away, zigzagging between the piles of rubble. Apparently, it was a normal animal, as I didn't see it again today.
It took only an hour to inspect the eastern part. Not because it was smaller but because I had become accustomed to the surroundings and no longer rushed to dig through the ruins. After trying a few times, I vowed not to repeat it, as I only managed to sweat without finding anything but decay and stones.
Looking up at the Night Sister, I pondered my next move. Should I explore the town center or just head towards the Ridge of Stone Monsters? On the one hand, the latter seemed logical, but on the other, I'd wasted so much time here that leaving empty-handed felt simply disappointing.
I spent another half-hour examining the preserved columns, but if the chaotic vine pattern carved into the stone meant something, I couldn't decipher it. Although, it might have been just a beautiful design with no hidden meaning.
Fifty steps from the heart of the town, still uncertain, I pulled out a copper coin and tossed it. Heads - I'd leave the settlement; tails - I'd spend the rest of the night searching.
Tails it was.
Frowning, I pocketed the coin and, blending into the shadows of the ruins, moved forward with caution. At the very edge of the square, overgrown with a bunch of young elms, I halted. I found a secluded spot where I could only be attacked from one side and, settling down comfortably, slipped into light meditation, listening to the shadows.
The shadows in this place were indeed restless. However, I still didn't sense any direct threat. After some hesitation, I took a risk and activated the "Shadow Player." My mind endured for about seven seconds, no more. That distortion of perception that this ability brings is still too much for me. While it's active, my consciousness doesn't just split - it shatters into numerous fragments, and each of these parts can hear and feel. It's quite unsettling, and the flood of information literally explodes the mind with pain despite all the benefits of the "Adamantium Body." Moreover, if I push it to the limit and hold the ability for too long, even after deactivating the skill, my head spins for more than a minute, and I feel nausea rising. Nevertheless, I didn't regret taking the risk. The shadows hinted that no Shadow creature lived within these ruins. It was a significant relief because, with my new spear with a Valirium core and my Affinity with Light, I could handle anything else, like a young ghost or banshee.
I don't know how, but the moment Molly Moon cast "Metal Destruction" on me, I instinctively channeled Light into the spear's tip. My "past self" was familiar with the skill of imbuing weapons with Power, but it's believed that one can't master it before overcoming the First Wall. Moreover, my "past self" had never done this with Light. Yet, somehow, it worked that time. Perhaps Antares, at its zenith and sensing a servant of Darkness near me, helped me? I'm not sure because I don't know the true capabilities of the Echoes.
But I do know that these capabilities are vast. For it was with the borrowed power of the God of Light that "I" killed the quester. The ritual itself, where "I" used the power of Antares' True Altar against one of these strange entities, wasn't that complicated. However, how much mess "I" had to do back then to learn the details of this ritual and its proper application, I don't even want to recall. Even though it wasn't the present me but my "past self" that did all this, the memories made me sick to my stomach.
Saturation of items with Power is a separate branch of Magic. Almost the entire Ain's art of artifact creation is built on it. There are countless variations of how to do it, each with its own pros and cons. What I achieved is closest to the Aura of Saturation. The downsides of this skill are clear. Firstly, it's temporary; stop the energy flow, and it's gone. And secondly, it's an Aura, which means I have to maintain it constantly, dedicating a separate part of my mind. At my peak, I can operate four Auras at once, but it's exhausting, and I won't last long. Simultaneously sustaining three Auras is my current limit. Moreover, I can't bear such strain on my mind for more than half an hour. This means that if I use the Aura of Saturation, I'll have to give up another. Perception and Acceleration should stay permanent as they provide the maximum bonus for my fighting style. However, during the Saturation, I might have to forego Enhancement and Strengthening, at least until I train my mind further and get used to the additional load.
I must admit that my method also had its advantages. Firstly, it's more powerful than constant enhancement, and secondly, its application is flexible: turn it on or off whenever you want. Right now, even simple activation is challenging for me, but this issue is temporary, and practice will fix it.
The Auras of Acceleration and Perception enveloped me, and I stepped out of my hiding place into the light of Seguna, ready at any moment to turn to the Light within my soul.
All my efforts were in vain. I spent another hour and a half on the futile survey. I even dug up the remains of what seemed like a temple but couldn't figure out which deity it was dedicated to. Its ruins were too small to be the Pantheon Temple. Most likely, it was once dedicated to a specific god or a small group of them, particularly revered in Belgran.
Yes, I managed to find, or rather dig up, fragments of stone tablets, but no matter how I tried to piece them together, I got no results. Angry at the wasted time, I sat in the center of the town square with a stone shard in hand and activated the Player again. As soon as I did, it felt like an electric shock, and the tablet in my hand was filled with shadows. Moreover, these shadows pointed to three more stone shards. Quickly ending my meditation, I picked up the shadow-marked shards and tried to assemble them. Alas, nothing worked since the drawing on them was overly fragmented and far from complete. I laid the fragments on the pavement, climbed a half-destroyed block to look from above and at a distance, and turned to the Player for a couple of seconds. It helped; the shadows completed the missing picture. As soon as I recognized the Sign I saw, I barely contained a triumphant shout. Now I knew whom the ruined temple of Belgran was dedicated to!
"So that's what you wanted to tell me!" I whispered, looking up at the sky and gazing at the Night Sister.
Setting my spear aside and feeling no more danger, I began to remove the rubble, recalling the typical architecture of the ancient Temples of Seguna. Indeed, paladins had been here and cleared everything. However! Unlike true Altars of Darkness, Shadow Altars are never destroyed. Yes, they're sometimes submerged in seas, thrown into deep ravines, or just buried deeper.
Buried deeper...
This simple thought immediately spurred me into action. Instead of futilely moving tons of rubble, I first climbed to the top of the stone mound that was once the temple and invoked the "Shadow Player." Within three seconds, all my shadows, under Seguna's light, pointed in one direction.
Using basic triangulation and meditating three times at different parts of the former temple, I found the point where the shadows converged. Only then, rolling up my sleeves, did I begin to remove the stones.
Even though a person at Wootz is far stronger than an average human, I worked tirelessly until almost dawn, shifting the equivalent of a freight car's worth of rocks. Thankfully, with the support of my Perception aura, I managed to avoid collapses of the already excavated parts. And the Des Rune helped me countless times, breaking the boulders too heavy even for someone on the Wootz rank to move. The eastern sky began to lighten when I finally reached the desired location, encountering a marble slab bearing a Seal of Light. This seal prevented the slab from being moved and dampened the emanations of Shadow.
This was bad. Very bad. I didn't know how to remove Seals, especially those placed by paladins. Considering that the high title of a paladin can only be achieved on the Legendary coil, and a true paladin is one who has reached the Mithril Step of the Spiral of Elevation, it's futile for a Wootz warrior to try to break their barriers. Well, one could try, but the result is predictable.
So much effort, and all for nothing! I'm sure an altar of Seguna is hidden beneath this Seal! Moreover, it might be the forgotten Altar that I need for the questers' task. Why do I think so? Because the rubble I excavated is centuries old. This means the seal was placed centuries before the last visit of paladins to Belgran, possibly even a few years after the Fall, which was about two millennia ago. On the bright side, my effort wasn't entirely in vain. The main thing is that I now know where the True Altar of Seguna is located and can return here once I ascend to the Legendary coil and am better prepared.
Seals of Light are primarily simple and straightforward, yet very powerful and efficiently serve their intended purpose. They can also be removed quite simply, provided one knows the right prayer and has an Affinity with Light. The only problem is that guessing the wrong prayer could be fatal.
With the manifestation of my Affinity with Light on my palm, I reached out to the Seal. The "past me" had read all the biographies of the gods of Ain. It gets boring during numerous stops on expeditions, so reading and enlightening oneself was not the worst choice to pass the time. As it turns out, my "memory of the future" held texts of numerous prayers and holy verses. Alas, I couldn't try all these prayers one by one because the first unsuccessful attempt might also be the last. One can't afford to make a mistake here. In theory, once I reach the main Temple of Antares located on the fiftieth floor of the Sun City Tower, I'd be able to learn how to remove this specific seal.
Sifting through the prayers in my mind, I slowly extended my hand towards the Seal. If I simply touch it with a hand imbued with Light without attempting to remove it, I don't think it would strike back at me. The moment my fingers touched the cool surface of the marble slab, my gaze found the Night Sister already beginning to set on the horizon. At that moment, I clearly understood which prayer was needed. This knowledge, like a dark lightning bolt, pierced my mind:
"Let Light shine through the Dark so deep,
To purify the land we keep.
Burn, divine fire, within the soul so true,
With Holy Shield, surround the Shadow's hue."
The Seal faintly sparkled and then went out, clearing the path further. Removing the Light infusement, I drew the rune of Destruction on the slab and shattered it into rubble. Afterward, spreading the stones around, I easily found the Altar of Seguna. It was a massive natural boulder made of black agate with inclusions of white quartz, weighing probably a couple of tons or even more. Its surface was very smooth, as if this stone had been in the water for many centuries, which, despite the dust and dirt around, remained perfectly clean.
Unearthing and pulling it out was out of the question. To relocate the True Altar, special rituals were required, ones that could not be performed alone, and to be honest, I didn't know them. But I didn't need to. Invoking the Sign of Affinity with Shadow, I touched the Altar. As soon as my fingertips grazed its surface, cold like spring water, I immediately felt Seguna's gratitude. It was a warm, almost weightless sensation that enveloped and calmed me completely. I didn't even need to pray. The Echo of the Mistress of Monsters and Twilight Coolness reached out to me on its own.
First, there was a Gift, and then a Request. The gift was the shadow skill I had long wanted to obtain: "Shadow Cloak." And I felt that it was my desire to learn that particular skill that made Seguna pick precisely this Gift. The Request, however, was quite clear. Every Altar needs its own priest, and Seguna asked me to find that priest.
As soon as the Gift and Request were understood and accepted by me, the Altar "fell silent" and seemed to try to hide in the shadows. Correctly interpreting this Sign, I climbed out of the pit I had dug and began to bury the Altar again, concealing it from prying eyes. I didn't simply bury it but tried to make everything "as it was" before I arrived. The sun was directly overhead when I finished, and surveying my work, I was pleased with the result. Without a thorough examination, it was impossible to tell that someone had dug among these rocks. Now, these ruins were indistinguishable from the dozens of others around. Satisfyingly nodding to myself, I quickly had a bite to eat, grabbed my belongings, and briskly walked down the main street of the abandoned town of Belgran, leaving behind one of Seguna's forgotten altars.