chapter 4
681 Words
The moment the heavy stone gates groaned shut behind them, the air inside the Forgotten Ruins shifted. It was stale, smelling of cold dust and ozone. The temperature plummeted, and the faint blue light radiating from Ares’s spectral Shadow-Stalker was the only thing keeping the encroaching darkness at bay.
"We shouldn't have come here," the girl with the daggers whispered, her voice trembling. "The system said this was a level 10 hazard area. We’re nowhere near that."
Ares didn't answer. He was scanning the room with the intensity of a predator. The ruins were a massive, vaulted chamber, littered with the debris of a fallen civilization. Stone pillars, cracked and stained with age, stretched toward a ceiling lost in shadow.
"Name's Garak," the guy with the shield grunted, stepping forward to shield the girl. "And that's Elina. We’re just trying to survive, man. If you have a death wish, don't drag us down with you."
Ares looked at them. They were terrified, and rightly so. "If we stay at the entrance, the system will hunt us down anyway. The only way out of these ruins is through," Ares said, his voice cold. "I’m Ares. Keep your eyes open."
Before they could respond, a deep, rhythmic thud echoed through the chamber. Thud. Thud. Thud.
The ground beneath them vibrated. From the shadows at the far end of the hall, a massive shape detached itself from the wall. It wasn't a wolf, nor a rat. It was a suit of hollow, rusted armor, standing nearly seven feet tall, holding a greatsword that looked like it weighed more than Ares himself.
[Boss Identified: Ruin Sentinel (Lvl 8)]
[Status: Enraged]
"Level 8?!" Elina shrieked. "We're toast!"
The Sentinel didn't give them time to panic. It lunged, covering the distance in a single, blurring movement. The greatsword swung down, creating a shockwave of dust and debris.
"Garak, BLOCK!" Ares shouted.
Garak instinctively raised his massive shield. The impact was deafening—a screech of metal on metal that sent sparks flying. Garak was driven back, his boots carving deep furrows into the stone floor, his face turning pale from the sheer force.
"I... I can't hold it for long!" Garak gritted out.
Ares reacted instantly. "Elina! Target its joints! The armor is rusted, hit the gaps!"
Ares didn't just stand back. He commanded his Shadow-Stalker: "Attack the legs!"
The spectral wolf darted into the fray, its intangible claws raking across the Sentinel’s greaves. The boss roared—a sound of grating metal—and shifted its focus, trying to stomp on the ghost-wolf.
That was the gap Ares needed.
He sprinted toward the Sentinel’s back, his own blade glowing with a faint, volatile blue hue. He wasn't just using his sword; he was pumping his limited mana into the blade, turning it into a conduit for his Soul Summoning power.
"Eat this!" Ares lunged, driving his sword directly into a c***k between the Sentinel’s shoulder plates.
The Sentinel shrieked—a high-pitched, metallic wail—and stumbled. The force of the strike, combined with the ghost-wolf’s constant harrying, caused the giant to lose its balance.
"Now, Garak! Push it!"
Garak took the opportunity. He slammed his shield into the Sentinel’s chest with all his might. The boss toppled backward, crashing to the floor with a sound like a collapsing building.
[Critical Hit! Ruin Sentinel’s armor integrity dropped to 20%.]
Ares stood over the fallen boss, his breath ragged. He knew they had hit it hard, but it wasn't dead. The armor began to glow with a sickly red light.
"It’s going to explode or self-destruct!" Elina warned, backing away.
Ares didn't move. He reached out with his hand, his eyes locked on the red glow. "No... it's summoning something."
The real fight was just beginning, and for the first time, Ares realized that his 'Soul Summoner' class might be the only thing capable of controlling the madness within these walls.
- Writer
