Ancient secret
1377 Words
The mountain loomed like an ancient guardian that had long grown tired of visitors, its jagged edges clawing into the sky as if warning all who approached to turn back while they still could.
At its base stood three cultivators, their attention fixed on what appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary rock.
Yet none of them treated it as such.
Faint distortions shimmered across its surface, subtle and easily overlooked, but to trained eyes, it was unmistakable.
A concealed formation.
Kan He stood closest, a worn scroll spread open in his hands. His expression was calm, but the slight narrowing of his eyes betrayed the effort it took to decipher the symbols etched across it.
Behind him, Zen shifted his weight impatiently, his grip tightening around the handle of his silver axe.
“Brother Kan… I’ll ask one last time,” he said, his voice lower now, less careless than before. “Are we truly going through with this?”
Kan did not answer immediately.
He folded the scroll with deliberate care, buying himself a moment—not to think, but to maintain the illusion that he still was.
“It is only a level two beast,” he replied at last, his tone steady. “Equivalent to Earth Star.”
Zen let out a dry laugh, though there was no humor in it.
“Only? That thing is a full realm above us.”
Tim adjusted his glasses, his gaze never leaving the rock.
“Not just above us,” he said calmly. “Beyond us.”
His fingers traced invisible patterns in the air, as though mapping the formation in his mind.
“This isn’t a simple concealment array. It’s layered, reactive. Even if I find a way through…” He paused briefly, then added, “There is still a seventy percent chance we will encounter the goblin.”
“And the remaining thirty?” Zen asked.
Tim finally looked up.
“We survive long enough to regret coming here.”
Silence settled between them.
Not fearful… but heavy.
Because none of them intended to turn back.
Kan’s gaze shifted suddenly, his senses brushing against something distant.
Someone was approaching.
Not cautiously. Not stealthily.
Just… walking.
“…We have company,” Kan said quietly.
Zen’s axe rose instantly.
Tim’s fan snapped open with a soft metallic whisper.
All three turned.
A lone figure emerged from the distance, closing the gap at an unhurried pace before stopping at a respectful distance.
Dan cupped his hands in greeting.
“Greetings, seniors. I am Dan. I saw you from afar and hoped to ask for directions to the nearest cultivation city.”
His voice carried just the right amount of humility—neither too timid nor overly confident.
Kan’s eyes swept over him.
Earth Fusion… middle stage.
Harmless.
Or so it seemed.
Kan felt the faintest flicker of interest.
A wandering cultivator. Alone. Weak. Unprotected.
And most importantly… useful.
“I am Kan He,” he said, his expression softening into something approachable. “This is Zen, and that is Tim.”
Dan nodded politely.
“The nearest city is Ardin City,” Kan continued. “Three days by flight… ten by foot.”
Dan hesitated, scratching the back of his head with a slightly embarrassed smile.
“I don’t have a flying artifact.”
Zen snorted quietly, but Tim merely adjusted his glasses, studying Dan more carefully this time.
Kan, however, had already made his decision.
“Then travel with us,” he said, placing a friendly hand on Dan’s shoulder. “There is an ancient secret here. Dangerous, yes… but rewarding. Help us, and we will take you to the city afterward.”
Dan felt it again.
That faint… concealed malice.
Like a shadow lurking behind a lit doorway.
Not strong enough to alarm someone inexperienced.
But he was not inexperienced.
They want to use me, he thought calmly.
Or discard me.
For a brief moment, he considered walking away.
But then his gaze drifted to the formation.
Ancient.
Complex.
And hidden behind it… something powerful enough to make these three risk their lives.
A slight smile tugged at his lips.
“Alright,” he said. “I’ll help.”
As Dan moved to take his position, Zen leaned slightly toward Kan, his voice low enough that only the three of them could hear.
“You’re really doing this?” he muttered.
Kan did not look at him.
“You knew the plan before we came here.”
Zen clicked his tongue but said nothing more.
Tim, on the other hand, spoke in a tone that was almost absent-minded.
“The formation’s backlash will be strongest at the initial trigger point,” he said. “If someone’s reaction is slow… they won’t survive it.”
His words were neutral.
Too neutral.
As if discussing weather.
Kan’s lips curved faintly.
“Then we should make sure everyone reacts quickly.”
This time, even Zen said nothing.
But the brief glance he exchanged with Tim said enough.
They all knew.
And none of them intended to stop it.
The Formation Awakens
They spread out, taking positions around the rock.
Tim’s voice turned precise, instructional.
“This is a four-point activation array. We strike simultaneously from the cardinal directions. The moment contact is made, the formation will retaliate.”
His eyes flicked toward Dan.
“Withdraw immediately and defend.”
Dan nodded, his expression serious.
Inside, however, his thoughts were quiet.
Measured.
So this is how it is.
He could feel it now more clearly.
Not just Kan.
All three of them.
They had already decided his role in this.
A disposable piece.
Dan lowered his gaze slightly, hiding the faint glint in his eyes.
Then let’s see who gets discarded in the end.
“Now,” Kan said.
Energy gathered in the air, thick and heavy.
Four attacks were unleashed at once.
The moment they struck—
The rock exploded with light.
The formation awakened.
Violent energy surged outward in twisting currents, sharp and chaotic, like a storm that had been waiting centuries to be unleashed.
Kan, Zen, and Tim retreated instantly.
Protective artifacts flared to life around them, forming shimmering barriers.
They had prepared.
They had expected this.
Dan reacted a heartbeat slower.
Or rather… he made it seem that way.
His eyes widened as the energy rushed toward him, his body tensing as though caught off guard.
“Damn—!”
The surge hit him head-on.
A violent explosion of force swallowed his figure completely.
Dust and debris burst outward, scattering across the ground.
For a moment… nothing could be seen.
Zen exhaled slowly.
“…That should be the end of him.”
Kan said nothing, but a faint satisfaction flickered in his eyes.
Tim simply adjusted his glasses.
“Assuming he died instantly,” he said. “If not… the internal damage alone would—”
A cough interrupted him.
All three turned sharply.
From within the settling dust, a figure staggered forward.
Dan.
His clothes were torn, his breathing uneven, traces of blood at the corner of his lips.
His steps were unsteady, as though each one required effort.
“…That… was close…” he muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Kan’s expression froze for the briefest moment before smoothing out.
He survived?
Zen’s eyes narrowed.
Tim’s gaze sharpened behind his lenses.
Luck?
Or something else?
Dan lowered himself slightly, resting a hand on his knee as though trying to recover.
Inside, however, his thoughts were calm.
They’re watching.
Good.
Before anyone could speak—
The ground trembled.
A low, guttural sound echoed from within the formation.
Not a roar.
Not yet.
But something far worse.
A presence awakening.
Tim’s expression changed instantly.
“…The goblin,” he said under his breath.
Kan’s grip tightened around his sword.
“So it’s been triggered…”
From within the cracked formation, a dark silhouette began to move.
Heavy.
Slow.
And filled with an oppressive aura that made the air itself feel heavier.
Dan lifted his head slightly, his breathing still uneven on the surface.
But his eyes… were clear.
Sharp.
Calculating.
Perfect.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.
Let’s see how you deal with what you’ve awakened.
- Writer
