Stellar Echo: Heart of the Myst

[lordanl]

"The Scouting Spheres have infiltrated 70% of the corridors down to the penultimate floor, but the moment they enter the bottom floor, we lose all contact with them. So, we know nothing beyond the map Erik showed us earlier. On the other hand, our food supplies are depleting at a rate 13% faster than expected, while the efficiency of potion creation is 9% higher."

Several days later, sitting around a table in the middle of the first floor of the portable shelter, Ethan, Chen, Christine, Elara, Tomás, and Erik were looking at Zoe, who was reading a report with a serious expression. At that moment, Elara let out a small sigh and commented in a grave tone.

"Everyone has been working really hard, so they need much more food than usual."

The others could only nod in agreement with Elara's comment, at which point Christine spoke up with a serious voice.

"But there's something that worries me about all this. At the beginning, we saw two people from other factions, so it's possible that outsiders were teleported inside. But even though we've searched almost every corner of this place, we've found nothing but Golems. Could it be that we're the last survivors? Is there no one else left alive in this ruin?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. This place is a damn hellhole. If it weren't for Erik, we'd all be dead by now." Tomás replied with a solemn voice, to which everyone nodded seriously. But at that moment, Erik finished eating a cookie and took a sip of his tea, then commented in a calm tone.

"I highly doubt we're the only survivors. If there are no more people in this strange labyrinth, it's probably because we're weak. An Illuminated-level with some effort should have been able to carve a path through the Golems and reach the exit. We're certain there's at least one of them in the 'garden,' with strong suspicions of a second. Besides, we don't know if there are other places like this, which is quite likely since several pillars of light rose when the basilisk awakened."

"That's true. Plus, we still don't know what the hunters were looking for. Even though we've searched every nook and cranny, we haven't found anything, which is a bit concerning. We have very little information." Zoe commented in a serious tone, to which Ethan replied while pouring himself a cup of tea.

"I'm willing to bet that whatever they were looking for is on the last floor."

"It sure looks that way. So, we need to be prepared. Anything can happen on that floor." Erik commented in a calm voice. Elara nodded, before commenting seriously.

"But we can't wait any longer. The ruin deteriorates every day, the activation periods are getting shorter and more spaced out, and the Golems are becoming clumsier. If this place collapses, it might take our only way out with it. We have to move."

"Yes, we have to take the risk. Start getting ready; let's take advantage of this 'period of activity' and head out as soon as it ends; that will give us a few hours to move freely." Erik announced in a serious tone as he swept his gaze across everyone present, who were filled with resolve and nodded.

"Then let's get moving." Tomás said as he stood from his chair with a serious tone, to which Erik nodded calmly. Chen also got up from his chair while asking.

"By the way, are we leaving the formations as they are here?"

"Yes. They'll serve as a Plan B in case we need to retreat, though I'll be carrying the shelter with me." Erik replied calmly, to which everyone nodded before saying their goodbyes, leaving behind Erik, who was eating a cookie with the wolves on his lap, and Zoe, who poured him a cup of tea.

"No need to bother with that anymore, Zoe. Get ready with the others. We can't afford to let our guard down from now on." Erik commented, looking at Zoe while picking up his teacup. The beautiful knight nodded calmly, then looked at Erik and commented with a small smile.

"You're right, though it's been a pleasure to assist you these past few days. If the opportunity arises, I'd love to do it again."

"Hahaha, I'll consider it." Erik said amusedly before bringing the cup to his lips. Zoe smiled calmly, then gave a slight bow and walked outside while commenting playfully.

"Fufu, how prim…"

Once Zoe left, Erik sat in silence, watching the young people leave his workshop one by one. They had been helping him with potion production and some artifacts over the last few days. As the last young person exited the workshop, Erik bit into a cookie, then looked up at the ceiling with a deep, reflective gaze, completely lost in thought.

"It's time to risk my life again… I hope I'm not making a mistake…"

After a while, just as the 'activation period' was about to end based on what he had learned over the past few days, Erik let out a heavy sigh. Then he finished his tea and stood up from his seat, at which point the wolves jumped onto his shoulders.

With calm and almost deliberate steps, Erik walked to his workshop, where he gave everything a final check, then went up and headed toward the exit as the orbs of light illuminating the place went out one by one. Upon reaching the door, Erik looked at the shelter one last time, almost as if to engrave it in his poor memory, since, whether things went well or badly, this might be the last time he'd use it.

After stepping outside, Erik stood on the Myst platform with stairs that served as the entrance, then conjured a set of runes and placed his hand next to the doorway. Soon, the outer runes of the shelter began to glow, at which point Erik pulled his hand away and destroyed the Myst staircase, then directed the platform downward.

Upon reaching the 'ground,' which was actually a metal and wood platform hanging from the ceiling with something called 'Silme rock' and thick cables, Erik looked up, where he could see the shelter slowly rotating and shrinking. Soon, the shelter turned into a small sphere that fell into his hands, which he quickly tied to a chain and slipped into his pocket, no longer willing to trust spatial artifacts to store it.

Soon after, Erik turned to look at the entire group gathered, now wearing perfectly functional armor and weapons along with storage pouches on their belts, and commented seriously.

"We're heading into what might be our final adventure in this damn place. Give it everything you've got. Survival is within our grasp."

"Yes!!" the group announced in unison, which made Erik nod in satisfaction. He then took Kaiser from his shoulder and commented with a small smile.

"Well, Kaiser, it's time to gear up."

The little wolf grumbled reluctantly as he jumped to the ground and grew in size. Something Erik calmly ignored as he pulled out several pieces of armor specially made for the wolf from a storage pouch tied to his right leg. Soon, Kaiser had a thick metal helmet on his head, along with a sort of bracers on all four legs and the base of his tail.

"You're ready. This should help you avoid detection by the Golems in their inactive state. Even so, stay alert and be ready to enter elementalization mode at any time." Erik said in a serious tone, to which the silver wolf howled in agreement. At that moment, Erik turned to the group and spoke while conjuring two magic circles that created Myst constructs.

"As we discussed, you'll split into two teams: one for close combat assault and the other for ranged attacks. So, board the corresponding Myst constructs."

After nodding, the young people divided into two groups, one consisting of the mages along with two knights, before boarding the Myst constructs, which turned out to be near-perfect imitations of doorless flying cars. Once inside the Myst vehicles, everyone took out a potion specially made by Erik, then waited with their gazes fixed on the walls, still glowing from the 'activation period.'

After a few minutes, the music began to fade as Erik checked a crystal tablet in his hands, displaying a detailed 3D map of the entire labyrinth, the result of the Scouting Spheres' exploration. Having decided on the route to advance, Erik stored the tablet in his storage pouch, then announced loudly as the others downed their potions in one gulp.

"Let's move out!"

After giving one last look at the place, Erik drank his own potion, then ordered Kaiser to advance. Instantly, Kaiser was surrounded by electric arcs and shot forward, riding on Myst platforms created by Erik.

Meanwhile, at the back, everyone held onto whatever they could to avoid being thrown backward by the inertia, while Hiyori, sitting next to Zoe, looked at Erik's back with deep eyes. But the fox spirit wasn't the only one; practically everyone was doing the same. Soon, however, their eyes sharpened, and they gripped their weapons while focusing their gaze on the Golems.

To everyone's relief, the measures they had taken over the past few days proved effective. After days of studying the Golems, Erik managed to develop a new potion that could hide them more effectively from them, though it only worked well when they were 'inactive.' When the strange geometric labyrinth activated, even though they could confuse the Golems a bit, they were still able to determine their relative position.

…

…

…

"Bring in more Master-levels, battleships, and anything that can blow this damn place to pieces!!! My Erik can't stay in there for a single damn second longer!!!!"

In the middle of a meeting room aboard a massive spaceship, Sigrún slammed her fist, surrounded by blue fire, onto the table, her eyes practically bloodshot and her murderous intent fully unleashed. The director looked at Sigrún, then at the silent Eleonora and the shadowy assassin in a discreet corner, before commenting in a heavy tone.

"That would end up killing everyone inside, and you know it, Sigrún. We have to think calmly about what to do."

"How do you expect me to stay calm, old man?! The soul tracer on my Erik cracked—do you not get it?! He's in danger! I have to get him out of there now!!!"

Sigrún shouted back, full of panic and rage, which caused the dangerous glint in Eleonora's eyes to visibly worsen, while a thick, murderous intent from the shadow in the corner filled the room.

"I know, which is why I called her. She's on her way."

The director replied with an incredibly serious tone, causing Sigrún and Eleonora's eyes to widen as they looked at him with a hint of surprise. But in less than an instant, Eleonora narrowed her eyes and asked in a voice devoid of any emotion.

"How confident is 'she' in being able to get my Erik out of there?"

"Without her personally studying the ruin, it's hard to say, but if even she can't do it, there's really not much we can do." The director commented with a deep, meaningful look, causing Sigrún and Eleonora to bite their lips hard, blood trickling down their chins, while the shadow in the corner trembled visibly.

"The Order's secret weapon is going to show up?"

Jessica, who had a pale expression though slightly calmer than the trio, asked in a serious tone. Thalia, sitting not far away, looked at her grandfather with disbelief as he nodded heavily.

"This situation is too delicate. Too many of our talented young people have died inside, so we have to do everything possible to prevent a greater disaster."

As a deafening silence took over the room, a spark of fire materialized next to Sigrún, then began to take the shape of a beautiful phoenix. This caused everyone present to turn and look at the fire, while Sigrún, Eleonora, and Seraphina clenched their fists tightly, a terrible premonition looming over them.

***

You can support me on patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 25 advanced chapters.

 

[lordanl]

"Get ready to deploy the formations!"

Sitting atop Kaiser, Erik, calculating the time since the last 'active phase,' ordered with a serious voice as Kaiser quickened its pace to cover as much ground as possible. In Myst's vehicle, Chen and Ethan quickly retrieved a crystal tablet each from their storage pouches, along with several metal spheres densely engraved with runes.

"Now!"

Soon, just as the staircase leading to the final floor came into view in the distance, Kaiser halted abruptly, and Erik created a large Myst platform in the air, onto which he jumped while announcing loudly. With visible familiarity, Chen and Ethan leaped from the Myst vehicle toward Erik while activating the crystal tablets, which projected holographic screens filled with control interfaces and data.

As the metal spheres Chen and Ethan had taken from their pouches rose into the air and positioned themselves in various spots, the rest of the group jumped from the vehicles to form a defensive formation around Erik. Soon, the group was arranged with Erik, Chen, and Ethan at the center, surrounded by a first ring of mages, a second of knights, and a final one composed of the wolves, Hiyori, Tomás, and Zoe. They mobilized their mana to the fullest, ready to strike.

With focused expressions, Chen and Ethan reviewed the data flashing across the holographic screens at high speed, simultaneously making adjustments on the control interfaces. This caused shifts in the positions and in the active runes on the spheres. Once everything was ready, the pair of formation specialists stored away the crystal tablets, then hurriedly mobilized their mana while pulling a metallic disk from their pouches.

Without wasting time, the two young men quickly threw the rune-covered metal disks to the ground. Chen rapidly performed hand signs, while Ethan conjured various sets of runes that organized into multiple geometric patterns in front of him. Soon, Ethan's rune sets gathered around his metal disk, at which point he focused his hand on his right fist and crouched to strike it. At the same time, Chen finished his hand signs and prepared to do the same.

In perfect synchronization, Ethan and Chen struck the metal disks on the ground, which lit up brightly alongside the metal spheres. Simultaneously, the Myst began reorganizing into hexagonal threads, and large amounts of mana started flowing between the spheres. This caused Ethan's spheres to conjure enormous runes above them, which began emitting mist that formed what looked like an illusory castle. Meanwhile, shadow-made doors appeared above Chen's spheres, which soon slammed shut and vanished along with the castle.

"Formations deployed successfully!"

At that moment, Ethan announced in a serious tone as the others looked down at the golems below with grave expressions, weapons in hand. Quickly, Chen and Ethan also grabbed their weapons and eyed the golems, ready to fight. But after nearly a minute of complete silence, during which the golems seemed to notice nothing, Erik announced in a calm voice.

"Stand down, we're safe."

Hearing Erik, the group let out a sigh of relief as they loosened their grip on their weapons. After all, though they had done this over and over while descending through this strange geometric labyrinth, it never ceased to be stressful, as a single mistake could cost them their lives. At that moment, Tomás sheathed his sword at his waist, then looked at the distant staircase and commented in a serious voice.

"We've finally made it… The last floor."

"It was long, but quieter than I expected… We barely had to fight." Zoe remarked in a calm voice while looking at Erik, at which point Christine stepped toward the starry-haired young man and commented with a seductive smile.

"Well, we owe that to Erik. Thanks to the potions, formation flags, and pseudo-formation plates, we managed to slip by unnoticed and survive the 'active phases' easily~"

"Am I invisible or something?" Ethan couldn't help but grumble at Christine's words, who let out a melodic giggle and flashed a sweet smile at Ethan while replying.

"Of course, Fellow Disciple Williams and Daoist Ming were also a very important part of our success."

"Heh, it was nothing."

Ethan slightly raised his chin and commented in a 'casual' tone, while Chen took a step away from him, not wanting to get involved. For his part, Erik began petting the wolves that approached him and commented seriously.

"But the 'easy' journey ends here. From now on, we're blind, so we need to be extremely careful and prepare for anything." Erik turned to look at Zoe and added with seriousness.

"Zoe, I need you to deploy Scouting Spheres to the last floor before the 'active phase' begins." Zoe quickly nodded and reached into her storage pouch, at which point Erik looked at Chen and Ethan and instructed seriously.

"At the same time, I need you both to set up fixed formations here to serve as a Plan B in case we have to retreat."

"I was thinking the same. We can try to recreate the entire array of attack, defense, and concealment formations we set up earlier around the shelter. They'll be crucial for holding the fort against a powerful enemy." Chen quickly added seriously, to which Ethan chimed in, even more serious.

"It's definitely necessary. We could even use what's left from making the flags we're using to reinforce the array."

"Sounds good. Christine will work with you on that." Erik nodded and commented calmly, then looked at Christine and asked.

"Is that alright with you, Christine?"

"Of course, I'm at your complete disposal, Erik. You can ask me for anything~"

Christine replied in a slightly suggestive and flirty tone, which caused Elara and Zoe to click their tongues in annoyance. For his part, Erik casually ignored Christine's tone and responded in a calm voice while pulling a bag of cookies from his storage pouch.

"Then I'm counting on you." After taking a bite of his cookie, Erik turned to look at the rest of the group and calmly ordered.

"For now, everyone else focus on recovering and getting back to full strength. We might enter combat the moment we cross those stairs."

Once Erik saw everyone nod before sitting in lotus position or beginning various martial arts stances, he looked at Elara and Tomás and commented seriously.

"Let's have a small strategy meeting to figure out how we're going to move."

After Elara and Tomás nodded, Erik walked a few steps with them and created a table and chairs out of solidified Myst, where they all sat. In his chair, Erik placed the bag of cookies on the table, and as the wolves lay by his side, each about a meter long, he commented in a serious tone.

"From here on out, things will be on a whole different level, so I'm thinking of making a couple of changes to how we move."

"It's necessary. You can't be at the front anymore, Erik. It's too risky." Elara quickly replied in a serious tone, to which Tomás nodded gravely while watching the Scouting Spheres controlled by Zoe head toward the staircase.

"I agree. The wisest move is to advance in a defensive formation surrounded by barriers. The fact that the Scouting Spheres lose connection as soon as they enter doesn't sit right with me."

"Actually, what I'm thinking is a bit different. I'm considering sneaking in under Tiberius's shadow to do some reconnaissance before coming back. Going in completely blind isn't a good idea."

"You can't! What if you end up teleported to a dangerous place alone? Or something happens like before, and you have to pull another crazy stunt to move through the shadows? The risk is too high!" Elara replied with a solemn expression, staring intently at Erik, who wanted to respond, but at that moment, Tomás spoke seriously.

"Miss Belmonte is right. We have no idea what's down there, and we can't afford to lose our leader. But you're also right—we can't go in completely blind. So this time, I'll take the role of scout."

"The Scouting Spheres failed again. The moment they reach the last step of the staircase, they lose all contact." Just then, Zoe approached the table and commented in a serious tone before sitting down and adding while looking at Erik.

"And I agree with them. Anyone can take the risk except you, Erik. So we won't agree with you on this. Though I think there's a better candidate for scouting—me, or rather, Hiyori-sama. She's fast, strong, and even if something happens, she can relay some information through the contract before returning to the spirit realm."

"Is she willing?" Erik asked, a bit curious, while looking at Zoe, who couldn't help but blush subtly, a little embarrassed by how the fox spirit now ignored Erik, before responding.

"I spoke with her, and she's willing. After all, she doesn't really lose much. She can't die like we can, so she's not truly risking anything. And since my safety depends on it, there's no conflict with her promise to my grandparents."

"…If she's willing, she really is the best option. Any of us could die in there without relaying any information…" Erik couldn't help but comment quietly while reflecting.

"Though your power would be greatly reduced, Zoe. Are you sure about this?" Elara looked at Zoe and asked seriously, to which the beautiful knight replied in a calm voice while pulling a teapot from her storage pouch.

"Completely. Though my strength would indeed be affected, we need information, and every one of us who falls will greatly reduce our overall power. So it's inevitable."

Just at that moment, the music returned, and the walls began to glow brightly, causing everyone present to look down seriously. As some golems emerged from the walls and others increased the pace of their patrol, Erik commented in a calm voice.

"Then let's do it this way. Once the 'active phase' ends, Zoe will send her contracted spirit ahead to scout while we wait here on guard."

""Understood.""

The three young people replied in unison with serious expressions, to which Erik nodded before pulling a notebook from his storage pouch and beginning to write in silence.

…

…

…

After some time, the glow of the walls dimmed along with the music until it disappeared. At this point, Erik, now at the center of a two-ring defensive formation, looked at Zoe by his side and ordered in a serious tone.

"Go ahead."

"Hiyori-sama, please."

Zoe quickly looked at the fox spirit to her left and requested respectfully. The fox nodded casually, then glanced sideways at Erik before leaping off the Myst platform and shrinking in size.

As the formations created invisible energy shields around the group, the white fox, now measuring just over 20 cm, advanced at high speed toward the staircase, soon disappearing from everyone's sight. Not long after, Zoe announced in a serious voice while looking at Erik.

"She's reached the last step."

Erik nodded silently, locking eyes with Zoe while holding his machetes in hand. Zoe nodded back, and with a solemn expression on her face, gave the mental order to proceed. Clenching her fists, Zoe kept her gaze fixed on the staircase, but after a few seconds, the beautiful young woman let out a sigh of relief and turned to look at Erik with a smile.

"She got in. There's nothing in the area except Scouting Spheres lying on the ground. Not a single golem, and the walls are completely 'off.' It seems there's no danger."

Hearing Zoe, Erik's eyes widened in surprise, but they quickly narrowed as he instructed in a serious tone.

"Tell her to advance 100 meters without using mana, then come back and create a small explosion. But she needs to be ready to return at the slightest anomaly."

"Understood." Zoe nodded seriously, then relayed the mental instructions under the nervous and expectant gaze of everyone present.

Time passed slowly in complete silence, where even the slightest sound of swallowing resonated loudly, but no one cared, as everyone was equally on edge. This was especially true for Zoe, who couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from her forehead while trying to keep her heart under control. But just at that moment, her beautiful blue eyes widened in shock, and she quickly announced with seriousness.

"She's been attacked!!"

***

You can support me on patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 25 advanced chapters.

 

[lordanl]

"What happened?!" Elara asked aloud as she mobilized her mana at full speed. At that moment, a beam of white fire shot out from the staircase directly toward them, prompting Erik to issue an urgent command.

"Open the formations!"

With urgency, Ethan conjured a set of runes while Chen performed a hand sign, causing the invisible energy shields to reappear briefly before opening two gaps to allow the beam of white fire to pass through. Not long after, the fox landed on the platform. Though she appeared mostly in good condition, she bore several scratches across different parts of her body, leaking a strange golden blood that dissipated into the air as specks of light.

"Hiyori-sama! Are you okay?!" Zoe stepped forward and asked as the formations closed again. The fox spirit nodded and explained in a calm voice.

"I'm fine, these wounds are nothing. More importantly, the situation on the lower floor is strange. The moment I created the explosion, tentacles emerged from nowhere and attacked me at high speed. I barely escaped."

"Tentacles…?" Upon hearing Hiyori, Elara brought her hand to her chin and whispered in a thoughtful tone, just as Erik asked calmly.

"Did they appear exactly at the moment of the explosion, or was it before?"

Hearing Erik, Hiyori turned to look at him silently, which brought a worried expression to Zoe's face. But before the beautiful girl could say anything, the spirit responded in a calm and neutral tone.

"…Right at the moment the first spark of light emerged. Though I walked around the area and used a bit of mana to study the surroundings, nothing happened. It's likely they attack any source of light."

"I see. Thank you very much, Spirit Hiyori, this information is incredibly helpful." Erik said with a calm smile as he looked at the spirit, who simply nodded and walked toward Zoe while the wounds on her body vanished slowly.

"Well, now we know how to proceed. Cover any light source or reflective surface. Knights, switch to shields, and let's move in tight formation." Erik looked at the others and ordered in a serious tone. Everyone quickly nodded, then reached into their storage bags to pull out various items.

Many knights in shining metallic armor, like Zoe, took out a small black sphere, which they slammed against their armor and shields. These small spheres spread across the metallic surfaces, soon turning the shields and armor completely black, as if they absorbed all light.

At the same time, some mages swapped their staves for ones without crystals, while others used cloth or black spheres to change their color. Meanwhile, on armors with fabric or leather, runes glowed on their surfaces, soon turning them entirely black as well.

Once everything was ready, the group reorganized into two rings around Erik. The mages, dressed entirely in black, formed the inner ring, while the knights, holding fully darkened metallic tower shields, formed the outer ring. At that moment, Erik patted Kaiser's head beside him and whispered in a low voice.

"Climb onto my shoulder and don't use your lightning unless I tell you to."

The silver wolf let out a cheerful howl and jumped onto Erik's shoulder while shrinking in size. Upon landing, the wolf was the size of a puppy, just under 30 cm. At that moment, Erik placed his hand on Tiberius' head, who stood about the height of a normal wolf at about 90 cm, and spoke in a calm voice.

"We're advancing on the Myst platform. Refrain from casting barriers or anything that might produce light unless I order it."

"Understood!"

The group replied in unison, then downed their concealment potions in one gulp. Erik nodded with satisfaction, then drank his own potion and made the platform move toward the staircase quickly. Soon, the group began descending the stairs, leaving the golems behind, which caused everyone to grip their weapons and shields tightly with serious expressions. Even Erik's face showed signs of nervousness.

After all, he couldn't sense the Myst of the staircase, as if there were some kind of barrier blocking his senses. Though he had used the strange technique taught to him by the Myst to control it a few times, he still couldn't feel anything, as if beyond the stairs there was only emptiness. An incredibly strange sensation he had never experienced before.

Upon passing the last step, Erik tightened his grip on his machetes and made the platform advance. At that moment, he felt as if he were passing through some kind of invisible membrane, similar to what he felt every time he passed through security checks at the university's space elevator station. But upon crossing it, Erik felt a monumental change in the Myst around him.

As if he had stepped into another world, the Myst outside the 'membrane' became unreachable to him, while the Myst in the place felt incredibly strange. Somehow, the Myst felt heavy and somewhat "sticky," reminding him in some way of rotting food. Yet, despite the odd sensation, his control over it grew significantly, reaching about 70% of his normal state outside this strange 'geometric anthill' he was in.

Moreover, luckily, the Myst closest to him began moving erratically, expelling the 'sticky' Myst from its vicinity, leaving only the "warm" and familiar Myst he was accustomed to in direct contact with him. At that moment, Erik focused on his contract with Tiberius to use his eyes to see in the complete darkness surrounding him and examine the area.

Upon connecting with Tiberius, Erik 'looked' around, realizing he was in a place identical to the previous floors—a rectangular corridor, incredibly tall and wide. But curiously, the walls, which outside appeared perfectly smooth as if meticulously polished, here were uneven and somehow 'gnawed,' as if they had suffered some kind of erosion over who knows how long.

At the same time, Erik could see Scouting Spheres scattered all over the floor, so he made the Myst platform stop. While preparing to retreat at full speed if anything happened, Erik sent the most subtle and stealthy sound transmission he could to all his companions.

"I'm going to collect some Scouting Spheres. Be ready to retreat if anything happens."

"Understood."

Tomás soon sent a sound transmission on behalf of everyone else. Erik nodded to himself, and after a deep breath, he took control of the "sticky" Myst and sent an incredibly subtle amount of mana through the "warm" Myst surrounding him, forcing the mixture to solidify. Once he created a hand of Myst, Erik waited a few seconds to see if anything would happen. Seeing nothing, he sent the hand to pick up one of the spheres on the ground.

Not wanting to come into direct contact with that strange Myst, Erik made the invisible hand toss the sphere to him, which he caught using a hand of Myst created solely from the "warm" Myst surrounding him. Quickly, Erik brought the sphere to Tiberius' eyes, through which he examined it, noticing a small hole running through its center from side to side.

Further inside, Erik could see the mana crystal within the sphere was also destroyed, allowing him to understand what had happened. Though very subtle, the runes on the Scouting Sphere were glowing, so most likely, the moment it entered this place, it was immediately attacked by the 'dark tentacles' Hiyori mentioned, destroying them so quickly they couldn't send information back to the control center.

Soon, Erik shared a brief summary of his findings with the direct disciples and Chen, while storing the destroyed Scouting Sphere in his storage bag and making the Myst platform move forward. Though the platform initially moved slowly, as they distanced themselves from the staircase, Erik gained confidence and began to accelerate little by little while using Tiberius' eyes to search for any trace of those tentacles.

But no matter how much he looked, he found not the slightest hint, to the point that, if it weren't for the destroyed Scouting Spheres, he would have doubted Hiyori's words. His Mystic Awareness detected nothing, nor did he through the Myst. Though cautious with the strange Myst and not extending his ethereal projection, he still used Tiberius' eyes to examine every detail of the place but found nothing.

In an almost torturous silence, the group advanced through the corridors at an increasingly faster pace, which only served to heighten everyone's tension and nervousness. Finally, far in the distance, Erik could see a flicker of light. Surprised, Erik used both his own eyes and Tiberius' to confirm what he was seeing, at which point a nearly imperceptible whisper from Tomás sounded in his ear.

"Erik, do you see the light?"

"Yes, I see it. Confirm with the knights, and I'll check with the mages." Erik quickly sent a sound transmission, then asked Elara, who in turn consulted with the mages.

Soon, Erik received the final response: everyone saw the light. With seriousness, he gripped his machetes and informed all his companions with a subtle sound transmission.

"Prepare for battle. We're heading toward the light."

At the same time, Erik made the Myst platform accelerate, and soon the group got close enough to see what the light was, which left them somewhat surprised. In the middle of the enormous corridor stood what seemed to be the frame of a door leading to a small room where an ancient-looking lantern could be seen, its flame on the verge of going out.

Thanks to the dim light, the group could see what appeared to be a control console made of the same strange rock as the walls. Meanwhile, just above the lantern, there was what looked like an enormous crystal sphere in which a large number of runes from the Zazen Discipline could be seen 'floating'—a sight that made Erik's eyes widen in surprise.

(A giant golem core?!)

"Erik, could that be the control center…?"

At the same time, Elara's stunned voice echoed in Erik's ear, seemingly sharing the same thoughts as him. Erik sent a sound transmission to Elara, his gaze fixed on the massive crystalline sphere, while his mind raced with countless thoughts.

"It's highly likely…"

"Erik, do you think that's what the hunters were after…?" Tomás sent a sound transmission while also looking at the core, which caused Erik's eyes to light up with realization.

(It makes sense that it would be this… In this entire damned place, we haven't found anything that could catch their interest… But if it's this, why didn't they take it sooner and waited until now? Clearly, they knew this place before and understood its rules very well… Could it be they hadn't found it, or did something change for this place to reveal itself?

(It's hard to say, we don't have a hint, much less a clue… Besides, the 'exit' is still a bit far, so anything we do now is a risk, and a significant one. If we go in, we might alert whatever is lurking in this place or trigger some defense system, which could end up costing us the chance to get out…

(But at the same time, the value of that thing is monumental. It not only gives us the ability to control the Golems, but it could also hold clues about the golden chains and even about the strange island and how such different plants could grow in the same place. If humanity could decipher that technology, its importance would even surpass that of artificial warp highways. It would literally create an unprecedented era of prosperity for the entire galaxy!

(Though now that I think about it, in that stone cabin, there were a large number of jade slips full of information… That's also incredibly valuable, so much so that it's truly worth risking our lives to obtain it… The rewards for doing so are too tempting. The merit and renown it would bring to my masters would be monumental, and it would grant them infinite wealth… It would truly be the best way to give them 'thanks' for everything they've done for me… Literaly a ticket to repay my almost infinite debt of gratitude to them.

(Besides, my instincts are also screaming at me about how important this is, especially that strange lantern. For some reason, all the Myst in contact with its light is normal, without that strange "sticky" feeling, so it must be very special too. Not to mention there's no trace of tentacles attacking it despite the light, so it's very likely that thing is crucial to avoiding dangers in this strange place…)

***

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[lordanl]

Hesitant, Erik gazed at the little he could see of the strange room while deep in thought, but no matter how much he pondered, he couldn't reach a decision. After all, if he made a mistake and something like the forced teleportation from earlier happened again, fleeing could end up costing him his life. He no longer had Ebonique, and though his body had recovered, it wasn't at 100%, so he could hardly bear the 'cost' of forcing a shadow portal.

In his current condition, he could probably only escape with the wolves. Anything beyond that might end up shattering his mana system and killing him before he could even get treatment, and he had no more smart potions left. Ultimately, his shelter had those potions because he'd been studying them in his free time during the vacations with his masters and on the trip to the asteroid, since he didn't have his workshop and used his shelter instead. All the 'spares' his masters had prepared were in his storage rings, now inaccessible.

(Though my instincts tell me to take the risk, at the end of the day, it's a shared risk, and the rewards for them would also be immeasurable… Besides, if the exit we're heading to turns out to be something else or holds some danger, if we can somehow use that core to control the Golems, we'd gain overwhelming power, so everyone should have a say… I've already made my decision; let them make theirs.)

Reaching a conclusion, Erik sent a sound transmission to everyone and began explaining his ideas. Once he'd laid everything out, he sent another transmission with a serious tone.

"…With all that said, I've made my decision. I'm going to take the risk and go in, so I leave it to you to decide as well. You can follow me inside and take the risk with me, stay outside, or even go your own way. But keep this in mind: if something happens, I no longer have the means to save anyone. If I try to force another shadow portal, I'll die before I can pull it off. So, those who still want to come with me can send me a sound transmission. In 5 minutes, I'll leave this Myst platform here and head out with whoever wants to follow me."

"…"

Hearing Erik, the quiet youths fell into deep reflection—or so Erik thought—because almost immediately, several voices echoed in his ears in near unison.

"""I'm with you."""

Surprised, Erik used the Eyes of Tiberius to look at Tomas, Zoe, Elara, and Chen, who, even in the darkness, smiled with confidence. At that moment, Erik could hear Ethan's voice resonating in his ears.

"I'm coming with you. Going through all this hell and coming out empty-handed would leave a bad taste in my mouth, and I feel like you're a lucky guy. I'm betting on you."

Just like Ethan, one by one, the youths sent sound transmissions to tell Erik they'd join him, with only Christine remaining silent in thoughtful contemplation. Erik didn't pressure the flirtatious blue-haired girl to decide, and after a few minutes, a serious voice without a hint of playfulness echoed in his ear.

"You said before that you'd protect women and children… is that still true? Will you protect me?"

"As long as my name is Erik Verne, I can at least assure you I won't let an innocent woman or children die in front of me." Erik replied with a calm voice, yet one carrying a weight that spanned generations.

Hearing his response, Christine felt as if her heart had been struck by a hammer, and her mind clouded for a few seconds, experiencing an unfamiliar emotion for the first time. But quickly, she shook her head, and while thanking the surrounding darkness for hiding her flushed cheeks, she sent a sound transmission in a sing-song tone.

"Then I'm coming with you, Erik."

"Everyone, prepare for battle. Anything could happen once we enter."

Receiving her response, Erik sent a sound transmission to everyone present while mobilizing his mana. The others, unsurprised that everyone had chosen to follow Erik, gripped their weapons and mobilized their mana, their gazes fixed on the light of the gas lamp they slowly approached.

But just as the light touched Tomás, the first knight in the second ring, Erik suddenly felt the "sticky" Myst moving erratically as a terrible premonition enveloped him. Without a second thought, Erik took control of the "sticky" Myst to create a makeshift barrier while simultaneously forming magic circles. But before the magic circles could even take shape, the makeshift barrier shattered.

In that instant, Erik felt everything around him slow to an extreme degree as the "warm" Myst rushed toward him at full speed. At that moment, he subtly moved his right machete. With the movement, the Myst platform they stood on spun and flung the entire group into the strange room while multiple magic circles formed behind them, creating several layers of Myst barriers.

"Shields!!"

Feeling himself launched into the air, Tomás opened his eyes in disbelief and quickly ordered while activating his shield in a hurry. A step behind Tomas, Elara raised her voice in shock, not even realizing when they'd been sent flying—everything had happened too fast.

"Barriers!!!"

As the mages conjured runes, magic circles, or performed hand seals, the Myst barriers began shattering like thin glass at a terrifying speed, offering practically no resistance against whatever was attacking them. Soon, pained groans mingled with the sound of breaking metal, just as the mages' barriers formed.

But as if they were a joke, the moment the barriers formed, they were destroyed instantly. The group ended up crashing onto the floor of the strange room, and more Myst barriers formed to cover them. To Erik's surprise, as he prepared to activate a forced Myst control technique, the barriers didn't break, prompting him to focus his gaze beyond them.

Behind the barriers, Erik could see what looked like dozens of thin, translucent black tentacles emitting a strange, semi-invisible smoke that dissipated into nothingness, taking much of the tentacles' 'thickness' with it. Startled, Erik looked up, realizing he'd landed near the gas lamp. Then, he turned to look at the knights closest to the entrance, finding them on the ground, their shields shattered and pools of blood beneath them.

Without hesitating for a second, Erik leapt toward the knights, and as he landed, he saw Tomás touch down not far from him. Quickly, Erik nodded to Tomás while pulling several healing potions from his storage pouch, then crouched to examine the wounds of the three knights on the ground.

First, Erik reached Dalai Lin, Chen's original companion and one of the injured. With a swift motion, he removed the shield from the young man's right arm, which had holes of various sizes in different spots. Removing the shield revealed the young man's right hand as a mess, with holes piercing through it side to side and nearly split in two at the upper forearm.

Using Myst hands, Erik quickly repositioned the mangled arm into its correct alignment while opening several potions with his own hands. After pouring two potions over the young knight's arm, Erik made him drink another and swiftly conjured a set of runes that surrounded the arm, emitting a warm green light.

Seeing the arm begin to heal before his eyes, Erik turned to look behind him, where he saw Zoe tending to the third young man, one of the Bikereas. Using Myst hands, Erik quickly assisted Tomás and Zoe, and while creating new sets of runes to aid in healing, he looked at the rest of the group and asked in a serious tone.

"Any other injuries?"

"We're all in perfect condition, I've confirmed."

Elara, already standing, replied in a serious tone, her gaze fixed on the entrance where the strange tentacles had vanished. At that moment, Ethan couldn't help but ask solemnly.

"What were those things? I didn't even sense them coming…"

"I didn't even realize when we were sent flying. By the time I noticed, we were already in the air…" Chen commented in a heavy voice, to which Ethan nodded with a grave expression. At that moment, Tomás, who was making one of the injured drink a potion, looked at Erik and remarked seriously.

"You saved us again, Erik. You detected the danger and reacted even before I could… You're impressive."

"What's impressive is that lamp. If it weren't for it, we'd be dead. Those strange tentacles pierced through our defenses like they were paper… I truly thought I was done for a few seconds there…"

Erik shook his head and commented while gazing at the faint flame of the gas lamp on the stone control console. Everyone present turned to look at the lamp, at which point Christine's somewhat nervous voice echoed in the space.

"How did you know the light could repel them…?"

"It was more of a hunch." Erik replied seriously, turning to look at the entrance as he explained.

"Those tentacles appeared out of nowhere in multiple places at once, but none near the light. Even when they attacked Tomás, the closest to the light, they struck from behind where the light didn't reach. So, at that moment, I threw us toward here, hoping they wouldn't dare approach… Luckily, I was right."

"That lamp is truly special." Zoe commented heavily, noticing Hiyori, who had some scratches on her body, staring at the lamp with deep eyes. Curious, Zoe quickly asked her contracted spirit.

"Do you recognize that lamp, Hiyori-sama?"

"Not really. It's just that the light it emits is somewhat strange. Connecting with the Myst is much easier now."

"Much easier…?" Elara whispered passively, then sat in a lotus position and began breathing in a peculiar way. Almost immediately, the beautiful girl opened her eyes and remarked in surprise.

"It's true! I managed to adapt to the Myst and connect with it almost instantly!"

Hearing Elara, the others opened their eyes in surprise, and immediately some of the youths sat in lotus position while others began practicing some form of martial art. Not long after, they all confirmed it, at which point Tomás couldn't help but comment in a voice full of astonishment, his gaze locked on the lantern.

"What an impressive artifact… I've never heard of an artifact capable of doing something like this."

"If this works the same way everywhere, its value is astronomical… It can basically eliminate the weakness period for mana users…" Ethan nodded and commented in a voice filled with surprise and a hint of greed, at which point Erik asked thoughtfully.

"You couldn't connect with the Myst outside?"

"Not at all. In fact, since we entered this ruin, I haven't been able to connect with the Myst properly." Elara replied seriously, to which everyone present nodded one by one, leading Erik to whisper quietly.

"I see… So the 'lightness' translates to that… Therefore…"

"What's on your mind, Erik?" Christine asked, seeing Erik furrow his brow. The star-haired young man looked at everyone present and commented somewhat uncertainly.

"Not much, really. I was just thinking that if this lamp can facilitate control over Myst, couldn't it also affect formations? After all, I can make them malfunction a bit by forcibly manipulating Myst, so with this lamp, it should be quite feasible to achieve something better."

"What you're saying makes sense. You might be right."

Chen commented thoughtfully, already aware of Erik's ability to disrupt formations. Meanwhile, Ethan, who didn't know this, could only look at Erik with a complicated expression and whisper with a hint of bitterness.

"Damn monster…"

"Well, setting that aside, let's focus on what's important. It's a fact that we need this lamp and the core, but we still don't know if it's possible to take them. So, we'll wait for the injured to fully recover before taking action. We have to be ready for things to go wrong." Erik commented seriously while looking at the knights' wounds, to which everyone nodded with grave expressions.

***

You can support me on patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 25 advanced chapters.