Thanks to that hymn, the Elder Legion managed to receive reinforcements—those few who still survived, or wandered aimlessly amidst ruins and ashes. A new fortress was built by giants, becoming the final stronghold in a blood-soaked battlefield.
And the heart of the giant—according to his final wish—was forged into an unparalleled weapon. With the help of many races, that blade was finally completed. It was given to a hero—the one who carried the last hope of them all on his shoulders.
Everything was ready. The Elder Legion marched out to the battlefield, to meet the Outer Gods with the final light that still flickered in the eternal night.
As for the battle itself, no record remains—so I don't know what really happened.
But in the end, the Elder Legion emerged victorious."
Kai and I sat in silence on a large stone, stunned by the story Elarith had told—it was too grand, too distant from anything we'd ever experienced.
Ashen, with clear impatience in his voice, said,
"All right."
He glared at Elarith.
"So what's that ruin behind us? Instead of telling us straight, you went off about the glorious past of this cursed world?"
Elarith gave a faint smile.
"That ruin was built by a demon.
A being who betrayed Hell to join the Outer Gods.
After their defeat, it created this place to tend to its surviving followers—of the eighty-eight beings sent down here, each ruin corresponds to one of them.
This one is no exception.
However… the Elder Legion didn't let them recover so easily.
They launched multiple cleansing campaigns to wipe out every remnant of the enemy.
And it seems this place was once targeted as well.
So now, there's likely no one left inside."
Kai suddenly spoke up:
"Wait… are you saying… there are more ruins like this one?"
Elarith nodded slowly.
"Yes.
Though I don't know the exact number.
It depends on how many of the Outer Gods' servants survived the final battle.
Still, I believe… not many.
I did find another ruin once.
There were some items inside that I found quite… fascinating.
So maybe, the ruin you found could also be hiding something interesting."
Ashen stared toward the ruin behind us, his voice low:
"So… according to you, there won't be any monsters inside?"
Elarith smiled gently and answered:
"No monsters.
But don't assume that means it's safe.
If you stay in there too long…
At best, you might lose decades of your lifespan.
Because within those ruins still linger the forbidden rituals of the war era.
Some effects still endure to this day…
So be careful."
The three of us—me, Kai, and Elarith—all turned to look at Ashen, waiting for his decision.
Ashen thought for a moment, then nodded.
"We'll explore it."
Kai nearly jumped up like a child who'd just been handed candy.
"Awesome!
What are we waiting for—let's go check it out!"
Elarith chuckled softly.
"Good luck."
Kai looked back and asked:
"You're not coming with us?"
Elarith shook her head, her voice tinged with regret:
"I'd love to…
But I've got other things to take care of.
Farewell, for now."
Before leaving, she looked at me—her gaze made me feel uneasy, as if she knew something I didn't.
Then she stepped into the lake…
And slowly disappeared beneath its surface.
The three of us headed into the ruins to begin our exploration.
Kai was practically bouncing with excitement, his eyes sparkling, his steps light and fast.
Ashen walked beside me, scanning our surroundings while muttering:
"Careful, Kai. Don't run off."
Then he turned to me:
"You be careful too, Mira. Don't stray too far from us."
I nodded, replying with a hint of pride:
"Don't worry. I survived the Elderwood Beast, didn't I?"
Ashen said nothing, but suddenly tapped me lightly on the forehead—just enough to catch me off guard. I froze, wide-eyed.
"Don't get cocky," he said.
I pouted, rubbing my forehead, feigning indignation:
"Hey! You can't just tap someone's forehead without asking!"
I shot him a mock glare—but my cheeks flushed pink, showing I wasn't actually mad.
Ashen just smirked, while I awkwardly turned away, trying to hide the smile spreading across my lips.
Honestly, I liked this better.
Suddenly, Kai—who had been walking ahead—shouted out:
"Hey! You two, come look at this!"
Ashen and I rushed forward, hurrying to where Kai stood.
He didn't say another word—just silently pointed ahead, eyes filled with awe.
And there before us—
Lay a giant, unmoving creature.
It was the height of a fifteen-story building, its twisted form like something born from the deepest nightmares. Its dark skin was coarse like scorched stone, with glowing red cracks etched across its surface—like lava still flowed beneath.
Massive wings, resembling those of a bat but torn and ruined, stretched across the ground like curtains of death.
Its head bore two long, curved horns—pitch black, like they'd been forged from pure darkness. Its eyes were wide open, but the pupils had vanished—empty of light, empty of life. Only void remained.
And piercing straight through its chest—
A colossal spear.
Rough, ancient, as if carved from a sacred stone that had slumbered since the first era.
Ancient runes still glowed faintly along its shaft.
But that wasn't all.
Surrounding the creature were hundreds of corpses—each one of a different shape, perhaps belonging to strange and forgotten species.
What made me shiver—
Was that despite the battle Elarith spoke of having happened hundreds—maybe thousands—of years ago…
Those bodies were perfectly preserved.
No decay.
No skeletons.
It was as if time itself had frozen here.