[Do you have any ideas?] After thinking for a while, Erik asked his contracted spirit. Letting out a disappointed sigh, Ebonique answered.
[A few, but they're risky.]
[I have an idea too, but it would be a last resort. For now, let's set it aside. First, let's check this place to see if we find anything.]
Erik commented casually, then ordered Tiberius to start moving around the area. As he wandered through the place, Erik realized that, although there was no doubt that this place should be incredibly old, it seemed as if time hadn't passed at all.
The books and scrolls looked perfectly preserved, and even the candles that illuminated the room, though they had real flames, didn't burn down in the slightest. This fact surprised him, as he couldn't feel any mana in them.
For all intents and purposes, they seemed like ordinary wax candles, except they didn't burn down. As he walked through the area, Erik also ended up finding several carving tools along with what seemed to be some half-finished magical artifacts. But the curious thing was that the artifacts belonged to all three magical systems.
Holding back the strong urge that arose within him to take everything as samples, Erik managed to restrain himself and continued checking the desks, where he found what appeared to be notes written in a language he didn't understand.
But the notes seemed to have different handwriting styles, as if they had been written by different people. Although there was one style that appeared more frequently and even showed up in notes with other handwritings, probably making corrections.
[Do you recognize this language, Ebonique?] Curious, Erik asked his reliable spirit. Ebonique soon replied in a calm tone.
[It looks familiar. But I don't understand it. Maybe I've forgotten it, or maybe I just saw it in passing. To be honest, I was never very interested in humans.]
[I see…] Erik nodded and soon ordered Tiberius to keep moving.
Soon, Tiberius ended up climbing onto a shelf full of what seemed to be crystal jars. Although all the jars appeared to be empty, after looking more closely, Erik soon realized that some of them still had a bit of dust, similar to ash, though very faint, which made him reflect with some curiosity.
(Did what they contained disintegrate over time? Then why are the books, which seem to be made of ordinary paper and leather, still intact?)
As he imagined different hypotheses to understand the strange place, Erik reached the back of the shelf, where he found a jar densely covered in aegis system runes. The jar contained what looked like a spine about 10 cm long, floating in a greenish liquid.
[Is that what I think it is?] Erik asked with a tone between surprised and perplexed.
[It looks like the spines on the basilisk's head…]
Ebonique responded, equally surprised. That spine really did look like the basilisk's, as if it were a hyper-detailed scale model. Erik nodded and commented thoughtfully.
[It seems they were studying that basilisk… But what could be so interesting about a devourer basilisk that someone would go so far as to create this place?]
[Haven't you told me that humans are inherently curious? What's so strange about that?] Ebonique asked calmly. Erik quickly replied in a serious tone.
[Yes, we are curious. But this place—even in ancient times—must have been expensive and difficult to make, or else they wouldn't be so rare today. Simple curiosity isn't enough to justify such an expense.]
[So you think they were looking for profit?] Ebonique asked casually, as if she didn't believe her own words. Erik replied calmly.
[Most likely. And for someone to have built a place like this—which is a treasure in itself—what they were researching must have been monumental.]
[…]
Hearing the speculation, Ebonique fell silent and looked around the laboratory, a glimmer of doubt shining in her eyes. After all, that 'collector' bastard would hardly be interested in something like profit.
In reality, practically no Eternal would care about such things; their status and power were so high that there was nothing others wouldn't offer them as tribute. So, if an Eternal ever built something, profit would be the last of their reasons.
…
Having searched the entire shelf without finding anything more interesting than the jar with the spine, Erik ordered Tiberius to move elsewhere. After checking every corner of the place, Erik concluded that there was nothing else of interest aside from the jade tablets, since the books were written in that strange language he couldn't understand.
[Erik, Tiberius is getting exhausted.] At that moment, Ebonique commented in a more serious tone. Erik nodded and turned to look at the shelf full of jade tablets, then said.
[We're leaving now, but we'll take as many tablets as we can.]
[It's too risky.] Ebonique quickly replied with a worried tone. [I refuse to believe that this place only has those golems to protect it.]
[It's certainly unlikely.] Erik nodded and answered as he clenched his right fist. [But given how easily we managed to sneak in, we can deduce that this place isn't too well protected. It's a great opportunity.]
[What need do you have to risk yourself for those tablets when you don't even know if they have anything valuable?] Ebonique asked in a disapproving tone. Erik replied seriously as he studied the shelf more closely.
[The need comes from the fact that all of this could be lost with the awakening of the basilisk, and those tablets might hold the key to understanding these ruins.]
[The risk is too great! You could even end up waking the basilisk!] Ebonique replied, a bit angrily. Erik nodded and answered calmly.
[Yes, but you know, Ebonique. Somehow I feel like I need to get those tablets, and my instincts almost never fail me with things like this.]
[Even if you say that, I can't agree.] Ebonique replied in a solemn tone. [The consequences are not something you can bear right now. Erik, listen to me, let's just go. Remember what you said before. It's possible that the basilisk has awakened many times before—if this place is still standing, it's because it doesn't care, so you'll have more opportunities later.]
[…]
Hearing the serious and almost pleading tone of his adorable contracted spirit, Erik couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Although it was true that his instincts told him those tablets were important, Ebonique was also right—the risk was just too high. After a few seconds, Erik sighed with some regret and replied with a bit of resignation.
[You're right. The risk is too high…]
Hearing her beloved contractor, Ebonique let out a sigh full of relief. At the same time, her heart filled with tenderness. Using her claws to gently stroke Erik's hair, Ebonique commented in an almost motherly voice.
[Thank you for listening to me… And you don't need to be so disappointed. Remember, there are still two tunnels left—maybe we'll find something interesting in them.]
[That's true. Let's check them before looking at the basilisk again.] Erik answered soon after a small sigh, but seeing the notes scattered across the tables, he added in a calm tone.
[But first, I'll try to memorize what's in the notes. Even if I don't understand them, maybe Elara, Zoe, or Frank will. Or maybe, if we manage to get out, they'll serve as clues for my masters.]
Ebonique, still stroking Erik's hair, turned to look at the enormous 'mana crystal' on the table. Even though she couldn't materialize a part of her true body to confirm it, she could still sense that the collector's aura was concentrated in that crystal—even more so than around the basilisk, which was also surrounded by that bastard's aura.
[I think that's a good idea. I'll remember it for you.] After looking at the crystal for a few seconds, Ebonique commented in a calm tone.
[Thank you; memory isn't exactly one of my strong suits.] Erik replied with a small smile, then ordered Tiberius to go back to the tables.
Going through note after note so that Ebonique could memorize them, Erik soon noticed something strange. One of the notes had a name written on it that he could actually recognize, since it was written in runic language. An ancient written language used in the Boreal League, and, since it was written with runes, it was something commonly learned while mastering the Aegis System.
{Gaze of Arkhé.}
Curious, Erik began to look more closely at the notes but found nothing similar, so he started searching all around the desk and soon realized he could slip into the drawers by moving through the shadows. Inside the first drawer, Erik noticed there were several notes, a quill, and a book, so he quickly began to examine them.
But as he looked through them, a surprised expression appeared on Erik's face. Among the notes, Erik found what seemed to be drawings of a person practicing a bio-mystic technique, along with different notes written in the runic language.
[I wasn't expecting this…]
[I'll memorize it so you can study it later. Tiberius is exhausted.] Ebonique quickly replied in a serious tone. Erik quickly nodded and ordered Tiberius to move through the notes, then hurriedly left the place.
…
After a few minutes, Erik had moved far enough away from the cabin, so he emerged from Tiberius's shadow. After hiding his contractor in the shadows once more, the black wolf collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.
[Did you memorize everything?] While feeding mana to the exhausted wolf, Erik communicated with his reliable contracted spirit.
[Yes. When we get out, I'll write it down for you.] Ebonique quickly replied in a serious tone, which allowed Erik to nod with satisfaction.
Although recovering what seemed to be a bio-mystic technique wasn't bad, Erik felt that the jade tablets were what was truly important. But the idea that the 'defense system' might somehow be connected to the basilisk was something he couldn't get out of his mind, which ultimately made him give up on the idea completely.
After a few minutes, Tiberius had recovered enough to walk again, so Erik started making his way toward the tunnel exit. Once outside the tunnel, Erik glanced for a few seconds at the sleeping basilisk, but after seeing it was still completely asleep, he quickly headed toward the middle tunnel.
As he made his way down the tunnel, Erik began to see a subtle yellowish glow at the end, which instantly put him on alert. That glow looked very similar to the basilisk's.
With his heart pounding from apprehension, Erik closed his eyes and focused entirely on his Mystic Awareness, wanting to find out if there was another basilisk up ahead. But as the seconds passed, nothing showed up on his mental radar, leaving Erik completely bewildered. Confused, Erik communicated with Ebonique through the contract.
[Do you sense anything, Ebonique?]
[Nothing. Now that I can't use mana, my perception is actually worse than yours.] Ebonique responded in a heavy tone. Erik nodded in understanding and said.
[Let's approach slowly.]
Gripping Tiberius's fur a little tighter, Erik once again took one of his machetes from his belt and advanced at a slow, steady pace, fully focused on his Mystic Awareness. Soon, Erik could see in the distance a statue of a mage holding a book, very similar to the ones at the entrance to the garden.
Upon seeing the statue, Erik stopped for a few seconds, waiting to see if a golem or something similar would appear, but since nothing happened, he decided to proceed with caution.
When he reached the statue, Erik began to inspect it from all sides, confirming its incredible resemblance to the statues at the entrance. But curiously, there was only one statue, with no sign of a second one like at the entrance.
[Do you think this means something?] Erik asked as he walked around the statue. Ebonique responded in a composed tone.
[Maybe it's just a strange preference of whoever created this.]
[Maybe…] Erik replied, not entirely convinced, but since he didn't find anything unusual about the statue, he decided to move on.
As he went deeper into the tunnel, Erik came across more statues. But the new statues were no longer of mages. Some were of warriors holding swords, others of what seemed to be hunters with bows and arrows, and there were even some animals, like bears and lions. But soon, Erik came upon a statue unlike any of the others.
The statue was of what appeared to be a man with somewhat deformed features, goat horns on his head, as well as a tail and wings similar to those of a bat behind him. These strange features were something Erik recognized instantly, which inevitably made him comment, a bit confused.
[A Virelian…?]
[Virelian? What's that?]
Ebonique asked, puzzled, since although the name sounded somewhat familiar, she couldn't quite remember where she'd heard it before. Erik explained in a serious tone while closely observing the statue.
[The Virelians are an alien race that dominates the galaxy next to ours, and for some reason, they've been trying to conquer us for millions of years—though with no success. A few years ago, my masters had to go to the Zephyria Border to deal with the consequences of one of their attacks.]
[Oh, I remember—that was when you had the duel!] Ebonique commented, realizing as she recalled. Erik nodded and said.
[Yes. But why is there a statue of a Virelian here…?]
[Is there something strange about the statue?] Ebonique asked, curious. Erik answered in a thoughtful tone.
[No, it's exactly like the others, just a simple stone statue… But now that I think about it, I focused too much on humans as the possible culprits for this. Although a human at legend level could have been responsible, creating a trap like this would generate too much hatred—to the point where other legend levels might band together to attack him. The risk would be too high, even for a legend level.
[But if the mastermind was an alien race, things would make much more sense. They wouldn't care about the consequences. They're already sworn enemies of humanity and still alive, so they must have power comparable to ours. So, killing the best geniuses of humanity would be a great 'achievement' with few real consequences. And considering that my masters managed to ruin the Virelians' plans a few years ago, they have more than enough motive.]
[So these Virelians are the masterminds…?] Ebonique asked, a cold light shining in her eyes. Erik replied, deeply lost in thought.
[I don't know, but without a doubt, an enemy alien race would benefit the most if the best of humanity's young generation were to die.]
[They have the motive and the incentive. It has to be them.] Ebonique commented in a cold tone, almost as if announcing a verdict. Erik looked at the statue once more and said.
[For now, it's just a possibility I hadn't considered. There's no proof. Besides, if they had the ability to infiltrate deeply enough to create this trap without raising a single suspicion, they would have wiped us out a long time ago. So there must be much more going on behind the scenes, and if it really is them, they definitely have human accomplices.]
[You're right.] Ebonique commented calmly, but her eyes shone with an incredibly cold and deep light—a world of difference from her usual demeanor.
After checking the statue a couple more times and finding nothing strange, Erik continued deeper into the tunnel. As he advanced, Erik found more and more statues. Although the Virelian statues were rare, he still found a couple along the way.
[So that's where the glow was coming from…]
When he reached the end of the tunnel, Erik couldn't help but comment, full of surprise at what he was seeing. The place had statues of all kinds gathered around what seemed to be a half-destroyed stone altar. But what really caught Erik's attention was what was on top of the altar. Floating slightly above it was what looked like a stone egg, emitting a yellowish glow incredibly similar to the basilisk's scales.
[Is that a basilisk egg?] Ebonique asked, a bit puzzled, since the 'collector's' aura was quite faint in the area.
[I don't know.] Erik replied, somewhat confused, and explained. [Although I read a bit about devourer basilisks, I didn't go very deep into the topic, since it wasn't related to any of my projects…]
[I see…] Ebonique replied, focusing at the same time on trying to sense the other Eternal's aura, not wanting to fall into a trap out of carelessness.
[Let's try to get closer, Tiberius.] After a few seconds, Erik ordered his reliable wolf. [But stay alert—we might have to run at any moment.]
After Tiberius gave a silent bark in confirmation, Erik stepped forward, approaching that strange place. With his machete in one hand and the other resting on Tiberius's fur, Erik advanced slowly and cautiously. But even when he was close enough to touch the nearest statue, nothing changed. Everything remained in an eerie silence.
[There's nothing guarding this place…?] Erik asked, perplexed, as he took another step forward. Ebonique commented in a similar tone.
[Maybe this place isn't important…]
Not very convinced by Ebonique's comment, Erik ventured into the midst of the stone statues and began to walk among them, studying each one. Although the statues were similar—especially the bodies, clothes, and so on—the faces, at least the human ones, were different. This inevitably reminded Erik of a mythical army of statues in an ancient tomb from his past life.
[It really seems like there's nothing here except that egg…] After examining the statues for a while, Erik couldn't help but comment, a bit of doubt in his voice.
No matter where he looked, the statues were completely normal—to the point that they didn't even have a single rune engraved on their surfaces, and even when he risked sending some mana into them, nothing happened. Not to mention that this time there were no golems or anything of the sort. Confused and uncertain, Erik ventured even deeper into the place.
Circling around the egg, Erik soon reached the wall at the end of the tunnel, where he found what appeared to be stone sculptures of chests, jewels, swords, and similar items, all scattered carelessly across the floor. Even more confused, Erik commented in a strange tone as he carefully picked up a stone sword.
[Why would someone do something like this…?]
Examining the sword, Erik soon noticed something strange. Although the sword was made of stone and had no edge, it was incredibly well-balanced, easy to handle—not much different from a real high-quality sword. In that moment, an idea struck Erik like lightning, making him look at the surrounding statues with eyes full of disbelief.
[Are they really statues…?]
Just as Ebonique was about to ask what the star-haired boy meant, the egg on the altar suddenly began to tremble subtly, at the same time its glow started to intensify.
"Tiberius!!"
Completely pale, Erik shouted the order as he looked at the black wolf on his right—just as the egg began to spin and rise into the air, its glow growing much stronger.
***
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