Kael's decision was made. He wouldn't be reckless, but he couldn't ignore this clear signpost on the path the riddle had laid out. The "Echoes of the Whisperwood" quest was dormant, its recommended level far beyond his own, but that didn't mean he couldn't gather information, make observations.
"Stay alert, Corvus," he murmured, glancing up at the Alpha Crow, who watched him with an almost anxious intensity. "Let me know if anything changes."
Corvus let out a soft, affirmative caw.
Kael nocked an arrow, holding his Crude Shortbow at the ready, though he hoped not to use it. He activated 'Silent Step', the familiar minor drain on his stamina a small price for the near-complete silence of his movements. The Sylphwing Quill, tucked into his tunic, seemed to vibrate with a faint energy, its subtle sensory amplification more pronounced in this place of heightened energies.
He approached the root-choked hollow slowly, his AGI of 6 allowing him to navigate the uneven ground with a fluid grace. The air grew colder as he neared the entrance, the musky, earthy smell intensifying. It wasn't a foul smell, just ancient and potent, like a long-undisturbed tomb.
The entrance itself was a jagged opening formed by the massive, intertwined roots of the colossal tree. Thick curtains of dark green moss hung down like tattered veils, obscuring the view into the deeper darkness. No sunlight penetrated beyond the first few feet. He could feel a faint, almost imperceptible draft emanating from within, carrying that ancient scent.
His 'Keen Mind' was working at peak capacity, analyzing every detail. He noticed that the moss growing around the entrance was a slightly different shade than the moss elsewhere in this part of the forest – darker, almost black in places, and it seemed to pulse with a very faint, almost subliminal luminescence when he focused on it through the lens of the Quill's enhanced perception.
"System," he whispered, "analyze this specific moss."
[System Analysis: Noctiluca Bryophyte (Shadowmoss). Properties: Bioluminescent (low light), thrives in areas with high ambient vital/necrotic energy. Non-toxic. Minor magical absorbent properties. Often indicates proximity to ancient sites or ley lines.]
Shadowmoss. Another clue. This place was undoubtedly significant.
He reached the very threshold of the hollow. The darkness within was profound, and his normal vision could barely penetrate it. He didn't dare step inside yet. Instead, he crouched low, examining the ground just inside the entrance, the area still touched by the faintest ambient light.
The ground was packed earth, but he noticed faint, almost erased markings near one of the larger roots. They weren't natural. They were too regular, too deliberate. He leaned closer, his flint knife in hand, and carefully brushed away some of the loose soil and debris.
Revealed were a series of carved symbols, different from those on the Ancient Cache Box, yet possessing a similar ancient, intricate style. They were heavily weathered, almost worn smooth, but undeniably artificial. There were three distinct symbols, arranged in a triangular pattern.
"System, analyze symbols."
[System Analysis: Symbols recognized as part of an ancient warding script. Purpose: Likely a threshold marker or a minor deterrent ward. Current energy signature: Extremely faint, almost entirely depleted. No immediate threat posed by these specific symbols. Warning: Deeper wards or active defenses may exist further within.]
A warding script. Depleted, thankfully. So, this entrance had once been deliberately protected or marked.
As he contemplated the symbols, he felt a faint thrumming sensation from the pouch where he kept the Ancient Cache Box. He carefully pulled out the Attunement Shard. As he held it near the carved symbols on the ground, the Shard itself began to emit a very faint, warm pulse, and the symbols on its surface glowed with an almost imperceptible internal light, mirroring the blue light he'd seen from the Cache Box.
The resonance was undeniable. The Shard was connected to this place, or at least to the energies and the civilization that had created these wards.
[System Notification: Ancient Attunement Shard is resonating with local warding energies. Dormant properties of the Shard are being weakly stimulated. No new functions unlocked at this time. Further, stronger resonance points may reveal more about the Shard's purpose.]
Kael's mind raced. The Shard was the "key," the riddle had said. This was the first tangible proof of that. He hadn't even entered the hollow proper, and already he was uncovering connections.
He looked deeper into the darkness of the root-choked passage. The System's warning about his level still echoed in his mind. He knew it would be foolish to proceed further alone, unprepared. But the temptation was immense.
Corvus let out a sharp caw from above, breaking his concentration. Kael looked up. The crow was agitated again, its head cocked, looking not into the hollow, but back the way Kael had come, towards the less shadowed part of the forest.
Something was approaching.