Chapter 5
"Are you sure we should be here, Ethan?" one of the direwolves asked, its voice trembling slightly through the mind link,though it tried to hide its unease.
The eight direwolves followed closely behind the boy who had ruled them since infancy. The moment Ethan stepped past the threshold, the ancient stone doors of the ruins slammed shut behind them.
Darkness swallowed the group for a heartbeat until a sudden whoosh echoed, and ancient torch braziers along the walls lit up with blue fire, casting eerie shadows along the ruined corridor.
The walls were cracked and lined with moss. Faded glyphs pulsed faintly with long-forgotten energy. It smelled like dust, danger, and mystery.
Ethan didn't respond to the question. He moved in silence, his eight-year-old frame walking with the confidence of a man twice reborn. His crimson eyes scanned every corner then suddenly flared brighter.
He activated his Enhanced Vision, focusing Qi into his pupils.
The ruins changed before him.
Hidden glyphs glowed with deadly spells. Phantom tripwires shimmered in the air. And far, far below on the lowest floor an immense presence pulsed, waiting.
"Monsters, deep in the ruins," Ethan muttered. "You could say… the final floor holds a boss-tier beast."
One of the wolves gulped audibly. "And I'm guessing we have no choice but to head down there, right…?" The first born wolf asked.
Ethan turned, a grin curling on his lips. "Now you're getting the drift."
"Great..." another wolf sighed. "Well, at least if there are no monsters until the second-last floor, this should be easy." The eighth born added
All seven wolves stared at him.
Disappointed.
"What? It should be, right?" the wolf tried to defend himself.
Ethan just turned and kept walking, the others following behind him leaving the embarrassed wolf trailing in shame. "Wait up, guys!"
Meanwhile... in Solburn, the Capital of the Solar Dominion
Thud!
Lucien hit the ground hard, wooden sword clattering beside him. Dust clouded around his small frame.
Across from him, standing tall and composed, was King Daemion Draegonhart, his long silver hair cascading like moonlight, his body wrapped in a white-and-gold royal battle robe embroidered with golden phoenix sigils symbols of Solburn's unyielding legacy.
"Argh... you're ridiculously strong, Father," Lucien groaned, rising to his feet.
The king gave a rare grin and rested his wooden blade on his shoulder. "With time, you'll surpass me."
Lucien smiled, brushing dirt off his tunic. "Again, please. One more match."
"Very well," Daemion said, lowering into a stance. "Brace yourself, Prince of Solburn."
Their swords clashed again.
Back in the Forest – Deep Within the Ruins of Kar'Thaal
Ethan and his wolves were just one level away from reaching the heart of the ruins. Their bodies were scratched, fur scorched, and Ethan's hair was singed from several fire traps. The group looked like they'd been dragged through lightning and mud.
Ethan, naked (Well that's how his been his whole life) and clearly annoyed, grumbled under his breath. "I swear... whoever built these ruins, I'll make sure they suffer."
"And when we get home, we'll make sure you suffer," the third-born wolf muttered.
"Why are we even here again?" asked the second-born, panting.
Ethan sighed. "With the current level I'm at, turning even one of you into a human would severely drain my power. At this rate, it would take more than eight years to transform you all."
He paused, checking his stats through his inner Qi interface.
♧ Qi: +1 ♧
♧ Power: +1 ♧
♧ Energy: +1 ♧
♧ Ability: +1 ♧
Ethan's eye twitched.
"Everything's still stuck at +1... Nothing's changing."
Even his Qi refused to give insight into what was happening.
Suddenly, the sixth-born wolf halted.
"Hey… what's that?" it asked, pointing toward a side passage glowing faintly blue.
Ethan stepped back to inspect it. His eyes widened.
A faint, radiant orb hovered in the distance,a luminous crystal pulsing with raw ancient energy.
"Buddy…" Ethan said, smiling wide. "You just made my day."
"Ethan, wait! That could be dangerous!" the first-born called out.
But Ethan was already sprinting. He dashed toward the wall, leapt onto it, ran along the side, and then backflipped onto a ledge just as arrows launched from hidden traps.
He slid beneath them on the dusty floor, then kicked off a wall. The ground collapsed behind him, revealing spike pits.
With a burst of energy, he springboarded off the crumbling edge and soared through the air, reaching toward the crystal.
His hand stretched forward
And then...
BOOOOM!!!
The crystal erupted in a shockwave of blinding light, engulfing the ruins in white brilliance.
"E-Ethan!!" the wolves screamed in unison.
The light blinded them, their eyes unable to adjust.
Then---
To be continued...