Chamber silent save for heavy breathing.
Pack scattered across crystalline debris as Zor perched on broken pillar with Storm Crown dimmed while ten-meter wings folded, Thunder Raven exhausted. Velnar's massive scorpion form settled as thorned carapace relaxed with healed wound stable. Feyra nestled against Draven's leg as golden Fennec panted while Blessing of Dawn maintained gentle healing aura despite fatigue. Sylvara's druid form seated gracefully with vine armor softened as three-meter frame stayed composed despite stamina drain.
Draven leaned against chamber wall as Stormfang was sheathed while Warden's Mantle absorbed minor cuts via Vitality Weave, bearer alive, victorious, but drained.
Forty-five crystal golems defeated.
Pack survived.
But mystery remained.
Draven stared at crystal shards littering floor as transparent fragments still glowed faintly with elemental corruption while veins faded but stayed visible.
"Peaceful entry attempted. Weapons stored. No harmful intention. Golems should have ignored us like they did in every other ruin."
Frustration evident.
"But they attacked immediately. Eyes burning. Corrupted. Why? What changed? What infected them?"
Genesis Codex floated nearby as Adhivar's presence stayed silent while Worldroot Dragon observed, cosmic entity analyzing but offering no immediate answers.
Pack listened as question was shared by all.
Why did peaceful guardians become hostile?
What corrupted stable zone's protectors?
Sylvara rose as druid form stood while vine armor shifted, elegant three-meter presence thoughtful.
Druidic Clairsense extended, sensing emotions, corruption levels, balance of chamber while analyzing wrongness lingering despite golem destruction.
"Pattern exists. Connection possibly present. Observation necessary."
Analytical mind engaged as Sylvara's nature was not merely combat, not merely support, but knowledge-seeking, understanding, pattern recognition.
First Lord-tier to bond with Draven as longest companion among pack, most experienced with bearer's journey, most exposed to ruins exploration.
Knowledge accumulated.
Hypothesis forming.
***
Draven looked to Sylvara questioningly as druid's thoughtful posture suggested insight.
"Sylvara? You sense something?"
Elegant druid turned to bearer with vine-framed features contemplative.
"Before bonding with you, I explored ruins. Multiple locations. Stable zones preserved against corruption. Seeking knowledge. Understanding ancient structures. Knowledge-seeker by nature, not merely warrior, not merely healer. Understanding drives me."
Revelation casual as Draven knew Sylvara's scholarly tendencies but was reminded of depth.
First Lord-tier to join him years ago when journey was beginning, when first ruins were encountered, Sylvara present for all ruin investigations since.
Most experienced pack member regarding ancient structures.
Velnar older with four hundred years, experienced life, but not ruins specialist.
Sylvara younger but dedicated scholar of preserved history.
Knowledge accumulated through passion, not merely age.
Sylvara's analytical voice continued. "Crystal golems present in every ruin we've explored. Universal feature. Not coincidence."
Draven's attention sharpened.
"Western Ruins, when you first encountered stable zones, crystal constructs guarding corridors. Transparent bodies. Peaceful. Ignored you when unarmed, attacked only when threatened."
Memory recalled as early journey showed first preserved structures with golems standing sentinel.
"Sunken Archives, underwater ruins, crystal guardians adapted to aquatic environment. Same transparent construction. Same peaceful protocol. Naelvorn reported no hostility when respecting ruins."
Underwater variant but same nature.
"Northern Ruins, Frostina's territory, recently explored. Crystal constructs present, frost-adapted, guarding crystalline structures. Peaceful when we entered properly."
Recent memory as Northern Ice Field investigation showed golems observed but non-hostile.
"Southern Ruins, here. Forty-five crystal golems, corrupted, attacking despite peaceful approach. Different from all previous encounters."
Pattern established.
"All ruins we have explored in all four Direction. Crystal golems universal. Same construction. Same protocol. Until now. Connection exists. Purpose exists. Reason for universal presence unknown but significant."
Hypothesis presented.
Zor clicked from perch as Thunder Raven was interested. "So golems aren't random security. They're universal system? Across all stable zones?"
Sylvara nodded. "Hypothesis: Crystal constructs linked. Not independent guardians. Networked somehow. Same origin. Same creators. Same purpose."
Velnar's clicking was thoughtful. "Ancient merger architects built stable zones. Built ruins preserving knowledge. Built golems protecting structures?"
Sylvara's agreement came. "Plausible. If stable zones engineered deliberately, guardians likely engineered simultaneously. Universal presence suggests unified system, not individual installations."
Feyra's small voice followed. "But if connected, why Southern golems corrupted while others peaceful? What broke connection here?"
Critical question.
Sylvara's elegant features showed uncertainty. "Unknown. Investigating destroyed remains might reveal answer. Clues possibly present in crystalline structure, elemental corruption, core fragments."
Investigation proposed.
***
Draven stood as exhaustion was pushed aside while curiosity drove.
"Then we investigate. Examine destroyed golems. Look for anything explaining corruption. Crystal structure anomalies. Elemental vein patterns. Core fragments. Anything."
Pack rallied as fatigue was present but manageable while mystery compelled despite drained stamina.
Sylvara approached nearest fire golem remains as orange-red veined fragments scattered while core shattered by Zor's Sovereign Strike showed pieces glowing faintly.
Velnar examined earth golem debris as brown-green veins spread through transparent shards with root-like patterns visible even destroyed.
Feyra nosed water golem fragments as aqua-cyan corruption faded while moisture condensed around crystalline pieces.
Zor observed from above as Storm Sense detected residual elemental signatures while atmospheric wrongness lingered.
Draven crouched beside thunder golem remains as electric blue veins crackled weakly while core fragments still charged.
Methodical search beginning.
Sylvara's Druidic Clairsense probed fire golem shards, sensing corruption signature, elemental imbalance, wrongness woven through crystal.
"Corruption not surface-level. Woven deeply into crystalline matrix. Elemental veins not natural formation, infected somehow. Spreading through transparent structure like disease."
Analytical assessment.
Velnar clicked over earth golem. "Root-like patterns abnormal. Natural earth element flows smoothly. These veins chaotic, twisted, forced into crystal against natural resonance."
Feyra whimpered slightly. "Water corruption feels wrong. Life element sensing death within aqua-cyan veins. Not living corruption. Anti-life. Unnatural."
Disturbing observations.
Zor from above. "Atmospheric residue detecting. Storm Sense reading dimensional wrongness? Elemental signatures don't match Theia's natural mana. Foreign origin?"
Hypothesis deepened.
Draven lifted thunder golem core fragment as crystalline heart shard showed electric blue veins pulsing weakly, smaller than expected, dense with compressed energy.
Genesis Codex floated closer as green-gold light intensified while Adhivar's presence manifested.
*"Analyzing core structure. Crystalline composition unusual. Not purely Theia-origin materials. Dimensional resonance suggesting partial Original Universe influence? Impossible. Unless..."*
Worldroot Dragon paused as cosmic entity detected wrongness even ancient being couldn't immediately explain.
*"Requires deeper analysis. Pattern recognition incomplete. Additional samples necessary."*
Draven looked around chamber as dozens of shattered cores showed five elemental types with extensive data available.
"Then we collect samples. Examine systematically. Find what connects them. Find what corrupted them."
Investigation intensified.
***
Pack dispersed across chamber, collecting core fragments, examining elemental veins, documenting corruption patterns.
Sylvara gathered fire and earth samples as druid's analytical mind categorized, comparing vein structures.
Velnar used Soilshaper Pulse gently as earth communion sensed through debris, detecting intact fragments buried beneath rubble.
Feyra's Radiant Instinct identified life-force signatures, finding water and air cores containing strongest corruption remnants.
Zor circled overhead as Storm Sense mapped atmospheric disturbances, correlating with core locations.
Draven coordinated as bearer organized systematic search while Genesis Codex hovered beside with Adhivar analyzing each sample brought.
Methodical investigation.
Pattern emerging.
Slowly.
Hours passed as chamber dimmed with afternoon fading while ruins interior shadowed.
Samples collected as dozens of core fragments showed all five elements represented while corruption patterns were documented, elemental veins preserved for analysis.
But answers?
Not yet.
Genesis Codex pulsed rhythmically as Adhivar processed vast data while cosmic consciousness analyzed patterns invisible to mortal perception.
Pack waited, exhausted but determined, curious despite fatigue.
Draven stared at collected samples arranged before him as crystalline hearts of forty-five destroyed guardians held mysteries contained within transparent structures.
Connection exists.
Purpose exists.
Corruption source...
Unknown.
Still.
Tomorrow.
Answers.
Maybe.
Investigation continuing.
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