Chapter 123 16 + 1



[You have entered the ruins! It will not be possible to get out of here until you have completely passed through the dungeon!]

The same message appeared in front of everyone as Zayne walked through the passage. The gate flashed brightly and slowly closed with a loud creak as if giving them one last chance to escape.

eaglesnovɐ1,сoМ "Damn, it turned out to be prettier here than I thought." Luis smirked as he looked around. 

Even though it was a ruin, it was still beautiful, and there was a trace of grandeur, as though once upon a time it had been part of a castle. There were various vases near the walls and shattered pillars as well as sixteen statues of knights, eight on both sides. Each knight had a long spear and a round shield with a moon sign.

"Yeah... I agree... But for some reason, I don't like it at all, especially this one..." Jane muttered as she looked at the massive statue in the center.

It was a Knight, seemingly from the Royal Squad, judging by his elaborate armor and a long sword with an unusual guard, keeping his hands on the hilt.

"Shit... It's huge." Dave gasped with wide eyes, "How tall is it? Five meters? Maybe six?"

"Anyway, let's explore around here, there's no way we can get ahead of it anyway. At least not yet." Jane said seriously, looking at the blue barrier behind the Royal Knight statue. The barrier blocked the passage, and she didn't need to test it to know it was an obstacle.

While the others were looking for some clues, Zayne stood still and raised his hand up, staring at his ring, but not at the one he had taken from Hugo, but at the more mysterious one. He was gazing at the first item he had received when he entered Fallen Fate.

[Ring of the Shattered Moon (Rare)

The old, broken ring that some collector might want to buy.

???

Required Level: 1]

I still don't know what the ring is for, or if it has any meaning, but isn't it obvious that I might need it here? In any case, there is simply no other place more suitable.' Zayne muttered inwardly as the blue moonlight fell on the ring.

"I found something!" The young man exclaimed with a bright smile as he pointed to the shining plate, most of which was hidden beneath a thick layer of dust.

"Take your time." Jane waved her hand as she wanted to take a closer look at everything. She was the kind of person who preferred to check everything ten times first before moving on.

Crackle.

However, it was a real disaster for people like Jane when things didn't go according to plan, especially for some unknown reason, since as soon as she stepped forward the slab pressed itself, sinking into the ground.

"Jane... You are definitely the most unlucky person I know..." Luis shook his head with a bitter smile.

[The moon seal has been activated!]

[The guards of the ruins have been activated!]

[Defeat the guards to pass on!]

[If you want to go all the way to the end and learn the main secret of these ruins, then save every member of your team at this stage! Don't let anyone die! Every one of you is important!]

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

At the same moment, the ground trembled as sixteen statues simultaneously stepped forward as if on a military march. Each of their steps sent a shiver through the air, making the players wary.

"Everyone, take your positions! We were ready for something like this, so we can easily handle it!" Jane exclaimed, and everyone immediately rushed to do her order.

There were sixteen of them, so they divided into four teams, each with a balance, some defending, some attacking, and some helping. A girl in a white mantle and with a silver staff, ran up to Jane, Luis, and Dave. She closed her eyes, and their bodies flashed a vibrant light, making them a little stronger.

"Fine, let's get to it." Jane's gaze grew serious as she rushed forward, heading for one of the Knights.

Her sword was covered in a dense layer of ice, collapsing on the Knight, who continued to walk forward. When the blade was about to fall on the Knight, his eyes flashed a blue light as he thrust his shield forward, blocking the attack.

A shockwave went through Jane's entire body, and for a moment she was stunned. Her eyes went wide as several spears simultaneously swept toward her, intent on piercing her.

Whooooooooooooosh.

Behind her appeared Luis, who tugged her by the shoulder and tossed her aside, then he did a backflip, dodging the spears at the last moment, leaving several cuts on his leather armor.

"Jane, you should be more careful. These Knights are not as simple as they look. However, it seems they can only act all together, we can use that." Luis said quietly, examining his opponents.

As soon as his words were out, the two Knights lunged forward, separating from the main line and moving past their squad as if their target was somewhere further away.

"Luis... Your luck isn't much better than Jane's." Dave said while shaking his head.

Gradually the Knights became more active and faster, it seemed like they were just waking up after a very long nap and needed time to return to their peak form.

"Whatever, let the three of us deal with these six and help the others. If we lose any of them, it will be a real failure." Jane frowned, stepping forward confidently and glaring at the Knights.

"Shit! Somebody help!" Suddenly there was a shout from afar from a young man in iron armor and a long sword in his hand. The knight in front of him was rapidly thrusting his spear, and the young man could hardly defend himself under such pressure, a little more, and the spear would reach its target.

Jane, Luis, and Dave turned around, but they were too far away, it was impossible to help, and fear appeared in their eyes. If their teammate died now, they would fail at the first stage.

Whoooooooooooosh.

The tip of the spear went toward the young man's head at great speed, practically piercing it. At the same moment, in the reflection of the young man's eyes appeared a silhouette in an old coat, who with a wave of his hand stopped the Knight's spear at the last second.

"Agh... You are strong..." Zayne muttered, looking at his slightly trembling hand. He clutched the spear tightly, as the Knight could not get it out of Zayne's grip.

Zayne narrowed his eyes, running his gaze all over the Knight, and muttered, "You are made entirely of stone... so if I act carelessly, I'll just blunt my sword, won't I?"

The other Knight stepped forward, thrusting his spear forward. Zayne's eyes went wide as he tilted his torso, passing the stone spear over his chest.

"Hah, it seems, unlike my previous opponent you are not at all talkative. Well, it's probably for the best." Zayne smirked, let go of the Knight's spear, and turned sharply.

Zayne's palm collapsed on Knight's chest, tossing him slightly aside. Zayne took advantage of the moment and snatched the shield from Knight's hands. He gripped the edges of the shield tightly, and with all his might, brought it down on the Knight's head, shattering it into pieces.

[You defeated the Stone Knight!]

[You gained 100 EXP!]

[Due to restrictions you cannot level up!]

'Agh... Another 100 Exp to waste... I'm already starting to regret being so slow... Although, if I had come here before defeating Enar, I'm not sure I would have made it.' Zayne muttered inwardly, looking at the stone shield in his hands that split in two.