Chapter 382: Depths of Shadow
The Rebellion Fortress, Southern Sector.
The magic crystal lamps installed at the end of the corridor still shone steadily, their bright, unwavering light banishing the darkness and easing a bit of the tension in Solderin’s chest.
These lamps, placed just before the Shadow Experiment Chamber, served not only to illuminate but also as a kind of detection device. Powered by a special set of magic network units inscribed with runes that sensed abnormal surges of magical energy, the lamps would instantly burn out if the ambient mana concentration suddenly shifted. The extinguishing of the light would warn any approaching exploration teams of danger ahead. Since the lamps remained lit, it meant that in the two days since Solderin and his group had left, no unusual magical fluctuations had occurred in this area.
When exploring ancient, mysterious ruins, the greatest fear is encountering still-functioning ancient magical mechanisms or wandering arcane creatures. Solderin’s cautious approach was the hard-earned wisdom of countless adventurers who had paid with their lives.
“All clear. No abnormal mana detected,” reported a Steel Ranger soldier through his detection goggles, confirming the safety beyond the lamp’s glow.
Solderin nodded. “Set up emergency defense points. Prepare to open the door.”
Several soldiers immediately pushed large crates they had transported along the way near the isolation gate. These crates were inscribed with weight-reducing runes and powered by magical capacitors designed to lighten heavy loads—specialized transport boxes used by the mechanical manufacturing division. Once opened, the crates revealed components and strange equipment ready for assembly.
Solderin bent over one of the larger devices, his fingers lightly brushing its surface.
It was a peculiar contraption with a handle, its main body formed by two opposing U-shaped metal rails. At the rear of the rails was a sealed steel box, connected by faintly glowing magical runes. The handle was positioned mid-rail, with additional grips and a shoulder rest at the front and back to aid stability.
Unlike the mass-produced, cheap, and simple standard gear currently favored by Cecil’s forces, this was a weapon crafted with near disregard for cost. It was forged by the realm’s finest master craftsmen and ancient magi, using the highest quality rune-engraved plates available from the foundry. The energy cartridge at the back housed a second-generation magical capacitor still in testing, produced only in limited quantities. Even the acceleration arrays on the rails were specially designed. All of this was to meet one goal: to create a rail accelerator cannon light enough for a single person to carry.
But Solderin also knew another truth—every cheap, mass-produced standard weapon began as an expensive experimental prototype.
The more data the Steel Rangers collected during use, the clearer and more effective the improvements would become, hastening the day when this costly weapon could be turned into an affordable industrial product.
Normally, even with a mature design, turning a blueprint into a physical product took a long time. Thanks to Mr. Nicholas Egg’s tireless efforts, Solderin had managed to secure a few samples ahead of the second expedition.
“Teams of three. Each team gets one,” Solderin began distributing the equipment. “As per the previous plan, one shooter with two guards. The shield bearer holds the shield, the marksman provides light weapon cover. No matter what we encounter inside, stay calm and composed. Remember, you are the most elite Steel Rangers on this land—and in this world!”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers unpacked the gear: four individual launchers, emergency shields powered by large magical capacitors, and thermal ray guns with improved continuous fire capabilities. These “special operations” upgrades were all ordered by Solderin over ten days ago. Today was the test—if a fight broke out.
Miss Tyr, the sea witch who had barged in looking for her little biscuit, stared dumbfounded at the fully armed Steel Rangers. Though she rarely ventured out, she was familiar with the style of inventions from High Lord Cecil’s military engineers. After a long pause, she couldn’t help but ask, “Are you sure you want to clear a path through an ancient ruin with this kind of gear? Are elves really such a reckless race?”
“This ancient ruin was built by the Gondor Empire. Though old, it’s incredibly sturdy. And we’re not using these to clear a path—just as a precaution,” Solderin smiled faintly, then proudly added, “As for combat style—I believe I’m the first awakened among the elves. While my kin still cling to bows and magic, I’ve found a more effective solution.”
As he spoke, the high-ranking ranger couldn’t help but recall the epic battle last winter against that cultist woman…
“Seven or eight grenades hitting the enemy’s head felt great… If only I’d brought a few more, maybe I would have won.”
“You land-dwellers have strange minds,” Tyr muttered, feeling the conversation was going nowhere. She shook her head and waddled off, “No wonder the sisters say staying out of water too long makes you crazy…”
Amber paid no mind to their exchange. Instead, she approached the sealed gate, tilting her head to study the intricate patterns. She didn’t understand the ornate Gondor script but searched the runes elsewhere on the door for traces of shadow magic.
“So this is the so-called Shadow Experiment Chamber…” the half-elf murmured. “I don’t sense any shadow energy at all…”
“Maybe it’s all blocked by the gate. Purple steel strongly interferes with mana,” Solderin said, pulling a silver disc engraved with complex runes from his pocket. “Step back a little. I’m going to try unlocking it.”
He infused a bit of magic into the disc and began following the unlocking sequence Kamail had taught him.
Though Kamail didn’t know this area or the fortress’s access codes, he understood the universal unlocking principles. After a thousand years, the fortress’s power systems had been reset, rendering the original passwords invalid. In theory, any door could be opened with the universal unlocking device.
As the silver disc glowed faintly, the heavy ancient purple steel door creaked and groaned as its internal mechanisms stirred.
Amber immediately knew Solderin had succeeded—she had heard the same sound when High Lord opened the northern gate of the mountain ruins.
Everyone tensed, eyes fixed on the door as faint magical light shimmered along its surface. The repulsion mechanisms activated, and the massive door slowly swung open.
The millennia-old alarms and defenses were silent; the fortress’s guardians long fallen. The unexpected visitors triggered no counterattack—only dust rose with the opening door, accompanied by a foul, decaying stench.
Each Steel Ranger’s side was immediately enveloped in a nearly transparent shimmering shield, a gentle breeze barrier blocking harmful gases. Amber curled her lips, then her form gradually faded into the shadows and slipped inside.
Moments later, the half-elf reappeared. “Come in. It’s safe inside—and most likely, due to landslides and geological shifts, half of it’s flooded.”
Behind the heavy isolation gate lay a vast hall shrouded in gloom… or rather, to Solderin, it was less a hall and more a natural cavern with only sparse signs of human construction.
The space was enormous—at least the size of two dock plazas. Within this vastness, only a few areas showed man-made stone slabs, pillars, and platforms once used for equipment. Scattered among these were a handful of collapsed huts, likely resting or work shelters for researchers. Beyond that, bare rock stretched out. From the dark, lofty ceiling hung stalactites, dripping water now and then. Below, underground water had seeped in, pooling into ponds and streams that soaked the ancient structures.
Bioluminescent moss grew between the damp rock walls and stalactites, so while the cave was dim, it wasn’t pitch black. Yet the eerie light only deepened the oppressive atmosphere, unsettling those within.
Everyone but one.
Amber, now a shadow, nimbly leapt between massive stones. The dim, somber environment suited her perfectly. After skillfully checking several footholds and platforms with shadow leaps, she returned to Solderin.
“The place has been cleared out, but it’s strange… it feels unfinished. The cave isn’t sealed at the top. Or maybe the original builders of the Rebellion Fortress deliberately left it this way?”
“Not impossible,” Solderin analyzed. “Perhaps they used some natural magical environment here for research, so they couldn’t easily alter the cave’s structure or add too many artificial elements.”
Tyr, listening nearby, found their analysis boring. She had no interest in land-dwellers’ shadow research from a thousand years ago—it wasn’t her sea witch specialty. But she was intrigued by the water seeping in; this damp place seemed perfect for a nap…
At Longwind Fortress, the moment the strange attendant uttered the words “All things must perish,” Francis II reacted instantly. He raised his left hand, and a solid magical shield formed almost instantly, blocking the grotesque, bloodied, and mutated creature before him.
Seeing the abomination’s nauseating form, Francis’s expression darkened, but his spellcasting didn’t falter. With his free right hand, he quickly traced a complex series of magical runes. The intricate incantation compressed into a few sharp syllables, followed by a piercing blast of sound. A burst of blinding arcane energy erupted between the shield and the monster, violently hurling the creature backward.
As the monster flew away, Francis’s face shifted sharply—yet he did not call for reinforcements.
The assassin slipped in just seconds after Master Duke had stepped outside. The earlier battle had been loud enough that, even without his call for help, the guards or Master Duke himself should have rushed in immediately.
But no one came. Not a single soul.
It was clear—these people wanted the king dead.
The monstrous creature that had been blasted away was now writhing violently on the ground, healing at a terrifyingly fast rate before crawling back up. The close-range arcane explosion hadn’t dealt it a fatal blow at all. The moment Francis II saw this, he made the smartest decision he could—
He raised his hand and launched a fireball to disrupt the creature’s movements, then dashed toward the nearest window and leapt out in a single bound!
(End of chapter)