Yohoho, roll up the Jolly Roger, it's time to look for booty.

With happy thoughts of treasure on my mind, I started into the burrow. Soon, I found a side-path with a couple of old furs in it, some torches and junk. I guess there used to be guards here. I grabbed the torches, just in case the cave got too dark for my low-light vision, then I continued my way. It was truly a rat warren down here, so I used the tried and true method of keeping my left hand at the wall, or rather follow the left-handed wall so I could simply reverse that and get back out. In large rooms that I wanted to search, I simply left my torch at the point where I left the wall so I'd have to go back to it.

After hitting some dead ends filled with junk I started to find corpses, which I simply ignored, I doubt they had anything useful for me. I continued my search until I stumbled, almost literally, upon the largest Snowbold I'd ever seen, almost twice as large as it's brethren. This one I searched but nothing truly interesting was to be found. It was carrying a large bone-club and Inspect called it an Ancestral Bone Club but I was not interested in the least. At least it gave Inspect a point so hey, there's that. I almost lost hope in finding treasure when, not far from the chieftain, I saw one Snowbold that looked strangely different. It was wearing multiple bone necklaces, armbands and had a Bone-Dagger at it's waist. The Bone-Dagger was not better than mine and I had mine largely relegated to a sacrificial tool, for fighting I had my Frozen Shuttle.

Still, it was carrying something that Inspect called a 'Dull Bloodsphere' with the notice that it was used in Bloodmagic. Sadly it seems like it's only useable for a limited duration. But interesting, that means there are ways to save up magic by using Blood Magic? I'd have to think about that. Freezing Blood hadn't worked so there had to be another way. The knowledge might be the biggest treasure down here. One of the less cluttered looked promising so I searched it thoroughly and was rewarded with two blank Runestones.

I still went further down, past chambers filled with dead Snowbolds, until I found a chamber, almost hidden, with a strange altar in it, illuminated by two large, coal braziers. I had no idea what it meant but on the altar was a gem. I moved in, to take it, when suddenly the braziers flared, causing me to leap back. In the air, before the altar, materialized a flame, morphing into a humanoid form, only instead of legs, it was just flame. It was wearing golden plate-armour with runes on the shoulders and a flaming sun on the chest. In it's hands were a shield with the flaming sun on it and a mace, I think they call them Morning Star. The form was giving me a feeling of danger and disgust, as if looking at a particular large cockroach. “Leave, mortal! Nothing here is of concern to you.” It spoke to me in an otherworldly voice I tried observing it and got a sudden headache. “I told you to leave! Your feeble divination will not work on me anyway.” With that it surged forward, swinging it's mace. I instantly triggered Bullet Time and barely managed to take the strike with my Frozen Shuttle but it was shattered. The impact still propelled me out of the room and took three quarters of my health.

When I wasn't finished off before I landed, I looked up to see the form be within the room, standing calm, like nothing had just happened. Strange. I stood and shot an icicle at it, just to have it smashed away by its shield. But there was a little change, one of the braziers flickered for the blink of an eye. Even with the attack, it didn't surge forward to end me, something was up. “Leave! The gods have placed me here as a guard, I hate to end mortal lives.” The gods? Sounds like a real jackpot!

I decided to go all in, first I used my Blood Runes to regenerate all my health, then I thought about a way to extinguish that thing. Upon closer looks, the light of the braziers was strange, it didn't look like coal fire, it looked more like sunlight, making a clear demarcation. I decided to try out to simply toss spells at it and see what happens. After tossing multiple Icebolts at it and trying to get it with Darkness-Tendrils, I noticed that every time it had to defend, the braziers were flickering but I was unable to toss enough spells to make a difference. That gave me an idea.

I figured with an Heptagon-spell channelled spell, might be able to grind it down, I was safe down here, it couldn't get to me or I'd be dead already so I could go into a trance and take my time. The spell I figured was Ice – Devour – Blood - Darkness – Devour – Blood – Ice. I had honestly no clear image of the form, I figured if you mix a tendril and an icicle you get some kind of thorn and the mental focus of the Blood-Runes was life or vitality. With that I settled down and carefully drew the formation into the air before me.

When I was done, it flared to life and I felt my Astral Power flow swiftly through me. The spell materialized as a silver beam with a dark glow around it, as if it was swallowing the light itself. The being took it on the shield but the braziers behind it started dancing as if a storm was blowing. Seeing that I had an effect, I simply went into trance like before, greedily sucking the Astral Power into my body and expelling it just as fast. I wasn't able to reach an equilibrium so after maybe fifteen minutes, I was at less then five percent Astral Power and opened my eyes.

Both braziers were almost extinguished but not yet. I couldn't let it rally so I did the only thing open to me, I pulled my dagger and with a savage grin on my face, I stabbed my own hand, not deeply but to get blood flowing. Then I focused on using the magic in my blood to destroy that thing. I instantly felt pain, not localized but in my whole being. It wasn't as bad as it could be so I simply kept going. The pain got worse by the second but looking at the braziers, I knew I would be able to last. “NO! You cannot free what lies buried here! The gods ...” the being was shouting but was cut off the moment the braziers snuffed out.

Skill increased You increased your skill: Ice Rune-Mastery [28/100] Skill increased You increased your skill: Darkness Rune-Mastery [35/100] Skill increased You increased your skill: Blood Rune-Mastery [25/100] Skill increased You increased your skill: Blood Magic [8/100] Skill increased You increased your skill: Astral Meditation [23/100]

I felt like someone had run me over with a bus. Multiple times. I managed to stand and stagger toward the altar. The gem on it would be the price for my trouble.

It looked strange, like a citrine, but from time to time a flickering bluish light shone from it and each time it did, a Rune appeared, looking kinda like an S or maybe a lightning bolt and the shining stopped. When looking at the rune, I felt a strong feeling of revulsion, it almost turned my stomach, similar but much stronger than what I had felt for it's guardian..

I took the gem and inspected it and got

Soulprison This gem was used to imprison a soul. Doing so bound it to the gem and prevents it's return to the Cycle. Few beings are able to do so and even fewer would dare. The less it shines, the weaker the soul becomes, until the soul is extinguished and the prison turns to dust. Quest Alert! The Soulprison Quest Difficulty Unknown You found an ancient Soulprison. Find out what soul is imprisoned within and decide it's fate. There will be consequences, no matter what action is taken. Quest Reward Unknown

Well, that is different, a quest. Who knows for what, as it gives a wealth of information, but after destroying some kind of divine guardian I'm pretty much screwed anyway, right? No way, no how! Also, that rune pissed me off. I wrapped the thing into some fur to take away and packed it away.

I managed to stagger out of the burrow and headed back towards my cave.