“H-hold the line! Don’t let that knight get any-”

Shiiing!

“Gaaagh!”

“Keep laying suppressive fire. I’ll call for more-”

Shiiing!

“Fraser? Fraser!? Damn you, heathen! .”

Splat!

“Huh…? Oh my God! What the hell did he do to him!?”

“H-he deflected the back at him.”

“That’s impossi-!”

Crack!

“N-no, please! S-spare my-”

Shiiing!

“… Hostiles neutralised. Returning to the point of entry.”

Finishing my report, I make my way back to our point of entry. The sound of combat has already ceased and I arrive just as the rest of my brothers are finishing their duty. At a glance, all twenty members of the Tascus elimination force are accounted for with no casualties. What is not accounted for are the eighty-five members of the cultist suppression and hostage recovery team. Looking at the back, our point of entry is now a solid wall with no sign of my opening strike.

“We’ve secured our immediate area.”

“Good work, lieutenant. Have there been any sign of the rest of our expedition?”

“Unfortunately Maximillian, there have not. It appears we were separated by some unknown means.”

“*Sigh* No, it’s quite simple. Although I destroyed the door, the true mechanism was in the frame itself.”

“What do you mean, Brother Maximillian?”

“We walked through a portal, Agnes. A portal that the cultists used to scatter forces. Such a stable construct is inconceivable in the “outside” world, but one must never underestimate the magic of the Golden Age, no matter what abominations conceived this place.”

“Then what is our next course of action?”

“Firstly…”

I take the emblem attached to my belt and attempt to contact Brother Michael. To my surprise, I manage to connect to my estranged brother.

(Brother Maximillian!)

“Identification. Private response.”

(M3TAT-000N.)

“… Confirmed. Now report, Brother Michael.”

(Yes, prior. There are eighteen of us here, including Enbos and his compatriots. We are currently scattered across the premise although I do have our brothers’ bearings. I’ve been in contact with my team and the B rank adventurers, and 79 members are accounted for. There have been no attacks on any of our locations.)

“None at all?”

(None that have been reported, prior.)

“I see. Maintain your positions, brother. Our scrying orbs are still operational so we’ll collect all of you before we move onto Tascus. Enbos’ services will be critical, so make sure he doesn’t leave your-”

“Brother Maximillian, I have something to report.”

I turn towards Brother Victor, but before he has a chance to speak, I spy the small compass in his hand. The needle is glowing a faint blue.

“… Change of plans, Brother Michael. We just picked up the trail on the relic’s container.”

“Okay everybody, here are our orders! We have been charged with picking up all our scattered brethren. Once we have rallied our forces, we will notify Brother Iudico and await our next course of action. Now move!”

Warily, we relax our barriers and follow Sir Michael as he examines the scrying orb in his hand. We are currently in a long corridor with no exits along the way. Glowing lines run along the smooth, grey walls and illuminate the entire space with a cold sheen. There appears to be an open space at the very end, but until then, it is prime territory for an ambush. Honestly, I’m surprised Tascus didn’t plant a land mine or the like on the exact spot we would land, although we’ve undoubtably already fallen into his trap.

Looking around, Sen and co are vigilantly surveying our surroundings, feeling the same paranoia as myself. Sig is walking alongside Michael at the front of pack, and judging by the way he’s being blatantly ignored, he’s probably saying the usual guff. Miraculously, Lili and Hachirou are also in our cohort, trudging behind us with hoods over their heads. There are a few other adventurers as well, but I’m far too conscious of my friends to pay them any mind. This setup is way too convenient to be a coincidence.

(Enbos, have you noticed?)

(Huh!? Who? What? Who is it and what did I miss?)

(This place. It reminds me of the time we explored the ruins of the winged demi-humans.)

(Ah, that’s right, Hachirou. I’m 100 percent sure we’re in another Golden Age tomb.)

(I-I see. Nonetheless, the level of preservation here is incomparable to the other. I can’t find any sign of desolation.)

(The cultists moved in so it’s only natural they touched up the place. Probably fixed up the air, too.)

(Perhaps, but these lights were not installed recently. They are seamless and functioning. Moreover, that fantastical space outside… the magic here is clearly from the Golden Age, and yet it has not faded after all these centuries. How can that that be possible? My brother Takumi once said that the ever-changing logic of the World Stream rendered most ancient symbols powerless, so how can the enchantments here be so intact?)

(Do you remember the core we’re after? It was still immensely powerful after thousands of years, and that was because the creator embedded a part of their soul into it. Likewise, I suspect this place is being sustained by something similar.)

(I see.)

(Of course, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume the architect of this place and the elder lich are one and the same.)

(But if the undead ravager managed to make it out of this place, where are the residents? Did they degrade into one of the humanoid species, like with my own kind?)

(Actually, I have a different theory: the undead ravager fed on them while they were in stasis. And after devouring all their souls over thousands of years, it moved onto the outside world.)

“We’re reaching the end of the corridor, everybody. Keep to our formation and check those corners.”

We enter the room whilst maintaining our guard. The room is empty, but there are two other paths leading from this space; one to our left and one to our right. The area is completely bare, save for a blank marble plaque between the doors. As I’m about to approach the panel to examine it, Hachirou sends a silent message, telling me to look at the top of the doors. I crane my neck and immediately recognise a very familiar symbol: a triangle with the cross in the middle.

“… Five.”

“What was that, Mr Novuseus?” asks the holy knight.

“The symbols above the doors. They’re numbered. They’re the same symbols as at a ruin I’ve visited before.”

“Are you an expert on these places?”

“Just a passing interest. Still, did all the races of Aren share the same language and culture during the Golden Age? The shelter of the winged ones showed no signs of other races, so they must have largely kept to their own kind. Maybe it’s based on the magic symbology at the time, since the World Stream is ubiquitous across all-”

“Look, that’s very interesting, Mr Novuseus, but unless it helps us locate our teammates, I suggest you fall in line. Everybody, we’re heading left. Judging by the distance on the scrying orb, we should be able to reach them in a few minutes. Let’s move.”

“The location and numbers of all invading teams has been confirmed. Enbos has been identified in Quadrant 2 with one holy knight in his vicinity.”

“Good. Has the communication line between the knight and the inquisitor been identified?”

“Not yet, father. Even with the source psalms, the encryption is proving more difficult than expected. It will take some time.”

“Make haste, my child. Once we infiltrate their connection, initiate the interference spell so that the inquisitor won’t be alerted. The inquisitor mustn’t be distracted by his followers’ pleas before he meets His Holiness.”

“Yes, father. Shall we send in adherents to dispose of the adventurers afterwards?”

“… Although they’re already lambs in our paddocks, I suppose the chance still exists. Very well. Send forces to all enemy groups except Quadrant 2. His Holiness has ordered that Enbos be unharmed, so let us deliver everybody else to Maleosis’ embrace.”

“*Sigh* No luck, my jobbers. Back to the last junction.”

“By the spirits, I wish we could just break through these walls.”

“I’d rather not tear down a ruin while we are still inside it, Sen. Now, let’s go.”

Tens of minutes have passed since we set out. Although Sir Michael has a bearing on the other groups, it turns out the layout of this place is far larger and more convoluted than anybody could have imagined. Junctions would lead to more junctions. Long corridors would lead to dead ends. Random rooms to the side could turn out to be newfound paths. It’s almost as if the entire floor is a randomly-generated level in a dungeon crawler. Although risky, we’re now spreading out for short durations to increase our overall coverage. My current cohort are the usual suspects including Sig, although Lili and Hachirou are maintaining their guises.

“All clear. No hostiles or pathways to be found.”

“Gotcha, Sen. Just two more corridors to check before we head back. But for real, what’s up with this place? Its layout is completely mupped.”

“I get you, Sig. Enbos, you said this place is a demi-human ruin, what sorted of deluded being could navigate such a convoluted domain?”

“I doubt anybody knows, Sen,” chimes in Minna. “Regardless, all these empty spaces with no doors or windows hardly resemble rooms at all. I don’t think any of them are for accommodation nor for storage.”

“Yeah. Maybe a race of golems called this place home?”

“Golems are magical creations, not living beings,” I explain. “Speaking of home, can you tell me a bit about your hometown, Sen?”

“Oh, it’s nothing special. Just a rural village that raised a bunch of wide-eyed dreamers. Travallis’ only claim to fame is probably its green windmill. It’s so boring that not even bandits would bother to visit. Ain’t that right, Minna?”

“*Sigh* You and I clearly remember things differently. You have no idea what it’s like trying to keep an eye on Sen when he’s climbing every tree, trying some impractical combat technique, or putting out fires with a-”

“I-I think he gets the picture, Minna.”

“That’s right. You and Minna came from the same village. How did you meet Norf?”

“Oh, it was at a town near the Dellmore Forest. Look, I’d love to tell you, but we should save it for after we save Eric.”

“Indeed,” agrees Minna. “It’s good to see you have your helm on right. I’m surprised Enbos was the one to make small talk instead of you.”

“Yeah, you’re right. What’s with that, Enbos? Are you feeling more relaxed without that inquisitor around?”

“Maybe… We’re back at the junction. I’ll take the path on the left while you go to the other one.”

“Wait, alone?” exclaims Minna.

“Nuh-uh, my man. I ain’t leaving anybody on their lonesome in this drake place.”

“We can’t keep exploring this place like this, Sig, and ability-wise I’m the most well-rounded to operate on my own.”

“This is reckless, and you damn well know it, Enbos. What wisp has gotten into your-”

“Don’t worry, Mr Sig. We’ll accompany him. Do you concur, Mr Novuseus?”

I stare at Lili and Hachirou for a moment before slowly nodding my head. Sig muses for a moment but ultimately relents.

“I guess that’s fine. Stay on your toes, Enbos, and if it extends further than a hundred paces, head straight back here.”

“Of course.”

Sig hands Lili and I signal flares before sending us off. I turn off at the nearest doorway while the rest of the party head the other way. I walk slowly but Lili and Hachirou stay several paces behind me. As the footsteps of the other group fade, Lili then breaks the silence.

“Enbos, what is wrong? You’ve been acting strangely ever since we entered the cave.”

“… I’m not sure if I should tell you, because it may be nothing more than my self-destructive paranoia.”

“I-I think I already have a good idea,” says Hachirou. “I noticed you’ve been particularly conscious of Sen, Minna and Norf ever since we entered the cave. I-I don’t want to believe it, but… do think one of them could be an imposter?”

“Oh my God, that’s-”

“I’m horrible. Yes, I know, Lili.”

“T-that’s not what I… Why do you believe that is the case?”

“Because Tascus is convinced I’m an integral part of the prophecy, and as far as I can tell, he wants me alive. Although I managed to bluff him before, he knows for a fact that I care about all of you… and I know for a fact there is still one more infiltrator amongst our ranks.”

“B-but that can’t be! I haven’t noticed a change in their scents at all.”

“Perhaps, Hachirou, but we have no idea how meticulous Tascus’ men truly are. For all we know, the incident with Dion’s follower may have been a slip up on his part.”

“But Sen, Minna and Norf have been together all this time! Surely they would have noticed-”

“No, Lili. It’s because of their bond that the idea is unthinkable, but not for me. At the same time, I’m not familiar enough to make a final call.”

“Enbos…”

“*Chuckle* It’s ironic, right? We’ve only known each other for around a fortnight, and yet I have the gall to think I know them. My insecurity is enough to invalidate everything we have been through together. Makes me wonder if I would be willing to ostracise anybody else if I had the chance.”

“Do you have someone in mind?”

“… No. No one definitive, Lili. From their physiques, to their mannerisms, to their reactions, to their mindsets… my heart says they are all real, and yet I can’t bring myself to believe it.”

“Then it’s fine,” claims Lili. “If you have nothing but your heart to guide you, then follow it. If Tascus plans to use them to get to you, then it’s all the more reason to stay close and not to be more distant. I know all the turmoil has disturbed you, but at this very moment, your bond is your greatest blessing. Don’t you agree, Hachirou?”

“A-actually Lili, I don’t think Enbos’ caution is undue. Nonetheless, why can’t we be upfront about your concerns? Surely our companions will happily oblige.”

“… Because there is a high chance the imposter would be rigged to blow, or worse. I might be able to take it, but if I don’t identify them right off the bat, everyone else will be in danger.”

“I see. Although I’m horrified by the idea, I won’t let you shoulder the burden alone. I’ll keep an eye on them as well.”

“Thank you, Hachirou.”

“I’m not sure about this, you two,” muses Lili, “but I pray your observations prove otherwise. Moreover, why are you focusing on Sen, Minna and Norf? Could it not be someone else like Sig?”

“As a matter of fact, I doubt him the least. It’s pretty obvious who he is.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll tell you about it on the way back. We’re here.”

We reach the end of the passage which turns out to be another dead end in this convoluted rat maze. However, to Lili and Hachirou’s confusion, I’m examining every inch of the final wall. After an entire minute, Hachirou finally raises a question.

“What are you looking for, Enbos? It’s almost time for us to head back.”

“The gho- the trail leads right through this wall. There has to be some hidden door or teleporter that the cultists have no idea about. It’s obvious that we are squarely in Tascus’ palm, so unless we do something different, this whole mission will be a failure.”

“… I’ve been meaning to ask for a while, Enbos, but what is your ultimate goal?” inquires Lili. “A-are you still looking to take the core from Tascus?”

“I realised something when I was speaking with Hachirou: there is a cursed artefact sustaining this entire dimension. An archive of ancient knowledge that is keeping all these forgotten runes from becoming obsolete, and although it won’t be necromantic in design, it should still be a powerful container of spiritual energy. Either Tascus has not found it, or he dares not meddle lest he collapses the entire subspace. I’m thinking it’s the former since his magic is not lightyears ahead of anyone else’s.”

“I see. You may not have to clash with Maximillian or confront Tascus after all. Thank goodness.”

“…”

I move on to examine the adjacent walls. On the left side, a few feet from the supposed dead end, I spy a small marble plate embedded seamlessly in the masonry. I tap the chest-high panel without a second thought, and sure enough, a magic array appears beneath our feet before sweeping up and over our heads.

(.mooR laeS ot gnitcennoC .detpecca erutangis luoS .scitsongaid lautirips ot gnihctiwS .rrorE .detceted egatireH …gninnacS)

A disembodied and intelligible voice echoes through the small space. Lili and Hachirou are on high alert while I’m staring expectingly at the wall. However…

“… Nothing. Huh, that’s weird. I thought a hidden chamber would appear.”

“Um, Enbos? We should really be heading back to the others now.”

“*Sigh* You’re right, Hachirou. Let’s- What the hell!?”

Looking behind us, the straight corridor we just traversed has been replaced with a single doorway into a large room. None of us noticed we were teleported. It’s as if the place was phased into existence. We cautiously entire the new area, and unlike every other place we’ve seen thus far, it’s not just an empty space. Four massive crystal prisms are protruding from a magic array that spans almost the entire floor. The enchantments are flowing with concentrated mana as we carefully avoid stepping on the unknown array. Curiously, all the crystals appear to be randomly scattered, and only one of them is active, pulsing with a soft blue light through its transparent lattice. While examining the height of the crystals, I notice a large and detailed atlas engraved in the concave roof, showing a vast landmass that can only be the continent of Aren.

The forlorn opens the forbidden pass…

“W-what is this place, Enbos?”

“Honestly, Lili, I have no idea. The only thing I’m sure of is the New Dawn cult doesn’t know this place either,” I answer.

In the first place, there was never any guarantee that the lich’s ghost would lead me to this place’s archive. However, after spending all this time observing it, I realised one thing: it’s not simply pointing toward the core. If it were acting like a simple compass, it wouldn’t deliberately turn around corners. Moreover, I have a sneaking suspicion it is responding to my will, which raises the far more worrying possibility that it has a consciousness of its own. The spirit in question is now standing in front of the glowing crystal pillar. Although I have no idea why it led us here, I’m relieved by the fact we are outside of Tascus’ insidious maze.

“None of these things seem to be filled with spiritual energy. I don’t think the monolith’s heart is here.”

“This is just an incredulous theory, but considering the worldwide map and the magic we have witnessed thus far, could this place be some kind of continent-spanning teleporter?” muses Lili.

“Actually, that might be it, although only one of them appears to still be functional.”

“It’s probably because Maximillian’s labyrinth shrouds are still in effect. That glowing crystal is fairly out of the way, so it might be linked to this place. But what could they have been used for?”

“Um, Enbos, Lili?” calls out Hachirou beside a second doorway. “I think I found the cargo. You both have to see this.”

We follow Hachirou into the side room. Lili lets out an audible gasp as we find ourselves in an elongated space with dozens upon dozens of obsidian boxes lining the left and right: coffins. Black sarcophaguses that have lasted thousands of years. Ominously, all of them are open… save for four at the very end, with a conspicuous space separating the two sets. My curiosity getting the best of me, I walk up to one of the closed caskets and inspect the lid.

“Sleeper coffins,” I utter. “Containers designed to put powerful undead into stasis.”

“Like the ones you destroyed in Kasseus?”

“That’s right, Lili, although far more advanced. Each capable of containing an elder lich. No, to be more accurate, these coffins could incubate a lich until it became elder.”

“What do you mean?”

“See the symbols arranged on the dial with the marker on top? They are numbers. A timer, no doubt. If I have to guess, the infamous undead ravager came from this very room.”

“Heavens, there are so many. Could the destruction of Tiel have been due to multiple liches?”

“I don’t think so. The enchantments on the coffins get more faded from here to the other wall. They must have opened sequentially throughout the ages.”

“E-Enbos, if that is true, wouldn’t it wise to step away from that unopened coffin?”

“Relax, Hachirou. It’s not like we are in a horror mov-”

(.niffoc repeels gniraperP .detpecca erutangis luoS)

Pssst!

“Goddamn it!”

Hachirou and I immediately jump back and draw our swords while Lili hangs back to cast healing magic, offensively. With a loud hiss followed by the sound of grinding stone, the coffin before us slowly opens on its own. Is this what the spirit was after? I open up the menu for Maleosis’ blessing and watch as several opaque layers of magic rescind, one by one, until…

“E-empty?”

“Oh, thank heavens. I sincerely thought it might be the end of us.”

“Yeah…”

“You almost sound disappointed, Enbos.”

“Not at all, Lili. Still, I was expecting something after it just opened on its own.”

“I don’t see anything inside. D-did it react to Enbos thinking he should be entombed?”

“While I would be a snug fit, I don’t want wake up in a cyberpunk fantasy world. Anyway, I guess there was only ever one elder lich.”

“I see. Like how my mother’s kind would periodically survey the land, the residents here must have done the same but with a long-lived lich. That would explain the teleporter in the other room.”

“Yeah. The sole caretaker of this entire establishment, waiting for the Apocalypse to subside,” I say as I look back at all the discarded coffins. “For all their magic prowess, in the end, the cycle was broken by its unavoidable hunger.”

“Enbos…”

Still, that explanation doesn’t completely sit well for me. For one, it doesn’t explain why these four coffins are separated from the rest. Also, if the elder lich could teleport back and forth to this room, why did it march onto the city of Tiel? Surely such an advanced civilisation would have prepared some kind of contingency in this room, right?

“Anyway, let’s check the remaining-”

“Enbos, I know there are more secrets to be found in this room, but we need head back to the others, right now,” reminds Hachirou. “Please. There is nothing here and they must be getting very worried.”

“… Yeah, you’re right,” I reply as I look out the door and notice the ghost is no longer there. “Let’s go back. We can probably return to the corridor by tapping that marble plaque again.”

Finding nothing in this ancient mortuary, Lili and Hachirou begin making their way back to the exit. But not me. Instead, I stop in front of one of the worn-out coffins as an idea comes to mind.

If such an immensely powerful being stayed in the same position for hundreds of years, wouldn’t it affect the coffin itself? Even if the chambers were completely insulated and equipped with some kind of mana ventilation system, the constant flow of energies would have surely imprinted on the dark material. It would be too small to tell with , however…

(.)

I pour a great deal of my mana into the open container, and sure enough, certain areas begin to darken more than others. It’s not much but it’s enough to reveal a blurry profile of its previous occupant. Judging by the rough outline, the elder lich was a humanoid creature, with no tail and…

(*Sigh* A snug fit indeed.)

… two branch-like protrusions on either side of its head.

“Enbos?”

“Y-yes, Hachirou?”

“Is something wrong?” he asks, not noticing the coffin of my concern.

“No, it’s nothing. I’m just… thinking about something.”

“Speaking of your thoughts, you promised to explain your deductions, did you not?” reminds Lili.

“Yeah, I guess I should explain my realisation about Sig.”

“Not just Sig, Enbos. You need to tell us everything. I want to put your worries to rest.”

“… Okay, Lili. If you really want to share in my paranoia, I’ll tell you two my far-flung suspicions.”