Chapter 163: Waves of Spirit Energy

Atlas and all the members of Asfalon, including Alberion, could be seen standing in front of a massive cave-like structure. The entrance itself was unusually large, which wasn’t surprising considering that this was a Divine-rank Ruin, but the structure surrounding its entrance was something none of them had expected.

A massive double door remained shut deep inside the cave, while intricate carvings covered the surface of the doors and continued across the surrounding stone walls, making it look as though the entire cave had been built around the Ruin’s entrance rather than the door simply being placed there.

The more everyone looked at the massive double door, the more difficult it became for them to understand its structure. One of the members standing behind Himalton adjusted his position as the Catope covering his Explorer clothes moved slightly with the wind before he finally spoke, "What in the world? I can understand the entrance being this massive because it’s a Divine-rank Ruin, but...what’s with this structure?"

All five members of Asfalon were wearing the same Catope over their personal Explorer clothes, while Atlas and Alberion remained without one. The others continued staring at the entrance for several more seconds until another member finally spoke up, "The door is...literally inside a cave?"

There was clear confusion in his voice.

None of the others answered him because they were thinking about the same thing. They had all explored Ruins before, and although every Ruin could have differences in its appearance and structure, the entrance was still normally recognizable as a Ruin entrance. This one was different. The double door was positioned deep inside a natural-looking cave, while the carvings spread over the stone around it as if they were part of the same structure.

Even without anyone saying anything, their expressions showed that they found the entrance strange.

Atlas remained silent as he stared at the massive door, ’Even the Eternal-class Ruin wasn’t like this.’

His eyes moved slowly across the carvings before returning to the closed double door, ’Something is different with this one.’

The first Ruin Atlas had ever entered, the Eternal-class Ruin, had looked much more normal from the outside. Despite its rank and the danger contained inside it, there had been nothing particularly unusual about its entrance. It completely resembled a normal Ruin door, and Atlas had been able to understand what he was looking at immediately.

This one was different even before entering it.

Atlas didn’t know whether the strange structure had any connection to what was inside, but the fact that he noticed the difference so easily made him pay more attention to the entrance. He didn’t have enough information to make a conclusion yet, so he simply continued observing it rather than making a guess without evidence.

Several minutes passed while everyone remained near the entrance. A few members continued discussing the unusual structure among themselves, while Atlas and Alberion stayed quiet.

Eventually, Himalton, who had been standing at the center of the group, turned his attention toward everyone, "Listen!"

His voice immediately made the others stop talking and look toward him, "We already discussed our strategy yesterday. If everyone follows the plan properly, we should be able to clear this Ruin as quickly as possible. There is no reason for anyone to change their position without informing the others, and everyone only needs to play their part properly."

Himalton looked across the entire group before asking, "Everyone ready?"

"Yes, Sir Himalton!"

The five members of Asfalon answered together.

Atlas didn’t say anything and simply continued looking toward the entrance, while Alberion also remained silent. Neither of them needed to repeat the strategy once again as they clearly remembered every bit of it.

Himalton’s words were mainly directed toward the Asfalon members, making sure that everyone remembered their positions before they entered. A Divine-rank Ruin wasn’t a place where they could afford to ignore their roles, especially when the monsters inside could range far above what ordinary Explorers could handle.

While the others focused on Himalton, Alberion’s attention shifted toward Atlas. Only his right pupil moved slightly in Atlas’s direction.

He didn’t turn his head because he didn’t want to make his intention obvious, but his thoughts were already focused entirely on the person standing a short distance away.

’If I can’t kill this monster here, something worse than yesterday might happen.’

Alberion remembered what had happened before. Atlas had killed an SS-rank instantly, and none of them had even been able to even follow his movement. That alone had made Alberion understand how large the difference between them was, ’But...he is way too powerful. He literally killed an SS-rank and no one could even follow his movements.’

Alberion’s fingers tightened slightly inside his gloves as he continued watching Atlas from the corner of his eye. ’The only hope I have left is to use that.’

He didn’t allow his expression to change.

Atlas noticed the slight movement of Alberion’s gaze without even turning his head. His senses would never fail to notice such small changes around him, and Alberion had been watching him too often for Atlas to ignore it.

’He is still persistent even after witnessing what happened yesterday?’ Atlas thought while keeping his expression unchanged. ’If he still thinks he can face me, then he must have something prepared.’

Atlas didn’t pursue the thought any further because Himalton had already started moving toward the entrance.

The team shifted their attention toward him as Himalton stepped forward alone. Atlas also recalled the information Himalton had given him the previous day about Divine-rank Ruins and the difference between the ranks of Explorers capable of entering them.

’SSS-rank Individuals are powerful enough that they don’t need other people to accompany them when clearing a Divine-rank Ruin.’ Atlas recalled what he had learned. ’The Guildmaster already showed how much powerful and SSS-rank can be, but the Boss of this Ruin is also supposed to be SSS-rank, yet...they still treat it nothing more than a Normal Ruin?’

His thoughts then moved toward the rewards offered for clearing such Ruins. ’The reward money also isn’t enough to interest SSS-ranks. If the Relic obtained from the Ruin is useful, they can keep it, and if it isn’t, they have no reason to care about it. That is why they don’t bother taking these jobs unless there is some other reason.’

Atlas lowered his gaze for a moment before looking toward Himalton again. The information was useful, but he didn’t need to think about it any further before entering the Ruin. What mattered to him now was seeing what was actually waiting inside.

Himalton eventually reached the massive double door while the rest of the group remained several steps behind him. Everyone had intentionally left enough space between themselves and Himalton so that if something unexpected happened when the door opened, he would have enough room to react without putting the others in danger.

Once he reached the center, Himalton slowly raised his right hand and placed it against the middle of the massive door, following the same basic method used to open normal Ruin entrances.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then...

Drrr... Drrr... Drrr...

The ground beneath everyone’s feet began to shake. At first, the movement was so small that it could barely be noticed, but within the next moment the vibration became much stronger. The strange sound came from both the massive door and the ground beneath them, spreading through the cave-like structure.

Yet nobody moved.

Everyone understood that this was simply the Ruin entrance opening, and there was no reason to panic unless something actually appeared from inside.

Just as expected, the massive double door slowly began moving. However, it didn’t open toward the front or back like normal Ruin doors.

Instead, both sides of the door moved deeper into the cave, disappearing into the walls as though the entire structure had been designed around the door itself. The sight alone made the members stare for another moment, but before anyone could say anything, something else came from inside.

A dense wave of Spirit Energy suddenly rushed out of the opened entrance.

The pressure slammed against everyone’s bodies at the same time.

"Kheuk! What the hell?!"

One of the members was pushed several feet backward, his boots scraping against the ground as he struggled to regain his balance.

"Damn it!"

Another member at the back immediately drove his foot into the ground and used his Spirit to stabilize his body. The remaining members also reacted in their own ways, strengthening their bodies or using Spirit to keep themselves in position as the pressure continued pouring out from inside the Ruin.

Even the three Special S-ranks among the five members of Team Asfalon were having difficulty maintaining their positions against the sudden pressure.

But three people didn’t move at all.

Alberion.

Himalton.

And Atlas.

None of them received even a slight scratch from the Spirit Energy rushing out of the Ruin. Their clothes moved from the pressure, but their bodies remained completely stable, and not even a drop of sweat appeared on their foreheads. The difference between the three of them and the other members of the team was obvious.

Atlas continued staring into the opened entrance while feeling the Spirit Energy gradually spreading around him. ’This is much different from the Eternal-class Ruin.’

He paused for a moment before correcting his own thought. ’Or maybe that one was simply much different from the Ruins I have entered after that.’

The pressure alone had already exceeded what he expected from a Ruin entrance. Atlas’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked deeper inside.

’Spirit Energy this dense is coming out just because the door opened. I made the right decision by coming here.’

His thoughts remained calm as he continued observing the entrance. ’Now I just need to see the inside and find out how strong the monsters inside actually are, maybe...I can even get some nice traits out of them heh.’

The massive door finally opened completely, and the wave of Spirit Energy slowly weakened until the pressure became manageable again.

Himalton raised his gloved right hand and spoke without turning around.

"Now, Team Asfalon, along with Mr. Atlas and Mr. Alberion, will scatter into three positions the moment we enter. I will take the front. Once we enter the first chamber, remember that the monsters inside will range from A-rank to Special S-rank."

"Yes, Sir!"

The members of Team Asfalon quickly returned to their planned positions. Atlas and Alberion simply nodded, neither showing any concern about the information.

Himalton waited until everyone was ready before speaking again.

"The moment I count to three, we enter according to the strategy we discussed."

Everyone focused on the entrance.

"Three!"

Himalton paused for only a brief moment.

"Two..."

The Spirit Energy inside the Ruin continued flowing through the entrance.

"One!"

His voice became firm.

"Now!"

The moment he finished speaking, Himalton vanished from his position and entered the Divine-rank Ruin without making a sound.

The others followed immediately after him.

Atlas and Alberion also vanished into the dark Interior of the Ruin.

And with that, the Divine-rank Ruin Exploration officially began.