Chapter 397 - 29: The Mysterious Ruins

Chapter 397: Chapter 29: The Mysterious Ruins

After their last arduous mission, Bena’s patrol team had a brief period of rest. The members used this time to rest and recuperate, while also constantly reviewing their experiences to improve their skills and tactics.

However, the peace didn’t last long. One day, while studying an ancient instrument, the research team accidentally discovered a hidden message. This message seemed to point to a distant location where a powerful force might exist—one capable of completely changing the shelter’s fate.

Ye Yun urgently summoned Bena and the other core members to discuss the matter.

"Look, everyone," Ye Yun said, pointing to the information on the screen. "Although this message is vague, the place it mentions could be vital to us. We can’t miss this opportunity, but we must also proceed with caution."

Bena pondered for a moment before speaking. "Ye Yun, I think we should go and explore it. There may be risks, but if we can really find this powerful force, our shelter’s future will be much brighter."

The other members voiced their agreement. After some discussion, they decided that Bena would once again lead the patrol team to this mysterious location.

Before their departure, the residents of the shelter held a grand send-off ceremony for the patrol team. Their eyes were filled with anticipation and blessings, hoping the team would return safely with new hope.

The patrol team embarked on their long journey. They crossed barren deserts, treacherous mountains, and dense forests. Along the way, they encountered all sorts of hardships and dangers, but the team overcame them time and again with their unyielding will and unified spirit.

While passing through a swamp, they encountered a creature they had never seen before. It was enormous and shaped like a crocodile, but its body was covered in hard scales, and it could spew toxic gas.

"Everyone, be careful! Stay out of its attack range!" Bena shouted.

The team members quickly scattered, looking for advantageous positions to attack from. They fired at the creature with their ranged weapons, but its scales were incredibly hard, and normal attacks seemed to have little effect.

’We have to find its weak point!’ Bena thought, devising a strategy as he observed the creature’s movements.

After a period of observation, they discovered that the creature’s eyes were its weak point. Bena then directed his team to concentrate their fire on its eyes. Under a fierce barrage, the creature was finally hit in its vital spot. It let out a painful cry before collapsing into the swamp.

The patrol team pressed on. After several weeks of arduous travel, they finally arrived at the location indicated in the message. It was a field of mysterious ruins, filled with a powerful, fluctuating energy.

"Be careful, everyone. The energy fluctuations here are abnormal. There could be danger," Bena warned his team.

They cautiously entered the ruins and discovered a massive structure. Its architectural style was unique, unlike anything they had ever seen before. The walls were covered in strange symbols and patterns, as if telling an ancient and mysterious story.

As they approached the structure, a powerful force suddenly enveloped them. The team members felt their bodies grow heavy, their movements becoming sluggish.

"What’s going on?" one of the members exclaimed in surprise.

"Don’t panic! Stay calm!" Bena forced himself to remain composed as he tried to find a way to break free from this force.

Just as they found themselves trapped, a mysterious voice echoed in their ears.

"Brave adventurers, now that you have come here, you must face a trial. Only by passing it can you obtain the power within."

Bena looked around but saw no one. "Who are you? What kind of trial must we face?" he shouted.

"The trial is about to begin. Are you ready?" the mysterious voice said, ignoring his question.

The moment the voice faded, a group of Phantom Warriors suddenly appeared in the ruins. These Phantom Warriors had ethereal forms and wielded weapons, launching an attack on the patrol team.

"Everyone, watch out! They’re phantoms! Attack their cores!" Bena yelled.

The team reacted instantly, engaging the Phantom Warriors in a fierce battle. Although the Phantom Warriors were intangible, their attacks were incredibly powerful. The team members had to concentrate just to evade their strikes and find their weak points.

In the heat of battle, Bena discovered that the Phantom Warriors’ cores were located in their chests. He led the team to focus their fire on the Phantom Warriors’ chests, taking them down one by one.

After a grueling fight, the patrol team finally defeated all the Phantom Warriors. Just when they thought the trial was over, a massive stone gate materialized in the ruins. The gate was covered in complex runes that radiated a mystical light.

"This might be the gate to the core of the power," Bena guessed.

They walked up to the stone gate and carefully examined the runes on its surface. After some study, they realized the runes seemed to form an ancient password, requiring a specific sequence to open the gate.

The team began trying various combinations. After many failed attempts, they finally found the correct sequence for the password. The stone gate slowly swung open, and a powerful wave of energy washed over them.