Chapter 160: The Ones Who Came Before

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: The Ones Who Came Before

"Someone entered the ruins beneath the Ashen Reach?"

Ronan repeated the survivor’s words as he walked toward the infirmary.

The vampire accompanying him nodded.

"That’s what he claims. He keeps saying they were searching for someone who had entered the ruins, but he hasn’t been able to explain how he knows."

"How many people were found at the abandoned caravan?"

"Only one survivor. The rest are missing."

Ronan’s expression remained calm, but his thoughts moved quickly.

The timing was suspicious. He had entered the ruins, encountered the guardian, and absorbed the strange crystal. Shortly afterward, someone searching for an intruder had appeared near the western territories.

There were several possible explanations.

Perhaps another expedition had discovered the underground complex before him. Perhaps the people searching the settlements had been tracking the strange energy for years. Or perhaps the mark on his palm had somehow alerted them to his presence.

He didn’t have enough information to choose between those possibilities.

But he could question the survivor.

The infirmary was quiet when Ronan entered. Several injured vampires occupied the beds along the walls, while a physician stood beside the final bed near the window.

The survivor lay there with bandages wrapped around his chest. His skin had turned an unhealthy gray, and his breathing was shallow.

The physician glanced at Ronan.

"He’s barely holding on. Whatever attacked his group left a strange substance inside his wounds. I’ve been unable to remove it completely."

Ronan approached the bed.

"What happened to him?"

"A claw wound, followed by extensive internal damage. He should have died, but something is keeping him alive."

That caught Ronan’s attention.

He examined the survivor’s chest.

Faint gray lines spread beneath the vampire’s skin, converging near the wound. The pattern reminded him of the energy channels inside the ruins.

Ronan activated Formation Sense.

The lines became clearer.

They weren’t spreading randomly. They were drawing energy from the vampire’s body and concentrating it around the wound.

Whatever had injured him had left something behind.

"Everyone, step away from the bed," Ronan said.

The physician frowned. "What are you planning?"

"Finding out why he’s still alive."

The physician hesitated, then moved aside.

Ronan placed his hand above the wound without touching it.

The gray lines immediately brightened.

The survivor’s eyes snapped open.

He grabbed Ronan’s wrist.

"They know!"

His voice was hoarse and frantic.

"They know someone entered the ruins!"

Ronan didn’t pull away.

"Who knows?"

"The masked ones. They came from the east. They killed the guards and dragged everyone away."

"Why were they searching for someone?"

The survivor’s grip tightened.

"They said the seal had been disturbed. They said the intruder had taken something that didn’t belong to him."

Ronan’s expression didn’t change.

"What did they look like?"

"Black armor. White masks. Their bodies were covered in those markings." The survivor began trembling. "One of them said the bearer would return to the surface. They said they would find him before the city did."

Ronan studied him carefully.

The survivor was frightened, but his words were coherent.

"How did they know someone had entered the ruins?"

"I don’t know."

The vampire coughed violently.

Gray energy surged through the lines beneath his skin.

Ronan immediately withdrew his hand.

The survivor’s body arched off the bed.

The physician rushed forward, but Ronan caught his arm.

"Don’t touch him!"

The gray lines spread across the survivor’s chest, forming a circular pattern.

Then the vampire went still.

His eyes remained open, staring at the ceiling.

The physician checked his pulse.

After several seconds, he lowered his head.

"He’s dead."

Ronan looked at the body.

The strange energy had disappeared.

Whatever had kept the survivor alive was gone, leaving behind only the damage it had caused.

Ronan’s gaze settled on the wound.

The energy hadn’t simply infected the vampire. It had been gathering information from his body, or perhaps using him as a temporary vessel.

He couldn’t be certain.

But one thing was clear.

The masked group knew something about the ruins that even Varkos’s scholars didn’t.

And they were actively searching for whoever had disturbed the seal.

Ronan turned toward the door.

"Tell Lord Varkos what happened here. I’ll be leaving the city."

The physician stared at him.

"You’re leaving now? You’re still injured!"

"I’ll recover on the way."

He had no intention of waiting until the people searching for him reached Bloodfall City.

More importantly, the eastern ridge mentioned in the ancient records was now his most promising lead.

If the masked group had come from that direction, he might find evidence of their activities there.

And if they were powerful enough to threaten the western settlements, he needed to know what he was dealing with before they found him.

---

Ronan left Bloodfall City before noon.

Varkos had insisted on assigning an escort, but Ronan refused to take a large group. More vampires would only make it easier for anyone tracking them to follow their movements.

In the end, Kharven accompanied him with two experienced scouts.

They travelled east, following an old road that had fallen into disrepair. The terrain gradually changed from barren plains to broken hills covered in ash.

Ronan used the journey to test his recovery.

The medicine provided by Varkos’s alchemists had helped, and his injuries were steadily closing. However, the strange energy still interfered with his regeneration.

He didn’t like the uncertainty.

Nevertheless, his physical condition was improving, and his newly acquired traits were beginning to feel more natural.

Burst Acceleration was particularly useful during short bursts of movement. He could now combine it with Wind Step without losing as much control over his trajectory.

Gravity Affinity also helped him adjust his balance while moving over uneven terrain.

He wasn’t significantly stronger than before, but he was becoming more versatile.

That mattered.

Against opponents stronger than himself, versatility could mean the difference between escaping alive and becoming another corpse in the Ashen Reach.

By late afternoon, they reached the eastern ridge.

Ronan immediately noticed the difference.

The surrounding hills were covered in scattered stone formations, and several narrow ravines cut through the landscape. Unlike the ruins he had explored previously, there were no obvious entrances or ancient pillars.

Yet Formation Sense revealed faint traces of energy beneath the ground.

He dismounted from the carriage they had borrowed and crouched beside a cluster of stones.

The energy was weak, but its structure resembled the channels beneath the underground complex.

He followed the traces toward a narrow ravine.

"Kharven, bring the others. Stay alert."

The three vampires moved carefully behind him.

After descending for several minutes, they found a stone doorway concealed beneath a collapsed section of rock.

A broken-circle crest had been carved above the entrance.

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

The ancient report hadn’t been mistaken.

He approached the doorway and examined the surrounding stone.

Unlike the first ruins, this entrance showed signs of recent activity. Several rocks had been moved, and deep scratches marked the ground.

Someone had been here recently.

Ronan crouched beside the scratches.

They were too deep to have been made by ordinary tools.

He examined them with Predator’s Perception, searching for traces of movement.

Several sets of tracks led into the passage.

None led back out.

Kharven drew his weapon.

"My lord, should we wait for reinforcements?"

"No."

Ronan looked toward the dark entrance.

"If they entered recently, they may still be inside."

"And if they’re stronger than us?"

"Then we’ll leave."

Ronan stepped through the doorway.

The passage beyond was narrow and steep. Unlike the previous ruins, its walls were relatively plain, but occasional symbols appeared between cracks in the stone.

They descended until the passage opened into a long hall.

The remains of several vampires lay scattered across the floor.

Kharven stopped beside the nearest corpse.

"This armor belongs to one of Varkos’s missing patrols."

Ronan examined the body.

The vampire’s chest had been pierced by a narrow weapon. There were no signs of prolonged combat, and the surrounding stones remained largely intact.

Whoever had killed these vampires had done so efficiently.

Ronan moved farther into the hall.

At the opposite end stood a heavy door, its surface covered in white markings.

The same symbols the survivor had described.

Ronan’s expression hardened.

He approached cautiously, using Formation Sense to examine the structure.

The door was connected to several energy channels running through the walls. Unlike the formations in the first ruins, however, these channels were active and stable.

Someone had maintained them.

A faint sound came from beyond the door.

Metal scraping against stone.

Then a voice spoke.

"The seal is responding again."

Another voice answered.

"Then the bearer has arrived."

Ronan stopped.

The two vampires behind him exchanged nervous glances.

They had heard the voices too.

Ronan signalled for them to remain silent.

A third voice came from beyond the door.

"Prepare the extraction chamber. We don’t need him alive, but we need what he carries."

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

So they knew someone had entered the ruins.

And they believed that person carried something valuable.

He glanced at his palm.

The dark mark remained beneath his sleeve.

He still didn’t know whether it was responsible for their interest, but the possibility was becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss.

Ronan looked at Kharven and the scouts.

"Stay behind me. Don’t attack until I give the signal."

He approached the door and placed his hand against the stone.

The markings brightened.

A faint vibration passed through the structure.

Then the door began opening by itself.

Beyond it stood a spacious chamber filled with equipment, stone tables, and several sealed containers. At the center of the room, a circular formation surrounded a black crystal mounted on a pedestal.

Five figures in dark armor stood around the formation.

Their faces were concealed behind smooth white masks.

One of them turned toward the entrance.

The others followed.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then the figure standing nearest the crystal spoke.

"You’ve finally arrived."

Ronan studied them.

Their auras were difficult to read. Whatever armor they wore seemed to interfere with his ability to judge their strength, but he could tell that none of them was an ordinary soldier.

The one who had spoken raised a hand.

"The mark has accepted you. That saves us the trouble of searching for another candidate."

Ronan’s expression remained unchanged.

"Who are you?"

The masked figure ignored the question.

"Come forward. The crystal will reveal what you are."

Ronan glanced at the formation.

He could see its structure through Formation Sense. The crystal was connected to several channels that converged at the center of the circle.

It wasn’t merely a measuring device.

The energy was flowing inward, toward something beneath the floor.

A trap, perhaps.

Or a mechanism designed to extract whatever had marked him.

Ronan had no intention of stepping into it.

"You’re going to answer my questions first."

The masked figure tilted its head.

"You misunderstand your position."

The air changed.

A crushing force descended upon the chamber.

Kharven and the two scouts dropped to their knees, their bodies trembling beneath the pressure.

Ronan felt the force strike him as well.

His injuries throbbed, and his knees bent slightly, but he remained standing.

The masked figure seemed surprised.

"Interesting."

Ronan activated Gravitational Resistance.

The pressure became more manageable.

He then activated Burst Acceleration, preparing to move if the situation deteriorated further.

The masked figure watched him carefully.

"You’ve already adapted to the pressure. The reports were correct."

Ronan’s gaze sharpened.

"Which reports?"

The figure raised its hand again.

The crystal behind it began glowing.

The dark mark beneath Ronan’s sleeve pulsed in response.

For the first time since entering the chamber, Ronan felt a distinct reaction from the energy inside his palm.

It wasn’t pain.

It was recognition.

The masked figure noticed the change.

"At last. We can begin."

Ronan’s expression turned cold.

He didn’t know who these people were, what they wanted from him, or how they had learned about the mark.

But he knew one thing.

They had made the mistake of assuming he would cooperate.

He shifted his stance.

"Try it."

The masked figure lowered its hand.

All five figures moved simultaneously.

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

The first battle of his return to the Ashen Reach had begun.