Chapter 131: Into the Black Ruins
The Black Ruins were a graveyard of history.
Once a thriving stronghold, it had long been abandoned—left to rot, claimed by nature and something worse.
Now, it was a forbidden zone—a place where mana had twisted beyond recognition, where shadows moved when no one was watching, and where even the air felt… wrong.
And this?
This was where Kael's squad had been sent.
Kael walked at the front of the group, silent but alert, his crimson eyes scanning the ruined landscape ahead.
Behind him, the others followed—some reluctantly, some with arrogance, and some with quiet amusement.
Raithon Vaelora, 2ndPrince of the High Elves, walked with measured grace, his emerald eyes sharp with disdain as he glanced toward the two Dark Elves beside him.
His displeasure was not hidden.
He didn't need to hide it.
And from the way Thalric Velmora scowled, the feeling was mutual.
His sister, Saria Velmora, whispered something to him in the dark elven tongue, her voice calm—but her gaze was ice.
And then, of course—
There was Vasaria Noctis.
The Vampire Princess.
She had no interest in the brewing hostility, instead examining her nails with mock boredom.
She finally sighed, breaking the silence.
"So, are we starting a mission, or is this just a noble drama festival?"
Kael sighed.
It had barely been an hour.
And it was already a disaster.
The Divide – High Elves vs. Dark Elves
As they walked deeper into the ruins, the tension only grew.
It was Raithon who finally spoke.
"I still don't understand why we were assigned together," he muttered, his voice clipped. "Surely, the Eldorian commanders could have—"
"Could have what?" Thalric snapped, his red eyes glinting. "Sent you somewhere with fewer lesser races?"
Raithon didn't deny it.
His silence spoke volumes.
Saria exhaled sharply. "By the gods, you high elves never change."
"We have no reason to," Raithon replied smoothly.
Kael rubbed his temple.
He had been given a team, not a squad.
A noble supremacist.
A Dark Elf with anger issues.
A vampire who found everything amusing.
And a high-born girl who clearly wanted to stab someone.
This was going to be a nightmare.
Vasaria grinned, watching the hostility unfold like a spectator enjoying a play.
"By all means, keep at it," she said, stretching lazily. "It's been so long since I've seen racial disputes in real-time. Truly, it's like watching history repeat itself."
Raithon glared at her. "Stay out of this, leech."
Vasaria clutched her chest dramatically. "Oh no, an insult. Whatever shall I do?"
Saria snorted.
Thalric, however, wasn't amused. "I suppose the high elves think they're better than everyone, don't they?"
Raithon shrugged. "It's not arrogance. It's simply the truth."
Before Thalric could respond—
Kael finally had enough.
"Enough," he said, his voice sharp.
The squad fell silent.
Kael turned, his crimson eyes glowing slightly under the dim ruins.
"You don't have to like each other," he stated flatly. "But you will work together. If you don't, you'll die. It's that simple."
His gaze settled on Raithon first.
"I don't care how noble you think you are. If you refuse to cooperate, I will leave you behind."
Raithon's lips pressed into a thin line.
Then Kael turned to Thalric.
"And you—control yourself. You don't need to prove anything here."
Thalric exhaled sharply, but he looked away.
Kael then glanced at Vasaria.
She just smirked.
"Oh, don't worry about me," she said lightly. "I don't plan on dying just yet."
Kael sighed.
"Good."
"Now shut up, and keep moving."
As the squad pressed deeper into the Black Ruins, the atmosphere changed.
It was subtle at first.
The air grew heavier.
The ground felt colder.
The once familiar sky seemed farther away.
And then—
Kael saw it.
A statue.
Carved from obsidian, twisted and broken—an ancient depiction of something inhuman.
Raithon frowned. "This… this isn't elven craftsmanship."
Thalric's expression darkened. "No. It isn't."
Saria touched the stone, and immediately jerked her hand back.
"It's… wrong."
Kael narrowed his eyes.
And then—
A whisper.
So quiet it was almost imagined.
"Who… walks here…?"
Kael's breath hitched.
Vasaria stopped smiling.
Something was watching them.
And it wasn't human.