Re-Awakening: I Ascend with a Legendary class

Chapter 653: Ancient Artifact Discovery

The Regalons advanced deeper into their claimed section of the ruins.

At first, the structures retained a sense of openness. Wide corridors stretched forward in long, uninterrupted lines, and fractured plazas revealed glimpses of the vastness hidden beneath the seabed. Broken statues lay scattered across the pathways, their forms eroded yet still bearing traces of elegance and purpose.

But the deeper they went, the more the ruins changed.

The pathways narrowed.

The ceilings lowered.

The walls closed in.

The architecture became more deliberate, more controlled, as if they were no longer walking through a city, but entering something constructed with intent.

The inscriptions carved into the surfaces grew denser.

They were no longer simple patterns or decorative etchings.

They layered over each other in complex arrangements, forming interconnected sequences that pulsed faintly with energy. Some of them shifted subtly, as though reacting to observation itself. Others remained static, but emanated a quiet pressure that pressed against the mind rather than the body.

Natalia slowed slightly, her gaze tracing along one of the walls.

"These are not just inscriptions," she said. "They are systems."

Kayla nodded beside her. "Mechanisms encoded into structure."

The water around them changed as well.

It felt heavier.

Not simply in pressure, but in density.

Every movement carried a faint resistance, as if the space itself was aware of their presence and reluctant to allow it. Even the ambient currents that had once drifted aimlessly through the ruins now moved in controlled patterns, guided along unseen pathways.

Almond’s gaze sharpened.

"This section is different," he said. "Be alert."

They advanced cautiously.

And then the first sign appeared.

A thin, horizontal line of pale light stretched across the corridor ahead.

It hovered in place, barely visible, its glow faint enough to be mistaken for a reflection.

Then another line appeared above it.

And another below.

Within a fraction of a second, the corridor was filled with a lattice of intersecting lines, forming a three-dimensional grid that spanned the entire passage.

"Trap," Hiroshi said calmly.

The moment he spoke, the grid activated.

The lines flared.

Blades of condensed energy erupted outward, slicing through the water with impossible speed.

One of the Suryax generals reacted instinctively, attempting to retreat.

He was too slow.

The energy cut through him without resistance.

His body separated cleanly into segments before dissolving entirely, leaving nothing behind.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then a pulse of power spread from behind the group.

Fragments of light gathered where the general had stood.

His form reconstructed itself rapidly, layer by layer, until he reappeared in full, gasping as if dragged back from the edge of oblivion.

"What... was that..." he staggered, his voice unsteady.

Almond lowered his hand slowly.

"A safeguard," he said. "Do not rely on it."

The general nodded quickly, still shaken.

The Regalons adjusted immediately.

The traps were not singular.

They were layered.

The grid shifted positions.

New lines appeared.

Old ones vanished.

The entire corridor became a dynamic field of lethal energy, constantly changing, constantly adapting.

Silvester stepped forward, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"There is a rhythm," he said.

Hiroshi moved beside him. "Not a simple one."

They began reading the flow of the grid.

Each activation followed a sequence.

Not predictable at first glance, but consistent when observed over time.

Natalia extended her power, stabilizing small sections of space to create temporary safe zones. Kayla reinforced those zones, extending their duration just enough for others to pass through.

The Spirit Lords spread out slightly, their perception pushing outward to detect distortions before they fully formed.

Almond stood still for a moment, his focus inward.

The medallion within his possession pulsed faintly.

Not strongly.

But enough.

It reacted to this place.

"This way," Almond said suddenly, stepping toward a narrow opening between shifting lines.

The others followed without hesitation.

The passage tightened further.

The traps grew more complex.

The grid gave way to rotating arcs of energy, curved blades that moved along unpredictable trajectories. Some intersected mid-motion, creating bursts of force that distorted space itself.

Marcus stepped forward confidently, only for the space around him to compress violently.

For a brief moment, he vanished entirely, erased by the collapse.

Then, just as quickly, he reappeared behind the group, reconstructed once more.

He exhaled slowly.

"Alright," he muttered. "That one was annoying."

Maya moved ahead, her expression unchanged.

"This is not random," she said. "Everything is designed to eliminate intruders with maximum efficiency."

They progressed carefully.

Step by step.

Each movement calculated.

Each mistake punished instantly.

Several members fell into the traps.

Each time, they returned.

Each time, they adapted.

Gradually, the path revealed itself.

The traps did not become easier.

But the Regalons became more precise.

Their movements synchronized.

Their awareness sharpened.

Until finally, the oppressive corridor opened.

The transition was immediate.

The narrow passage gave way to a vast, open space that stretched beyond immediate perception.

A hall.

But not an ordinary one.

It was immense.

The ceiling rose far above, supported by pillars so large they resembled mountains anchored into the seabed. Each pillar was carved from a material that reflected faint light, its surface smooth yet inscribed with intricate patterns that spiraled upward endlessly.

The walls were layered with inscriptions unlike anything they had seen before.

They were deeper.

Denser.

More complete.

Each symbol seemed to contain multiple meanings, shifting depending on how one observed it. Together, they formed vast sequences that covered the entire hall, glowing faintly with an ancient, restrained power.

The water within this hall felt still.

Not calm.

Controlled.

As if every movement within it was being observed and measured.

At the center of the hall floated an object.

It was suspended in mid-space, perfectly still.

Around it, several rings of energy rotated slowly, each one inscribed with patterns that mirrored those on the walls.

The artifact itself was difficult to define.

Its form shifted slightly, never settling into a fixed shape. At times, it appeared like a crystalline core. At others, like a fragment of something larger, incomplete yet whole.

But its aura was unmistakable.

Tier 100.

The pressure it emitted was not overwhelming in a direct sense.

It was deeper.

More fundamental.

The space around it bent subtly, unable to remain unaffected by its presence.

Even the inscriptions on the walls seemed to react to it, their glow intensifying in faint, synchronized pulses.

One of the Suryax generals took a step forward unconsciously.

"This..." he whispered.

Almond’s eyes narrowed.

"This is not just an artifact," he said.

"It is a core piece."

The moment those words settled, the hall responded.

The inscriptions ignited.

Light spread across the walls in cascading waves, flowing through the carved patterns like energy through veins.

The entire space shifted.

From both sides of the hall, two figures emerged.

They had been there all along.

Dormant.

Watching.

Now awakened.

They stepped forward in perfect synchronization.

Their forms were humanoid, but their composition was entirely foreign.

Layered crystalline structures formed their bodies, each segment interlocking with flawless precision. Light flowed through them in steady currents, illuminating their forms from within.

They bore no weapons.

They needed none.

Their presence alone was enough.

Their eyes lit up simultaneously.

A surge of energy spread outward, pressing against everything within the hall.

Tier 100.

Both of them.

And their combat power was...500 million.

The pressure forced several of the Suryax generals to step back instinctively. Even the Spirit Lords adjusted their stance slightly, their expressions sharpening.

Rudra stepped forward, his gaze steady.

"So these are the guardians."

The two entities did not respond.

They simply raised their hands.

The hall reacted instantly.

The inscriptions along the walls flared brighter, and the energy within the space began to move.

The ground shifted.

The water distorted.

Invisible forces aligned, creating a field that was no longer neutral.

"This entire hall is their domain," Natalia said quietly.

Kayla nodded. "They control it completely."

Almond exhaled slowly, his eyes moving from the artifact to the guardians and then across the hall itself.

Everything here was connected.

The structure.

The energy.

The guardians.

The artifact.

This was not a simple defense system.

It was a complete construct designed to protect something of immense importance.

Marcus stepped forward, his grin returning, though more restrained this time.

"Now this," he said, rolling his shoulders slightly, "is worth it."

But even he did not rush.

Because for the first time since entering the ruins, the Regalons stood at the edge of something that could truly push them.

The guardians remained still.

Waiting.

Watching.

The artifact continued to float at the center, silent and unmoving.

And within that vast, ancient hall, the balance between intrusion and defense reached its breaking point.

The next step would decide everything.