Pandora Unchained B1C36: The Sealed Ruin

It was three days later when Sorin's party arrived at the designated ruin site. Dozens of campfires were bunched up in a defensive perimeter, guarded by vigilant adventurers who verified their identities before letting them through.

"And here I was, worried that we'd be late," said Gareth. "Especially with all the demon attacks we suffered."

"I think we lucked out going through Manabane Swamp," said Sorin, eyeing the deep, infected cuts and corrupted injuries these adventurers had suffered.

"Speak for yourself," said Lawrence. "It was Lorimer and I who distracted those two-star apes. They nearly squished us in a pancake." Lorimer squeaked, and Lawrence nodded. "That's right. You tell them, Lorimer."

"Calm down, Lawrence," said Stephan. "It's clear that the situation isn't what we expected. I'm going to go find out what's going on with the other party leaders. You four should find yourselves a spot to relax and eat. Oh, and take a trip to the Adventurers Guild stall. Let's offload everything we don't need for credit while we still can."

Sorin's pack was bulging full, and so were the others after their three-day trek through the wilderness. Thanks to the continuous waves of 1-star demons, they'd amassed over 200 1-star cores and many useful medicinal ingredients and poisons. The poisons, Sorin kept, but the cores were group loot, and far too valuable for Lorimer to use as rations.

It took them only a short time to familiarize themselves with the camp. There were over 20 groups of adventurers present, as well as a smattering of loose adventurers who'd made their way here alone. The Adventurers Guild, Alchemists Guild, the Mages Guild, and even the Blacksmiths Guild had set up shop near the center of the encampment to supply much-needed services to all the adventurers participating in the raid.

"These prices are ridiculous," said Lawrence, gesturing to a sign. "Two hundred gold for a potion? Ten gold for repairing standard leather armor? Five gold for sharpening a simple steel sword?"

"I'm pretty sure they've got a captain audience," said Sorin. "It'd probably be much worse if we bought extras from adventurers who brought them. By the way, how are you doing, Daphne?"

"I'm fine," said Daphne. "I just overdrafted myself over the past few days. I'll be fine once we buy some mana potions to replenish our stock."

The prices were atrocious, but their team had no other choice. After turning in their cores for credit notes and the bulk of their medicinal ingredients, their team purchased 5 mana potions and 3 healing potions, bringing their total up to 5 of each.

"Why didn't we trade in those fruits?" asked Daphne. "If we did, we'd be able to buy better weapons or spells before heading into the dungeon."

"If you'd have done that, I'd have smacked you all upside the head," said Stephan, returning from a small gathering of group leaders. "Why didn't you sell the fruits out of curiosity?"

"Because I saw the Alchemists Guild and the Adventurers Guild trading liberally," said Sorin drily. "And I'm not about to let such precious ingredients land in their hands."

"Good call," said Stephan. "These ingredients are always in short supply in our outpost. It's better to save the ingredients and directly commission bone forging pills, then sell any extras we get to the Adventurers guild or the Mages Guild."

"What did you find out?" asked Gareth. "We asked for details, and no one wants to say anything. Also, what's with all these wounded adventurers?"

"I'll answer the second question first," said Stephan. "It just so happens that the demons have been attacking this encampment just like they've been attacking us in the wilderness. Of course, that's not counting the 'disagreements' that adventurers had on their way here."

"You're saying adventurers fought adventurers on the way here?" asked Sorin.

"I wouldn't dare say that," said Stephan. "But suffice it to say that many adventuring groups that set out didn't make it here. That daft physician Marcus didn't do anyone a favor by telling everyone they didn't have to worry about getting hurt."

"How is their deciphering of the runes coming along?" asked Daphne.

"How did you know about the runes?" asked Stephan.

"Because if it was anything else, there wouldn't be a dozen mages arguing in front of the tomb's closed door," said Daphne. "I imagine they've made no progress this entire time?"

"They're making progress, so I've been told," said Stephan.

"Right," said Daphne, rolling her eyes. "I'll just go directly see what's keeping them so busy."

"While she's doing that, I think we should discuss an oddity," said Gareth. "What's with the waves of demons?"

"Apparently, it relates to residual holy mana oozing out from inside the tomb," said Stephan. "You all can't see it, but apparently, the mages and the Priest of Hope who came to assess the tomb could."

"Holy-element mana?" asked Lawrence. "You mean the mana priests used to use during the Divine Era?"

"That's the one," said Stephan. "It's thanks to this holy mana that we know this tomb was built prior to the Cataclysmic Emergence."

"But what does that have to do with the demons?" asked Gareth. "Shouldn't demons hate holy mana?"

"Apparently, it has a different frequency," said Stephan. "It wasn't built to scare away such weak creatures, so it's only two-star demons and above that can't stand the aura. All it does for one-star demons is confuse them – which is why they're so aggressive instead of defensive as they'd usually be."

"I think something's happening," said Sorin, interrupting their conversation. A wall of golden glyphs had appeared on the door to the tomb, and it was now covered in a counter-arrangement of burning red glyphs. Daphne was the one adding the glyphs to the wall, and the more she added, the more unstable the wall became.

"Watch out, it's going to blow!" yelled Stephan. Their group, and all adventurers in earshot, fell to the ground. The unlucky few that didn't pick themselves off the ground with bloody noses and broken bones.

"What happened?" asked Stephan when Daphne walked back to their group.

"What happened is that they're all idiots, and I'm a genius," said Daphne, flipping her hair. "Honestly, why would anyone bother solving a stupid puzzle when they can just burn it to the ground? It's beyond me how they even became mages."

"I'm new to this whole ruin exploration thing," said Sorin. "What happens next? Which order do we enter in?"

Stephan snorted. "I made some suggestions, but they ignored me. A common convention is that lone adventurers go in first to sound things out." As he spoke, a stream of cultivators shot into the tomb's open door. None of the adventurer teams made a move.

Not long after, they heard horrendous screaming and shouting from the entrance. A handful of adventurers from the original group of 20 ran out of the tomb with fearful expressions. One of the team captains approached them, but the least wounded among them spat at him and walked off.

"I warned them," said Stephan with a sigh. "But they wouldn't listen. It's traditional to let individual adventurers through to try their luck. But with such a powerful protective field, I felt that was ill-advised. Out of the 20 team captains, only 3 of them agreed with me. The rest egged on the remaining individual adventurers, and there was nothing I could say. Now watch. They're going to send someone our way."

As Stephan predicted, an adventurer peeled off from the group of leaders and greeted Stephan. "Mister York. The team leaders see the merit in your words and would like your input on how to proceed next."

"So now that fifteen or so adventurers died needlessly, they want my input?" Stephan questioned sharply. "Tell them to get lost."

"That… you were right, of course," said the adventurer apologetically. "But the past is in the past, and the adventurers here are all living, breathing people. Surely you have some advice that you could share to reduce casualties?"

"Hypocrites," Gareth said under his breath. The adventurer flinched when he heard him but smiled at Stephan expectantly.

"Fine," said Stephan, his expression softening. "I can't make your horses drink, but I can at least lead you to water. Gather your people, and I'll tell you what I know. It's more than you deserve, but I'm not a callous man."

"Surely you don't mean to involve everyone here in a big discussion?" said the adventurer.

"What is there to discuss?" asked Stephan. "You want my family's information, not my advice. You won't listen to me no matter what advice I give."

"If you'd just nominate yourself as raid leader, you'd surely have an oversized impact on the discussion," said the adventurer.

"I have no interest in leading anyone but those in my party," said Stephan, shaking his head.

The adventurer retreated from their group and went to speak with the group of twenty leaders. There was a bit of shouting, and some cold eyes glared at their team, but Sorin's group was filled with oddballs that had thick skin. They waited patiently for the adventurer to come back.

"The group leaders are very pleased with your decision to hold a group discussion," said the adventurer with a smile. "They'd like you to pardon their rudeness; things have been tense, given recent demon attacks and troubles with the ruin's door."

"Right," said Stephan. "Please tell them to bring their teams, and I'll tell them what I know." He then put down his pack to retrieve a small, foldable chair from it and took a seat. "Sorry, everyone," he said to the rest of their group. "I won't be able to posture effectively if we sit as a group. How about you all take a seat at the front?"