Reruntuhan yang ditemui Lex dan kelompoknya tidak begitu besar. Meski ditumbuhi rumput liar dan tampak lapuk karena lama terbengkalai, sebagian bangunan sudah runtuh atapnya atau temboknya. Bahkan jika semuanya digabungkan, kurang dari sepuluh buah. Berarti terlalu kecil untuk menjadi sebuah kota, apalagi sebuah des village, jika memang ada di budaya Ras Kristal.
Lex berasumsi ini mungkin sekadar pos kecil di jalan, kawasan penelitian sempit, atau mungkin properti pribadi seseorang yang kaya. Atau sesuatu yang serupa.
Bagian pengalamannya yang sedikit berani menginginkan sesuatu keajaiban. Saat memasuki bangunan, ia berharap melalui ilmuhitam mistis atau keajaiban Ras Kristal, dapat menemukan interior yang tak terjejak oleh waktu, dan mengetahui apa kejadian yang memaksa ras ini meninggalkan tempat ini. Tapi jelas, itu bukanlah keadaannya.
Namun, saat ia memasuki bangunan, dalam sepirsa detik, Lex merasa ada seorang figur berdiri di dalam. Si figur menghilang begitu cepat sehingga, di bawah normalnya, Lex akan meragukan apakah ia benar-benar melihatnya. Sebab, memang tidak umum melihat sesuatu dari sudut mata, tapi ketika kita ingin melihatnya dengan jelas, justru tidak ada.
Yang membuatnya yakin bahwa figur itu memang ada, adalah kondisinyya. Di saat yang sama, ia merasakan bahaya ekstrim. Instingnya memberitahu dengan sungguh-sungguh bahwa si figura bisa melanggengkan perlawannya dengan mudah dan menjadi ancaman nyata bagi hidupnya.
Tapi, karena satu atau lainnya alasan, figur itu tidak berminat konfrontasi. Lex menyipitkan mata sambil menelusuri ruangan yang penuh sampah. Lantai dipenuhi oleh lumpur dan batu, bersama dengan pecahan bahan bangunan yang dulunya bagian dari bangunan ini, tapi tak lagi bisa dikenali.
Ia tetap berdiri di pintu masuk, mengamati seluruh ruangan, hingga Cwenhild akhirnya bergabung.
"Apa yang sedang kamu cari?" tanyanya, setelah memperhatikan ia berdiri di situ cukup lama.
"Ada seseorang di sini sebelum kita," kata Lex dengan serius. "Siapapun itu, menghilang saat aku mendekat. Aku sedang mencari jebakan, tapi tak ada yang mencurigakan terdeteksi."
"Itu mustahil. Kami adalah orang pertama yang memasuki realm ini. Masih ada beberapa jam sebelum grup lain mulai masuk."
"Kujawab, kujawab, tidak peduli apa pun yang kudengar, tapi dulu ia ada di sini."
Cwenhild mengerutkan bibir sambil memperhatikan pernyataan Lex. Berbagai skenario melayangkan di kepalanya, termasuk seseorang secara licik masuk untuk menghukum atau bahkan membunuhnya karena ia rela melepaskan nama keluarganya. Tapi, rasanya tak masuk akal.
"Aku akan memeriksa bangunan ini. Siapa tahu kita bisa menemukan apa yang ingin orang itu."
Cwenhild mengangguk dan pelan-pelan mengikutnya Lex. Terlalu sedikit informasi untuk membengkang, dan sebaiknya ia tidak mencurigai siapa saja. Tapi fakta ini menguntungkan: tim yang mengikutinya semua adalah orang yang dibayar. Mereka mengikutinya karena status dan imbalan, namun dengan kemampuan dan kualifikasi yang dimiliki, tidak ada salah seorang pun yang termasuk orang sembarangan.
Meskipun perang masih berlangsung, politik antar kekuatan-kekuatan bangsa tetap ada. Semakin halus, semakin jarang seseorang yang terlalu jauh, namun ia menyadari betul pengikutnya itu hampir tak terpisahkan dengan ikutannya sendiri, seperti yang dinikmati sang ayahnya.
Lex dan Cwenhild memindai seluruh bangunan tanpa menemukan sesuatu yang penting. Mereka dapat melihat bahwa seiring tahun, berbagai hewan dan makhluk telah mengubah bangunan ini menjadi sarang mereka. Ini, tentu saja, menyampaikan begi banyak hal tentang kekuatan bangunan ini. Namun itu saja.
Ketika keduanya keluar, sisa kelompokpun mulai mengejar, Ness berlari dengan cepat dan drenh, seluruhnya berlumur darah kuning, tapi selain itu dalam keadaan baik.
"Kerja bagus, kalian semua. Ness, Bearin dan Tim, kalian beristirahat di bangunan ini. Cindy, panen apa saja yang berguna dari sarang Bloody Jit. Sisanya, periksakan seluruh bangunan dan lihat apakah kalian menemukan sesuatu yang berguna. Laporkan ke sini setelah selesai. Setelah istirahat sebentar dan makan siang, kita akan berangkat."
Kelompok tersebar melakukan tugasnya masing-masing. Tak semua orang butuh istirahat, namun tiga pejuang memang sangat kelelahan. Lebih baik menjaga kondisi fisik mereka prima ketimbang terus-menerus mendorong.
Selain itu, jika Lex tidak menemukan orang misterius ini, mungkin Cwenhild akan memutuskan untuk memeriksa reruntuhan dengan cepat sebelum melanjutkan. Namun karena situasinya demikian, ia lebih memilih untuk hati-hati.
Lex memperhatikan bahwa ia tidak menyampaikan informasi tentang oknum pelaku itu, tapi memilih untuk tidak mengatakan apa-apa. Reruntuhan ini, meski penuh janji dari Ras Kristal, tak menyimpan sesuatu yang istimewa. Di sarang Bloody Jits mereka menemukan sebuah kolong cairan hijau yang tampaknya memiliki nilai luar biasa.
Karena tak bisa mengangkutnya, seluruh kelompok mengambilgila secara bergilir untuk minum langsung dari kolong itu. Jika Cwenhild berhasil menguasai alam Minor ini, mereka bisa mengaksesnya seberapa banyak yang mereka inginkan. Hingga saat itu tiba, lebih baik jangan membebani diri dengan flakon atau air minum penuh cairan ini.
Ketika Lex minum cairan itu, ia merasakan seluruh tubuhnya panas terlebih dahulu beberapa menit sebelum kembali normal. Tampaknya cairan ini sangat baik untuk membersihkan meridian dan membantu percepat kultivasi. Namun, bukur mereka, Lex—sekaligus seluruh kelompok—menyadari situasi yang tidak wajar terhadap Lex.
Setiap orang, Cwenhild termasuk, kelihatan tertua karena suhu tubuh naik dan hanya dalam waktu singkat, uap terlihat mengelilingi tubuh mereka. Tak ada yang membicarakannya, namun implikasi anomali ini mengejutkan. Sederhana: meridian Lex begitu murni sehingga cairan ini tak bisa memberinya manfaat apa pun. Semua orang diam-diam memikirkan latar belakang Lex, sementara Cwenhild justru semakin penasaran tentang siapa sang sepupu setengah darah ini yang ia temui.
Apa pun yang mereka temukan di luar cairan itu, harga berhanyanya biasanya membuat orang teruja, namun mengingat ekspektasi yang mereka miliki tentang reruntuhan ini, rasanya agak kecewa.
Akhirnya, kelompok melanjutkan perjalanan, menuju sekumpulan reruntuhan berikutnya. Saat kembali masuk ke hutan, seorang figur muncul di puncak salah satu bangunan dan memandang ke arah kelompok. Spesifiknya, si figur menatap Lex. Tapi untuk saat ini, itu saja yang dilakukannya.
Perjalanan melintasi hutan kali ini jauh lebih mudah. Mereka tidak diserang sama sekali, dan semua binatang menjauh. Alasannya cukup sederhana: Ness sangat bau darah pemangsa teratas, dan tidak ada binatang yang rela bunuh diri. Bahkan mereka pernah menemukan sejenis tumbuhan langka dan berharga di wilayah makhluk seperti macan. Ketika mereka memutuskan untuk mengambil risiko demi tumbuhan ini karena memang berharga, si macan justru lari!
The ruins that Lex and the group had encountered were not large. Though covered in plant growth and suffering from obvious signs of wear, some of the buildings had collapsed roofs or walls, even combining all of them there were less than 10 buildings. That meant this was too small to be a town or even a village, if those existed in the Crystle race culture. Lex assumed that this must have either been a travel outpost, a small research camp, maybe even the private property of someone rich, or something along those lines.
A small, adventurous part of him had been hoping that when he entered the building, through some mystical magic or miracle of the Crystal race, he would discover the interior untouched by time, and whatever event drove the race from here. That clearly wasn't the case.
However, when he entered the building, for the briefest of moments, Lex felt like he saw a figure standing inside. The figure disappeared so fast that under normal circumstances, Lex would have questioned if he even saw something at all. After all, it wasn't usual to catch something from the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look, it was something entirely different.
What made him so certain the figure really had existed, though, were the goosebumps on the back of his neck. In that absolute split second, he had felt extreme danger. There was a certainty with which his instincts told him that the figure could overcome his defenses easily, and pose a very real risk to his life.
But, for whatever reason, the figure had no intentions of confronting him. Lex squinted his eyes as he scanned the littered room. The floor was covered in dirt and rocks, alongside broken debris that might have once belonged to this building, but was no longer recognizable.
He remained standing in the doorway, observing the room, until Cwenhild finally joined him.
"What are you looking for?" she asked, having noticed him standing there for a while.
"There was someone here before us," Lex informed her. "Whoever it was, they disappeared as soon as I approached. I'm checking for traps, but I don't sense anything out of the ordinary."
"That's not possible, we're the first ones in this realm. There's still a few hours before others start entering."
"I don't know what to tell you, except that there was definitely someone here."
Cwenhild pursed her lips as she took in Lex's statement. A list of scenarios went through her head, including someone sneaking on to punish or even assassinate her for giving up her family name. But it did not seem likely.
"I'll check out the building. Maybe we'll be able to discover what the person wanted."
Cwenhild nodded, and slowly followed Lex. There was too little information to start speculating, and should not cause her to start suspecting anyone, but it was a fact that the group following her all consisted of people she was paying. They followed her for the prestige and the reward, but considering their qualifications and caliber, none of them were people without sufficient backgrounds.
Despite the ongoing war, the politics between the various forces in the human race did not disappear. It became a lot more subtle, and hardly would anyone push things too far, but she was well aware of the cult-like following her father enjoyed.
Lex and Cwenhild swept the entire building but found nothing of note. They could see that over the years, multiple animals and beasts had turned these buildings into their nests, which, in turn, spoke volumes about the strength of these buildings. But that was it.
By the time they exited, the rest of the group was also catching up, Ness panting and completely drenched in yellow blood, but otherwise fine.
"Good job, you guys. Ness, Bearin and Tim, you guys take a rest in this building. Cindy, harvest anything useful from the Bloody Jit. The rest, look through all the buildings and see if you find anything useful. Report back here once you're done. After a short rest and some lunch, we'll move out."
The group dispersed as they went about to perform their tasks. None of them needed the rest, but the three combatants had exerted themselves and it was best to keep them in peak condition than continuously push them. Furthermore, had Lex not encountered the mysterious person, perhaps Cwenhild would have chosen to quickly look through the ruins before moving on. Now though, she preferred to be more
Lex noticed that she didn't pass on information about the intruder, but chose not to say anything. The ruins, despite all the promise of the Crystal race, held nothing too special. In the Bloody Jits nest they discovered a small pond of green liquid that apparently had phenomenal value. Since they could not transport it, the entire group took turns drinking from the pond directly. If Cwenhild was able to take control of this Minor realm, they would be able to access it as much as they wanted. Until then, though, it was best not to burden themselves by carrying flasks or waterskins full of the stuff.
When Lex drank it he felt his entire body heat up for a few minutes before returning to normal. Apparently, this liquid was excellent for cleansing meridians and helped boost cultivation speed. But soon, Lex, as well as the entire group, realized that the situation with Lex was unusual. Everyone, Cwenhild included, turned red from the rising body temperature and soon steam seemed to come out of their bodies.
No one commented on it, but the implications of the anomaly were shocking. It was quite simple: Lex's meridians were pure to such a level that the liquid could not provide him with any boost. Everyone quietly contemplated Lex's background, while Cwenhild wondered even more what this 'half-brother' of hers had encountered.
Other than the liquid they encountered a few more precious resources that would have otherwise caused the group to squeal, but considering their expectations from the ruins, it was somewhat disappointing.
Eventually, the group continued their journey, on towards the next set of ruins. As they ventured back into the forest, a figure appeared on the top of one of the buildings and looked at the group. Specifically, the figure stared at Lex. But, for now, that was all the figure did.
The trek through the forest this time was much easier. They were not attacked at all, and all beasts kept their distance. The reason was fairly simple. Ness reeked of the blood of an apex predator, and there was no beast that was aggressive to the point of being suicidal.
One time the group even spotted an extremely rare and precious plant in the territory of a tiger like beast. When they decided to take a risk for the plant because of how genuinely precious it was, the tiger actually ran away!
Lex made a mental note: use the blood of a strong beast to ward off attacks.
For the simple fact that they were no longer obstructed, the group's travel speed picked up and they soon found the next set of ruins, still within the forest. These ruins were bigger, with hundreds of buildings easily, and were simultaneously in a worse condition.
"Are we going to search through these as well?" Lex asked as he looked down at the buildings that had somehow become a part of the forest now. He and the group were looking down from the tip of a particularly long tree that gave them a clear sight over the surrounding area.
He had nothing against looking through the ruins, but it would take too long, and he still wanted to go towards the energy source behind the mountains. He didn't know if it was his imagination, but he felt the blue light behind the mountains had dimmed slightly.
"Patrick, scan the ruins. Are there any concentrated or high energy signatures?" said Cwenhild, prompting the man to take out his trusted beacon. But, before he got to use it, the group spotted hundreds of flashes of light across the Minor realm, spread far apart. At the same time, a massive current was formed in the spiritual energy of the realm, indicating that the realm had formed a permanent open door somewhere leading out of it.
The group immediately picked up on what this meant and turned to look at Cwenhild to see if she changed her orders. She was considering it.
She had not shared this information, but to take over a realm, she would need to find a focal point for the Minor realm. The artificially created Minor realms did not move through space, the way they did in the origin realm, but instead had an entirely different set of rulers governing them. One of those rulers was about the focal point.
A seemingly easy guess would be that the focal point of this Minor realm should be in the energy dense area behind the mountains, but that was not necessarily true as the...
"We're being attacked," Lex said, interrupting her thoughts. Before she could ask about, or even realize, the origin of the attack, he held out his hand and erected his barrier, just in time to intercept an entirely black arrow.
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