Chapter 102: Chapter 97: The Hall of Forgotten Kings (Part 2)
The tremor rolled through the tower like distant thunder.
Crystal dust drifted from the ceiling, sparkling in the crimson light that now flooded the hall.
No one spoke.
The dwarven warriors tightened their shield wall.
Axes were raised.
Runes along their armor ignited one after another, bathing the formation in a dull orange glow.
John lowered his body, claws scraping across the polished floor.
His instincts screamed at him.
Danger.
Not the reckless danger of charging monsters.
Not the straightforward brutality of the Stone Maw.
This felt different.
Calculated.
Organized.
Something intelligent was approaching.
The mechanical voice echoed through the chamber again.
"Security units responding."
The statues lining the walls suddenly moved.
Stone cracked.
Dust exploded outward.
Hundreds of ancient guardians stepped from their pedestals.
Each carried a crystal spear and a broad shield covered in glowing symbols.
Their eyes shone with pale blue light.
Unlike the constructs they had fought outside, these warriors did not point their weapons toward John or the expedition.
Instead, they turned toward the darkness ahead.
They were preparing for battle.
Lythriel slowly blinked.
"I’ve officially stopped trying to understand this place."
Sylvara tightened her grip on her staff.
"I don’t think we’re supposed to."
The footsteps grew louder.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Each impact shook the crystal floor.
Then came another sound.
Scratching.
Hundreds of claws scraping against stone.
The dwarven scouts exchanged nervous looks.
One swallowed hard.
"They’re coming."
The first creatures emerged from the darkness.
Void Burrowers.
Dozens of them.
Their crystal armor reflected the crimson lights of the chamber as they crawled over broken pillars and shattered walls.
More followed behind them.
Then more.
The corridor seemed endless.
An entire tide of monsters surged forward.
John narrowed his eyes.
Something was wrong.
They weren’t charging.
They were moving with discipline.
Ranks.
Formations.
Like soldiers.
A massive guardian stepped forward.
Its spear struck the floor.
A pulse of blue light raced across the chamber.
Instantly, every ancient construct lowered into a battle stance.
The mechanical voice spoke again.
"Defensive Protocol Eight."
"Protect the Archive."
Without warning, both armies collided.
The impact shook the hall.
Crystal met crystal.
Spears pierced armored hides.
The silence vanished beneath the roar of battle.
John launched himself forward.
Dark energy wrapped around his claws.
The first Void Burrower leaped toward him.
He caught it in midair.
Its body exploded beneath the force of his grip.
Before the remains hit the floor, three more attacked.
His tail swept sideways.
The impact crushed them against a nearby pillar.
Stone shattered.
Black crystal scattered across the chamber.
To his left, Lythriel dashed between the constructs with impossible speed.
Her spear danced through the battlefield.
Every strike found a weak point.
Every movement flowed into the next.
A Burrower lunged.
She ducked beneath its jaws.
Her spear pierced upward through its throat.
She twisted the weapon free and kicked the corpse aside before spinning toward another target.
"Too slow!"
The second creature rushed her.
She vaulted over its back and drove her spear through its skull.
The body collapsed instantly.
Nearby, Aerion disappeared.
For a brief moment, even John lost sight of him.
Then silver light flashed across the battlefield.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
Entire rows of monsters froze.
Thin lines appeared across their bodies.
The creatures split apart simultaneously.
Aerion calmly stepped through the falling remains, his blade untouched by blood.
He glanced toward John.
"They’re testing us."
John agreed.
The Burrowers were strong.
But not strong enough to threaten them.
Something else was coming.
He could feel it.
Sylvara slammed her staff into the floor.
Roots erupted from cracks between the crystal tiles.
They wrapped around charging monsters, lifting them into the air.
Green mana surged through the vines.
Thorns burst outward.
The trapped Burrowers were torn apart.
The forest mage exhaled slowly.
"That’s the last time I complain about gardening."
Even in battle, Lythriel laughed.
"You’ve never complained about gardening."
"I know."
"I complain enough for both of us."
The exchange lasted only seconds.
Then the battlefield changed.
The Burrowers suddenly stopped attacking.
Every surviving creature retreated several steps.
They spread apart.
Making room.
A low growl echoed through the corridor.
The temperature dropped.
The guardians immediately shifted formation.
Blue barriers rose across the chamber.
Even the ancient constructs seemed cautious.
Then it appeared.
The creature emerged slowly from the darkness.
It walked on four massive limbs covered in black crystal.
Its body resembled a wolf, yet its proportions were wrong.
Too large.
Too long.
Its shoulders nearly reached John’s chest.
Crystal spikes lined its back.
Golden cracks glowed beneath its armor.
Unlike the Burrowers, its eyes held intelligence.
It studied the battlefield.
Then its gaze settled on John.
The system activated.
**[Analysis Complete]**
Species: Archive Sentinel
Tier: 10
Status: Active
Threat Assessment:
Extreme
The notification disappeared.
John inhaled slowly.
Another Tier 10 guardian.
The wolf lowered its head.
The muscles beneath its armor tensed.
Then it vanished.
The explosion of speed caught everyone off guard.
John barely crossed his claws before the impact arrived.
BOOM!
The collision sent both creatures sliding across the crystal floor.
Shockwaves shattered nearby pillars.
Several dwarven warriors were thrown backward.
John dug his claws into the ground to stop himself.
The wolf was already attacking again.
Its jaws snapped shut inches from his neck.
He twisted away and slammed his wing into its side.
The guardian barely moved.
Instead, it drove its shoulder into John’s chest.
The dragon crashed through a stone wall.
Dust filled the air.
Lythriel’s eyes widened.
"John!"
Before she could move, the wolf turned toward her.
Its golden eyes narrowed.
Then it charged.
Aerion intercepted.
Steel met crystal.
The swordsman was pushed backward several meters.
His boots carved deep grooves into the floor.
The guardian raised a claw.
Aerion blocked.
The impact cracked the stone beneath him.
For the first time since meeting him, sweat formed across the swordsman’s forehead.
"So this is Tier Ten."
The wolf attacked again.
Sylvara reacted instantly.
Massive roots erupted from the ground, wrapping around its limbs.
The guardian stopped.
For exactly one second.
Then every vine shattered.
The creature continued moving as though nothing had happened.
Lythriel clicked her tongue.
"I hate strong things."
John burst through the broken wall behind them.
Dark mana swirled around his body.
His scales shimmered with black flames.
The wolf turned back toward him.
The two stared at each other.
No movement.
No sound.
Then both exploded forward simultaneously.
Their collision shook the entire tower.
Claws scraped against crystal armor.
Mana erupted outward in violent waves.
Nearby windows shattered.
Ancient machines fell from the ceiling.
The guardians and Burrowers continued fighting around them, but for a brief moment every eye turned toward the two giants locked in combat.
John roared.
Dark energy gathered around his claws.
He drove them forward with everything he had.
Cracks spread across the guardian’s shoulder.
The wolf answered with a roar of its own.
Golden energy surged through its body.
The damaged armor repaired itself.
John jumped backward.
His breathing had grown heavier.
Tier Ten was different.
Every movement required effort.
Every exchange carried real danger.
Lythriel landed beside him.
"You thinking what I’m thinking?"
John glanced sideways.
"I hope not."
She grinned.
"Hit it really hard?"
"...Actually yes."
"I knew it."
Aerion joined them.
"The crystal joints."
He pointed toward the wolf’s forelegs.
"They regenerate slower."
Sylvara nodded.
"I can bind it for a moment."
John looked at each of them.
No further discussion was needed.
They had fought together long enough.
Each understood the plan without another word.
The wolf growled.
Golden light gathered inside its mouth.
John spread his wings.
Darkness wrapped around his body.
The battle for the Archive had only just begun.
And somewhere above them, deep within the upper levels of the tower, unseen eyes continued to watch every movement in silence.
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200 ps = 2 Extra Chapter
1 Golden ticket = 3 Extra Chapter
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