With the help of Cain's healing aura, the dwarves tell stories all night, finishing with more detailed directions to the ruins.
They have high hopes that having a Dwarf mining the area might be enough to calm whatever lingering evil spirits remained there, upset at being abandoned. They still likely wouldn't go near the place, but it was good to feel like things might improve.
When everyone leaves for work, Cain heads out of the city, shifting back into Daisy once he is safely out of sight to move faster without attracting attention.
Unlike the wolves, who were more than a bit creepy, the Bear Kin are just all around generally friendly people. Almost everyone he passes waves before going back to their work, and Cain jogs happily through the mountains.
By evening, he is out of sight of civilization, so he shifts back into the Golden Proto Dragon and flies low over the trees, following the directions he has to the site of the ruins.
Cain stops when he gets close and shifts into one of the burly Bear Kin men he saw yesterday. At just over 3 meters tall, this form feels like a mountain of muscle. Bears are among the most physically powerful Beastkin that Cain has found so far, and the feeling is quite relaxing.
He hangs his hammock in the trees, intent on getting a little sleep before the sun comes up, the rotund mass of muscle that is his current form settles into the net of a hammock like they were made for each other.
The form Cain chose was like the Felians, fully furred with partially bestial features. This one was a very light golden color, with long hair on his head, deadlocked with wooden beads worked into the length.
He has both sharp teeth and claws but furry human-shaped feet. Cain had his full armor set equipped, but the form still appeared shirtless, with black hemp canvas cargo pants and thick leather boots.
Overall, Cain was impressed. The guild could use some of these friendly giants in their ranks.
Cain isn't sure if he can communicate with anyone as he hasn't seen any messages since entering the portal, but he tries sending a message anyhow. He explains all about the Bear Kin and how they would be good members but receives no reply.
Not surprised, he heads towards the ruins, coming over a ridge overlooking where it should be hidden in a mountain.
There is no mountain, only a colossal mountain-sized city built for beings the size of his natural Ancient form. There is a barrier faintly visible around it, which must be what looks like a mountain to everyone else.
He can see that the supposed hidden entry is an open door in the outer wall around the city. Someone must have stumbled through it accidentally and thought it was a disguised cavern entry into the mountain. It would be a fairly compelling explanation if they still saw the barrier from the inside.
Cain doesn't see any sign of roads or residents in the area, so he decides to go as himself as a show of respect to the original Ancients.
Spreading his wings, Cain flies in his Ancient form for the first time, finding that this is even faster and more agile than his Dragon form. The only real downside of using it more often would be the [Existential Dread] aura.
The barrier is no hindrance to him, and he smoothly lands on the steps of what looks like an ancient temple at the top of the city.
The architecture is very similar to early Greek or Roman from his past life, heavy on the stone blocks, pillars, and elaborate tile frescoes. Even after all this time, the city looks like everyone just stepped out for the day.
But some things are missing. The furniture is flawless, but the paintings and other artwork that should have been here are gone.
Cain heads down the hill and checks random houses, finding the same thing. All the signs of an advanced civilization, but nothing to indicate who created it. It's like the Ancients have been deliberately erased.
Cain always wanted to visit such unique historical places, but this half-empty state is unnerving. Everywhere he goes is the same, until the point when he enters the city's core, finding that the entire town is hollow, with a giant magical device covered in runes taking up most of the mountain.
Cain flies to the device's control panel, wondering what the purpose could be. There is writing on the table in glowing magical runes.
[Process 9 percent complete. Population power level insufficient.] Increase power level.
[Population 1. Population Insufficient]
Now Cain is even more intrigued by the function of this device. What could it be doing that needs a Population of more powerful Ancients? He looks it over but doesn't see anything resembling instructions, so Cain tries treating it like the system interface and asking questions.
He starts by touching the runes for process, causing the image of a globe covered in lines. They make a linked grid, and Cain sees that many intersections are in locations that now have cities on them. Could it be a transportation map?
Cain touches the intersection that should be in Long Fang Valley, and a description appears.
[Ley Line Luo1] 0.1% active.
It is a map of the flow of magical power in the world. But the supernatural power of this world feels the same as at home, so does that mean the world could potentially be thousand times more powerful than it currently is?
[What was the highest level progress had historically reached?] Cain focuses on asking with his hand on the desk.
[Full Activation Occurred for 18 years, six days and 7 hours after Operators joined the conflict recorded under the title "War Between Gods." Functions were deactivated due to the insufficient remaining population on the planet.] A gentle but robotic voice sounds in his mind.
Cain stumbles back and takes a seat on the floor. The Ancients weaponized the entire planet to let them fight toe to toe with the Gods for 18 years before they were annihilated. That bit of information is insane.
[The Elder Gods were not present during the war between their creations and the invading Gods until after this process was halted.]
There is too much to learn here. He will have to return later.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)ebnov(𝒆)l