Chapter 68: The Portal
Reaching the bottom of the long descent, the narrow tunnel opened into a massive underground hall. The room practically oozed ancient, forgotten history, towering stone pillars carved with intricate mythological scenes, deeply engraved cave walls, and high arched ceilings that looked thousands of years old.
At the exact center of the vast hall, a grand circular array was engraved into the polished stone floor, filled with countless complex, glowing runes.
Standing guard at three distinct points around the circle were three towering knights clad in full, pitch-black plate armor. Longswords rested point-down in their gauntleted hands. The moment Alistair and I stepped into the hall, all three knights snapped to attention, their heavy steel armor clanking loudly as they dropped onto one knee in synchronized reverence.
"Lord Alistair," the lead knight said, his voice deep and echoing through his dark helm.
Alistair offered a casual wave of his hand. "Stand, guardians."
The three knights stood in unison. Grandfather gestured toward me, his voice carrying unquestionable authority. "This is my grandson, Seth. Moving forward, his commands carry the exact same weight as my own. You will afford him the highest level of authority and obedience."
Without a second of hesitation, the three black-armored knights bowed deeply toward me. "We greet the Young Lord. Our swords and loyalty are at your disposal."
Even though I was slowly getting used to people bowing to me left and right, being greeted like a lord by three badass, ancient-looking black knights was still a bit awkward-and insanely cool.
’Man...’ I thought, eyeing their sleek, dark armor with a subtle, impressed glint. ’I wonder if I can get Paige to make me a cool set of armor like that one day?’
[Oho?!] Paige’s voice instantly chimed in my head, practically vibrating with excitement. [A custom, god-tier dark lord armor suit?! Say the word, Host! I can make you look like an absolute cosmic emperor!]
’Later, Paige,’ I replied mentally with a smirk.
Turning back to the business at hand, Alistair addressed the three guardians. "Prepare the pathway. We are traveling to Uruk."
The three knights gave firm nods and stepped toward three outer nodes of the rune circle. In perfect synchronization, they unsheathed their massive longswords and plunged the blades directly into the engraved stone grooves.
HUMMMMMM!
The circular array instantly erupted with a brilliant mix of crimson and obsidian light as the ancient runes spun in complex, overlapping rings.
"Step inside, Seth," Alistair instructed, stepping directly onto the glowing center platform.
I stepped beside him. Alistair lifted his cane and tapped the center of the array once.
FLASH!
A wave of pitch-black darkness engulfed my vision, accompanied by a strange, weightless sensation that felt like being dropped from a mountain peak while simultaneously being pulled through a needle’s eye. My head spun violently with sudden, intense dizziness.
A second later, the dark weightlessness vanished.
My eyes adjusted, and I found myself standing inside a grand, stunning dome-like chamber. A massive, glittering crystal chandelier hung high above, casting warm light across breathtaking wall murals depicting ancient historical figures, grand battles, and forgotten gods.
I wobbled slightly on my feet, taking a deep, steadying breath to shake off the lingering spatial disorientation.
Alistair looked down at me, a rare look of
appreciation and pride flashing in his dark eyes. "Impressive, my boy. Most Awakened, even high-tier mages, pass out completely or vomit during their first spatial transit through a grand gateway. You handled the spatial pressure remarkably well."
I took another breath, steadying my posture with a dry chuckle. "Thanks... though my brain definitely feels like it just got put through a blender."
I looked around the grand dome chamber and noticed three more black-armored guardians standing at attention near the exit. The moment they spotted Alistair, they bowed deeply. Alistair gave them the same introduction regarding my authority, which they respectfully acknowledged before snapping back to their posts.
Alistair turned and walked toward a pair of massive, carved wooden exit doors at the end of the hall, gesturing for me to follow.
"As I mentioned earlier in the vehicle," Alistair explained as we walked, "the planetary barrier heavily suppresses space-time manipulation across Earth. However, to allow essential movement for humanity’s guardians, the barrier permits specific, heavily guarded spatial pathways-like the grand transit node we just utilized."
Grandfather held up his silver-headed cane, showing me the intricate, dark crest engraved into the handle. "These grand pathways connect major strongholds across the globe, but they require a unique, high-tier key to activate. This cane serves as my personal Master Key. Without it, or an equivalent authority artifact, the transit circles remain completely inert."
I looked at the sleek cane in his hand, then back at the grand exit doors ahead.
"So..." I said with a smile, a spark of genuine excitement flickering in my chest. "Where are we actually standing right now, Grandfather?"
Alistair offered a proud, mysterious smile as the heavy wooden doors slowly swung open before us.
"Welcome, Seth... to the ancient realm of Uruk."
Stepping through the grand wooden doors with a surge of genuine excitement, I fully expected to be hit with a cinematic, breathtaking panorama of an ancient magical empire. After all, this was Uruk, the legendary home of King Gilgamesh himself, the first city of mankind!
Instead, I took two steps forward and stared straight at another solid stone wall.
I blinked. "Wait... seriously?"
Behind me, Alistair let out a quiet chuckle, his cane tapping softly against the floorboards. "Patience, Seth. We are currently standing inside the central spire of the transit fortress. If you wish to behold the city, walk out onto the balcony."
[Oho?] Paige’s playful voice instantly chimed in my head, practically cackling with teasing glee. [Were you expecting a dramatic movie camera sweep with heroic orchestral music, Host? Should I conjure some dramatic lens flare for you?]
’Shut up, Paige,’ I replied dryly in my mind, completely ignoring her as I turned the corner and walked through a tall arched gateway onto a massive, open-air stone balcony.