Chapter 155: Six Days
The room was silent.
Kael stood before the window, staring into the darkness.
Six days.
That was all the System had given him.
Six days before the seal beneath the western valley potentially failed.
He didn’t know what was imprisoned beneath those ruins.
He didn’t know why his powers reacted to it.
And he certainly didn’t know why an ancient guardian had looked at him as though Kael carried something familiar.
But one thing was certain.
He couldn’t ignore it.
A knock sounded.
Kael turned.
"Enter."
Darius stepped inside.
"My lord."
Kael gestured toward the table.
Darius approached.
"You haven’t slept."
"I’ll sleep later."
Darius sighed.
"I knew you were going to say that."
Kael almost smiled.
Then his expression became serious.
"The seal has six days."
Darius’s eyes narrowed.
"You’re certain?"
"The System gave me an estimate."
"Then we have six days."
Kael nodded.
"I want the western valley kept completely restricted."
"Already done."
"No civilians."
"Understood."
"No merchants."
"Of course."
Kael paused.
"And no one from the Imperial government."
Darius looked at him.
"You’re planning to keep this from the capital."
"For now."
"Why?"
Kael walked toward the table.
"Because we don’t know what we’re looking at."
He placed his hand on the map.
"The ruins predate the modern Empire."
Darius nodded.
"And they’re connected to the First War."
"Exactly."
Kael looked at him.
"Yet the Empire has no record of them."
Darius was silent.
"That concerns me."
"It concerns me too."
The door opened again.
Grom entered.
The goblin looked tired, but his injuries were already being treated.
"My lord."
Kael looked at him.
"How are you feeling?"
"I’ve been worse."
Darius raised an eyebrow.
"You were thrown through a tree."
Grom shrugged.
"The tree lost."
Kael laughed quietly.
Then Grom’s expression became serious.
"I want to return."
Kael shook his head.
"Not yet."
Grom frowned.
"You saw what was there."
"I did."
"Then you know we cannot leave that thing alone."
Kael nodded.
"I know."
Grom stepped closer.
"When I stood before that creature..."
He paused.
"It wasn’t looking at us like enemies."
Kael waited.
"It was afraid."
Darius’s expression hardened.
"Of what’s beneath the ruins."
Grom nodded.
"Yes."
Kael looked down at the map.
That was the part that bothered him most.
A creature powerful enough to terrify thirty trained soldiers...
had been afraid.
Not angry.
Not aggressive.
Afraid.
Kael looked toward Darius.
"How many soldiers can you spare?"
Darius answered immediately.
"Ten without weakening Blackwood."
"Take ten."
Grom smiled.
Darius continued.
"But you are not going."
Kael looked at him.
"I wasn’t asking permission."
"I know."
Darius folded his arms.
"That’s why I’m saying it now."
Kael frowned.
"The ruins reacted to your powers."
"I know."
"Whatever is beneath them may react again."
"Which is exactly why I should be there."
Darius shook his head.
"No."
Kael stared at him.
Darius didn’t move.
"You are the lord of Blackwood."
"And?"
"And if something happens to you, fifty soldiers become forty-nine."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
Darius corrected himself.
"Thirty-nine."
Grom looked at him.
"You forgot the twenty guarding Blackwood."
Darius sighed.
"I know."
Kael smiled despite himself.
Then Darius became serious again.
"We don’t know what that place is."
Kael nodded.
"And that is precisely why I need to see it."
Darius remained silent.
Kael continued.
"I won’t enter the ruins."
Darius considered it.
"We observe."
"Yes."
"From a distance."
"Yes."
"If the seal weakens..."
"We retreat."
Darius finally nodded.
"Then I’ll allow it."
Grom smiled.
"Good."
Darius looked at him.
"I didn’t give you permission."
Grom’s smile disappeared.
"...I assumed."
By dawn, Blackwood was preparing for another expedition.
But this time, Kael made sure the preparations were different.
Food.
Water.
Medical supplies.
Extra weapons.
Mana crystals.
Communication crystals.
Rope.
Mining tools.
Several blank maps.
And several sealed containers.
Kael inspected everything personally.
Garrick approached.
"My lord."
Kael turned.
"I’ve prepared the weapons you requested."
Garrick handed him a short sword.
Kael examined the blade.
"Good."
"I reinforced the spine."
"Why?"
"If you’re dealing with ancient ruins, there’s a chance you’ll encounter stone creatures, constructs, or enchanted barriers."
Kael looked at him.
"You thought of that?"
Garrick shrugged.
"I’m a blacksmith."
He tapped the blade.
"I think about what weapons are going to hit."
Kael smiled.
"Thank you."
Master Rowan had another surprise.
He brought Kael a small wooden case.
"What’s this?"
"Something useful."
Kael opened it.
Inside was a collection of small tools.
Chisels.
A folding hammer.
Small wedges.
A compact measuring device.
Kael looked impressed.
"For ruins?"
Rowan nodded.
"You don’t know what you’ll find."
Kael smiled.
"Everyone seems to be preparing for this."
Rowan looked at him.
"Because everyone knows you."
Kael laughed.
"That’s worrying."
"It should be."
Before leaving, Kael walked through Blackwood one more time.
The construction had progressed rapidly.
Several new houses were almost finished.
The marketplace was crowded.
The bathhouse foundation had been completed.
The new water channels were being dug.
The settlement looked different every time Kael saw it.
He stopped near the farmers’ fields.
Walter approached.
"My lord."
"How is the experimental field?"
Walter smiled.
"Growing."
"Anything interesting?"
"One crop."
Walter pointed toward a small section.
"The leaves are unusually dark."
Kael walked closer.
The System appeared.
Unknown Agricultural Variant Detected
Earth Elemental Saturation: High
Kael’s eyes widened.
"How long has this been growing?"
"Two weeks."
"And you didn’t tell me?"
Walter laughed.
"You were busy with monsters."
Kael crouched.
The plant had thick leaves and a dark green stem.
He touched it.
A faint pulse of Earth energy moved through the soil.
Kael smiled.
"Keep growing it."
Walter nodded.
"How much?"
"As much as you can without damaging the soil."
"Understood."
Kael stood.
Another piece of Blackwood’s future had appeared.
Food.
Unique crops.
Better agriculture.
Perhaps even something that could eventually be sold outside the territory.
Kael looked toward the fields.
The western ruins could wait six days.
But Blackwood couldn’t stop growing.
At the western gate, Darius waited with the expedition.
Ten Black Dragon soldiers stood behind him.
Grom was among them.
Kael mounted his horse.
Lily approached.
"You’ll come back?"
Kael looked at her.
"Yes."
She stared at him.
"Don’t say it just because you think I want to hear it."
Kael smiled.
"I’m coming back."
Lily nodded.
"Good."
Kael turned toward Darius.
"Let’s go."
The gates opened.
The expedition left Blackwood.
Behind them, construction continued.
Ahead of them waited the western valley.
And beneath that valley...
something ancient was beginning to awaken.
Hours later, the expedition reached the edge of the forest.
Darius raised his hand.
Everyone stopped.
Kael looked ahead.
The air had changed.
He could feel it.
His Ice Power stirred beneath his skin.
His Blood Power responded a moment later.
The System appeared.
Ancient Energy Resonance Detected.
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
"Again."
Darius looked at him.
"What?"
"My powers."
Grom stared toward the forest.
"I feel it too."
Darius looked around.
"What do you feel?"
Grom’s expression became grim.
"Something is calling."
Kael looked toward the valley.
The same strange sensation moved through his body.
Not pain.
Not fear.
A pull.
Like something beneath the earth knew he was coming.
Then—
A voice whispered inside Kael’s mind.
"Come."
Kael froze.
Darius immediately noticed.
"My lord?"
Kael didn’t answer.
The voice came again.
"Blood of the old ones..."
Kael’s eyes widened.
Then the System appeared.
Unknown Mental Transmission Detected.
Source: Western Ruins.
Warning.
The entity beneath the seal has detected you.
Kael slowly looked toward the distant mountains.
Whatever was beneath those ruins...
wasn’t simply waiting.
It knew he was coming.
And it wanted him there.