Chapter 44: Chapter 44: The Elite Guardians
The massive chamber trembled as the stone doors opened completely.
From the darkness beyond them, two enormous figures slowly stepped into the room.
Each guardian stood nearly three ters tall, their bodies forged from ancient black stone reinforced with glowing runic veins. Heavy armor plates covered their chests and shoulders, and their weapons were far larger than the blades carried by the earlier guardians.
One held a colossal stone halberd.
The other carried a massive double-edged axe.
The mont they entered the chamber, the temperature seed to drop.
Their glowing eyes locked onto the two challengers standing inside the room.
Aether.
Rylan.
Rylan stared at the towering guardians and let out a slow breath.
"Yeah... these definitely look stronger than the last ones."
His blue-scaled serpent coiled tightly around his arm, hissing as it sensed the danger.
Aether remained calm.
But even he could feel the difference.
These were elite guardians.
Not simple ruin defenders.
They were built to challenge the strongest intruders.
The ancient voice echoed through the chamber again.
"Midpoint Trial: Combat."
"Defeat the Elite Guardians."
"Or be eliminated."
The mont the voice finished speaking—
The halberd guardian moved.
---
It crossed the chamber in three massive steps.
Then the halberd ca crashing down like a falling mountain.
Rylan reacted instantly.
"Azure Coil!"
His serpent launched forward and wrapped around the guardian’s weapon shaft just before it struck the ground.
The attack slamd into the stone floor with trendous force.
The impact shattered the ground tiles.
But the serpent had managed to divert the strike slightly.
Aether moved at the sa ti.
"Crimson Step."
The Fla Sovereign Pup vanished in a flash of fire.
It reappeared behind the halberd guardian.
Flas erupted from its claws as it slashed across the guardian’s back.
Sparks exploded as the attack struck the armor.
But unlike the earlier guardians—
This one barely moved.
Rylan blinked.
"That armor is ridiculous."
The guardian turned slowly.
Then it swung its halberd in a wide arc.
Aether jumped back.
The weapon sliced through the air with terrifying speed.
The pressure alone cracked nearby stone pillars.
---
anwhile, the second guardian had already charged toward Rylan.
Its massive axe swung downward.
Rylan rolled to the side just in ti.
The blade smashed into the ground, sending chunks of stone flying across the chamber.
"Okay," Rylan muttered.
"These things are insane."
His serpent lunged again.
It wrapped around the guardian’s leg, attempting to restrict its movent.
For a mont the tactic worked.
But then the guardian lifted its foot.
And slamd it down.
The serpent barely managed to escape before being crushed.
---
Aether quickly analyzed the situation.
The guardians were slow.
But their power and defense were enormous.
Simple attacks would not defeat them.
They needed precision.
He gave a quiet command.
"Fla Crown."
The Fla Sovereign Pup leaped into the air.
A blazing ring of fire ford around its body.
Then it descended like a falling teor.
The attack struck the halberd guardian’s shoulder.
The explosion shook the chamber.
Stone fragnts cracked off the armor.
But the guardian still stood.
Rylan stared.
"Even that wasn’t enough?"
Aether frowned slightly.
Then he noticed sothing.
The glowing runic veins inside the guardian’s body had flickered.
For just a mont.
Aether spoke calmly.
"The runes are their core."
Rylan imdiately understood.
"Break the runes... break the guardian."
---
The halberd guardian attacked again.
Its weapon swept across the battlefield like a hurricane.
But this ti Aether was ready.
"Crimson Step."
The Fla Sovereign Pup disappeared again.
Instead of attacking the armor, it targeted the glowing veins.
A concentrated burst of fla struck directly at the runic crack in the guardian’s chest.
The rune flickered violently.
The guardian staggered.
Rylan grinned.
"That worked!"
He pointed forward.
"Azure Fang!"
His serpent’s jaws glowed bright blue.
It launched forward and bit directly into the glowing rune at the guardian’s knee.
CRACK.
The rune shattered.
The guardian’s leg collapsed.
The giant creature fell to one knee.
---
But the second guardian was still active.
It charged forward with terrifying speed.
Its axe swung toward Aether.
The weapon was too large to dodge completely.
Aether raised his arm.
Golden energy flashed briefly around him.
The impact still threw him backward several ters.
But he landed on his feet.
Rylan’s eyes widened slightly.
"You blocked that?"
Aether ignored the question.
His focus remained on the battle.
The Fla Sovereign Pup attacked again.
Flas spiraled around its body as it dashed toward the second guardian.
This ti it struck directly at the rune glowing inside the creature’s neck.
BOOM.
The rune cracked instantly.
The guardian froze.
Then collapsed.
---
anwhile, the first guardian was still struggling to stand.
Its damaged leg made movent difficult.
But its halberd still swung with deadly force.
Rylan’s serpent wrapped around the weapon again, restraining it for a mont.
"Now!"
Aether nodded.
The Fla Sovereign Pup unleashed its strongest attack.
A concentrated beam of crimson fire erupted from its mouth.
The attack struck directly at the guardian’s chest rune.
The rune exploded.
Cracks spread across the entire stone body.
And then—
The guardian shattered completely.
Stone debris rained across the chamber.
Silence followed.
The battle was over.
---
Rylan dropped onto the ground, breathing heavily.
"That... was way harder than the last trial."
His serpent slowly uncoiled and returned to his side.
Aether remained standing calmly.
But even he admitted internally that the guardians had been powerful.
Far stronger than anything the academy training arenas could produce.
Golden light suddenly filled the chamber again.
The ancient voice spoke.
"Midpoint Trial complete."
"Two challengers advance."
The stone doors behind the defeated guardians slowly opened.
A new corridor appeared.
Leading deeper into the ruins.
Rylan stood up and stretched his shoulders.
"Well... looks like we passed."
He glanced at Aether.
"I’m glad I ran into you instead of Lucien."
Aether nodded slightly.
"That makes two of us."
Because both of them knew sothing.
Lucien was dangerous.
Not just because of his strength.
But because of his arrogance.
And people like that rarely fought fairly.
---
Far below the ruins...
Inside the sealed core chamber...
The mysterious being watched the battle through floating magical projections.
It rested lazily against the glowing barrier that imprisoned it for centuries.
Its crimson eyes shimred with interest.
"That fla beast..."
It watched the Fla Sovereign Pup carefully.
"Strong."
"But the master is even more interesting."
It had felt the strange energy surrounding Aether earlier.
Now it was even more certain.
That energy was not sothing that should exist in this world.
It felt ancient.
Powerful.
Almost like sothing from a higher realm.
After smiled slightly, it said.
"How fascinating."
Its gaze followed Aether as he walked deeper into the ruins.
"Let’s see how far you go."
"Little challenger."
Because the trials ahead would only beco more dangerous.
And soon—
The number of challengers would begin to decrease.
---
As Aether and Rylan entered the next corridor, the labyrinth slowly shifted again.
Stone walls moved.
Paths collapsed.
Elsewhere in the ruins, other challengers were still fighting their own battles.
And not all of them would survive.
Lucien, in particular, had already begun making his own plans.
Because in his mind...
The inheritance at the center of the ruins already belonged to him.
Anyone who stood in his way...
Would simply be removed.
---
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