I Can See Evolution Paths

The golden passage stretched deeper into the ruins. Arthur followed the spectral figure of Halburn through the ancient structure, with the others close behind. The moment they left the chamber containing the Armaments, something became noticeable.

The Miasma was fading.

At first, it was only slightly thinner. Then they passed through another corridor, and the purple mist became almost nonexistent.

Mithra glanced over her shoulder. "Where did it go?"

Sun looked around. "I was wondering the same thing."

Luna lowered the Light Mirror slightly. "I can barely feel it anymore."

Athena’s expression became thoughtful. "That’s strange."

Arthur looked ahead. The deeper they went, the cleaner the air became. There were no corrupted plants, no purple veins, no twisted Beasts. Even the stone walls were untouched by the Miasma. It was almost as if the corruption had been deliberately kept away from this place.

Vedas looked toward the walls. "These ruins were built around something."

Athena nodded. "I think so."

Sun frowned. "Why?"

"Look at the construction." Athena pointed toward the walls. The ancient stone wasn’t simply arranged like a normal building. The entire ruin curved inward, every corridor they had passed through gradually narrowing toward the same direction.

The structure was guiding them. Or protecting something.

Melo’s ears twitched. "Do you think the Miasma can’t reach it?"

Athena shook her head. "No." She looked at the perfectly clean floor. "I think something is preventing it."

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. The spectral Halburn continued walking. He didn’t speak. He simply led them deeper.

Eventually, the corridor opened into another enormous chamber. This one was covered in carvings. Athena stepped forward, then froze. "Wait."

Everyone stopped. Athena stared at the wall, her eyes slowly widening.

"What is it?" Mithra asked.

Athena didn’t answer immediately. She moved closer. The carvings covered almost the entire wall, strange symbols, figures holding Mirrors, a brilliant sun-like shape, a massive hand surrounded by light.

Then—

An enormous hammer.

Sun walked closer. "That’s a hammer?"

Athena nodded slowly. "Yes."

The carving showed the weapon striking the earth. Beneath it, the land was changing, mountains rising, valleys forming, cracks in the ground closing.

Arthur stared, his expression changing. Athena moved her fingers along the carving. "I recall the journal mentioning a hammer."

Arthur looked at her. "You do?"

She nodded. "Halburn wrote about an Armament that wasn’t like the others."

Athy moved closer, her owl-like head tilting as she examined the carving. "What did he call it?"

Athena’s eyes remained fixed on the ancient weapon. "Phanetium."

Arthur froze. For a moment, he didn’t move, his eyes remaining on the enormous hammer carved into the wall.

Phanetium.

The name he had been looking for. The material that his Evolution Path Vision had shown Vedas needed. But nobody else knew that. Nobody knew why Arthur had been searching for it. Nobody knew that Phanetium was connected to Vedas’s future evolution.

As far as everyone else knew, Arthur was simply following the clues they had discovered.

Arthur slowly looked toward Athena. "So you’re saying..." His voice became more excited. "...it could be here?"

Athy nodded her owl head. "Most likely."

Arthur’s eyes lit up. "Then let’s keep moving!" He immediately started forward.

Vedas blinked. "Arthur?"

Arthur didn’t stop. "We’re close."

Sun looked at Mithra. "He’s really excited."

Mithra smiled. "Very."

Vedas followed Arthur. "Do you know something we don’t?"

Arthur glanced back. "No."

Vedas raised an eyebrow.

Arthur smiled. "But I think we’re about to find something important."

Vedas chuckled. "That sounds more like you."

They continued. The deeper they went, the stranger the ruins became. The walls were no longer ordinary stone, covered instead in smooth white material that seemed to glow from within. Golden lines ran across the floor, some disappearing into the walls, others continuing toward the center of the structure.

Luna looked around. "The Light Mirror is reacting."

Arthur glanced at her. "Stronger?"

"Yes." She raised the Mirror slightly, its surface shimmering. "The closer we get, the brighter it becomes."

Athena looked at the walls. "Then whatever is ahead is connected to the same power."

Arthur nodded.

They passed another carving. This one showed a massive figure standing before a river of purple, a weapon held in one hand, the other hand radiating golden light. Behind him, the earth was being reshaped.

Mithra stared. "Creation."

Athena nodded. "And Light."

Arthur walked closer. At the bottom of the carving was the hammer again, but this time it wasn’t simply striking the ground. The hammer was being driven directly into an enormous crack, a massive fissure stretching across the earth, purple energy pouring from it.

The hammer descended. Golden light erupted from the impact. The crack began closing.

Sun stared. "So that’s what Phanetium was used for."

Athena frowned. "Perhaps."

Arthur looked at the carving. The image wasn’t merely showing a weapon. It was showing what the weapon had done.

Land reshaped.

Damage repaired.

The Miasma pushed back.

And beneath it all—

A gigantic crack running through the earth.

Mithra slowly looked at Arthur. "Could that crack be what caused the Miasma?"

Arthur remained silent. He didn’t know. But the thought was difficult to ignore.

Luna moved closer to the carving. "If that’s true, then this place isn’t simply protecting Phanetium." She looked down the corridor. "It was built because of it."

Athena nodded. "That would explain why the ruins are arranged like this."

Sun looked around. "So this entire place is basically one giant vault?"

"Possibly."

Kong pointed toward the floor. Everyone looked down. A golden line ran beneath their feet, continuing forward. Arthur’s King Mark responded immediately, the mark on his hand blazing, the golden line brightening.

Vedas looked at Arthur. "There it is again."

Arthur nodded. "Keep moving."

They followed the light. The Miasma had now completely disappeared, not even a trace remaining. Yet Arthur could still sense something ahead. Something enormous. Something old.

The corridor finally ended. Before them stood a massive stone door, a hammer carved into its center. Beneath it was a single symbol, a crack in the earth being sealed by golden light.

Athena stepped forward, her eyes widening. "It’s here."

Arthur looked at the door. His King Mark shone brighter than it had ever done before.

The golden spectral figure of Halburn stopped in front of the entrance. For the first time since they had encountered him—

He turned around.

And looked directly at Arthur.

Arthur’s smile slowly disappeared.

The ancient figure raised one hand. The stone door began to shake. Something on the other side answered.

BOOM.

The entire ruin trembled.

Vedas tightened his grip around King Maker. Mithra raised Dawn Sovereign. Athena lifted Heavenpiercer. Luna raised the Light Mirror.

Arthur stared at the door.

Whatever was behind it...

They had finally reached it.