The Void Harpy Matriarch let out another terrifying screech and lunged forward, its multiple wings creating powerful gusts of wind laced with void energy.
Before Adam or Ignis could react, Isolde moved with cold precision.
With a swift motion, she slashed her own palm, drawing a large amount of blood. The blood instantly transford into dozens of crimson tendrils that shot forward like living spears. They wrapped tightly around the monster's body, wings, and neck in an instant.
The Void Harpy Matriarch struggled violently, but Isolde's Blood Dominion was rciless. The blood threads tightened and pierced through its armor-like feathers, draining its life force at an alarming speed.
"Grrraaa—!!"
The monster let out one final, choked screech before its body convulsed and went limp. It collapsed heavily onto the rocky ground, dead in re seconds.
Isolde flicked her wrist, retracting the blood threads which returned to her body. Her expression remained cold and indifferent.
Lilith raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "Not bad."
Adam approached the corpse and used his claws to cut open its chest, retrieving a glowing purple core. It pulsed with dense void energy.
He stored it away, then turned to Azrynn.
"By the way, Azrynn… yesterday I asked you and the Elder to collect the monster cores from the battle at the village. Did you bring them?"
Azrynn nodded and opened her pouch. She handed over a moderately heavy leather bag.
"Yes, I brought them all. The Elder made sure we gathered every usable core from the Minotaurs, Shadow Hounds, and the others."
Adam opened the bag and saw dozens of various monster cores, so still faintly glowing with different colors and energies. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
'Perfect. This will add to my skill collection again,' he thought with quiet excitent.
He quickly transferred all the cores into his inventory pouch.
Lilith glanced at the bag with interest. "Saving them for later evolution?"
"Sothing like that," Adam replied calmly. "Every core is useful."
Azrynn looked at the group with a hint of awe, especially after seeing how quickly and cleanly Isolde had dispatched the Level 71 monster.
"You all truly are on another level…" she murmured.
Adam stood up and looked deeper into the misty Wasteland, where the Compass of Desire continued pointing forward.
The mist grew thicker, and the ground beca more uneven with strange crystalline formations jutting out from the rocks. After another hour of careful navigation, Azrynn suddenly stopped and pointed ahead.
"Look… over there."
Through the swirling purple-black mist, the silhouette of several crumbling structures appeared. Tall stone pillars, half-collapsed walls, and what looked like the remains of an ancient temple or palace complex stood silently in the desolation.
They approached carefully. The ruins were surprisingly well-preserved in so parts, far better than one would expect in such a chaotic place.
Adam scanned the area with his Hunter's Tri-Sense while keeping the Compass of Desire ready.
"Doesn't seem like there are any imdiate threats," he said. "Let's take a quick look."
The group entered the ruins. Broken statues of unknown humanoid figures lined what used to be a grand courtyard. Faded carvings of strange runes and symbols covered the remaining walls. So sections still had intact roofs, shielding the interior from the strange Wasteland weather.
Lilith ran her fingers along one of the weathered stone pillars, her crimson eyes showing genuine interest.
"This looks like the remnants of an ancient civilization," she murmured. "A rather advanced one, judging by the architecture and remaining enchantnts. Surprisingly, quite a few structures are still standing despite the Wasteland's distortions. Whatever built this place must have used very powerful magic."
Ignis looked around with wide golden eyes, touching one of the glowing runes curiously.
"Woah… it feels old. Do you think the people who lived here got swallowed by the Wasteland too?"
Azrynn nodded slowly, staying close to the group.
"I've heard stories from the elders about ruins like this. So say they belonged to a great empire that existed long before our ancestors fled underground. Others believe these ruins are much older… perhaps from the ti when the temple itself was first built."
Isolde examined a fallen statue with a thoughtful expression.
"Power always crumbles eventually," she said quietly. "No matter how strong the civilization was."
Adam stopped in front of a large, partially intact wall covered in faded murals. The images showed what looked like a prosperous city under a clear sky, then gradually descending into chaos with swirling darkness consuming everything.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Whatever happened here… it might be connected to what's happening now."
Lilith stood beside him, her silver threads gently probing the surrounding mana.
"Should we search deeper inside? There might be sothing useful."
Adam nodded slowly while staring at the faded murals on the wall.
"It's worth checking. We're already here anyway. Just stay alert."
Ignis bounced on her toes excitedly. "Yes! Exploring old ruins sounds fun! Maybe we'll find treasure!"
Azrynn looked a bit hesitant but eventually agreed. "As long as we don't stay too long. The longer we linger in one place, the more likely sothing will notice us."
Azrynn stayed at the rear to watch their backs while Adam led the way with the Compass of Desire still active in his hand.
The interior of the ruined complex was surprisingly vast. Crumbling hallways led into larger chambers filled with dust and faint, flickering residual mana. So walls still had glowing runes that pulsed weakly, as if struggling to stay alive after countless years.
They moved carefully through several rooms until they reached what appeared to be a central sanctum. In the middle of the room stood a broken pedestal. On top of it rested a cracked, spherical artifact once likely a powerful orb, now covered in deep fissures and completely dull.
Adam approached and picked it up carefully. The mont he touched it, the orb emitted a weak, pathetic spark before going dark again.
"Looks like so kind of ancient relic," he said, examining the cracks. "But it's completely broken. Whatever power it once held is long gone."
Lilith stepped closer and ran her fingers along the surface of the orb, her silver threads probing it gently.
"It was probably a mana core or a dinsional stabilizer," she murmured. "Very advanced craftsmanship… but ti and the Wasteland's corruption have destroyed it. A sha. It might have been useful."
Ignis poked the orb curiously. "Aww, it's useless now?"
"Seems so," Adam replied, placing the broken artifact back down.
Isolde scanned the room. "If this place was once important, there might be more hidden—"
Suddenly, Lilith's expression changed. Her crimson eyes sharpened as silver threads spread out from her body like invisible sensors.
"Wait," she said sharply, voice low. "There's sothing here. A presence… watching us. It's close."
Adam imdiately tensed, his Hunter's Tri-Sense flaring to full power. Azrynn nocked an arrow on her bow, and Ignis summoned flas around her fists.
A low, guttural growl echoed from the shadows in the far corner of the chamber. The air grew colder as a large, distorted figure slowly erged from behind a collapsed pillar, its form twisting unnaturally, as if the Wasteland itself had corrupted whatever creature it once was.
The ruins were no longer empty.
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