The deeper they traveled into the wilderness—
The more the world stopped resembling reality.
Ancient trees rose like black pillars supporting the heavens themselves while silver mist drifted endlessly beneath twisted roots large enough to swallow entire houses. Sunlight rarely touched the forest floor anymore. Only fragments of pale light pierced through the colossal canopy far above, creating scattered silver patterns across moss-covered earth.
The air itself had changed.
Heavier.
Older.
Filled with ancient mana dense enough that even ordinary humans could feel pressure against their skin constantly.
And despite traveling for days deeper into the Southern Wildlands—
They found neither dragons…
Nor portals connected to another world.
At first, several expedition members felt relieved.
But gradually—
That relief transformed into unease.
Because the deeper they walked…
The more obvious something became.
This wilderness was hiding things intentionally.
The monsters themselves had grown fiercer.
More intelligent.
Less natural.
The Shadowfang Bears encountered near the border now felt almost harmless compared to the creatures appearing deeper within the forest.
Three days earlier—
The expedition encountered a colony of Vein Crawlers.
Gigantic spider-like monsters with translucent flesh revealing black mana flowing visibly beneath their bodies like living veins. They hunted silently from the trees above and moved fast enough to tear armored mercenaries apart before screams fully escaped.
Two expedition members nearly died during that battle.
Yesterday—
The team fought an Abyss Horn Serpent within a flooded valley.
The creature's scales resisted ordinary magic entirely while its roar caused temporary mana disruption among nearby mages.
Even Kel needed to intervene directly during that fight.
And today—
The wilderness itself felt restless.
The morning sky remained hidden beneath thick dark clouds while cold wind moved unnaturally through the forest despite the dense canopy blocking most airflow. Massive birds circled high above unseen branches while distant sounds echoed occasionally through the jungle depths.
Not monster cries.
Something else.
The expedition moved cautiously through narrow terrain between towering cliffs covered in ancient roots and glowing silver vines. Every member remained alert now.
Weapons ready.
Mana circulating.
Eyes constantly scanning darkness between trees.
Sairen's voice echoed softly through the soul-link.
"…This place grows stranger."
Kel calmly stepped over massive roots while observing the surroundings carefully.
"Ancient mana density is increasing."
Which meant one thing.
They were approaching something important.
And eventually—
They found it.
The ruins appeared suddenly beyond the forest.
As though the wilderness itself revealed them intentionally.
An enormous temple complex buried beneath colossal roots and centuries of overgrowth emerged from the mist ahead like the corpse of a forgotten civilization.
The sight alone stopped the expedition entirely.
Gigantic black stone pillars stretched upward through tangled vines while shattered stairways disappeared beneath moss-covered earth. Ancient statues depicting unknown winged creatures lined the outer pathways, many broken or decapitated over time.
And at the center—
A massive temple structure rose from the forest floor beneath the dark sky.
Half consumed by roots.
Yet still standing.
The architecture felt wrong.
Not human.
The walls curved unnaturally rather than following ordinary structural logic while ancient symbols glowed faintly blue beneath layers of moss.
The entire place radiated ancient mana so dense several mages visibly staggered slightly upon approaching.
"…What is this place?"
One explorer whispered unconsciously.
No one answered.
Because no one knew.
Kel silently observed the ruins.
And inwardly—
His thoughts sharpened immediately.
This temple did not exist in normal expedition routes from the game.
Which meant one of two things.
Either this was hidden content…
Or something had changed.
Neither possibility comforted him.
Meanwhile—
The expedition itself had become restless.
Some excited.
Some nervous.
Several scholars nearly lost composure seeing the ancient inscriptions covering nearby walls.
One mage whispered breathlessly—
"These ruins are older than the Empire…"
Another muttered—
"Far older."
Kel stepped forward calmly.
Then immediately began issuing orders.
"Everyone stop advancing."
The atmosphere sharpened instantly.
"Scouts."
His eyes moved toward several agile members.
"Check the outer perimeter only."
"No one enters the structure yet."
The explorers obeyed immediately now.
Because after days within the wilderness—
Kel's judgment had become trusted almost absolutely.
Several scouts vanished silently into surrounding ruins while mages began analyzing ambient mana patterns nearby.
Kel meanwhile walked toward the temple entrance slowly.
Massive black doors stood partially open beneath tangled roots large enough to resemble serpents wrapped around stone.
Darkness waited inside.
Ancient.
Silent.
And cold.
Sairen's voice lowered slightly through the soul-link.
"…I don't like this place."
Kel internally agreed.
Because something felt wrong here.
Not monster presence.
Not traps.
Age.
The temple felt too old.
Too intact.
Eventually the scouts returned.
"No visible movement outside."
"No active monster nests."
"One collapsed eastern wing."
"Southern passage still structurally stable."
Kel quietly listened to every report before finally making his decision.
"We split."
Several expedition members immediately looked uneasy.
Kel calmly unfolded a rough map sketched from the scouts' observations.
"This structure is too large to explore efficiently as one unit."
His black-gloved finger moved across the map carefully.
"Forty-seven total members."
A slight pause followed.
"Three teams."
The atmosphere sharpened further.
Kel immediately began assigning people.
Not randomly.
Carefully.
Every selection balanced combat capability, mana specialization, mental stability, and survival adaptability.
Team One
Twelve members.
Led by Garron Vale.
Heavy combat specialists.
Frontline survivability priority.
Assigned western corridors.
Team Two
Twelve members.
Led by Mira Solven.
Scouting and reconnaissance focus.
Assigned lower temple pathways.
Team Three
Twelve members.
Led by Edwin Hale.
Mage-heavy exploration division.
Assigned archive and symbol analysis sectors.
That left—
Kel's own team.
Eleven members total.
Several people visibly noticed that immediately.
One mercenary frowned slightly.
"Why does your team have fewer members?"
Kel answered calmly.
"Because my route is most dangerous."
Silence followed instantly afterward.
No one argued further.
Because somehow—
Everyone believed him immediately.
Kel then distributed compact mana communication devices across the team leaders.
Small silver-black crystal mechanisms connected through synchronized mana resonance.
Rare.
Expensive.
Extremely useful.
"Constant updates every fifteen minutes."
Kel's voice remained calm.
"If communication stops unexpectedly…"
His eyes sharpened faintly.
"…assume the worst immediately."
Several expedition members visibly swallowed.
The atmosphere around the ruins had become oppressive now.
The excitement from discovery fading beneath instinctive caution.
Kel continued calmly.
"No heroics."
"No isolated pursuit."
"If you encounter unknown entities…"
A brief pause followed.
"…retreat first."
The team leaders nodded seriously.
Then—
The Exploration Unit separated.
One by one, the teams disappeared into different sections of the ancient temple complex beneath dark skies and drifting silver mist.
Kel stood near the central entrance several moments longer before finally leading his own team toward the deepest pathway beneath the temple structure.
The corridor ahead descended downward beneath tangled roots and cracked black stone illuminated faintly by glowing blue inscriptions across the walls.
The air grew colder instantly.
Heavier.
And as Kel stepped deeper into the darkness—
A strange feeling surfaced within him quietly.
As though something inside the temple…
Had already noticed their arrival.