'What the hell...?' Zayne inwardly muttered, looking at the group of Players running forward. He didn't expect to see anyone here at all, especially so many people.
Zayne glanced at them and whispered, 'Sixteen people... What the fuck is going on...? Well, I guess I should wait and see what happens next..."
Step. Step. Step.
The whole squad approached the entrance to the ruins and stopped. Each member had a white emblem on his chest with the sun sign on it.
'Hmm... What is that? Is it the symbol of some kind of Noble Family?' Zayne pondered with a thoughtful expression.
The entrance to the ruins was a massive gate, impossible to get around because of the high walls enclosing everything in front. There was no other way into the ruins because of the rocky terrain around them, and most of the ruins were practically in a ravine.
"Fine, we're finally here. The moon hasn't gotten too far away yet." The girl with the purple hair and hazel eyes said, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
"I told you there was no point in running so fast. We still have plenty of time." The man with long black hair said calmly. He had calm green eyes, dark armor, and a long spear behind his back.
"Agh... Let's get some rest." The muscular young man muttered, leaning on his massive tower shield.
The girl looked around, and not noticing anything suspicious said, "Anyway, we finally met all the conditions, so let's go inside!"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Yes!!!" The others exclaimed. Each of them had a confident look, but these three were the commanders in their mission.
Zayne, immersed in darkness was watching it all intently. He frowned slightly, as he didn't expect anyone to disturb him, but he accepted the situation.
'Well, it's probably obvious that these ruins have attracted attention, they're not very far from one of the starting points, but I don't understand something...' Zayne stared at the girl, 'Why were they in such a hurry and still seem to be in a rush?'
The girl stepped forward and put her hand to the round gate. Nothing happened for a while, but just as a gleam came into her eyes, the gate shone brightly.
The light fell on each squad member as a message appeared in front of them.
[You have touched the gate of the Special Dungeon - Ruins of the Shattered Moon]
[To enter the ruins, you must have 16 people who have reached level 10 or more. Passage will open only if all conditions are met and on a night with a full moon.]
"Fine, it took us a while to get properly prepared and find people, but now we can finally get there." The girl said with a serious look, then she turned around and glanced at her team.
Everyone was ready to go inside, waiting for the passage to open, but suddenly the gate went out.
"Agh... What's going on?" The guy with the spear muttered in confusion.
At the same moment, the blue rune on Zayne's shoulder glowed brightly, and another message appeared before everyone.
[There's been an unknown interference! The conditions have been changed! By the will of the moon, exactly 17 people are needed to open the gate!]
Everyone was puzzled, and the girl and her mates went pale. They had been working for a long time for this moment, and things didn't go according to plan, moreover, they didn't even understand what the problem was.
'Hmm... It looks like Gael has something to do with this place... Although, that's a bit too confident, since I'm not even sure if he's a living person or a ghost...' Zayne internally muttered before stepping out of the shadows.
Step. Step. Step.
His quiet stride drew attention as several people immediately got ready to fight. No one was expecting him to show up.
"Who the hell are you, and how long have you been following us?" The girl frowned as she stepped forward.
"Oh, I haven't been following you, I'm seeing you for the first time." Zayne shrugged carelessly.
The girl pulled her sword from its sheath and pointed it at Zayne, "Hmm, really? In that case, what are you doing here? Decided to enjoy the night view right next to the ruins?"
Zayne shook his head, "Well, the ruins were my goal, I didn't know it was such a popular place, and it would be so crowded."
"Hey... What's the point?" The guy with the spear waved his hand, "We need one more person anyway, so let's work together."
The girl frowned, then nodded, "Fine, show your face and join our Guild, only then will I let you come along with us."
[You have received an invitation to the Guild - White Light!]
[Do you want to join?]
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"White Light...? Why not Black Darkness? Or has that name already been taken?" Zayne mockingly said, declining the invitation, "I'm not going to join the guild, but one request of yours I can fulfill."
Zayne pulled his hood away, revealing his face to everyone. These Players were well-developed and knew more about Fallen Fate Online than most, so they immediately recognized who was in front of them.
"Well, well, surely no one could have expected that." The guy with the spear shook his head with a smirk on his face.
"Zayne Fellen... Damn... Why are you here?" The girl muttered in disbelief.
"We have the same goal." Zayne shrugged.
The girl gulped and pointed at herself, "My name is Jane Lambt, and I am the leader of the White Light and captain of the mission to clear this dungeon." Jane looked at the guy with the spear, "This is Luis Fex." She pointed to the muscular guy with the shield, "This is Dave Lang."
Zayne nodded, "Fine, now that we've met, maybe we should move on. What do you say? You seem to know more about these ruins than I do."
Jane shook her head, "Not really. We've been here a few times before, but we couldn't get in because all the conditions weren't met, however, now we should be able to make it."
Crackle.
At the same moment, the gate to the ruins slowly opened as a bright stream of light burst out, causing everyone to close their eyes for a second.
[The Ruins of the Shattered Moon were open! Pass all the trials and discover the mystery of these ruins to win the ultimate reward, the one that could change the whole world without exaggeration!]
It was enough to make enthusiastic smiles appear on everyone's faces and fire deep in their eyes, but some had a wary expressions.
'Tsk... I was hoping there would be some major awards...' Jane said to herself, biting her finger, 'Well, it's no problem if I or Luis or Dave get the award... but there's no way I can let HIM get it all again!
Jane glanced at Zayne, who was standing in the distance with a perfectly calm face. He looked as if he didn't understand the significance of what was happening, but something in his eyes made Jane wary, for his serenity came not from ignorance, but from the certainty of his experience.
Luis walked over to Jane, leaned into her ear, and whispered, "Don't worry. Everyone here understands that we have to fight for the final award, so don't pretend that he and we are friends. Zayne Fellen and we are temporary partners, don't give it another thought."
Jane nodded, raised her sword high up, and exclaimed, "Everyone, follow me! Today these ruins will be conquered by us!"