The trail cuts through a canyon, and all is silent, save for the sound of wind rustling against the mountain wall and the gurgling of melting ice and snow trickling down the rocks.
This area is close to the ice sheet, and the harsh environment explains the lack of trees or flowers. Only moss stubbornly grows on the stones, clinging to life in an otherwise barren landscape.
After walking along the gravel road for about ten minutes and rounding a large bend, an open space appeared before Ryan.
At the center of this open space stood an altar, made of three layers of stone, its surface etched with ancient runes. In the distance, several oddly-shaped peaks loomed.
Ryan pulled out the treasure map and compared the surroundings. The terrain was nearly identical to what the map described. The red cross on the map pointed directly to this clearing.
But what could this treasure map truly indicate? Could it be a prank? If there was a secret, it certainly wasn't going to be easy to find. After all, the map showed signs of frequent handling, suggesting that the thief who created it must have searched this place multiple times already.
With the red cross pointing to this open space, Ryan decided to begin his search here. He quickly spotted a large wooden sign nailed to the mountain wall.
The sign described the altar as being over 1,000 years old, with the text praising all things in nature—an unusual focus for ancient Viking wizards. Typically, these wizards were more concerned with phenomena like thunder, lightning, and storms, or enhancing human abilities, rather than studying nature itself. This could be the breakthrough Ryan was looking for.
Thinking this over, Ryan took out a variety of plants from his shop and placed them around the area. He then began communicating with the plants.
The plants responded with a sense of happiness, suggesting that this environment was highly conducive to supporting life. Ryan himself felt more at ease in the space, the calmness surrounding him easing his mind.
However, despite the peaceful atmosphere, his enhanced sixth sense kept telling him something wasn't quite right about this place.
As he circled behind the altar, Ryan found a small mound. The sign next to it explained that this was the site where bodies were buried following human sacrifices.
This was a key reason why so many wizards had come to study this location. In the wizarding world, it wasn't uncommon for certain ancient magics to require human life as a sacrifice, though this altar's strange connection to nature raised more questions. No known magic related to nature had ever required such sacrifices. The peculiar nature of this altar was what had drawn numerous wizard investigators.
Ryan spent more than half an hour inspecting the area but found nothing of interest. The plants that had probed the underground revealed no unusual occurrences, except for some scattered human bones in the sacrificial pit.
He felt a sense of frustration. But then, reflecting on the many renowned wizards who had been unable to uncover anything either, he reassured himself. After all, a young wizard like him, who had only been practicing magic for a year, was unlikely to find anything either.
With this in mind, Ryan decided to count the experience as an adventure—a story he could share with his classmates back home. This thought lightened his mood.
Since he had woken up early and been busy all day, Ryan felt the onset of sleepiness. The adventure had been exhausting, and now that he was feeling more relaxed, his mind began to drift.
The map hadn't indicated any dangers in this area, and the absence of creatures meant it was probably safe to sleep here. With that, Ryan gave into his drowsiness and quickly fell asleep after preparing the area.
He retreated to the path, laid down a pile of plants to form a warning circle, and placed a handful of sunshine crystals in the water to provide warmth. Once he had set everything up, he climbed into his sleeping bag, tucked in a sheltered corner away from the bones in the ground, and fell asleep.
However, when he woke, something felt off. He realized he was no longer in his original spot.
Looking around, Ryan saw that all the plants had vanished. Blood-colored mist filled the air, and the scent of rust lingered in his nostrils.
Suddenly, he noticed that his body had reverted to its 20-year-old form. Could this all be a dream? But everything felt too real.
A growing sense of dread crept over Ryan. It seemed likely that he had fallen into a trap. Normally, he wouldn't have chosen to sleep outdoors without proper preparation, so how had he ended up in this strange place?
Luckily, the Wanjie grocery store, although strongly disturbed, had detected that Ryan was in a state of danger. While Ryan couldn't seek refuge inside the store, he could still summon items from it.
Desperate, he began to summon plants, but instead of the expected flora, small green light spots materialized around him. As these glowing spots attached to him, Ryan realized they allowed him to access the powers of the plants.
What was going on? Ryan couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. But with the power of his system behind him, he decided to explore further in search of any clues to help him escape.
He noticed the blood-colored mist seemed to be swirling toward the clearing. Clutching his wand, Ryan cautiously moved toward it.
As he reached the corner, he peeked around it, and what he saw made him recoil in shock. The altar was alive again. The runes on its surface were slowly spinning, radiating a sickly, blood-red light. Around it, more than a dozen black shadows danced, as if performing some sort of ritual. Some were even perched atop the altar.
Ryan's heart raced as he observed these figures more closely. They weren't humans, but grotesque monsters, their bodies formed from fleshy masses held together by a red, viscous liquid.
The black shadows on the altar, resembling mummies, wore strange black tattoos that seemed to pulse with life, synchronized with the eerie rhythm of their movements.
Suddenly, a horrifying, unnatural roar split the air. A wave of desolation washed over Ryan, and with it, a terrible realization: he had to act fast or risk catastrophic consequences.
The blood lines from the creatures beneath the altar surged upward, converging into a blood-red sphere hovering in the center of the ritual circle. A sharp, unnatural sound followed, and black-red flames erupted from the sphere.
The blood-colored mist thickened, choking the air around Ryan.
A voice inside him urged him to escape and stop this nightmare before it was too late.
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