The Adventurers' Guild was quieter now, the bustling energy of earlier hours having faded as the sun dipped toward the horizon. Most of the tables in the hall were now occupied by tired adventurers nursing mugs of ale or divvying up the spoils of their latest quests.
Adam stood before the massive quest board, his arms crossed as he scanned the array of posters. Most of them were fairly mundane: requests for escorting merchants, hunting small beasts, or retrieving lost items. But one poster, near the bottom of the board, caught his attention.
The Quest
Quest Name:Investigate the Ruins at Ironfall Ridge
Difficulty: Medium
Details:
Several villagers from the outskirts of Eldwyn have reported strange activity near the old ruins at Ironfall Ridge. Unnatural howls have been heard at night, and hunters who ventured too close have gone missing. Adventurers are requested to investigate the area and ensure the villagers' safety.
Reward: 50 silver coins + hazard pay for dangerous foes.
"Unnatural howls," Adam muttered, pulling the poster from the board.
"That one, huh?" Seren said, appearing at his side. She leaned in to glance at the poster, her lips quirking into a faint smirk. "Ironfall Ridge isn't exactly a tourist destination."
"Do you know anything about it?" Adam asked, holding up the quest.
Seren nodded. "It's about half a day's travel from here. The ruins were once part of an old fortress, but it's been abandoned for years. The place has always had rumors about being cursed, though."
"Cursed," Adam repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"It's probably just wolves," Seren said dismissively, though her tone didn't carry much conviction. "But if people are disappearing, it's worth checking out."
Adam glanced back at the guild receptionist, who nodded to confirm the quest's details. "Alright," he said, rolling up the poster. "Let's see what's waiting for us at Ironfall Ridge."
The Journey to Ironfall Ridge
The road to Ironfall Ridge wound through rolling hills and sparse woodlands, the towering ruins visible in the distance like a jagged scar on the horizon. Adam and Seren walked in relative silence, the faint crunch of their boots on the dirt road the only sound.
"You didn't have to come with me," Adam said, breaking the quiet.
"I didn't," Seren replied, glancing at him with a faint smirk. "But someone's got to make sure you don't get eaten by whatever's out there."
Adam chuckled softly. "Fair enough."
As they walked, his mind turned to the quest details. Unnatural howls, missing people… It sounded straightforward, but Adam's instincts told him there was more to this than the guild had let on. His energy sense, though still weak, had started to pick up faint traces of something ahead—something that didn't belong.
"Do you feel that?" Adam asked, his voice low.
Seren frowned. "Feel what?"
Adam hesitated. "Something's wrong. It feels… off."
Seren's expression darkened, but she didn't press him further. They quickened their pace, the ruins growing larger as they approached.
The Ruins of Ironfall Ridge
The ruins were a haunting sight, even in the fading daylight. Crumbling stone walls and broken archways jutted out of the earth like the bones of a long-dead beast. Vines and moss clung to the weathered stones, and the air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decay.
Adam stopped just outside the entrance, his eyes scanning the area. "Stay close," he said, his voice quiet but firm.
Seren drew her swords, her green eyes flicking toward the shadows that seemed to stretch unnaturally long within the ruins. "I wasn't planning to wander off."
They stepped into the ruins, the silence pressing in around them like a physical weight. Adam's energy sense pulsed faintly, warning him of danger, but he couldn't pinpoint the source.
"This place gives me the creeps," Seren muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Stay alert," Adam said, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword.
A Deadly Encounter
As they ventured deeper into the ruins, the faint howls they'd heard in the distance grew louder, echoing off the stone walls. The sound was unnatural, almost metallic, as though something had warped the vocal cords of a living creature.
"What the hell is that?" Seren whispered, her grip tightening on her weapons.
Adam didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the shadows ahead, where the howls seemed to originate.
And then, they appeared.
A pair of hulking creatures emerged from the darkness, their forms twisted and grotesque. They walked on two legs, their bodies covered in patchwork fur and scales, and their heads resembled the misshapen skulls of wolves. Their claws gleamed like polished steel, and their glowing red eyes burned with unnatural malice.
"Hybrids," Adam said grimly, his jaw tightening.
Seren cursed under her breath. "The cult's experiments?"
"Looks like it," Adam replied, drawing his sword. "Get ready."
The hybrids charged with terrifying speed, their claws tearing through the air as they closed the distance. Seren dashed to the side, her swords flashing as she struck at one of the creatures. Her blade sliced across its chest, drawing black ichor, but the hybrid barely flinched, its glowing eyes locking onto her.
The second hybrid lunged at Adam, its claws swinging in a wide arc. Adam ducked under the attack, his energy sense flaring as he retaliated with a powerful upward slash. Golden light flickered along the edge of his blade, and the strike sent the creature staggering back.
The Power of Speed
The hybrid recovered quickly, its claws digging into the ground as it lunged again. Adam's nuclear core pulsed, and instinct took over. He sidestepped in a blur of motion, moving faster than his opponent could track.
Seren's eyes widened as she saw him move, the golden light around him flaring briefly before fading.
"Since when could you do that?" she shouted, deflecting a blow from the second hybrid.
"Just figured it out," Adam called back, his tone sharp as he delivered a quick, precise series of strikes that forced his opponent to retreat.
The hybrid snarled, ichor dripping from its wounds, but Adam didn't give it a chance to recover. He closed the distance in a flash, his speed allowing him to stay one step ahead of the creature's attacks.
The Aftermath
It took several minutes of intense combat, but Adam and Seren eventually brought the hybrids down. Their bodies collapsed into heaps of ichor and flesh, the red light fading from their eyes as the ruins fell silent once more.
Seren leaned against a broken wall, catching her breath. "Hybrids," she said, shaking her head. "The cult's really stepping up their game."
Adam nodded, his expression grim. "And this is just the beginning."
He knelt beside one of the fallen creatures, his eyes narrowing as he studied its twisted form. Whatever the cult was doing, it wasn't just about power—it was about creating monsters.
"We need to get back to Eldwyn," Adam said, standing. "People need to know what's happening out here."
Seren nodded, though her expression remained tense. "And then what?"
Adam's gaze hardened. "And then we stop them."