The entrance to the "Black Moon Ruins" was just within reach. The black mist in the mountains and forests surged like a tide, obscuring the scene ahead. The air was filled with a smell of decay and blood, making people hold their breath involuntarily. Lucas stood at the front of the team, squinting his eyes and observing the surroundings. Every nerve in his body was tensed up.
"Are we really going in?" Darlene asked in a low voice, a trace of hesitation in her tone.
Lucas turned to look at her, his eyes firm. "We're already here. We can't back down. No matter what's ahead, we have to face it."
Victor in the team remained silent. His expression seemed calm, but upon closer inspection, one could find a trace of barely noticeable anxiety in his eyes. Lucas noticed this but didn't say much, just silently raising his vigilance a notch higher.
### The Crisis at the Entrance of the Ruins
The entrance to the ruins was a dilapidated stone door. The carvings on the door had long been blurred, and only a few deep scratch marks were still vaguely visible, as if some terrifying creature had once tried to break through it by force. The surrounding ground was covered with broken stone pillars and strange symbols. These symbols faintly emitted a greenish light, adding a bit more eerie atmosphere to this desolate place.
"These symbols are the Blood Clan's magic arrays, used for monitoring and alerting," Victor finally spoke, his tone low. "Once we get close, they will be activated and attract the attention of the enemy."
"Is there a way to break them?" Lucas asked coldly.
"Yes, but it takes time." As Victor spoke, he took out a small wooden box from his怀里, which contained some sparkling powder. He sprinkled the powder on the symbols on the ground and softly recited an ancient incantation.
After the powder came into contact with the symbols, there was a harsh hissing sound, and the green light quickly dimmed.
"Okay, we can pass now," Victor stood up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Lucas nodded and signaled the team to move forward.
### Ambush in the Shadows
As soon as they passed through the stone door, the team felt a chilling air rushing towards them. The space inside the ruins was vast and empty. The walls all around were covered with strange murals, depicting some ancient ritual scenes. In the center was a huge black crack, from which countless tentacles and sharp teeth emerged, making one's hair stand on end.
"These murals..." Darlene observed carefully, frowning tightly. "Could they be depicting the dark being that the Blood Clan is trying to resurrect?"
"That's right," Victor nodded, his voice low. "This is their goal, a dark lord sealed for thousands of years. If it's released, the entire continent will be plunged into extinction." Before the words were even finished, a rustling sound suddenly came from the darkness, as if something was approaching. Lucas's eyes narrowed, and he quickly drew his weapon. "Be careful, there are enemies!"
The next moment, dozens of black shadows rushed out from the corners of the ruins. They were slender in shape, their limbs as sharp as blades, their faces shrouded in black mist, with only a pair of scarlet eyes emitting a bloodthirsty light.
"They're the Blood Clan's puppets!" Victor shouted. "They're made from the corpses of the dead, moving quickly and feeling no pain!"
"All hands, fight!" At Lucas's command, the Wolf Clan warriors transformed one after another. Their sharp claws and fangs glinted with a cold light as they faced the pouncing puppets.
The battle erupted instantly. The puppets' movements were extremely swift. They shuttled among the warriors at an incredible speed, and every attack was precisely aimed at the vital parts. Although the Wolf Clan warriors were powerful, facing these enemies that felt no pain or fear, the battle became extremely difficult.
Lucas brandished his double blades and confronted a puppet head - on. His movements were as agile as the wind, and every strike was like a thunderbolt, cutting off the opponent's limbs. However, the puppet didn't stop. The broken limbs grew back in an instant, and it continued to pounce on him.
"They can't be killed at all!" Darlene shouted while fighting, a trace of anxiety in her tone.
"Attack their cores!" Victor shouted. "There's a blood - red crystal in their chests, which is their source of life!"
After hearing this, Lucas quickly adjusted his tactics. He calmly observed the puppet's movements. After dodging a fierce attack, he seized the opportunity and thrust his double blades fiercely into the opponent's chest. With a shrill scream, the puppet's body instantly collapsed and turned into a pool of pitch - black liquid.
"It works! Attack the cores!" Lucas shouted. Upon hearing this, the warriors adjusted their strategies one after another, and soon they defeated some of the puppets.
However, there were too many enemies, and the battle lasted for a long time. Several warriors in the team were already exhausted and gradually fell into a disadvantage.
### Unexpected Aid
Just when the situation was critical, a deep growl suddenly came from the depths of the ruins. Then, a huge figure emerged from the darkness and pounced on those puppets. It was a huge gray wolf, its fur standing upright like steel needles, and its eyes shining with a terrifying cold light.
"Is it reinforcements?" Darlene looked at the gray wolf in surprise. "How did it get in?"
The gray wolf ignored her question but focused on tearing apart the cores of the puppets. Its strength was astonishing. Every strike could completely destroy a puppet, and soon the situation was reversed.
After the battle ended, the gray wolf slowly retreated to the side and swept Lucas and his team with a cold gaze. "Who are you?" Lucas asked warily, gripping his weapon tightly.
The gray wolf's body began to shrink, and finally, it transformed back into an elderly Wolf Clan member with gray hair. His face was full of the marks of time, but his eyes were still sharp and
piercing.
"My name is Alton," the elder said in a low voice. "I was once a guardian of the Wolf Clan."
### The Emergence of a New Alliance
Alton's appearance surprised the team, but his identity and strength were obviously extraordinary. Lucas realized that this mysterious elder might become an important help for them to defeat the Blood Clan.
"Why are you here?" Lucas asked, his tone tinged with a bit of probing.
Alton was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the depths of the ruins. "Because the Blood Clan's ambition has touched the taboos, and I can't just stand by and do nothing."
With Alton's joining, Lucas's plan began to change quietly. He vaguely felt that there were even greater secrets hidden in the depths of the ruins, and everything in front of him was just the tip of the iceberg that was about to be uncovered.