The ancient ruins seemed to be silently waiting in the darkness that devoured everything. The air was filled with a sense of oppression, and the cold and gloomy atmosphere made everyone who stepped into it shudder involuntarily. Lucas, Darlene, Victor, and the newly - joined Alton stood deep in the ruins. The puppet corpses beside them had been cleared away, but the aftermath of the battle still lingered in the air.
Alton stood at the front of the team. His eyes were deep, as if he could penetrate this desolate space. Lucas couldn't help but cast his gaze on him, and a sense of inexplicable doubt welled up in his heart.
"Why did you choose to help us?" Lucas asked. He knew that Alton's appearance was far from accidental.
Alton lowered his head and slowly said, "Because your arrival has already broken the seal here. The Blood Clan's resurrection plan will accelerate with your coming. If not stopped, the entire continent will be plunged into endless darkness."
Darlene frowned. "What do you mean by the resurrection plan?"
"The resurrection plan," Alton's voice was low, "is the ultimate goal of the Blood Clan. Thousands of years ago, the Blood Clan sealed an ancient dark power here. That power was condensed from the souls of countless ferocious beasts, devouring everything mercilessly. Once it is resurrected, all living beings will become its food."
"Dark power?" Victor couldn't help but interrupt. "What kind of existence is that? You said it devours everything, so is it..."
Alton was silent for a while, then turned around and looked at the ancient stone door. "It's an evil existence, a monster condensed from the souls in the abyss and the power of demons. It can't be harmed by ordinary weapons. Only by using special power can it be sealed or destroyed."
Lucas pondered for a moment. Suddenly, he felt a gloomy aura spreading from the depths of the ruins, as if something was awakening from the darkness.
"We can't delay any longer," Lucas said firmly. "Since we're already here, we must completely solve this problem."
### The Black Moon Altar
The team began to penetrate deeper into the ruins. Alton led them through a deep stone passage. The murals on the walls gradually became blurred, and some indecipherable symbols gradually emerged. Those symbols seemed to be constantly changing. Every time they blinked, they would change, as if trying to convey some kind of information but also deliberately concealing something.
Suddenly, a vibration in the darkness ahead made the entire ruins shake violently. The air around seemed to freeze, as if waiting for something terrible to happen. Lucas's heart rate began to accelerate. He suddenly gripped his double blades tightly, and his tense nerves were stretched to the limit.
"What's going on?" Darlene asked in a low voice, her eyes full of vigilance.
"Hurry, the altar is right ahead!" Alton's voice suddenly broke the silence. His tone was full of
urgency. "No matter what it is, we can't let it be resurrected!"
Led by Alton, the team finally arrived at the core area of the ruins. The scene in front of them shocked everyone - a huge altar stood quietly in the darkness. The altar was covered with bloodstains, ancient symbols were engraved on the ground, and a nauseating stench filled the air.
"This is..." Darlene's voice choked a little. "This is a blood sacrifice."
Alton nodded. "Yes, a blood sacrifice. The Blood Clan used countless lives and blood to conduct a sacrificial ceremony here, trying to resurrect that dark power. However, they failed back then, and a seal was cast, binding this power in these ruins."
Lucas felt an invisible force pressing on his chest. That force came from the depths of the altar. He knew that this place was by no means an ordinary ruin but an extremely dangerous place.
Suddenly, the symbols on the altar began to glow, and the blood - red light gradually became dazzling. As the light spread, the entire altar was gradually shrouded in a black smoke, and a deep growl came from the air, as if some invisible monster was being awakened.
"Not good!" Alton quickly jumped in front of the altar, making an ancient hand - seal with his hands. "The seal is being broken. We must initiate a counter - measure immediately!"
However, it was already too late. The black crack in the center of the altar had gradually expanded. As the growl grew louder, the dark aura became even stronger. Suddenly, a huge black shadow came from the crack, and a pair of huge red eyes appeared in the black mist, carrying an indescribable terrifying aura.
"It's here!" Victor exclaimed. "It's that dark monster!"
Lucas's heart rate accelerated, and he nervously gripped his weapon. He had never faced such a powerful enemy before. The scene in front of him made him feel a sense of despair, but he knew that this battle was related to the survival of the whole world.
The black mist became thicker, and the temperature in the air dropped suddenly. In the crack, the outline of the huge monster gradually became clear. Its body was gigantic, with thick limbs. Every step it took made the ground rumble deafeningly. Its skin was like rotting flesh, exuding a strong stench. Its face was ferocious, and its eyes were filled with endless anger and desire.
"Quick, stop it!" Alton shouted. "The Blood Clan's resurrection ceremony has begun. It will devour all life!"
Lucas knew that at this moment, there was no turning back. He suddenly leaped up, and his double blades drew a beautiful arc in the air, slashing fiercely towards the monster's heart. However, the monster's skin was as hard as steel, and the double blades didn't leave any trace.
"Its skin can't be damaged by ordinary weapons!" Victor shouted. "We must find its weakness!"
The blood - red crystal that Victor had mentioned before flashed through Lucas's mind. He suddenly turned around and rushed towards the monster's chest. The monster's eyes were filled with anger, and its huge claws swung over, bringing an extremely powerful wind pressure, pouncing towards Lucas.
At this critical moment, Darlene rushed up. She held a shining crystal in her hand and suddenly threw it towards the monster's chest. As the crystal touched the monster's skin, a harsh vibration
sounded in the air. The monster's movement suddenly stagnated, and a flash of astonishment appeared in its eyes.
"This is..." Lucas looked at Darlene in surprise, his heart full of doubt.
"This is a secret treasure found from the depths of the ruins," Darlene's voice was full of determination. "It can break the dark protective layer and give us a chance to strike!"
Lucas gripped his double blades tightly and rushed towards the monster's chest again. This time, his attack finally had an effect. The double blades stabbed deeply into the monster's chest and instantly hit its core.
The monster let out a deafening roar. The black mist dispersed, the surrounding air seemed to be sucked away, and the entire ruins shook violently, as if about to collapse.
"Run!" Alton shouted. "The seal is about to collapse, and this place will be completely destroyed!"
Lucas didn't look back but led the team to retreat quickly. The death of the monster didn't bring peace but instead triggered more violent destruction. The dark power was still spreading in the ruins, as if the whole world was paying the price for it.
The sound of the ruins collapsing became louder and louder. Lucas led the team running on the broken stone passage. Darkness and danger seemed to be everywhere, and the road ahead was still full of unknown fears.