The chilling air wrapped around them, an unnatural cold that seemed to seep into their bones. The whispers remained, an eerie symphony of distorted voices—some soft, others sharp like nails scraping against stone.
Leon tightened his grip on his sword, his senses sharpened. This wasn't a simple illusion.
Something—or someone—was watching them.
"Move," he ordered. "We don't stop until sunrise."
The group picked up their pace, but the further they walked, the heavier the air became. It was as if the land itself was pressing down on them, testing their will to continue.
Then, a faint glow flickered in the distance.
Kaelen noticed it first. "You see that?"
Leon nodded. It was subtle, barely visible in the thick mist that had begun to roll in.
"A campfire?" Jarek guessed.
Rhun's expression darkened. "No. There should be no one here."
Leon knew better than to assume safety. If there was a fire, then something—or someone—had made it.
And that meant one thing.
They were not alone.
---
The Phantom Camp
As they approached, the outlines of figures became visible. Several people sat around the fire, their backs turned to Leon's group.
Their clothes were tattered, their bodies unnaturally still.
Jarek placed a hand on his axe. "This doesn't feel right."
Leon signaled for silence and stepped forward cautiously.
Then, one of the figures spoke.
"…They are here."
The voice was hollow, void of emotion.
Leon froze. The figure slowly turned its head, revealing an expressionless face—its eyes completely white.
Then, the others turned as well.
One by one, their empty gazes locked onto Leon's group.
A shiver ran down Kaelen's spine. "I hate this."
The figures didn't move. They only stared.
Then, in unison, their mouths opened—but no sound came out.
Instead, the whispers in the air grew louder, more erratic.
Rhun's hand hovered over his weapon. "Leon, what do we do?"
Leon didn't answer immediately. He was trying to remember.
In his past life, no one had entered the Scarred Wastes early on. Was this an event? A hidden mechanic? A warning?
But before he could come to a conclusion, the fire in the center of the camp suddenly extinguished.
And the figures…
Vanished.
---
A Trial Beyond Beasts
Silence.
Only the cold wind remained.
Jarek exhaled sharply. "What the hell was that?"
Leon clenched his jaw. Something had changed.
If the real Devia was following game mechanics, this place should have been nothing more than a high-level dungeon—but this? This was something more.
Then, a system notification appeared before him.
━━━
[Hidden Trial: The Forgotten War]
You have stepped into the ruins of the past. Those who fell here still wander, their souls bound to the scars of history. To proceed, one must unearth the truth buried in the wasteland.]
━━━
Leon's eyes widened slightly. This wasn't just a high-level zone.
It was a sealed event.
And that meant one thing: it had never been triggered in his past life.
Kaelen looked over at him. "That message… you saw it too, didn't you?"
Leon nodded. "This isn't just a ruin. This entire place is a tomb."
Rhun's expression hardened. "Then what do we do?"
Leon exhaled slowly.
"We dig up the past."
---
The First Clue
The map led them deeper into the Scarred Wastes. The land became more treacherous—twisted trees, cracked stone, and faint remnants of ancient structures, long abandoned.
Then, Leon saw it.
A massive slab of stone, half-buried in the dirt, covered in old markings.
"Here," he said, stepping toward it.
Kaelen studied the symbols. "What language is this?"
Rhun knelt beside it, tracing his fingers along the carvings. "Ancient Beastman script. Very old."
Leon narrowed his eyes. "Can you read it?"
Rhun hesitated. "Only parts of it. It speaks of… a battle."
Leon wasn't surprised. "A war, then. But between who?"
Rhun frowned. "It mentions the 'Betrayed Ones.' But the rest is too damaged to read."
Leon stared at the stone. The Betrayed Ones.
He had never heard of them in his past life.
But the moment he touched the carvings, the whispers stopped.
The air grew heavy.
Then, the world shifted.
---
Echoes of the Past
Leon blinked. The barren wasteland around him was gone.
Instead, he stood in the middle of a battlefield.
Warriors clashed, their roars shaking the ground. Beastmen, armored and bloodied, fought against monstrous creatures—shadowy figures with glowing eyes.
It wasn't just a vision.
Leon could feel the heat of the battle, hear the clash of weapons, smell the scent of blood.
This wasn't a memory.
It was a glimpse into the past.
A sudden roar echoed across the battlefield, and Leon turned—just in time to see a colossal beast rise from the smoke.
It was unlike anything he had ever seen. A massive, armored creature with six eyes, its body covered in blackened steel.
And it was charging straight at him.
---