Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 229: The Ancient Ruins (Part-1)

The once-brilliant barrier, shimmering with layers of colorful light, dissolved like melting snow. In the blink of an eye, nothing stood between the gathered spirit warriors and the ancient ruins.

Before them rose a magnificent structure of pale stone. A towering white porcelain gate stood tall and solemn, its surface smooth and ancient, as if it had watched over countless ages.

Faced with such grandeur, everyone felt an instinctive sense of awe rise in their hearts.

For the younger generation, the legacy of ancient predecessors was something that inspired both reverence and longing.

"The restriction is gone. We can enter now!" Sebastian’s voice trembled with excitement, his breathing unconsciously quickening.

The crowd nodded almost as one. Greed and anticipation flickered in their eyes. The treasures hidden within this ruin were enough to make anyone’s blood boil.

The instant the barrier vanished, the four great families and the people of Heaven’s Gate surged forward without hesitation, rushing toward the entrance. In a place like this, everything was ownerless. Whoever arrived first would claim the spoils. Those who came late would only be left fighting over scraps.

"Darling, be careful once we’re inside," Prince Kael said in a low voice, his expression solemn as he looked at Zora, his hand reaching out to her hand. "If possible, stay close behind me."

Zora nodded lightly.

"I understand."

"Let’s go."

Prince Kael tightened his grip on her hand and led her toward the gate.

Sebastian and the others followed quickly, no longer hesitating. Only Sylvandria remained where she was. She had already made her choice. No matter how tempting the treasures were, her life mattered more.

"Senior!" she called after Alaric Von Seraph, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I’ll wait for you at the academy. You must come back safely!"

"I will," Alaric Von Seraph replied, his voice steady, though he never turned around.

Boom!

The heavy porcelain doors were pushed open, and in the very next moment, countless sharp arrows shot out from within like a storm. Several spirit warriors who failed to react in time were pierced through, falling instantly where they stood.

Zora and Prince Kael had entered slightly later than the others. Seeing the sudden onslaught, they halted at once.

"Just as expected," Zora said softly, her eyes narrowing. "The ruins are filled with mechanisms. This is only the opening."

The pristine white stone inside was already splashed with blood, and a faint metallic stench spread through the air.

Prince Kael’s expression grew even more serious.

"The danger here is worse than we imagined."

"We don’t need to rush," Zora replied calmly. "Let the others go first. This ruin is vast, with many branching paths. Entering a little later won’t cost us anything."

Her voice was steady and clear, untouched by impatience.

Prince Kael glanced at her in surprise, then smiled inwardly. Even faced with the temptation of ancient treasures, his lady remained composed and clear-headed.

And that calm made him feel far more at ease than any treasure ever could.

Clang!

The sharp sound of metal colliding echoed through the hall as the incoming arrows were knocked aside by powerful spirit warriors. Apart from the few unlucky ones struck at the very beginning, no one else was injured.

Once the shower of arrows ended, everyone moved forward again, but their pace was noticeably slower than before. The brief bloodshed had drained much of their earlier recklessness, replacing it with caution.

This time, no new attacks appeared.

Just as everyone stepped fully into the ruins...

Boom!

A deep, muffled sound rolled through the space. The massive door that had been forced open slammed shut behind them.

Everyone’s hearts skipped.

Several people rushed back instinctively and tried to push the door open, pouring strength into their arms. The door did not budge in the slightest.

No matter how they tried, it remained immovable.

For a moment, an uneasy silence spread through the group.

It was clear now. Once they entered, there was no retreat.

As the door closed, darkness swallowed everything. Pitch-black shadows pressed in from all sides, so thick that one could not see their own fingers.

"Where are we?" Baldwin frowned deeply. "This place feels wrong."

"I can’t see anything at all," Reesa said nervously. "How are we supposed to move forward like this?"

She had heard countless stories about ancient ruins, but being thrown into absolute darkness the moment they entered was beyond her expectations.

Just then, a golden glow bloomed ahead.

A circular halo of light appeared in the darkness, illuminating a section of the ruins. Within that faint glow, multiple passages stretched forward, disappearing into the black.

"It looks like we’re being forced to choose a path," Prince Kael said in a low voice.

At a glance, every passage looked identical. The width, the glow, even the distance they extended into the darkness seemed the same.

Zora nodded slightly.

"Different paths may lead to completely different outcomes."

No one here knew the rules of this ruin except its long-dead owner.

Choose correctly, and one might obtain an extraordinary inheritance. Choose wrongly, and one might never see daylight again.

This was the cruel reputation of ancient ruins. Every opening came with opportunity, but it was always paid for in blood.

"Which one should we take?" someone asked quietly.

Zora narrowed her eyes, carefully examining each passage, unwilling to overlook even the smallest detail.

A single mistake here could cost a life.

"These passages were clearly designed by some lunatic," Black muttered. "I’ve stared at them for ages. There’s no difference at all."

"Same brightness, same structure," White sighed. "Looks like this one’s pure luck."

The group fell into silence.

After a while, impatience crept in. Finally, one spirit warrior clenched his teeth and stepped forward.

"To hell with it. We won’t know unless we try."

With that, he walked straight into the nearest passage.

That single step broke the stalemate.

Seeing someone take the lead, others hesitated only briefly before choosing their own paths and disappearing into the glowing corridors, one after another.

Soon, the once-crowded space grew quiet again, leaving only scattered figures standing before the remaining passages, each weighing fate against fear.

"Zephrin, aren’t you leaving yet?" Sigmund glanced sideways at Zephrin, who was still standing there in thought.

By now, most of the spirit warriors had already entered the passages.

Each corridor had swallowed at least one figure, yet no sound or movement came back from within. Sigmund had observed the paths for a long time, but no matter how carefully he looked, he could not find the slightest difference. Continuing to hesitate would only waste time.

Hearing the question, Zephrin smiled bitterly. "I can’t see any distinction either. Since that’s the case, I’ll go."

Elowen nodded lightly, a calm and confident smile appearing on her delicate face. "I’ll go as well. Life and death depend on fate. I believe my luck won’t be too bad."

As soon as she finished speaking, Elowen stepped forward without hesitation and walked straight into the passage before her, her back steady and resolute.

Sigmund and Zephrin exchanged a glance. Seeing her decisiveness, they no longer delayed and entered the passages they had each chosen.

Fiona followed suit soon after. She had no intention of lingering. Every time she saw Zora, her emotions became tangled and uncomfortable. Leaving sooner was better.

"Zora, at this point, we can only choose blindly, right?" Reesa said with a helpless sigh.

Zora nodded calmly. "Yes. There’s no use overthinking it. The truth may not be what we imagine anyway."

Reesa took the lead and stepped into a passage. Alaric Von Seraph and the others followed closely behind. In the blink of an eye, only Zora, Prince Kael, and Guinvere remained in the dim space.

Guinvere walked straight to Prince Kael’s side. Her refined face carried no attempt to hide her closeness or reliance.

"Senior Brother, which path are you choosing? I’ll go with you," she said softly.

Prince Kael paused for a brief moment, surprised, but quickly regained his composure. After all, they had traveled together many times before. Her choice was not entirely unexpected.

From within the spirit space, Black curled his lips in obvious disgust. "That Guinvere really knows how to cling. She’s sticking to him like a shadow."

Zora remained indifferent, her gaze steady. "This kind of thing can’t be resolved all at once. She’ll fade from my sight sooner or later."

Black, White, and Shihtzu exchanged puzzled glances. They could not quite understand the master’s calm. With such an irritating presence nearby, how could she be so unconcerned?

Prince Kael turned to Zora, his eyes soft and attentive. "Darling, which path do you want to take?"