Entering through the entrance, Emperal and Vara arrived inside the ruin. It was a single large structure built from the same Ashenfield’s dark stone, the same mineral composition as the soil.

The walls were darker and were not built for appearance or comfort...they were built to endure for centuries. And endure they did.

The entrance led them inside the Main Hall, the Verth here was noticeably denser and purer.

"How is it different? Is something here affecting the Verth?"

Emperal asked curiously, to which Vara just shook her head.

"It’s the formation, those stones and that...accursed mirror."

She said, all of it in one go. But, Emperal couldn’t help but look at her. This was the second time she had said the word accursed.

"What do you mean by accursed?" Emperal asked, even the Infernal Dragon had warned him about the same.

"That mirror should’ve been destroyed a long time ago, but, unfortunately, there is no one capable enough to do that."

Vara sighed, making Emperal further confused and annoyed. She knew he didn’t know anything about the Mirror, but still talked in cryptic ways. Emperal didn’t ask anything further; his hands found the Stormvein Sword’s grip, and he slowly unsheathed it.

"I’m sure you can end this in a snap, but don’t. Just hold back the beast guarding the mirror."

Saying that, he walked forward. Vara followed him with a smile.

"He looks good holding that sword."

The two walked toward the end of the main hall, where a massive door stood waiting. Nodding at Vara one more time, Emperal stepped forward and pushed the door open.

The darkness behind the door crept forward in an instant, accompanied by an intense force. No, this was not the Verth force.

Emperal felt an attack, aimed directly at his will and something far, far more fragile.

His soul.

"What?" His expression changed. "What is this force?"

"It is Soul Force, you can have access to it once you become a Verth Lord."

Vara spoke calmly by his side, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. In an instant, the entirety of the pressure vanished.

Emperal finally breathed. "This...power is dangerous."

"Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet."

Vara chuckled, her eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Not yet"

"Bold"

"That, I am."

Saying that, he stepped forward without hesitation. With Vara protecting him, it would be an embarrassment to his pride if he dared hesitate.

Coming inside, they entered the first chamber. And to Emperal’s disappointment, there was neither the beast nor the mirror.

"That means..."

"Yes, he is inside the next room. And the soul force it released was just the byproduct of its breathing and sleeping."

"Damn monsters."

Emperal muttered, stepping inside. He saw that the first inner chamber was circular in shape with carved patterns, strange wall patterns.

"Oh? It seems it was because of the Soul Force effects."

"Correct"

Vara nodded, Emperal didn’t say anything, he just kept walking.

...

The doorway to the second inner chamber was visible at the far end of the circular room, a faint glow leaking from behind it.

Let alone Vara, even Emperal could feel it.

HRMMMHHHHMMMM~!

Emperal halted at the doorway when he heard the crushing resonance of the Beast’s snoring. Its vibration and frequency levels were off the charts; it was similar to a Tyrannosaurus.

One could feel its presence deep inside them, before even hearing its sound.

"Goodness, no amount of plans or schemes would’ve gotten even close to the beast’s nail if I went alone in there."

Emperal admitted honestly, there was no point in denying it. Opening the door, he entered.

And there it was...fifty meters of ashen-colored scaled reptile coiled loosely around the stone plinth where the Mirror stood. Its dorsal scales caught the Mirror’s glow and trapped its luminance, denying it to scatter.

The moment the two entered, its eyes snapped open.

"Holy mother of all that is unholy, what is this creature?"

Emperal sucked in a cold breath when he saw this creature, let alone its aura. The sheer size of that thing was enough to crush the Dawnreach—over and over. Not its physique of course, but its presence.

"Vara, this thing...I am not underestimating you, but will you be okay?" Emperal had to ask; his body was trembling constantly. No, it couldn’t affect his mind, but the physical flesh was an entirely different matter.

"Hahaha!!"

To his words, Vara laughed out loud. It was so sudden that even the beast, who was busy assessing the woman, halted. A flicker of surprise passed through its eyes when it saw her laughing.

"What are you laughing about?" Emperal asked in an annoyed tone. Hearing his words, Vara finally halted her laugh and just chuckled.

"I am not laughing at your concern, lovely boy, it’s just...it’s been so long since I heard those types of words."

Just as her words ended, the beast moved. With a violent swing, its tail shot out in a sweep—straight at them.

Emperal couldn’t even track its tail until—

DHAAMMMMMM!!!

BOOOM!

The tail was forcibly stopped, no...it was stuck. Vara was still smiling; she hadn’t moved an inch, nor had her fingers.

The tail had collided with her body and...was forcibly stopped. This power...

Emperal closed his eyes and focused ahead. Just below the mirror, there were countless large pythons. All of them are coiling around the mirror. And to no one’s surprise, each of them was a Verth Wielder, albeit at the earliest stage.

Gathering the Verth in his legs, he dashed towards the mirror with Stormvein clutched in his hands.

The beast was still in front of the mirror, but Emperal charged nonetheless. Seeing the trust he had put in her, Vara’s knees almost gave out, and suddenly a single thought ripped through the countless other thoughts running through her mind.

"Are we...on a date?"

She uttered absentmindedly, but her left hand was raised. Clutching a small patch on the thick end of the reptile, she yanked it towards her violently.

AWROOO!!

The reptile let out a surprised whimper, but it was not given any time to think, as in the next moment its head went straight through the ruins’ walls.

BOOOM!!!!!

Vara’s head tilted sideways, as her dark eyes were long replaced by an overwhelming golden intensity.

"Ah~ W-We are really on a date! Just the two of us~."

...

(A/N: Two weeks and fifty Chapters In~ Do support my book:)