Chapter 115: Entering the Ancient Ruin
"Are you sure about this? Wouldn’t it be better to wake him up and say goodbye face to face?" Lumielle asked softly, her voice carrying a gentle concern that made the moment feel heavier.
Ash shook his head slowly, his silvery-white hair moving gently with the motion. "No, I’m choosing this exact time to leave because I know he’ll be sleeping now. It feels like the right moment."
Hearing that, Lumielle sighed quietly, a mixture of sadness and understanding in her breath, while Solareth looked at Ash with a slight, knowing smile and said, "Let him be for now. It’s not like he won’t be coming back, right?"
Ash’s expression remained calm, almost emotionless, but a small, faint smile curved his lips as he replied, "I will come back, maybe once a week, but only if the journey I’m about to undertake succeeds."
Both Lumielle and Solareth exchanged a glance of quiet confusion but didn’t press for more details. They understood without words that if Ash’s journey bore fruit, they would know when he returned.
It was the kind of patience and trust that grows with age and experience, the maturity to accept uncertainty without demanding answers right away.
Then, with a smooth flick of his wrist, Solareth summoned a small necklace, delicate and glowing faintly with soft hues of rainbow and white.
"Here, take this," Solareth said as he extended the necklace toward Ash. The chain shimmered softly with pure white color, and the heart shaped necklace was filled with rainbow hue that glowed faintly as if holding some quiet power within.
Curiously, Ash tilted his head and asked, "What is this?"
"It’s a necklace of purity and protection," Lumielle replied gently, her voice carrying a warmth wrapped in lingering sorrow, as though the memories it brought still tugged at her heart.
"It can save you from a life-threatening blow once every week, and yes—it’s reusable. It also calms the mind, fills it with positive thoughts, and slowly washes away the negative emotions clouding the heart."
Her voice trembled ever so slightly near the end, not from fear, but from something deeper, something that felt like love stretched thin by time.
To Ash’s surprise, Solareth spoke up before he could even ask anything further.
His voice was quiet, slightly hoarse, as he said, "It was meant to be a gift... for our daughter. Our late daughter. We crafted it with the intention of giving it to her, something special to keep her safe... but before we could even place it in her hands..."
His words trailed off, swallowed by silence that carried more weight than anything else he could’ve said.
Ash looked at him closely then, and what he saw wasn’t just a powerful mythical beast or a king of an entire race.
He saw a father who had lost his light, a man who still carried rage that had nowhere left to go, and sorrow so old that it had stopped crying and simply lived quietly inside him.
Ash could feel that pain—could sense the grief Solareth had buried deep inside, masked under layers of time and silence.
But Ash didn’t say anything in return. He had never been the kind of person who was good with words in moments like this. He didn’t know how to offer comfort that wouldn’t sound hollow.
He wasn’t good at farewells either, which was exactly why he had chosen to leave early in the morning, when Eric would still be asleep.
Solareth’s sentence was gently finished by Lumielle, who smiled faintly and added, "...She left before we ever got the chance to give it to her. And well, we couldn’t possibly give something like this to our little boy now, could we?"
Her words ended with a soft chuckle, a mix of wistfulness and fondness hidden behind the joke.
This could easily be worn by men too... Are they just trying to find a reason to hand it over to me like this? Ash thought to himself, sensing something unspoken in their words.
As if reading his thoughts, Lumielle continued with a playful grin, "And I heard from Solareth that you have a partner. So, why not give it to her instead? I believe it’ll suit her beautifully."
"With this on her neck, I’m sure she’ll look even more radiant. Not that I’ve seen her yet, but... when she’s healed and is all better, make sure to bring her here, alright?"
Ash felt a faint heat rise to his cheeks at her teasing tone. He glanced away, not answering, but his small, awkward movement made them both chuckle.
"Oh, and before I forget," Solareth added, as though suddenly remembering something important, "there’s a small spatial pocket inside the necklace, about the size of a room. Time doesn’t move in there at all, which means food or anything you place inside it will never go bad."
Ash traced the edges of the necklace with his thumb, his eyes widening slightly as he looked up at Solareth and Lumielle—two parents who still carried love for a child they could no longer see.
It was clear now just how much care, thought, and love had been poured into this item.
And now... they were giving that love to him.
This wasn’t just a protective charm—it was something made with the deepest love a parent could offer their child.
Feeling little sentimental, he silently vowed to protect the necklace the bearer of the necklace with all his strength.
"Does that mean I won’t be able to store it in my space ring?" Ash asked, glancing up with slight concern.
Solareth shook his head with a gentle smile and explained, "No, you don’t have to worry. The necklace is made from a rare ore found in the space itself. It’s compatible with any spatial ring, so you’ll be able to store it safely without any issues."
Hearing that, Ash let out a soft sigh of relief, a small breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
That’s good... I’m glad it can be stored safely. I wouldn’t want to risk damaging something so precious by leaving it outside.
With care, he placed the necklace inside a small, cushioned box, then stored it securely within his space ring.
Once done, he turned toward the unicorn king and queen—the couple who had guided him, trusted him, and taught him during this strange, unforgettable time.
He took a slow step forward, lowered his head, and bowed deeply, his voice calm but filled with sincerity.
"Thank you... for everything. For trusting me, for teaching me. I promise—one day, I’ll find a way to repay your kindness."
The two of them merely chuckled quietly at his words, their expressions soft and knowing. After living with him for an entire month, they had come to understand his nature well.
His awkwardness, his sincerity, his quiet determination—they had grown familiar with it all. His behavior didn’t surprise them anymore. It only made them smile.
"I’ll be leaving now," Ash said, his voice steady and filled with a quiet determination that didn’t need to be loud to be strong.
Solareth stepped forward, walking beside him without a word. He raised one hand and placed it gently on Ash’s shoulder.
In an instant, a warm glow of Aether mana began to swirl around Ash’s body, wrapping him in a soft, protective light that shimmered like stardust.
"Good luck," Solareth said, his voice low but firm, filled with silent wishes and unspoken hopes.
As the light of teleportation began to rise beneath his feet, Ash turned slightly toward the sleeping chamber.
..Don’t miss me too much, fluff ball.
That was the last thing Ash thought—before the world around him faded into light, and his body vanished.
***
Am I inside the mountains?
Ash thought as he looked around. All he could see were giant peaks stretching in every direction.
The mountains were covered in sharp rocks, tall trees, and an endless variety of plants and animals. The air smelled fresh, like moss and wet leaves.
Birds chirped in the distance, and the wind brushed softly against his skin.
Everything felt wild and untouched, like a hidden world waiting to be explored.
He brought out the red bead, which was the map of the ruins, and looked at it carefully.
I am almost there. If I run at full speed, I can reach the place within half an hour.
Did Solareth know my destination was in the mountains? Did he send me here on purpose, knowing he wasted one whole month of my time? Was this his way of saying sorry in his own way?
Ash was not sure, but he was thankful to be close to the ruins.
Let’s go. No more wasting time.
Ash started running toward the place shown on the map. He jumped across rocks, climbed steep paths, and followed narrow trails.
The uneven ground made it harder than he expected. After about an hour, he finally reached the location.
"I guess it took over one hour to find this place," Ash muttered to himself.
Walking and climbing around the rough mountain terrain had taken longer than he thought. Also, searching for the exact spot of the ruin had added more time.
"Now, where is the entrance to the ruin..." he said while looking around with a serious expression.
In the novel, when Ray came here, the entrance had already been opened. There was nothing left inside except the rune. Miraak and Zerak had already taken everything important.
After that, even Scavengers probably came and took whatever little remained.
Ash used at least fifteen minutes searching for the entrance, but found nothing.
He checked the map again. It showed that he was standing in the exact right place.
Looks like I have to use it...
Ash thought as he softly said, "Omni Thought."
Suddenly, the world lost its colors. Everything became quiet and clear.
His senses grew sharp and wide, like a wave spreading across a lake.
He could feel every small detail around him—the roughness of the rocks, the shape of every leaf, the movements of birds nearby, and even the flow of mana in the air.
Even the mana inside the rocks.
Wait... mana inside the rocks?
Ash was surprised. He looked at the ground below him and saw that the mana veins were gathering in one place, like lightning lines drawn into a single point.
Was I standing on the switch the whole time?
Ash laughed at himself inside his head and moved to the side. He turned off Omni Thought, and this time, he did not feel any headache.
He was getting used to it.
He cleared the grass and weeds from the ground, revealing a small hole made of smooth stone.
It had a shape that looked very familiar.
"This shape... doesn’t it match the bead?"
Ash whispered, tracing the hole with his finger. Without wasting a moment, he placed the bead inside it.
As soon as the bead settled perfectly into the hole, a deep hum echoed from beneath the earth, like the forgotten heartbeat of something ancient finally stirring awake.
The ground beneath Ash’s feet began to tremble with a steady, growing rhythm, as if the mountain’s heart was beating.
There was no big crash or flash. Instead, the front wall of the mountain moved slowly, sliding to the side with a soft grinding sound.
Dust and tiny stones fell quietly as the heavy stone door opened, revealing a dark passage inside.
A cool breeze blew out from the opening, carrying the smell of old earth and secrets hidden for a long, long time.
Ash stood still for a moment, staring into the dark tunnel.
"There it is..." he said quietly.
Without thinking about anything else, he stepped into the dark entrance of the ruin.
***
A/N:
Ash finally made it into the Ancient Ruin!! 🎉🔥 Took long enough, huh?
If you’ve got any cool spell ideas, rune combos, or wild skill concepts—don’t be shy 👀💭 Drop them in the comments or slide into the Discord for better convos and chaotic theory-crafting 😎💬
Appreciate all of you who’ve stuck around through the ups, downs, and plot twists. Y’all are legends 🙌💖
Thanks for Reading..🔥