Terra Nova Online: Rise of The Strongest Player

Chapter 792 The Ruins

Chapter 792  The Ruins

Upon reaching the outskirts of the old Assassin Alliance ruins, nestled within the cold, shadowy forests of the Northern Dukedom, Dumpy, exhausted from maintaining his massive form for so long, shrank back to the size of a tiny frog and settled comfortably on Leo's shoulders to rest.

"Good work getting us here so fast. Rest now—I'll carry you for a while," Leo praised, patting Dumpy on the head before stepping off the dirt trail he'd been following for so long and heading deeper into the forest.

Much like the modern Assassin Alliance headquarters, the ancient base had also been constructed deep beneath a sprawling forest.

The architects who made it centuries ago had carved out an intricate labyrinth of tunnels and chambers dozens of meters below the forest floor, clearing vast sections of dirt and rock.

Over the centuries, however, time had not been kind. The majority of the tunnels had collapsed, their structural integrity compromised by relentless erosion and the slow, crushing weight of nature.

Still, till-date a few resilient sections remained, standing as shadowy echoes of the Alliance's once-great presence.

Leo paused, scanning the dense forest around him. According to the tablet Kid had given him, there were seven known entrances to the ruins, each cunningly disguised to blend seamlessly with the environment. Hollow tree barks, moss-covered stone caves, and other inconspicuous features served as gateways to the hidden underground network.

However, not all these entrances were safe to access.

As per Ben's firsthand experience, the cave entrances were simply a no-go.

Ferocious beasts had made their nests in most of the caves and more often then not, fighting them was not worth the trouble.

"Avoid the cave entrances," Ben had advised. "They're unstable and prone to traps. Always look for the hollow tree barks. They were designed as safe passageways for assassins, and they're the least likely to collapse on you."

Trusting Ben's hard-earned wisdom, Leo ignored the shadowy caves dotting the area and focused instead on finding one of the hollow tree entrances.

Thankfully for him, it didn't take long before he spotted a massive, twisted tree with gnarled bark that looked centuries old.

From a distance, it appeared unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, faint carvings became visible along its base. Though faded with time, the text remained legible to the trained eye:

"There is honor amongst thieves, but none amongst assassins."

Leo chuckled softly as he read the inscription. "This must be it," he murmured, tracing the markings with his fingers as Dumpy croaked in agreement, his tiny form shifting slightly on Leo's shoulder.

Pushing gently against the bark, the hollow space gave way with a soft creak, revealing a narrow passage descending into the earth.

A damp, musty scent wafted up, tinged with an underlying metallic tang that hinted at rust and decay.

"Welp. Here goes nothing–" Leo said, as adjusting his footing, he began his descent into the labyrinth below.

The passage was suffocatingly dark, illuminated only by the faint glow of an unusual plant growing along the walls.

Its shiny, purple hue cast a small illuminating light that gave Leo just enough vision to walk without tripping.

Once at the bottom, the darkness became absolute, but Leo quickly found some dry wood scattered on the floor, and with the help of Dumpy spitting acid on it, he was able to quickly lite a small fire, allowing its warm glow to chase away the oppressive shadows.

Looking around, Leo found himself standing in what appeared to be an entrance hall that branched into two separate directions—right and left.

The ceiling above was lined with tangled roots and clinging moss, dripping with moisture.

Leo's sharp gaze moved across the roof, noting its deformations and the telltale signs of instability. Cracks spread like veins, and the tangled roots seemed to be the only thing holding the structure together.

"Two, maybe five years at most before this section collapses entirely," Leo muttered to himself, convinced that these ancient ruins were on their last legs after witnessing their condition firsthand.

"According to Captain Kid's tabloid… I think we have to go right" Leo noted, as he began moving to the right, looking specifically for the room where the [Blade Switch] skill was stored.

Each step he took echoed faintly, the sound bouncing off the damp walls and amplifying the eerie stillness around him.

As he ventured deeper, the narrow passageway opened into a wider chamber. The remnants of the Assassin Alliance's legacy lay scattered across the floor—broken weapons, rusted training dummies, and faded banners still bearing the Alliance's insignia.

It was a haunting sight, a graveyard of forgotten glory, but it did not affect Leo in the slightest.

Being laser focused on only finding what he wanted to find and avoid falling into any unnecessary traps, Leo continued walking past most rooms without paying any attention to the furniture or rusted weapons, until he arrived at a dead-end, which needed a secret mechanism to open the path ahead.

As per Captain Kid's tabloid, the room ahead of this dead-end could only be accessed by the members of the 'Gu' clan in the ancient times, who were the creators of the [Blade Switch] technique.

Technically, Leo needed to perform a whole chain quest to learn the method to open this room, however, Captain Kid's tablet gave him the answer beforehand.

Like a cheat code, Leo already knew about the faint grooves etched into the stone wall, that were almost invisible to the untrained eye.

The grooves formed an intricate pattern, a barely perceptible outline of a dagger, and beneath it, a small inscription that said :

"Only the silent blade carves the way."

Without the knowledge on how to reveal the hidden passage, even if one found these grooves it was impossible for them to guess on how to open it, but, Leo knew how to do it.

Unsheathing one of his daggers, Leo carefully aligned the tip with the grooves in the wall.

According to the instructions, the blade had to be inserted at a precise 35° angle, and with a quick twist, the mechanism would unlock.

Leo took a deep breath, steadying his hand as he slid the dagger into the slot.

The dagger fit perfectly, and with a sharp click, the hidden mechanism activated.

A low rumble echoed through the chamber as the wall began to shift. Dust and debris fell as the stone slid aside, revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond. The faint glow of more of the strange purple plants lined the walls, illuminating the path ahead.

"Here we go," Leo muttered, his heart racing with anticipation. The path to the hidden [Blade Switch] skill was now open, and Leo felt ready to uncover the secrets buried within the hidden quarters of the Gu clan.