Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

Chapter 28Abyss-Class Failure

Darkness stretched beneath the underground ruin.

Gigantic black stone pillars rose toward ceilings too high to see clearly, and faint blue Spirit rivers flowed through enormous cracks in the ancient floor. The entire ruin felt heavier than it had during the first few days of exploration. Even breathing had become more difficult.

That was not normal.

Abyss-Class Ruins were dangerous, but their danger usually remained consistent after the first evaluation. This ruin had changed after they entered.

Ten explorers moved through the darkness.

At the front walked Zenon Drakes, an A-Rank sword wielder and successor of the Drakes Duke Household. His massive black sword rested over one shoulder, but his grip remained ready. Even with exhaustion visible across his face, his eyes continued scanning every corner of the structure.

Behind him were five B-Rank Spirit Users.

Cassy Fenthula.

Murkus Koligrath.

Siphon Holieder.

Mascrot Amoldas.

Gorge Antasit.

All five were tired after days of continuous fighting. Their Spirit reserves had been drained again and again, and even the restoration relics behind them could no longer keep everyone in good condition.

At the rear were the four support-type Relic Users responsible for healing, barriers, and Spirit recovery.

Only one woman remained fully alert among them.

Selene Dephonia.

A silver detection relic hovered beside her shoulder, releasing faint Spirit pulses every few seconds. Her face looked pale, and cold sweat continued sliding down her neck.

Something was wrong.

The deeper they went, the less this ruin matched the Guild report.

At first, the Guild analysis artifact had measured it as Abyss-Class with no major abnormality. Such artifacts were trusted across Eliomor because serious misclassifications almost never happened.

Yet now the Spirit density had increased several times.

Murkus wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

”...The Spirit density increased again.”

Cassy’s expression darkened.

”That’s the third time.”

Zenon said nothing, but his grip tightened around his sword.

He sensed it too.

The pressure no longer matched Abyss-Class standards.

Not even close.

Several minutes later, the team reached the deepest section of the underground ruin.

Everyone stopped.

A gigantic chamber opened before them. Ancient pillars filled the area, thick chains covered parts of the surrounding walls, and blue Spirit fog drifted over the floor. Enormous runes glowed beneath the mist, pulsing slowly as if the ruin was still waking.

At the center stood a gigantic gate.

The Boss Chamber.

But the gate was already slightly open.

Pressure leaked from the darkness behind it.

Heavy.

Violent.

Wrong.

Selene activated her detection relic immediately.

The silver orb beside her released Spirit waves across the chamber.

Then it cracked.

Crack.

Everyone froze.

Selene’s eyes widened.

”No...”

The cracks spread further.

Crack.

Crack.

The relic shattered completely.

Fragments scattered across the stone floor.

No one spoke.

A detection relic breaking from measuring pressure meant only one thing.

The target had exceeded its limit.

Mascrot stepped back.

”...That’s impossible.”

Zenon’s gaze remained fixed on the gate.

Then the leaking pressure intensified.

Booooom.

The enormous gate trembled.

Everyone felt the truth at once.

This was not Abyss-Class anymore.

Selene’s face turned pale.

Then she screamed.

”THE RUIN EVOLVED—!”

Something moved.

Nobody saw it clearly.

Not even Zenon.

One second, Selene was screaming.

The next, her head rolled across the floor.

”...Huh?”

That was her final thought.

Her body remained standing for a brief moment before blood erupted from her neck and the corpse collapsed.

Silence followed.

Then a figure stood before the partially opened gate.

It was tall and humanoid, with dark wolf-like fur covering its muscular body. A large horn extended from its forehead, and its claws dragged against the black floor.

Another one stepped out beside it.

Qield’s Watchers.

The pressure from the two monsters distorted the surrounding Spirit flow.

Zenon understood the rank instantly.

A-Rank.

Both of them.

”...Move!”

The team reacted immediately.

Cassy fired compressed Spirit bullets.

Murkus released burning Spirit flames.

Siphon bound the floor with Spirit chains.

Mascrot prepared a shockwave.

Their attacks landed together and shook the chamber.

But the first Watcher stepped forward and swung one claw.

Fwoosh.

The compressed Spirit bullets split apart.

The flames scattered against the walls.

The Spirit chains snapped like threads.

The team’s expressions changed, everyone turned completely pale.

The Watcher vanished.

Boooom.

Gorge Antasit’s upper body separated from his waist.

Blood spread across the chamber as his lower half stood for a moment before collapsing.

Panic broke through the formation.

”S-Shit!”

Mascrot released his Spirit shockwave in desperation. The attack distorted the air and struck the second Watcher directly.

Boooom.

For a moment, the monster stopped.

Hope appeared.

Then the smoke split apart.

The Watcher walked out without injury.

And smiled.

Zenon moved before morale collapsed completely.

Boooom.

Spirit surged through his body, coating his black sword in compressed energy as he appeared before the nearest Watcher.

Slash.

A crescent strike cut through the monster’s arm.

Black blood scattered across the chamber.

Everyone’s eyes widened.

It worked.

Zenon immediately roared.

”RETREAT NOW!”

Because he understood the situation clearly.

Injuring the Watcher did not mean they could win.

The severed arm twitched on the floor.

Black flesh expanded from the stump.

Within seconds, the arm regenerated completely.

The remaining hope disappeared.

A-Rank monsters with regeneration.

That alone made the expedition impossible.

The second Watcher moved next.

Fwoosh.

One support relic user exploded apart before activating any defense. Blood and flesh scattered across the floor.

Murkus screamed.

”THIS ISN’T ABYSS-CLASS!”

Booooom.

The Boss Chamber gate opened further behind the Watchers.

The true pressure leaked out.

Everyone froze.

Even Zenon’s breathing became heavier.

S-Rank.

The Boss inside the chamber was S-Rank.

It had not even appeared yet, but its presence alone forced the weaker members toward collapse. Cassy vomited blood. Mascrot dropped to one knee. The black pillars around them began cracking from pressure alone.

Zenon finally understood the full disaster.

The Watchers were not the Boss.

They were gatekeepers.

And the gatekeepers alone were enough to wipe out the exploration team.

One Watcher tilted its head while staring at Zenon.

Then it spoke.

Its voice was distorted and monstrous.

”...Weak.”

The monster disappeared.

Zenon reacted just in time.

Clang.

His black sword blocked the claws inches from his throat, but the impact launched him through several pillars.

Boooom.

Stone exploded around him.

Zenon coughed blood and forced himself up. His arms burned from the collision. His bones had almost cracked from one blocked strike.

The Watcher walked toward him calmly.

Mockingly.

The remaining Spirit Users attacked again because stopping meant death.

Fire.

Chains.

Spirit bullets.

Shockwaves.

Everything filled the chamber at once.

None of it mattered.

The second Watcher grabbed Murkus by the face.

Crunch.

His skull collapsed instantly.

Cassy screamed.

Siphon turned to run, but the Watcher appeared before him and cut both legs away in one movement.

Fwoosh.

Siphon collapsed screaming as blood flooded beneath him.

Zenon roared.

”GET OUT OF HERE!”

He poured his remaining Spirit into his sword and charged again.

Booooom.

The collision shook the chamber.

This time, his slash cut deeper across the nearest Watcher’s chest. Black blood erupted, and the monster staggered back.

Then it regenerated.

Zenon’s eyes widened faintly.

His Spirit reserves were almost empty.

His team was collapsing.

The Watchers remained almost untouched in any meaningful way.

Then something moved behind the gate.

A gigantic shadow shifted in the darkness.

Every surviving explorer froze.

Compared to that presence, the Watchers felt insignificant.

The Boss was awakening.

Zenon understood one thing immediately.

If that creature fully emerged, nearby cities would fall.

Maybe entire regions.

The Watcher lifted its claws again.

This time, Zenon knew he would die.

Night fell outside the ruin.

The enormous doors slowly opened.

One of Qield’s Watchers stepped into the outside world.

Behind it, countless monster eyes glowed from within the ruin entrance.

And far deeper inside—

something much larger began to move.