Chapter 335: Seventy-Five B-Rank Warriors Never Came Back!

Outside the Twilight Ruins, within one of the hidden chambers beneath the royal palace, Roderan and Drevian stood before the circular spatial formation that had remained inactive since the expedition entered the Twilight Ruins, while pale runes across the floor began glowing and the air above them slowly twisted inward.

A portal formed, and some of the tension immediately left Roderan’s shoulders as he released a long breath and said, "They’re coming out. It seems the expedition is finally over."

Drevian gave a small nod while keeping his attention on the unstable surface, which suddenly rippled before several beams of pale blue light shot toward different empty sections of the chamber.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Zeyr materialized first, planting both feet firmly on the floor while his dark brown hair fell around his shoulders, and although his posture remained composed, the breath he released showed his relief. Karon appeared several meters away, her long black hair settling behind her as she looked around and said, "We’re finally back."

Another beam brought Marius Duskraven, while Fael and Joria appeared shortly afterward, both Marinthians visibly exhausted despite their usual calm. Kira materialized next, followed by Nolan, who steadied himself and said with a tired laugh, "After this, I think I’ll avoid ancient ruins for a while."

Kira replied, "Give yourself a few months and you’ll forget you ever said that."

More light swept across the chamber as Arwen and Lirael appeared together, both quickly recovering their proud composure, while Alia materialized nearby."

Isaria appeared next, followed closely by Estelle, and the princess visibly relaxed after recognizing the royal palace chamber around them.

"We made it back safely," Estelle said.

"Some of us did," Isaria replied softly, and the meaning behind those words briefly darkened Estelle’s expression.

Another beam brought Selene near the center of the chamber, yet unlike the others, she did not relax, because the instant she materialized, her crimson gaze moved across Zeyr, Karon, Marius, Fael, Joria, Kira, Nolan, Arwen, Lirael, Alia, Isaria, and Estelle, confirming that Luke wasn’t there.

More beams continued emerging as the surviving Sunborn warriors and mages returned, but when the final cluster materialized, barely twenty-five remained, with only a few mages among them and their damaged armor, torn robes, and exhausted faces making the losses obvious.

Roderan counted them twice before the relief disappeared from his face, then asked, "Where are the rest of the Sunborn warriors, and where are Ivar and Luke?"

The chamber became quiet as Drevian also realized that around one hundred B-Rank Sunborn members had entered the ruins and only a fraction had returned.

Zeyr answered first. "Ivar never reached Heaven’s Crucible with us. The Infernal Choir was involved before everyone gathered there, so most of us assumed something happened to him."

That answer only worsened the situation, because Ivar was a prince of the Owl Kingdom, and his death inside Eldric Sunborn territory could create a political crisis.

Drevian looked toward the still-active portal and asked, "Then where is the Hero of Light? Luke should have returned with the rest of you."

No one answered immediately, because all of them found the same strange gap in their memories; they remembered the battles inside Heaven’s Crucible and the first fracture across the arena, but nothing involving Lilith, Iveron, or what happened to Luke afterward.

Karon pressed two fingers against her temple and said, "Luke was definitely with us before the fracture, but I can’t remember what happened after that."

Zeyr shook his head. "Neither can I, which means something happened to all of our memories."

Nolan looked between them in confusion. "How could every one of us lose the same part?"

Fael and Joria exchanged uneasy looks, while Arwen and Lirael said nothing.

Estelle stepped closer to the portal and said, "Luke should have been transported out with everyone else."

"Exactly, so there was no reason for him to remain behind," Isaria replied, although uneasiness had already entered her voice.

Alia stopped beside them and stared into the rippling blue surface. "Then why hasn’t he come out?"

Selene’s breathing became unsteady as fear replaced her confusion, and she approached the portal before calling, "Luke, if you’re still inside, stop messing around and come out right now."

Nothing happened, while the portal continued rippling without sending another beam.

Selene clenched her hands and called again, louder this time, "Luke, answer me. I’m serious."

Roderan approached carefully and said, "Princess Selene, the portal is still active, so there may simply be a delay in the final transfer."

"Then why has everyone else returned while he hasn’t?" Selene demanded, her face already pale.

Before Roderan could answer, golden light appeared over Selene’s chest, and a thin golden chain emerged from near her heart before stretching toward the portal and disappearing into the distorted space.

She immediately grabbed it and whispered, "Luke is still alive, and this connection says he is still inside."

Estelle went pale, while Isaria moved closer and Alia became completely still.

Roderan and Drevian exchanged a grave look, because losing Ivar could provoke the Owl Kingdom, while losing the Hero of Light could bring the Holy Light Church and even the Goddess of Light herself against them.

Roderan looked at Selene and said, "As long as the passage remains open, we can still reach him, so stay back and let us handle this."

The portal suddenly flickered, and before anyone could react, its blue surface contracted violently until the entire passage collapsed into a point of light and vanished.

"No! Luke is still inside!" Selene shouted as she rushed toward the empty space.

Estelle, Isaria, and Alia all went pale, while Zeyr and the others stared at the place where the portal had disappeared.

Drevian immediately told Roderan, "Open the passage again. Reaching the original entrance should be enough."

Roderan was already moving, raising both hands as his power flooded the chamber and lit the surrounding runes.

KRRRRRNNNN—

Space warped between his hands as he pulled outward, forcing a narrow tear to appear, yet despite the strength pouring from his body, the opening barely widened.

"Damn it, the connection isn’t responding," Roderan said before releasing even more power.

BOOOOOOM!

A violent shockwave blasted across the chamber and hurled almost everyone into the reinforced walls, while Drevian alone remained beside Roderan and immediately added his own strength.

"Pull with me, and don’t let the tear close," Drevian said.

Both men seized the unstable edges of space with their power and forced them apart.

KRRRRRRRNNNN!

The tear widened by only a few inches before stopping again, refusing to open despite their combined strength.

"It still isn’t connecting to the ruins," Drevian said.

"I know, but keep pulling until we have no strength left," Roderan replied as another wave of pressure rolled across the chamber.

Behind them, Selene stared at the golden chain stretching from her heart toward the sealed space and shouted, "Luke is still there, so do not stop until you open it."

Estelle clasped her hands tightly, Isaria remained silent beside her, and Alia pressed her nails into her palms without looking away.

Farther back, Marius watched the failed passage with a faint smile that he quickly concealed, while Arwen and Lirael exchanged a brief glance that carried none of the fear shown by the others, because if Luke remained trapped inside the Twilight Ruins forever, neither of them would consider it a loss.

Then space suddenly ripped open by itself.

RRRIP!

Roderan and Drevian both stepped back as blue light burst from the opening, and a human figure materialized directly in the center of the chamber.

Luke looked around at the glowing runes and the dozens of people staring at him before asking, "Why does everyone look like something terrible just happened?"

"Luke, you’re finally back!" Selene shouted as she reached him first and wrapped both arms around him so tightly that he staggered half a step backward.

"Selene, I’m fine, so you don’t have to crush me," Luke said, surprised by how hard she was holding him.

"You idiot, the portal closed while you were still inside, and you expect me to be calm after that?" Selene replied without loosening her grip.

Before Luke could answer, Estelle, Isaria, and Alia rushed forward as well, with Estelle hugging him from one side, Isaria from the other, and Alia pressing in from behind until Luke found himself surrounded by four women.

The chamber became strangely quiet, while Nolan stared at the scene before muttering, "He disappears for a few minutes and somehow comes back to this. That hardly seems fair."

Fael covered a smile, Joria shook her head, Marius’s face darkened, and Arwen looked away with visible irritation.

Luke raised his hands as much as the four women allowed and said, "Everyone, I really am fine, so can you give me a little room to breathe?"

That finally made Selene notice who else was clinging to him, and after looking at Estelle, Isaria, and Alia, she said in disbelief, "Why are all three of you hugging my husband?"

Estelle immediately stepped back and replied, "I thought something had happened to him, so I reacted without thinking."

Isaria quickly released Luke as well. "The portal collapsed while he was still inside, so of course we were worried."

Alia remained in place for another second before saying, "I was worried too, and I only hugged him because he came back safely."

"So was I, but he is still my husband, so all three of you can worry without clinging to him," Selene replied as she pulled Luke closer and pushed Alia away with her free hand.

Alia finally released him, although her displeased expression made it clear she had only done so reluctantly.

Roderan and Drevian watched with tired amusement before Roderan said, "Since everyone who can return has finally returned, we should report to His Majesty before another section of the palace gets damaged."

Drevian nodded and added, "The king has been waiting for the expedition report, and after these losses, we should not keep him waiting any longer."

That reminder suppressed the lighter mood, because Ivar was still missing and most of the Sunborn force had not returned, even though both Roderan and Drevian found that half of the sunborn warriors were traitor.

Still, Roderan and Drevian then led the survivors through the guarded corridors toward the main hall, where King Demerak and Crown Prince Lucan were already waiting.

Demerak stood before the throne, his golden hair framing a middle-aged face while his broad, muscular build remained obvious beneath his royal clothing, and his black gaze settled on the depleted Sunborn forces.

Beside him stood Lucan, a man in his early thirties with the same golden hair and black eyes, whose composed expression disappeared when he saw Estelle.

"Estelle, come here and tell me whether you’re injured anywhere," Lucan said as he stepped down and checked his sister from head to toe.

"I’m fine, Brother, although I would prefer if you stopped examining me in front of everyone," Estelle replied with tired embarrassment.

Lucan finally relaxed after confirming that she was unharmed, while Demerak continued studying the small number of Sunborn warriors and mages behind them.

He turned toward Roderan and asked, "You took one hundred B-Rank members of my kingdom into those ruins, so tell me what happened to the rest of them."

The atmosphere inside the hall immediately became heavy.

Roderan stepped forward and answered, "Your Majesty, the expedition changed far beyond what any of us expected, because the Infernal Choir had already infiltrated the group before we entered the deepest part of the Twilight Ruins."

The remaining relief disappeared from Demerak’s face as everyone in the hall fell silent.