Chapter 411: A Hollow General and The Heavenly Faction’s Move

The entrance to the Hidden Ruin swallowed them whole.

Light twisted around Caelus and Sylvia as space folded inward, pulling them through a passage that seemed to stretch endlessly before snapping back into place. When their vision cleared, they found themselves standing within a massive underground chamber.

Thousands of players were already gathered inside.

Caelus blinked at the sight, genuinely surprised by the sheer number of people waiting before a gigantic gate at the far end of the chamber. He had heard that Hidden Ruins were rarely challenged, so this crowd seemed strange at first.

Then he remembered how enormous the Tier 2 World actually was.

Even a small percentage of its population could still amount to a massive gathering.

Sylvia moved closer to him as they observed the scene. Most of the players looked equally confused, murmuring among themselves while glancing around nervously.

"Where did everyone come from?"

"I don’t remember seeing this many people enter before me."

"Did we all get teleported here at the same time?"

The conversations around them painted a clear picture. Nobody seemed to understand how they had arrived at this location.

Caelus listened carefully before coming to a conclusion.

The Hidden Ruin likely possessed some kind of spatial mechanism that gathered qualified entrants at a predetermined location. It would explain why so many players had appeared simultaneously despite entering from different points.

He leaned toward Sylvia and spoke through their telepathic connection.

"Stay cautious."

Sylvia responded with her usual playful smile.

"Of course, hubby. I’m always careful."

"Actually, I’ve been wanting to properly test my abilities ever since becoming the Ender of Death. Conquering Nodes was boring because there was no real opportunity to demonstrate what it’s power can do."

Caelus could only shake his head at her enthusiasm.

Before he could respond, the massive gate began moving.

RUMBLE!

Ancient mechanisms groaned as the enormous doors slowly parted. Light spilled through the widening gap, and the gathered players immediately surged forward in search of opportunities.

Caelus was about to enter with Sylvia when his Intent Sense suddenly triggered.

It alerted him of killing intent.

His eyes swept across the crowd before landing on a group moving through the chaos with cold looks. Their armor bore familiar markings, and their expressions carried unmistakable killing intent.

The Norse faction.

"Sylvia. Looks like the Norse Faction is eyeing us."

Instead of becoming concerned, she smiled brightly hearing his words.

"Oh? How wonderful."

Her voice carried a sweet tone that would have sounded pleasant to anyone who did not know her.

"I’ve been missing a few summons. They would make wonderful additions to my collection."

Caelus chuckled helplessly at the casual way she discussed murdering people and turning them into undead servants.

Soon, Caelus and Sylvia entered the gates and dissappeared.

And as soon as they did, the space around the gate flickered violently.

CRACK!

Dark energy erupted across the entrance as the entire environment seemed to glitch and distort. The air itself became unstable, as though reality was being overwritten by another system entirely.

And out of it, beings begin pouring out.

It was without a doubt, Darkspawns.

Dozens of twisted creatures materialized from the corrupted space, their bodies pulsing with the same dark energy that had disrupted the environment. At the center of the group stood an older man whose appearance immediately drew attention.

Horns protruded from his head. His eyes had turned a sickly yellow, and strange symbols covered his irises. His body had already begun transforming into something inhuman.

The players immediately panicked.

"It’s The Hollow Faction!"

"That man has been Hollowfied!"

"Run! Get away from them!"

The older man did not seem bothered by their screaming. He simply turned toward the crowd with an expression of mild disinterest.

"I am Hollow General Dunstan."

Nobody got the chance to ask what that meant.

Dunstan raised his hand.

SLASH!

The entire crowd was slaughtered in an instant. Players who had been arguing moments earlier were reduced to a gruesome mess before they could even react. Blood splattered across the chamber floor as bodies crumpled in every direction.

Dunstan barely acknowledged the carnage.

He walked calmly through the gate without looking back.

Soon after, another group arrived. It was none other than the Heavenly Faction.

Strange goose-like beings dressed in elaborate celestial robes descended from above. Their feathers shimmered with divine light, and their movements carried an air of superiority that bordered on arrogance.

One of them observed the bloodshed and let out a dismissive sound.

"It appears the Hollow Faction has already made its move."

Another goose nodded sagely.

"Indeed. The Hollow Faction grows bolder by the day."

Their leader simply waved a wing.

"It matters not. We have no intention of letting anyone else claim this Hidden Ruin."

Inside the Gate, Caelus and Sylvia were teleported somewhere deep into the ruin.

Their vision distorted immediately, twisting and warping before snapping back into focus. When their surroundings stabilized, they found themselves standing within what appeared to be a gigantic Gate environment.

The landscape stretched endlessly in every direction. Strange formations rose from the ground, and dangerous energy saturated the air. The sky above was not a sky at all but a swirling vortex of colors that defied natural explanation.

Sylvia took in the view with genuine curiosity.

"So this is what the interior of a Hidden Ruin looks like."

Caelus was about to respond when some movement caught his attention.

The Norse faction had followed them inside and they had been teleported to right where they were at as well.

Several warriors emerged from the distorted space, their weapons already drawn and their expressions filled with murderous intent. The moment they spotted Caelus and Sylvia, they immediately charged forward.

"There she is!"

"The Ender of Death!"

"You killed the Overseer’s son! You will pay for that crime!"

"And you!" One of them pointed at Caelus. "You’re her accomplice! We’ll settle this here!"

Sylvia listened to their declaration with an amused smile.

"How considerate of you to come directly to me instead of forcing me to search for you."

"Well. I might look like my sister, I’m not my sister, but you did get the Ender Of Death part right at least."

"What bullshit are you talking about? Die!"

The Norse faction launched their attacks without wasting a single amount of time.