noffsinger Chapter 1179: The Site and the Storm
Chapter 1179: The Site and the Storm
The clearing was silent now... It was littered with ash where the imps had fallen.
The Grail’s glow dimmed, but its presence still radiated faintly...
There was some sort of warmth that was still present in the area.
It was like a heartbeat of holy power lingering in the ruins. Shane exhaled, lowering his hand, but soon, he recalled Natalie’s words...
"The gate has been closed."
If there was a gate here, then there had to be Gate Stones nearby.
"Natalie... Can you locate the Gate Stones you mentioned? It’s okay even if they’re heavily damaged.
Shane knew them well...
He had already used several to connect almost all of the shelters under his control.
Two remained unlinked, however, because he lacked enough stones to complete the network. If they could find more, even damaged ones, there was hope. With the help of Elandor the Archmage, the legendary elf who had mastered the art of repairing and re‑energizing such relics, Shane might be able to restore them once they returned to the mainland.
Natalie also knew about these gate stones after being a business partner with Shane...
She soon scanned the rubble as she recalled where she sensed their presence. Then, she raised her staff...
"Got it... It should be around here."
The team spread out, searching carefully among the shattered ruins.
Soon, Layla’s telekinesis shifted a pile of debris, revealing a faintly glowing stone half‑buried in the dirt. Lysandra crouched beside it, brushing away moss and dust.
"This one’s intact... but weak. The energy feels drained."
One by one, they uncovered more.
Three Gate Stones were still complete, their surfaces cracked but recognizable, faint pulses of energy within them. Around them lay twelve or so shattered chunks... They were fragments of Gate Stones that had clearly been destroyed long ago.
Shane’s eyes lit up as he examined them.
"Three intact... even if they’re weak, this is still good. And the fragments... Elandor might be able to reforge them. This could be enough to finish the network."
The others gathered around... Seeing Shane happy also made them quite satisfied with the battle just now.
There weren’t a lot of Imps to be looted because they turned to ash from the Holy Power, however, there were still a few that could be used.
Natalie lowered her staff as she looked around.
"At least we know why the imps were here. They were probably guarding their gate here, keeping anyone from claiming them."
Shane nodded, but his gaze drifted across the clearing. The ash, the ruins, the faint traces of demonic energy that still lingered... This wasn’t a simple setup.
Someone had arranged this to summon the Demons, or perhaps, it was all the System’s fault... Perhaps the cult that was worshipping the zombies may even be part of it!
"This isn’t just about imps," he said quietly. "Think about it. We chose the Zombie Outbreak when we first arrived. Then came the Cross Apocalypse... Vampires from Vampire’s Rise. Dragons from Dragon Awakening. And now..." He gestured toward the Gate Stones, the shattered fragments...
"Now it’s the Demon Invasion. Another apocalypse option we avoided... but it’s here anyway."
The team fell silent.
Tundra muttered, "So every apocalypse option is bleeding into this world. One after another. Zombies, vampires, dragons... now demons. What’s next?"
There was the Magic War, Ragnarok, Alien Invasion, A.I. Rebellion, and Fairy Realm Collision...
Chaloem was also informed about this situation long ago...
As a monk, he had befriended a lot of Foreign Survivors and learned about Earth and the Apocalypse Options that they had received before.
"The world is no longer bound by choice. All paths converge." He muttered as if he was seeing the truth of this Apocalypse now.
Natalie tightened her grip on the Grail before storing it back in her inventory.
"Then we’ll need every resource, every shelter, every ally. If the Demon Invasion has begun, this island is only the start."
Shane looked at the Gate Stones again and nodded.
"Of course... We’ll take them and repair them. Once we link the shelters, it will be a lot easier to defend our bases."
After that, they soon looted the Imps that were still around...
Kai looted normally at first since he wanted to know whether it was worth it to use his five-times loot trigger.
[ Do you want to retrieve the loot? ]
"Yes..."
Just like that, the notifications continued.
[ You have earned 120 Experience Points. ]
[ Loots obtained: Item Upgrade Crystal x1, Demon Core x1, Imp Horn (Uncommon) x1, Imp Wing Membrane (Common) x1, Spirit Enhancement Bottle x1, Minor Mana Elixir x1, Ashen Cloth (Common) ]
"Mhmm? I guess it’s not that bad." Shane muttered as he appraised the horn and the cloth...
[ Imp Horn ( Uncommon ): A horn taken from an Imp. Though small, it carries faint traces of demonic energy. Its brittle structure makes it unsuitable for direct combat, but it can be refined into charms or used as a catalyst in crafting.
Effects: +5% resistance against minor demonic curses.
Special Effects: When combined with Demon Cores, the horn’s latent energy can be awakened, producing stronger crafting results. ]
[ Ashen Cloth ( Common ): A roll of fabric left behind by an Imp. Fragile and faintly warm to the touch, it holds no direct combat value but can be used in basic tailoring or alchemy recipes. It carries lingering demonic residue, making it useful for experiments involving purification or warding. ]
"Well... They’re probably the weakest ones from the Demon Invasion Apocalypse." Shane muttered as he looked at the other common item.
[ Imp Wing Membrane ( Common ): A thin, leathery fragment of an Imp’s wing. Fragile and translucent, it holds faint traces of demonic residue but is too weak to serve as armor. Mostly used as a minor crafting material. Can be used in basic alchemy or tailoring recipes. ]
They weren’t much but still, Shane decided to use his looter pocketwatch...
[ Stylish Looter Pocketwatch: A looter’s dream and used by treasure hunters and plunder-kings.
Effect: When activated, all loot will be multiplied fivefold
Usage Limit: Five activations per day. ]
He then decided to use all five activations available, and just like that, he obtained a lot of Demon Cores and some items.
After this, they continued looking around.
The team pressed deeper into the ruins, with their boots crunching against ash and broken stone.
"I can still sense some traces of Demonic Energy." Natalie muttered.
Indeed, the faint demonic energy still lingered, guiding them toward something hidden.
Soon, they stumbled upon a clearing unlike the others.
"This... It feels like a ritual site." Travis muttered as he had seen a lot of rituals already...
The ground was marked with strange engravings, symbols carved into stone slabs in an unknown language.
Then, there were circles overlapping one another, forming patterns that seemed to pulse faintly even though no energy flowed through them anymore.
There were also broken pillars surrounding the site, each etched with engravings that none of them recognized.
Layla frowned as she looked around the markings.
"These aren’t natural. Someone carved them deliberately... and it hasn’t been that long. Someone was here."
Shane agreed. "This is a place of summoning. Whether demons or cultists, it was used to call something here."
"It could be tied to the imps... or maybe the cult that worshipped the zombies. Either way, it’s dangerous." Natalie added.
Shane crouched and brushed his fingers across one of the engravings.
"We can’t risk leaving this intact. If it’s connected to the Demon Invasion, it could be used again."
Everyone understood his hint and the team agreed.
Together, they set to work dismantling the ritual site.
Layla tore apart the stone slabs with telekinesis, Shinja shattered the pillars with Stormblade, and Tundra planted bombs that reduced the carvings to rubble.
Elsa and Lily washed away the remnants with torrents of water and wind, while Chaloem and Travis’ Clone ensured no trace of the engravings remained.
When the dust settled, the ritual site was nothing but debris.
"That’s fast..." Shane muttered with a smile.
The markings were gone, the engravings destroyed, and the faint traces of demonic energy finally faded.
"Good. Whatever this was, it won’t be used again."
Natalie nodded. "Then let’s return. We’ve done enough here."
The group retraced their steps, moving back through the forest until the dockyard came into view.
The Providence and Excellence were still there and their defenses still intact under Mystra’s command. Relief washed over the team as they boarded the ships once more.
***
Night had already fallen, and after their simple meal, Shane gathered everyone and made the decision. "We’ll stay here in the dockyard for the night. At first light, we set sail again. Tomorrow, we continue our search for the real Eden Island."
The crew agreed. Barricades were placed, and watch rotations were quickly established. Even the dragons circled above the ships, vigilant as ever.
Just like that, the survivors settled in for the night, hoping the Demon Invasion had been resolved for now.
Unfortunately, as soon as most of them fell asleep... a raging storm struck!