The hidden doorway led into a narrow stone passage.

Unlike the grand corridors they had explored earlier, this one was barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

The walls felt rough and unfinished, as though this section had been carved directly through solid rock instead of being constructed by skilled craftsmen.

Their footsteps echoed softly through the confined tunnel.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The air had grown noticeably colder.

Neither of them spoke. Only the flickering torchlight danced across the ancient walls as they continued deeper into the unknown.

After walking for nearly a minute, the passage suddenly widened.

Both of them stepped out of the narrow corridor and stopped instinctively. Before them stretched another underground chamber.

This one was even larger than the previous hall. The ceiling rose so high that the torchlight couldn’t reach it. Countless stone pillars stood throughout the chamber like silent guardians, disappearing into darkness above.

The silence was overwhelming. It almost felt alive.

Mary slowly looked around before taking a deep breath. "This hall is enormous."

"It really is..." Noah’s eyes swept across the vast chamber.

Even in the dim torchlight, he could tell this room was far larger than the hall containing the mysterious Moon Goddess.

Mary gently handed him the torch.

"You take this."

Noah accepted it. "What about you?"

A small flame suddenly ignited above Mary’s palm. The orange fire hovered steadily without burning her skin, illuminating her surroundings.

"I’ll use this."

The dancing flame cast warm light across her face. "You check that side," she said while pointing toward the far end of the chamber.

"I’ll search this half."

Noah nodded. "Alright."

Normally, splitting up inside an unknown ruin would have been a terrible idea. But the chamber was so vast that searching together would only waste time.

Besides, they could still see each other from where they stood.

"Be careful," Mary reminded him.

"You too."

Supporting himself with a stick made up of ice, Noah slowly dragged his exhausted body across the stone floor.

Each step sent a dull ache through his muscles.

The battle against Xavier had pushed him beyond his limits. Even after drinking recovery potions and receiving Mary’s healing magic, his body still protested with every movement.

Yet curiosity continued driving him forward. The chamber was strangely empty. Here there was no statues. There were no inscriptions. Nor there any treasure.

Only endless silence. His footsteps echoed faintly throughout the massive hall.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

After walking for some distance, something unusual caught his attention.

Noah stopped. "...Hm?"

The wall ahead looked. It wasn’t made from stone. He frowned. Slowly, he approached. The torchlight illuminated the surface.

His eyes widened slightly. "It... isn’t stone."

The entire wall was made of an enormous sheet of black crystal.

’Is it crystal? Glass?

It stretched from one end of the chamber to the other, perfectly smooth and seamless. Its surface was so dark that it resembled an endless night sky.

Noah stepped closer. The torchlight should have reflected brightly against it.

Instead, only a faint, dull glow appeared.

Almost as though the darkness itself was swallowing the light.

"...Strange."

He cautiously extended a hand. His fingertips touched the surface. A freezing sensation spread through his palm.

It wasn’t ordinary cold. It felt different, even for someone like him who uses ice element. This felt really weird.

As if the darkness beyond the glass had been sleeping for countless centuries.

Noah slowly slid his hand across the surface while walking alongside it. The glass remained perfectly smooth.

There were no cracks on it. The surface was smooth and plain.

"What is this...?"

His blue eyes narrowed. Something about the wall felt wrong. It wasn’t merely reflective. It almost didn’t feel like a wall at all.

Rather, it felt like a window that was looking into somewhere else. As if there was another chamber on other side. Another world existed there.

Or perhaps somewhere that shouldn’t exist.

That thought alone sent an inexplicable chill crawling down his spine. His grip on the torch tightened.

He raised it higher. The light of his torch barely illuminated the dark surface. Then Noah froze. His breathing stopped.

Far beyond the glass. At least ten meters inside, someone was standing there. It was silhouette that was perfectly still.

A human-shaped figure. It wasn’t reflected beside him. It wasn’t behind him. It was Inside the glass.

Noah’s pupils contracted. His heartbeat suddenly quickened.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

The torch trembled slightly in his hand. His mouth had gone completely dry.

He swallowed hard. The figure never moved.

It simply stood there watching him.

Noah unconsciously leaned closer. His blue eyes strained to pierce the unnatural darkness. Slowly more details emerged.

It looked as though another enormous corridor existed beyond the black glass. Then another transparent barrier.

And behind that another distant chamber. Inside that chamber, the humanoid figure remained motionless. Then it moved. It’s hand touched the surface of glass and tried to look at other side.

Its features were impossible to distinguish. Only its outline could be seen.

It was keenly watching Noah.

Every instinct in Noah’s body screamed that something was terribly wrong. A cold sweat trickled down his neck.

His breathing became shallow. He couldn’t look away.

The longer he stared. The more it felt as though the figure was staring back.

"Noah!"

Mary’s voice suddenly echoed across the hall.

He flinched violently. His heart nearly leaped out of his chest.

He spun around.

Mary was jogging toward him, concern clearly visible on her face.

"Noah?"

She stopped a few steps away.

"What happened?"

Only then did Noah realize how heavily he was breathing. His chest rose and fell rapidly. His forehead was covered in cold sweat.

His hand holding the torch trembled slightly. He immediately turned back toward the black glass.

"There!"

He pointed at it.

"Look!"

Mary frowned before following his gaze.

"...Where?"

"There was someone inside!"

Noah stepped closer again.

"I saw someone standing behind this glass."

Mary walked over and examined the surface carefully. The black wall reflected only the dim torchlight. There was nothing else. There was no distant corridor.

No mysterious chamber that he spoke about. There was no humanoid silhouette. Only Noah’s own reflection stared back at him.

He frowned deeply.

"...Impossible. I definitely saw someone."

Mary looked from the glass to Noah. Then back again. After several long seconds, she gently sighed.

"Noah... I think you’re simply exhausted. You pushed yourself far beyond your limits. You’ve lost a lot of blood. It’s possible you imagined it."

Noah remained silent. His eyes stayed fixed on the glass. His reflection stared back at him.

There was nothing more.

"...Maybe..."

Even as he said those words... He didn’t believe them. Because what he had seen. And it had felt far too real.

Mary gently touched his shoulder.

"Come on. We should rest. If this place is truly important, we can continue exploring after you’ve recovered."

Noah remained motionless for several more seconds.

Finally he nodded.

"...Alright."

The two of them slowly walked away from the mysterious black wall. Their footsteps gradually disappeared into the darkness.

Silence returned to the chamber once again.

The two of them slowly retraced their steps. Neither Noah nor Mary spoke.

The eerie silence of the ancient ruin pressed heavily upon them, broken only by the soft echoes of their footsteps.

Mary continued supporting Noah as they made their way back through the enormous hall. The torch in Noah’s hand cast long, flickering shadows across the ancient pillars.

Noah’s body ached with every step.

His muscles screamed in protest, and the deep wound across his chest throbbed despite the healing magic Mary had used earlier.

’I really pushed myself too far. ’ The battle against Xavier had drained nearly everything he had. His mana was almost exhausted. His body was barely holding together.

Still, he forced himself to remain alert.

After what he had witnessed beyond that strange black glass, he no longer believed this ruin was merely an abandoned temple.

It was something that perhaps should never have been disturbed.

Soon, the narrow passage leading back toward the Moon Goddess’ chamber came into view. They stepped through it cautiously. Then went in front of statue.

Then both of them froze. The torchlight illuminated two figures standing motionlessly at the entrance.

Neither of them had been there before.

One possessed neatly combed burgundy hair and calm amber eyes. He looked to be in his late twenties and wore dark leather armor beneath a long black cloak.

Beside him stood a broad-shouldered man with messy black hair and a thick beard. He carried a heavy sword resting casually against his shoulder.

Neither looked surprised.

They looked as though they had been waiting. The burgundy-haired man smiled faintly.

"So... In the end, someone really did find this place."

Silence filled the corridor.

Noah’s eyes narrowed immediately. His instincts screamed that these two weren’t ordinary explorers.

They were dangerous.

Without saying a word, Noah step forward.

Mary also reacted instantly. She raised her wand defensively while taking a defensive stance.

"Who are you two?"

Her voice echoed through the stone corridor. The two men exchanged amused glances.

Then both chuckled. The burgundy-haired man placed a hand over his chest and bowed slightly as though introducing himself at a formal gathering.

"My name is Boris."

He gestured toward the bearded man beside him.

"And this grumpy fellow is Albert."

Albert snorted.

"I hate introductions."

Boris ignored him and continued smiling.

"We came here on a mission."

His expression gradually turned cold.

"And unfortunately...You two also came here."

His amber eyes settled on Noah. "That means we can’t allow either of you to leave this place alive."

Mary’s grip around her wand tightened.

"What do you mean?"

Boris sighed dramatically.

"It means... We’re going to kill both of you."

The atmosphere instantly became suffocating.

Noah quietly shifted his footing. His breathing remained uneven, but his gaze never left the two men.

His exhausted body begged him to retreat. His instincts told him to run. But there was nowhere to run.

The narrow corridor behind them offered no escape. The only exit was blocked by the two strangers.

"Tch..."

Noah clicked his tongue softly. ’Of all the times...’

Boris smiled.

"It seems you’re ready."