The sight of more than a dozen enraged Terracottas froze the group where they stood.

For a fleeting instant, they forgot entirely about the colossal statue animating behind them as their minds struggled to process the impossible scene unfolding before their eyes...

Truthfully, none of them had given much thought to the Terracottas anymore.

At first, they had remained cautious, never allowing the kneeling constructs to leave the corner of their vision while they investigated the sarcophagi.

Every movement had been measured, every discovery accompanied by the silent fear that the stone guardians might awaken once more; yet time had a peculiar way of dulling vigilance.

Minute after minute passed without incident as the statues neither stirred nor showed the slightest trace of hostility. Instead, they remained kneeling before the dais in unwavering silence, resembling loyal sentinels paying eternal homage to their long-deceased masters.

And without realizing it, each member of the group had subconsciously accepted a dangerous assumption.

The danger had passed; after all the Terracottas had already surrendered... Or so they had believed because now, every single construct stood once more.

They lined the base of the dais in flawless formation, their ranks as orderly as disciplined soldiers awaiting the command of a supreme commander. Crimson light burned beneath their ancient visors, illuminating emotionless stone faces while spears, maces, swords and shields gleamed coldly beneath the mingled golden and scarlet light filling the crypt.

The statues didn’t move not charge; instead, they simply stared, and their silent, unwavering gaze alone was enough to send icy chills crawling down every spine.

But despite that, something felt strangely wrong. Unlike before, the Terracottas made no attempt to attack; neither of them advanced nor did they even lift a weapon.

They merely stood motionless, as though waiting for something. Or... Someone.

The unsettling stillness barely had time to settle before a deafening rumble erupted behind them...

RUMBLE!!!

The entire obsidian dais trembled violently beneath their feet and immediately, everyone instinctively whipped around...

The colossal six-winged guardian had moved. Before, only the crimson glow within its eye sockets had hinted at life, but now, its entire body had awakened.

Stone fragments cascaded from its enormous shoulders like a miniature landslide while ancient cracks rapidly spread across its towering frame.

Layer upon layer of weathered rock that had remained undisturbed for countless centuries peeled away piece by piece, crashing against the floor in thunderous echoes.

Ancient joints groaned as they slowly bent...

The sound resembled mountains grinding against one another.

It was so deep and heavy that everyone could feel the vibrations within their own bones.

Then suddenly, a gigantic hand slowly tightened around the hilt of the enormous Greatsword planted beside it.

A finger curled first, then another... And another. Each movement released another violent explosion of dust...

Behind the guardian, the six magnificent wings shuddered as chunks of petrified stone splintered from every feather before tumbling toward the dais below. Layer after layer of rocky shell crumbled away until brilliant metallic wings emerged beneath...

They didn’t look carved from stone at all, instead, they appeared metallic. A strange silver radiance coursed beneath their polished surface like liquid moonlight flowing through veins of stone.

Unlike the lifeless metal composing the Terracottas, these wings possessed an unsettling vitality. Furthermore, the strange metal seem to also make up the knight’s armour...

The giant detached itself from the wall into which it had been built; and the moment its first step landed upon the dais...

BOOM!

The entire crypt shook violently...

Fine fractures raced across the obsidian platform beneath its immense weight; dust rained endlessly from the ceiling while loose fragments of stone shattered upon the floor...

Then came the next step and then the guardian finally stood directly before them, towering above the eight exiles like a mountain given form...

An indescribable pressure descended upon the chamber immediately...

For one horrifying moment, everyone felt as though the atmosphere itself had become impossibly heavy.

Their lungs refused to draw breath, their hearts instinctively quailed, and even the surrounding air seemed to have become sluggish beneath the guardian’s overwhelming presence...

Unlike the Terracottas below, whose disciplined ranks resembled soldiers faithfully protecting something sacred, this colossal guardian radiated unquestionable authority.

Standing before it didn’t feel like facing a statue nor did it resemble confronting a powerful monster; instead, it felt as though they had trespassed upon the domain of an ancient deity awakened from endless slumber.

And perhaps, a deity given physical form was exactly what it is...

The guardian slowly turned its head, sweeping its blazing crimson eyes across the eight intruders standing below...

The movement was deliberate, measured, and almost judgmental; like a god silently assessing whether a soul deserves damnation or salvation.

For one dreadful heartbeat, nothing happened. Time itself seem to freeze under the gaze of the statue, then... The six metallic wings unfurled completely.

Metal scraped violently against metal and instantly, a piercing shriek echoed throughout the crypt...

The giant slowly lifted his Greatsword into the air...

Seeing this, Regaleon’s pupils contracted instantly. His instincts screamed wildly as he understood what was coming next.

"Scatter...!" His warning echoed sharply across the crypt.

The word had barely left his lips when the guardian swung.

WHOOSH!

The colossal blade tore through the air with terrifying speed, producing a deafening roar that overwhelmed every other sound inside the crypt.

The attack wasn’t merely a slash. Instead , it resembled a tidal wave crashing through space itself as the pressure generated by the swing alone shattered loose stones across the dais before the blade had even landed...

"SCATTER!" Regaleon roared again.

And this time, his voice finally shattered the paralysis gripping everyone else. Instinct took over immediately as bodies threw themselves in every direction...

Aureleah reacted first.

The silver-haired Assassin seized Sylveris by the arm and violently pulled the younger girl backward before wrapping herself protectively around her...

Meanwhile, as the rest scrambled to safety, Veyrath didn’t move.

The failed Alchemist remained rooted to the spot, his terrified mind refusing to obey his body.

Clearly, fear had petrified him to the extent that he didn’t know how to react in this situation. But thankfully...

"Move!" Regaleon yelled, lunging toward him...

With a powerful shove, the Forgotten Knight sent Veyrath sprawling several meters away.

Almost simultaneously, the gigantic Greatsword slammed into the exact place where they had stood only a heartbeat earlier...

BOOM!!!

The impact shook the entire crypt as a deafening explosion echoed endlessly throughout the underground chamber...

The obsidian dais erupted as massive slabs of stone burst skyward like deadly projectiles.

Fragments the size of an Aether Core hurtled through the air with terrifying force while smaller shards transformed into a storm of razor-sharp debris...

Aureleah tightened her embrace around Sylveris as stone fragments repeatedly slammed into her back and shoulders.

Each impact sent waves of agony throughout her body until it felt as though every bone had turned to jelly. But still, she refused to let go as she literally became a human shield for her younger sister...

Nearby, Valmyr reacted with a surprising speed.

The failed Vanguard materialized his Shield instantly. Planting the Soul Essence before him, alongside Vaelorin, Caelestra and Kaeloris, he was able to protect them from the debris.

The shield shook violently beneath the relentless barrage. The force behind the impacts were terrifying as each collision actually forced Valmyr another step backward...

On the opposite side, Regaleon positioned himself before Veyrath.

Stone fragments hammered against his armor like cannon fire, creating series of clanking sound that echoed repeatedly when the deluge connected with his Soul Essence.

Suddenly, one particularly massive slab struck directly against his chest...

BAM!

A dull grunt escaped him as the impact rattled every organ within his body. For a terrifying instant, blood surged into his throat, and he nearly coughed it out...

But he forced it back while enduring the barrage. His feet never yielded as he planted himself between Veyrath and the unceasing onslaught.

Moments later... Silence returned once more.

A dense cloud of dust swallowed the entire dais, dropping the visibility to almost nothing. For some brief seconds, only the faint crimson glow of countless eyes pierced through the haze like stars shining within a blood-red sky.

Then gradually, the dust settled. And the eight survivors cautiously raised their heads...

Regaleon’s expression immediately darkened as his golden gaze swept across the aftermath.

A gigantic trench now split the obsidian dais. It was several meters deep and long as the guardian’s single strike had nearly cleaved the platform apart.

Yet, amidst this destruction, something impossible immediately caught the failed Knight’s attention...

The three sarcophagi remained completely untouched. There was neither a single cracked nor a single chipped stone on them, almost as though the overwhelming force of the attack had deliberately curved around them.

Normally, such a discovery would have fascinated Regaleon, provoking another series of speculations and investigations...

This alone had confirmed beyond doubt that the coffins, or whatever lay hidden beneath them, were protected by an incomprehensibly powerful force...

But unfortunately, there was no time to dwell upon the revelation because the colossal guardian was already moving once again...

Its Greatsword slowly rose for another strike; and at that very same moment, below the dais, the Terracottas were finally advancing.

One synchronized step after another echoed throughout the crypt as the entire army began climbing the steps, marching toward the trapped exiles...