Reborn as the Last van Ambrose-Chapter 122: Deeper Into the Ruins

Grim watched as the three figures disappeared beneath the glowing water.

"Grim!" Lianna’s voice called again. He turned to see her picking her way down the rocky path toward him, Huangyan and a couple guards were close by. frёeωebɳovel.com

His momentary surprise turned to irritation. "It’s nowhere near midnight," he said as she approached. "We had an agreement."

"An agreement I never intended to keep," Lianna replied. "Did you really think we’d leave you alone after what happened at Southridge?"

"I can handle myself," Grim said. "You just ruined any chance I had to figure out what’s going on."

Huangyan reached them. "We observed them from the hillside. Those weren’t human."

"Obviously," Grim said. "They might have communicated if you hadn’t startled them."

"Or they might have skewered you with those tridents," Lianna countered. "What were they?"

Grim turned away from them both, looking back at the glowing water. "I don’t know. But I intend to find out."

"We should return to Port Velmira and report what we’ve seen," Huangyan suggested.

"You go," Grim said. "I’m staying."

Lianna stepped in front of him. "If you’re staying, we’re staying."

Grim looked at her stubborn expression and knew further argument was pointless. "Fine. But keep your distance and don’t interfere unless I signal for help."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked deeper into the ruins, following the receding tide that continued to reveal more of the ruins.

The ruins stretched as far as Grim could see. It wasn’t just a few buildings, but an entire civilization that had been swallowed by the sea. He walked along what once must have been streets, now covered in sand and seaweed. Buildings made of a pale stone similar to limestone. Some were small houses, others were massive structures that might have been meeting halls or marketplaces.

Grim passed through a narrow passage between two tall buildings. The walls were covered in carvings of fish and sea creatures, some he recognized, others completely foreign to him. The stone felt smooth under his fingers.

The passage opened into a large open area. In the center stood a massive statue, twice as tall as Grim. Though eroded by time and sea, it clearly depicted a dragon-like creature with a crown upon its head.

Beyond the plaza, a grand staircase led downward, deeper into the ruins. The blue-green light illuminated steps descending into what looked like a temple. Stone columns lined the entrance, each carved to resemble water swirling upward.

Grim descended the stairs carefully. Each step took him deeper below what would have been the normal sea level.

The temple opened into a vast hall with a ceiling so high that the light didn’t reach it. Smaller statues lined the walls, each representing a different creature. One had wings sprouting from its serpentine body. Another appeared to be breathing fire. A third held what looked like lightning bolts in its claws. Grim recognized the water dragon he’d fought - the Jiaolong - depicted with waves cascading around it.

The glowing water made navigation easy, illuminating pathways that had likely been submerged for centuries. Grim moved carefully, mindful of unstable terrain. Despite the water, many areas remained partially submerged and dark making it hard to see how far it went.

He stepped on something hard that cracked beneath his boot. Looking down, Grim saw the remains of a shell-like object. He crouched to examine it, finding similar debris scattered across the plaza. Not food remnants, but what appeared to be pieces of armor or tools, crafted from materials he couldn’t identify.

"These weren’t made by human hands," he muttered to himself.

Grim continued deeper into the ruins. Fish darted in the shallow pools around his boots, somehow trapped here when larger waters receded. Their scales caught the blue-green light, flashing as they moved.

In what appeared to be a central building, larger and more ornate than those surrounding it, Grim found a wall covered in carvings more intact than any he’d seen so far. The glowing water had receded completely here, leaving the wall fully visible.

The carvings depicted nine creatures. Arranged in a circle around what appeared to be a temple or palace. The central structure was elaborately detailed, with multiple tiers and decorated with pearls or gems.

Each creature had been carved with meticulous attention to detail.

"Do you know what this is?" Grim murmured, addressing the voice that occasionally spoke in his mind.

For a moment, there was only silence. Then:

[Yes. The Nine Sons of the Dragon King and his palace.]

Grim stared at the carving, feeling the weight of something ancient and significant. "Tell me more."

[Not yet. You aren’t ready.]

"Ready for what?" Grim pressed, but the voice fell silent once more.

He reached out, tracing the outline of the central palace with his fingertips. The stone felt unusually warm, vibrating slightly under his touch. As he moved his hand across the carving, droplets of water formed on the surface, trickling down like tears.

Grim pulled his hand back in surprise. The water continued to seep from the carving for a moment, then stopped. Behind him, the pools of trapped seawater began to glow more intensely.

He turned to look back toward where he’d left Huangyan and Lianna. They were distant figures now, watching from the edge of the ruins. Turning back to the carving, Grim placed his palm flat against the image of the palace.

This time, the reaction was immediate. The entire wall began to glow with the same blue-green light as the water. Lines of greenish light spread outward from his hand.

The voice spoke again, clearer than Grim had ever heard it:

[It’s clear who ever lived here before worshipped the Dragon King and his son’s.]

The glow began to fade, retreating back toward Grim’s hand until only the area beneath his palm remained illuminated. Then that too faded, leaving the wall as it had been before, though Grim could swear the expressions on the carved creatures had somehow changed.

He stood there in silence, trying to make sense of what had happened.