Alia gazed at the stone monument before her. Its weathered surface suggested centuries of erosion, yet it emanated an undeniable, bone-chilling aura. The monument wasn't tall, only reaching about half the height of an average person, but it was imposing nonetheless. A large claw mark extended from the upper right corner to the lower left, as if something powerful had struck it in a moment of violence long ago. At the base of the monument, three deep holes punctured the stone, appearing as though a tremendous force had driven through. As Alia studied it more closely, her eyes fell upon a strange, teardrop-shaped mark near the center, catching the light just so. Intrigued, she stepped around to the back of the monument, where she found inscriptions etched into the stone in characters unfamiliar to her.
After all seven people examined the monument, Mike spoke first, "These characters seem ancient to me, I can only make out a few of them, they mention the 'Moon Palace' several times, seeming to describe the origin of this palace. I apologize, but this information isn't useful since you already learned the palace's name from the monument's front. I'm unsure about what the Moon Palace is and how one can access it."
Talon hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I've heard the elders in our clan mention the Moon Palace. It was a group of humans from a distant past who worshipped the moon. Legend has it that every individual who entered the Moon Palace as an ordinary person would soon gain special abilities. Some would acquire the strength, agility, and claws of a werewolf, while others would inherit the healing and flight abilities of vampires. Some could even transform into various beasts. They were on par with vampires and werewolves in the continent at that time, yet no one knew how they achieved such powers. Despite their immense strength, this powerful force vanished suddenly from history one day, leaving no trace behind. Only ancient records from other races contain fragments of their existence."
Emma exclaimed, "Talon, I've never heard of a story where humans worshipped the moon."
Alia, upon hearing the term Moon Palace, was also astonished. Her mother had also mentioned it when she was young; the Moon Palace was one of the influential powers on the continent. However, this power suddenly disappeared without a trace, leaving no clues. She began to wonder why there was a Moon Palace suddenly; was this the solution to a historical mystery, or was this just a trap?
She then asked, "Do you know about the two groups? The ones in front."
Peter answered, "That one is the 'Dragon Squad', with various professions, one of the renowned adventure teams on the continent. Their emblem is the legendary dragon, symbolizing their power and authority. As for the other group, I'm not sure, but they defeated a challenging team, and kill the all the members in the other team once, showing their strength and cruel."
Talon asked, "Have they seen this monument? Any reactions?"
Emma explained, "Yes, almost all the teams have seen it, but no one understands its meaning, so they just observe."
After that, they left the vicinity of the monument because staying too long would cause trouble.
The group followed Peter back to the camp and gathered together. Leona suddenly asked, "Talon, after this adventure, are you going back to the clan? Or staying? Or back to the Joy City?"
This question surprised everyone, including Talon, who answered after some thoughts, "I'm not sure; the outcome of the Moon Palace will influence my decision. If there are ancestral relics, I might escort them back to the clan."
Upon hearing this, Leona felt a bit unhappy and muttered softly, "Hope this Moon Palace will never been opened."
Although understanding the best friend's disappointment, Alia needed to make a decision and said, "Let's stay here for a few more days. I'll inform the Lord and see if he knows anything or has a solution."
Mike added, "I've reported to the Imperial Chancellor; he's very knowledgeable and might provide useful information."
As night fell, the sound of hooves broke the silence.
People around the Moon Palace vaguely felt that four people on horse were approaching, but strangely, they didn't light torches in the dark. It wasn't until they were close to the entrance of the Moon Palace that everyone saw their identities.
The leader, a charming man, said coldly, "We are here under the orders of the vampire King Henry to investigate this palace. Please leave."
There was an uproar in front of the Moon Palace. The vampire clan had kept a low profile since the incident five years ago, and their sudden appearance and expulsion of others stirred anger.
At that moment, a team of ten adventurers approached. One of them sneered, "If you were still under the lead of the Queen Lamia, we might have backed off. But now..."
Before he could finish, a blood-red flashed, and the leader of the adventurers fell to the ground clutching his neck, shocking the others.
The handsome vampire man spoke calmly, "Lamia no longer exists; she was the traitor. If you continue with stupid errors, don't blame us for being ruthless."
Upon seeing the vampires, Alia's heart sank at the mention of her mother's name, a wave of sadness washing over her. Instinctively, she checked the disguise technique she had learned from her mother, making sure it still concealed her true identity from the vampires. Before she could dwell too long on her emotions, Emma's voice cut through her thoughts, pulling her back to the present.
"Hmph," Emma snorted. She walked up to the vampires, mocking, "Always bullying weaker adventurers, little Charles, you've become more pitiful as you've lived longer. Vampires have even made you a leader, how pathetic."
Alia heard Emma speak and sighed inwardly, quickly suppressing the fluctuations of her vampire bloodline to avoid being detected.
"Hmph, even you werewolves are here to join the fun," Charles sneered, "Emma, you were just nobody. Today, I'll spare you for the sake of your Alpha. If you want to enter, go ahead, but you must follow us obediently."
"Charles, you're quite bold," Talon shouted angrily, stepping out of the camp, followed by Peter and other werewolves. Alia quietly told Leona and the soldiers, "It's just a minor conflict between vampires and werewolves for now. We better not intervene for now to avoid escalating the situation. If things worsen, then we'll lend a hand."
Seeing Talon step out, Charles's face changed drastically, showing some fear and hesitation as he said, "I didn't expect the werewolves to be so determined about the palace. Even Talon has come out."
"Hmph," Talon snorted, not bothering to respond further.
Charles then proposed, "Talon, as fellow moon-born beings, werewolves and vampires, why don't we join forces to drive out the others here? We can then compete inside the palace on equal terms. What do you say?"
Upon hearing this proposal, Talon was taken aback. While he saw the benefits for the werewolves in this suggestion, having more numbers meant more conflict. He was confident about facing Charles once only werewolves and vampires remained, but he was also under orders from Lord Allen and had to consider Leona and Alia. Therefore, he couldn't accept the proposal.
Before he could respond, Peter interjected, "You vampires are still as arrogant as ever. Why don't you open the door to the palace first?"
Surprised by Peter's comment, Charles led the remaining vampires to the front of the palace and discovered the ancient stone monument. He looked towards an unassuming vampire among them, and asked, "Howard, do you have any ideas?"
Howard approached the stone monument and carefully studied the inscriptions. After a moment, his expression changed slightly as he spoke, "This palace was built by the Moon Palace, a powerful force on the continent in the past. The inscriptions describe it as a palace for rituals, containing ceremonial artifacts and items gathered from various places. The lower inscription is a passphrase: 'Full moon appears, claws are severed, blood flows, Moon Palace returns.' This is likely the instruction to open the palace, but I'm not sure of its exact meaning."
"Tonight is a full moon, but it's obscured by clouds," a female vampire remarked in surprise.
"Claws, blood, claws," Howard muttered the passphrase quietly and then, in a commanding tone, said to Charles, "Go and inform the werewolves about this message and see how they react."
Charles, without any doubt or objection, walked up to Talon and said, "Howard deciphered the passphrase. In good faith, I'm telling you, it's 'Full moon appears, claws are severed, blood flows, Moon Palace returns.' The cooperation we discussed earlier still stands; I hope you'll consider it." With that, he turned and left.
Hearing Charles's information, the werewolves exchanged puzzled looks. Talon approached Alia and Leona, sharing the news with them.
Alia, hearing this, felt some skepticism. Even she, a princess, didn't recognize these ancient characters. She wondered if Howard, an unknown vampire, was a strategist for the traitorous faction. But now wasn't the time for such thoughts; she immediately began analyzing this new lead.
Suddenly, a beam of moonlight shone down, hitting the stone monument. "Boom!" The door slowly opened, revealing another door inside, engraved with the emblem of a werewolf!