On their way to Krelar, Raiko and his goons repeatedly beat up Hex for fun. Few days into the journey, and Hex could be seen tied up in the back of a carriage, battered and bruised. Hex thought to himself,
"These guys aren't holding back at all, but I expect nothing less. I did steal their loot, after all. It's nothing I'm not used to; I grew up in the slums, after all. Anyway, I've got bigger things to worry about. How the hell am I going to get these oafs into those ruins? If they find out I lied, they'll kill me. Then again, even if I do manage to get them in, they'll still kill me just for the fun of it. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, I have to think of a way to get in—and fast."
As predicted, they arrived at Krelar in a week, and unfortunately for Hex, he still hadn't thought of a way to get past the Jade Circles. Though a research branch of the military, the Jade Circle had a reasonable number of awakened magic users, which were a problem in their own right. Besides that, making a commotion at those ruins would attract the Cobalt Moons,the branch of the military who were in charge of enforcing the law. They camped in the woods not too far from the ruins but just far enough to avoid the scouts patrolling the area.
As the sun set, Hex lay tied up on the ground, separated from the group seated around the fire, roasting meat. Hex thought, "Damn it! All this time, and I still haven't thought of anything. If I try to steal even a little, Raiko will get suspicious and think I'm trying to trick him. What am I going to do? Think, Hex! Think! Maybe if I take a look around and get the lay of the land, I'll be able to come up with something."
"Hey, Raiko," Hex called out to Raiko who was currently stuffing himself with a large piece of meat.
"What?" he mumbled with his mouth full.
"I'd like to go for a little recon around the ruins," Hex said.
Raiko laughed. "You trying to get away, Hex?"
"If I had the chance, I definitely would, but that's not the point. I want to make sure everything is as it should be. If there's been any change in the guards' shifts or if they've brought in new workers and equipment—things like that. It'll be dangerous to go in without being prepared. Do you get what I'm saying?"
Raiko looked at Hex quietly before telling one of his goons to accompany Hex. "Try anything shady, and you're a dead man," Raiko warned.
Hex replied, "I'm a dead man either way."
The mercenary picked up a lantern, and Hex followed him into the woods, his hands still tied. As they gradually walked through the forest, a large, dilapidated ancient pentagonal structure came into view downhill, as if it had been buried for millennia. From a distance, it seemed as though the structure was covered with ancient writings and patterns. Several broken statues of different beasts lined the path to the entrance, numbering in the hundreds. Soldiers in light green Ulster coats, each adorned with a white line running vertically and forming a circle with five teeth on the back, patrolled the area. This was the uniform of the Jade Circles.
Hex and the mercenary continued to survey the ruins, noting several large tents set up not too far away, where soldiers were carrying artifacts and relics for further inspection. Both the ruins and the tents were heavily guarded.
"Damn it! This is going to be more difficult than I thought," Hex muttered.
"What did you say?" the mercenary asked.
"Nothing. You're hearing things. Must be all that meat you stuffed yourself with. Let's keep looking around."
They continued their reconnaissance. Under the full moon's light, Hex suddenly noticed an orange patch down the hill. Squinting to get a better look, he smirked. "This'll do nicely."
"What is it again?" the mercenary asked.
"It's nothing serious. I was just thinking about how it feels being at the bottom of the barrel. It's always [imitating Raiko] 'Hey, you, go get this for me,' 'Hey, you, pick that up for me,' 'Hey, you, do this for me.' While the other guys get to sit back and relax. Could you be any more of a loser?"
The mercenary, looking vexed, warned, "Watch your mouth, mole."
"Mole, huh? At least they know this mole's name. What do they call you? Let me guess: grunt? Lackey? Shit face? Dick for brai—"
"Shut up!" the mercenary shouted, instantly punching Hex in the face. Hex tripped and tumbled down the hill.
"Shit! Raiko is gonna kill me," the mercenary muttered.
Meanwhile, Hex rolled to the bottom of the hill. "Ouch, that hurt a lot more than I expected," he groaned. Struggling to get back on his feet, he eventually did and limped toward the orange patch he had seen, gradually picking up speed and running through the trees. After a while, he stopped. "I knew it; this might be the answer to my problems," he said. The orange patch turned out to be a bunch of wild orange roses called honey roses. Hex plucked them and tied them into several bunches. He pulled out some vials from his belt, mixed them, and poured the powdery substance on the roses, then hid them in a nearby hole. He plucked a few more roses and stuffed them into his pockets before quickly leaving.
Meanwhile, the mercenary was frantically looking for Hex, calling out his name in a low voice to avoid drawing attention. Suddenly, Hex appeared behind him and startled him. "For a big bad mercenary, you're not very smart. But then again, intelligence isn't part of your job description."
The mercenary, looking relieved after finding Hex, asked, "Where did you run off to?"
"Uhm, down the hill that you punched me off, genius," Hex replied.
"That's enough recon. We're going back to camp," the mercenary said, shoving Hex in the direction of the camp.
"No objections here," Hex replied. They returned to the camp and fell asleep for the night. The plan was to break into the ruins shortly before dawn.
Meanwhile, several carriages made their way through the forest. They were soldiers—the Cobalt Moons, to be exact—easily recognized by their blue uniforms with a black crescent on the chest. Inside one of these carriages was a sixth-tier officer, Captain Eric Wiart. He was a tall, dark-haired man with a missing left eye and right hand. He wore an eye patch to cover his eye and sported a goatee. In the same carriage was Lieutenant Scott Lane, who looked quite young.
Captain Wiart grumbled, "Why do I need to be here? All they're doing is looking at a bunch of old rubbish. I'm sure they can do that without my protection. They've been doing it for weeks now."
Lieutenant Lane replied, "There must be something interesting about these ruins for the higher-ups to send you here," he remarked.
Captain Wiart grumbled, "They better be, or I might end up hanging myself."
Fast forward to the early hours of the morning, while it was still dark out. Hex and Raiko's gang were preparing to break into the ruins. Hex was seen rubbing a paste over his body. One of the mercenaries spotted him and asked, "What are you doing?"
Hex replied, "It's for good luck, plus I hear the smell draws the ladies in."
The mercenary wrinkled his nose. "That smells awful. Keep your distance, mole."
Hex smirked. They packed up their gear and headed down the hill. In total, there were seven of them, including Hex, Raiko, and five goons. They hid in the bushes just before the broken beast statues. Raiko asked, "Where's your secret entrance, Hex?"
Hex replied, "Follow me." They followed him to the hole where he had left the bunch of roses. He pulled them out, and Raiko, looking confused, asked, "What are those?"
Hex smiled and said, "Our way in." They returned to their original position. Hex asked one of the mercenaries to light the flowers and throw them as far as he could. The mercenary did just that.
"Now what?" Raiko asked.
"Now we wait," Hex replied. They crouched in the bushes and waited. After a while, they started hearing sounds.
The mercenary asked, "What's that? It sounds like a song." Hex replied, "A hymn, to be specific. It's the sound evensong bees make when they fly. If you mix honey rose with certain substances, it produces a scent the bees can't resist. Oh, and a quick heads up—this species is very, very aggressive." Hex had learnt a lot about wild life and plants through his expeditions in the wilderness
Suddenly, swarms of bees converged on the ruins and attacked everything in sight except Hex. While Raiko and his crew screamed in pain, Hex immediately went for Raiko's dagger and stabbed him in the eye, saying, "A parting gift to remember me by." Raiko screamed in agony. Hex then used the dagger to cut the rope around his hands and made a break for one of the carriages.
Suddenly, the carriage was destroyed by a fireball from one of the mages who noticed Hex trying to get away. "Surrender now or face the consequences," the mage commanded.
"Shit, mages!" Hex muttered. He was followed by other mages who helped repel the swarm of bees while gradually surrounding Hex. With nowhere left to go, Hex ran into the ruins but was chased by the mage who used flames. Hex managed to lose him in the maze-like corridors of the ruins. Stopping to catch his breath and think of his next move, Hex heard voices.
"Dahlia, we shouldn't be here right now. We're not permitted to be in this part of the ruin, plus those bees are still swarming. They might come in here," one voice said.
Dahlia replied, "Lowly insects cannot keep me away from my research. Now be silent and assist me."
A piece of the pillar Hex was hiding behind fell and made noise, which immediately drew Dahlia's attention. "Who's there?" Dahlia asked.
"Damn it," Hex muttered, then stepped out.
Dahlia and her assistant turned to face him. Hex raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Just trying to stay alive. I got chased in here by some very angry people."
"You're a thief, aren't you?" Perus accused, stepping forward. He was tall and timid, his two pairs of large wings covered in brilliant blue feathers shifting nervously behind him. As an Ikariin, one of the six superior races that made up the Higher Order, he towered over most humans, but Perus seemed smaller than most of his kind, his gentle demeanor only adding to his unassuming presence.
Before Hex could respond, Dahlia stood beside Perus, her cold gaze fixed on him. A beautiful young woman with fiery red hair that fell gracefully around her shoulders, she exuded an aura of authority and determination. Her sharp features and the chilling look in her eyes made it clear that she cared for nothing but her research, making her beauty feel both captivating and intimidating.
"What are you doing here?" Dahlia demanded.
Before Hex could respond, the mage from earlier burst into the room, flames dancing in his hands. "There you are!" he shouted, launching a fireball at Hex. Hex dodged, and the fireball hit the wall, revealing a hidden staircase leading to a lower level. The impact caused debris to fall, temporarily blocking the mage from following them.
Dahlia's eyes lit up with curiosity. "A hidden passage! How intriguing."
Perus hesitated. "We're not authorized to be here, Dahlia. This could get us into serious trouble."
"Insects cannot keep me away from my research. That includes the ones that look human," Dahlia repeated, ignoring Perus's concerns.
Hex turns to Perus "seems like shes not listening type." Perus ignores him and follows dahlia, Hex sighs and says "what do i have to lose?" Dahlia leads the way down the stairs, with Hex and Perus following reluctantly.
They entered a large secret chamber, its walls adorned with intricate carvings and ancient symbols. At the center of the room hovered a violet, fluctuating energy orb above what looked like a shrine. The orb pulsed with an otherworldly light, casting eerie shadows across the chamber.
Perus, looking around nervously, said, "Dahlia, we shouldn't be here right now. The Sergeant already has it out for you. He doesn't like you poking around these ruins, and he's been restricting your access. If we're caught here, it'll only make things worse."
Dahlia ignored him, her eyes fixed on the orb. "This is incredible. The mana radiating of this orb is ridiculous."
Hex glanced around the chamber, his eyes locking onto the violet orb floating ominously above the shrine. As he looked at it, a strange pull began to grow in his mind, like a whisper that only he could hear. It was faint at first, like a low hum, but it quickly grew louder, more insistent. His heart raced, and he felt a pressure building in his chest.
"What... what is this?" he muttered, eyes widening as the orb seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat.
Dahlia noticed him staring. "Don't even think about going near that, thief. It's a priceless relic."
But Hex barely heard her. The orb was calling to him, like it was beckoning him forward, whispering promises he couldn't quite make out. He took a step closer, his mind clouded by a need he couldn't resist.
"Hey stop!" Perus called out, sensing something was wrong, but Hex moved as if in a trance. His hand slowly reached out, his fingers trembling.
"I have to..." Hex whispered, his voice barely audible, as if he wasn't in control of his own body anymore.
The moment his fingers brushed against the surface of the orb, a shockwave of energy exploded through him. His body seized up, and he screamed as the power of the orb coursed through his veins. It felt like his very soul was being torn apart and rebuilt all at once. His skin stretched, bones cracked, and his body warped into a grotesque, monstrous form.
Hex screamed in agony as his body was deformed. Tendrils made of muscle protruded from his back with tips made of bone, long bone-like claws formed to replace his fingers, and most of his skin was gone, leaving bare muscles and bone exposed. His face transformed into a grotesque visage, with sharp teeth protruding from his skeletal features. He let out a monstrous roar, transformed into some type of monster, and jumped through the roof of the secret chamber.
Hex went on a killing spree, using his tendrils and claws to slash and impale mages and soldiers. The mages were unable to stop him as their spells dealt little damage to him, and the damage they did manage to inflict quickly regenerated. He killed all the mages in his path and smashed through the ruins until he got outside just at the break of dawn. The carriages from earlier could be seen rolling in, but they all suddenly stopped upon seeing the monster rampaging.Captain Wiart came out with a smile and said, "Finally, something interesting."