The shard's glowing line guided the trio through a narrow canyon bathed in an orange-red hue. The walls, made of jagged, blackened rock, radiated heat, as though the entire area pulsed with dormant fire. Each step forward seemed to amplify the warmth, making the air shimmer like a mirage.
"Looks like we've entered the oven," Mia muttered, wiping sweat from her brow. "This must be the Ashen Ruins."
Ryan nodded, his grip tightening on his halberd. "Keep your eyes open. This place doesn't feel like it's going to welcome us with open arms."
Lily's pendant glowed faintly, its usual calm light now flickering with unease. "The energy here feels volatile. Like it's barely contained."
[New Zone Discovered: The Ashen Ruins]
[New Objective: Secure the Second Anchor Node]
The canyon opened into a massive expanse of scorched earth and rivers of molten lava. In the center of the field stood a towering obsidian spire, its surface veined with glowing red cracks. Surrounding it were three massive braziers, each unlit but radiating faint energy.
As they approached, a notification appeared:
[Objective Updated: Ignite the Braziers to Activate the Anchor Node]
"Ignite the braziers? Sounds simple enough," Mia said, her tone skeptical. "What's the catch?"
Ryan stepped closer, his eyes scanning the area. "Probably whatever's going to try and stop us."
As if on cue, the ground trembled, and molten figures began to rise from the lava streams. Their forms were humanoid but grotesque, with glowing cracks that leaked fiery energy.
[Enemies Spawned: Lava Golems – HP: 1,000/1,000 each]
"And there it is," Mia muttered, drawing her bow. "Let's light them up."
The Lava Golems advanced slowly, their heavy footsteps leaving scorch marks on the ground. Ryan charged forward, activating [Courage Strike (Advanced)]. His halberd glowed brilliantly as it cleaved into the nearest Golem, sending molten fragments flying.
[Damage Dealt: 400 HP](Lava Golem HP: 600/1,000)
Mia loosed a volley of arrows, each one striking the Golems with precision. The radiant energy from her shots caused cracks to widen across their molten forms.
[Damage Dealt: 300 HP to each enemy]
(Lava Golem HP: 700/1,000, 500/1,000)
Lily cast [Sanctuary], creating a protective zone around the group. "I'll keep us healed. Focus on taking them down!"
Ryan swung his halberd in a wide arc, activating [Lightforged Strike (Enhanced)]. The radiant energy exploded on impact, shattering one of the Golems completely.
[Enemy Defeated: Lava Golem]
The remaining Golems retaliated, hurling molten projectiles that exploded on contact. Ryan dodged to the side, while Lily's protective magic absorbed the brunt of the blasts.
[Damage Absorbed: 200 HP]
Mia fired a precision shot at the core of another Golem, the arrow piercing through its chest and causing it to collapse into a pool of lava.
[Enemy Defeated: Lava Golem]
With the final Golem weakened, Ryan delivered the finishing blow with [Resonant Blade (Enhanced)], his halberd slicing cleanly through its torso.
[Enemy Defeated: Lava Golem]
With the Golems defeated, the trio turned their attention to the braziers. Each one required a specific sequence to ignite, with symbols etched into their bases glowing faintly.
"These symbols look like a puzzle," Lily said, examining the nearest brazier. "The shard might help us figure it out."
Ryan raised the shard, its light projecting a pattern that matched the symbols. He rotated the brazier's base to align the symbols, and it roared to life, flames bursting upward.
[Brazier 1 of 3 Ignited]
The ground trembled again, and more Lava Golems emerged, accompanied by smaller, faster creatures made of pure flame.
[New Enemies Spawned: Flame Sprites – HP: 400/400 each]
"They just don't quit!" Mia shouted, firing at the Sprites as they darted toward the group. Her arrows struck true, dispersing them in bursts of flame.
[Enemies Defeated: 3 Flame Sprites]
Ryan and Lily worked together to ignite the second brazier. As Lily held off the advancing Sprites with [Celestial Flare], Ryan aligned the shard's light with the brazier's symbols. It ignited with another roar of flame.
[Brazier 2 of 3 Ignited]
The final brazier required all three of them to coordinate. Mia covered their advance, firing arrows to keep the enemies at bay while Ryan and Lily manipulated the symbols. With a final adjustment, the brazier ignited, and the ground around the spire began to glow.
[Brazier 3 of 3 Ignited]
The obsidian spire pulsed brightly, and a beam of light shot upward, connecting with the swirling sky above. A notification appeared:
[Anchor Node Stabilized: 2 of 5 Secured]
From the base of the spire, a glowing ember emerged, radiating intense heat. Ryan picked it up carefully, feeling its energy hum through his fingers.
[New Item Acquired: Ember Core]
Passive Effect: Heat Resistance – Reduces fire damage by 20%.
Active Skill: Inferno Surge – Unleashes a wave of fire that damages enemies and increases allies' attack speed for 15 seconds. Cooldown: 90 seconds.
"Two down," Ryan said, pocketing the Ember Core. "And we're still standing."
"Barely," Mia replied, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "Let's hope the next one's a little cooler."
Lily smiled faintly, her pendant glowing softly. "We'll handle it, no matter what."
The shard projected another glowing line, this time pointing toward a distant mountain range shrouded in mist. The trio exchanged glances before setting off, their resolve unshaken as they pursued the next Anchor.