Beast Evolution Forge-Chapter 188: Ruin

"Guess we have to fight huh." Wren said, looking annoyed. She wanted to go look for Vell. "guess I will lash out at you guys." She moved so fast it looked like she teleported. Her mana claws sliced through one, causing it to disappear. 'that didn't feel right, my attack went through it?'

The monster reappeared behind her and tried to catch her off guard but her senses were too sharp for that. She kicked it without turning her body but the same thing happened again. 'strange, its like hitting air.'

She was confused. Her attacks went right through the sand demon like it was made of air. Even when she kicked it, nothing happened.

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"Guys, physical attacks don't work!" she called to the others. "They're like ghosts!"

Regina quickly analyzed the situation. "They're made of sand and wind! We need to use magic or elemental attacks!"

Ruby stepped forward, her new bracers glowing blue. "Let me try something!" She focused her mana into a water-like sphere and threw it at the nearest sand demon. When it hit, the demon screeched as part of its body dissolved into mud.

"That's it!" Jolly shouted. "Water works against them!"

Jia pulled out her daggers, channeling her mana to create a water-like coating on the blades. "Let's do this!"

The girls formed a circle, back-to-back. There were at least six sand demons surrounding them, their red eyes glowing in the storm.

"Where's Master when we need him?" Ruby muttered, preparing another water attack.

Meanwhile, inside the collapsed tunnel, Vell was pushing heavy rocks aside. The Desert Fang dagger cut through stone easily, helping him clear a path.

"Those girls better not be breaking their training," he said to himself. He had thrown them out to save them, but also to test how they would handle the situation without him.

Back outside, the battle was getting intense. The sand demons moved quickly, disappearing and reappearing around the girls. When hit with water or magic, they would shriek and fall apart, but quickly reform.

"They keep coming back!" Wren shouted, dodging a swipe from sharp sand claws.

Regina was focusing her magic, creating a large spell circle. "I need more time! Keep them busy!"

Jolly and Jia moved in perfect sync, covering each other as they attacked the demons. Ruby used her new bracers to create quick water blasts, keeping the monsters at bay.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them shook. A large crack appeared in the rocks where the cave had collapsed. With a final explosion of stone, Vell emerged, brushing dust from his clothes.

"Master!" Ruby cried happily.

He looked at the situation calmly. "I see you've been busy."

"These things won't stay dead! Only magic works." Wren complained.

"Well don't look at me," he sat down, watching them. "I can't use magic so this is all you guys." He smiled, amused at how things turned out.

The sand demons kept attacking them.

"Just a little longer," Regina said as her spell circle grew larger. The magic energy swirled around her hands.

Wren fought fiercely, her speed making her hard to hit. "These things are annoying!" she shouted as she dodged another attack.

Ruby used her water magic from a distance. "The water works, but they keep coming back!"

Vell watched from his spot on a rock. He wanted to see how his team would handle this without his help. "Consider this a test," he called out to them. "Show me what you've learned."

Regina's spell was finally ready. "Everyone move back!" she shouted.

The girls jumped away from the sand demons. She released her spell - a massive wave of blue energy that spread across the battlefield. When it touched the sand demons, they froze in place.

"Now!" she yelled. "Hit them while they're frozen!"

The team attacked all at once. Ruby shot water blasts, Wren slashed with her claws, and Jolly and Jia struck with their mana-coated weapons. This time, the sand demons didn't reform.

[Sand Demons defeated. 200 points per demon. 1200 points earned.]

"Good work," he said, standing up. He walked over to them, checking if anyone was hurt. "You handled that well without me."

"The storm is calming down," Wren noticed. The wind was getting weaker, and they could see farther now.

"Let's go back to town," he suggested. "We found a water source and an artifact. That's enough for today."

As they walked, Regina studied the medallion they had found. "This is very old," she said. "I think it might open something important."

"We'll figure it out later," he replied. "For now, let's rest and plan our next move."

They reached the town as the suns were setting. The streets were busy with other players returning from their quests.

At the inn, they found Ember waiting for them. "You survived your first day," she said with a smile. "Not bad."

"Thanks for the warning about the sand storms," he said. "It helped us prepare."

"Did you run into any sand demons?" she asked.

"Yes," Ruby answered. "They were tough, but we beat them."

Ember looked impressed. "Most new teams struggle with those. The Desert Kings will be watching you now."

"Let them watch," Wren said confidently. "We're not afraid."

Vell gave her a warning look. "Don't get too confident. We still have a lot to learn about this floor."

They ate dinner together, sharing stories about their day. The medallion they found was safely tucked away in Vell's pocket.

"Tomorrow, we should try to find more water sources," Regina suggested. "Or explore another ruin."

"I want to try the Twin Sun Trial," Jolly said. "It gives the most points."

"We'll see," he replied. "For now, get some rest. Tomorrow will be another long day."

After the team finished dinner and talked about their plans for the next day, they went to their rooms to rest. The desert floor had tested them with its harsh conditions, but they had proven themselves capable of handling the challenges even without Vell's direct help.

The next morning, they gathered in the inn's common area. Vell was already there, studying a map of the desert area.

"I've decided we'll look for more water sources today," he said as the girls joined him. "But we'll also keep an eye out for ruins. That medallion we found yesterday might be useful."

"Do you think it's part of a set?" Regina asked, looking at the blue medallion he had placed on the table.

"Possibly. Its design suggests it could be one piece of something larger," he replied.

Ruby's ears perked up. "Maybe there are more hidden in other ruins!"

"That's what we'll find out. Eat something first. The desert drains your energy quickly."

After breakfast, they left the settlement, heading in a different direction than yesterday. The suns were already climbing in the orange sky, promising another hot day.

"Remember to maintain your cooling barriers," he reminded them. "And watch for any signs of sand demons."

They walked for about an hour before Regina spotted something unusual in the distance.

"Look there," she pointed. "Those rock formations aren't natural."

As they got closer, they could see she was right. The rocks were arranged in a circle, with strange symbols carved into them. In the center was a small altar similar to the one they found underground.

"Be careful," he warned. "This might be trapped."

Regina examined the symbols. "These match the ones on our medallion."

He took out the blue medallion and compared it to the carvings. "You're right. There must be a connection."

"Maybe we should place the medallion on the altar?" Ruby suggested.

"Let me check for traps first," Jia said. She carefully inspected the altar and surrounding area. "It seems safe, but stand back just in case."

He handed the medallion to Jia. "Go ahead."

She placed the blue disk on the altar. At first, nothing happened. Then the ground began to rumble slightly. The team tensed, ready for danger, but instead of monsters appearing, the sand between the rock circle began to sink, revealing a spiral staircase leading underground.

"Another hidden ruin," Wren grinned. "Let's go!"

"Wait," he said. "We need to be more careful than yesterday. No rushing in."

They descended the stairs carefully, with Regina providing light. The staircase went deep underground until they reached a large chamber. Unlike the collapsed ruin from yesterday, this one was intact and well-preserved. The walls were covered with elaborate paintings showing people worshipping the twin suns and working with what looked like complicated machines.

"These people had advanced technology," Regina said, examining the paintings. "Look at these devices. They seem to be water purifiers or collectors."

In the center of the chamber stood a large mechanism. It had multiple slots around its edge, one of which seemed to match the shape of their medallion.

"I think we need more medallions to make this work," Jolly observed.

"There must be more ruins with more medallions. This could be the key to clearing this floor faster."

"There's something else," Regina said, pointing to another wall. "This painting shows a structure far in the deep desert. It might be important."

"Copy everything down," he instructed. "We'll come back when we have more medallions."

They explored the chamber thoroughly, finding useful information about the desert floor's history and challenges. When they finished, they climbed back to the surface, taking their medallion with them.

"Let's continue our water search," he said. "But keep an eye out for more ruins. Finding all the medallions might be our fastest way to clear this floor."