After walking for several hours, Alex and Sherry finally arrived at their destination.
The surrounding landscape had changed considerably during their journey. The farther they traveled, the more barren the terrain became, until eventually, almost no vegetation remained.
The reason was simple: the mana radiation in this area was extremely intense.
Even Alex could feel the difference. The atmosphere seemed unusually heavy, almost as if the pressure itself had increased. It wasn't enough to cause him any serious discomfort, but the sensation was certainly noticeable.
Sherry, however, was having a much harder time. Her complexion had grown pale, and her breathing was slightly heavier than usual. The chaotic mana permeating the atmosphere was constantly affecting her body, slowly draining her strength.
"This should be the place." Sherry said softly as she looked across the barren field.
Following her gaze, Alex saw nothing particularly unusual about the area.
There were no ancient ruins, no massive structures, and not even a visible entrance. There was simply a seemingly endless stretch of barren land.
"Are you sure?" Alex asked, glancing around.
Sherry nodded, though there was a trace of uncertainty in her expression.
"According to the coordinates my parents left behind, this should be the location."
She looked down at the map in her hand before continuing.
"The problem is... we haven't actually found the entrance yet."
Alex wasn't surprised.
The ancient ruin where Sherry's parents had gone missing wasn't supposed to be easy to find. Even after extensive research, previous expeditions had failed to locate anything resembling an ancient structure.
Somewhere within this enormous barren field was the hidden entrance they had been searching for.
Fortunately, Alex had something the previous explorers didn't—the System.
Alex quietly opened his map. A translucent interface appeared before his eyes, displaying the surrounding terrain.
Most of it looked normal, but one particular section immediately caught his attention.
The System had highlighted an area.
It wasn't a precise marker pointing directly toward the entrance. Instead, it had narrowed down the possible location of the quest objective to a specific region.
'So it only gives me the general area.'
Alex wasn't particularly disappointed.
The System had issued the Special Quest when Sherry first showed him the key, so it wasn't surprising that the quest location had been marked on his map.
However, it seemed that finding the exact entrance was still something he had to do himself.
'Well, I suppose it can't do everything for me.' Alex closed the map and looked toward Sherry.
"We should search this area first."
Sherry nodded.
"That's what I was planning to do."
She reached into her bag and pulled out a small device.
It was a specialized detection tool that Sherry and her parents had used during their expeditions. Its main purpose was to detect abnormal mana fluctuations and spatial distortions that could indicate the presence of hidden structures or concealed spaces.
Sherry activated the device, causing the crystals embedded within it to glow as the needle at its center slowly moved.
Then, without warning, it began spinning wildly.
Sherry frowned.
"It detected something."
The needle stopped for a moment before moving again, pointing in a different direction. A few seconds later, it shifted once more.
"This isn't right."
Sherry adjusted the device and checked the readings again, but the result remained the same.
The device was detecting fluctuations everywhere.
The problem was that this area was already saturated with chaotic mana. Natural fluctuations caused by the intense radiation were interfering with the device, making it difficult to distinguish genuine spatial abnormalities from ordinary mana disturbances.
"It's giving false readings." Sherry said, her expression becoming increasingly troubled.
Alex looked at the device. "So we can't rely on it?"
"We can, but not completely." Sherry shook her head.
"My parents used something similar when they explored high-radiation areas, but this is much stronger than anything I've encountered before."
She tried moving several meters to the side, but the needle changed direction. When she moved again, it shifted once more, leaving Sherry staring at the device with a helpless expression.
"It keeps fluctuating."
Aurora floated beside Alex, looking over the device with interest.
"That's because the entire area is saturated with chaotic mana. It's like trying to hear a whisper in the middle of a thunderstorm."
Alex glanced at her.
"Can you detect the entrance?"
Aurora closed her eyes and extended her senses.
For several seconds, she remained silent.
"There are definitely some strange fluctuations around here," she finally said. "But they're extremely faint. The radiation is making them difficult to distinguish."
Alex nodded. It seemed they had no choice but to search manually.
The good news was that the System had already narrowed down the search area. The bad news was that the remaining area was still enormous.
Alex turned his attention toward Sherry. Her complexion had become even paler than before. Although she continued moving and searching without complaint, it was obvious that the mana radiation was gradually taking its toll.
"Sherry, take a break."
She paused and looked at him.
"I'm fine."
"You've said that several times already."
Alex glanced at her tired expression before continuing, "If you keep forcing yourself now, you might not be in good shape by the time we actually enter the ruins."
Sherry pressed her lips together. She knew he was right, but stopping now was difficult.
She had spent three years searching for her parents, and now they were finally within reach.
"We're already close," she said softly. "I can continue a little longer."
Alex shook his head.
"No." His tone wasn't harsh, but it left no room for argument. Sherry held his gaze for a few seconds before finally lowering her eyes. "...Alright."
Alex wasn't stopping her because he thought she was incapable of continuing. He simply understood that finding the entrance was only the first step.
They still had to enter the ancient ruin.
If the place truly was the independent space Sherry had described, there was no telling what they would encounter inside. Entering while already weakened by the surrounding mana radiation would only put her at a disadvantage.
"Come on."
Alex led her to a nearby spot and set up the camping tent Priscilia had bought for him.
Inside the tent, the mana environment was considerably better. Its defensive and environmental arrays kept most of the mana radiation outside, making it far safer than the barren field.
Rather than relying on the surrounding mana to power its arrays, Alex switched the tent to use mana stones instead. The mana radiation outside could interfere with the arrays and potentially damage them.
Once Sherry settled down to rest, Alex returned outside.
There was no reason for them to waste any more time.
He and Aurora were barely affected by the mana radiation, especially compared to Sherry. Aurora was already a spirit, while Alex's abnormal resistance and precise mana control allowed him to continue moving without much trouble.
The two of them separated and began searching the area from different directions.
Alex spread his mana sense throughout the surroundings, carefully searching for even the faintest abnormal fluctuation.
Nearly an hour passed before Aurora's voice suddenly rang out. "Alex, I think I found something." She pointed toward a specific spot.
Alex immediately followed her gaze.
A faint spatial fluctuation could be detected there, accompanied by a strange, paradoxical sensation. It was almost as if that particular section of space both existed and didn't exist at the same time.
Alex immediately called Sherry over.
After examining the location, she pulled out the hexagonal disc she had brought with her.
"According to what I read in the incomplete pages of the book, this should be the key to opening the entrance."
She pointed toward the semicircular red gem embedded in the center.
"The disc should activate only when the mana of someone with an exceptionally high Dark magic affinity is infused into it—in other words, yours."
Opening the entrance itself was apparently far simpler than finding it. Alex nodded and took the disc from her.
'So I just have to activate it.'
He slowly began pouring his mana into the disc.
The moment the mana entered it, the red gem in its center began to glow.
One by one, the intricate runes covering the disc lit up, spreading outward from the gem like veins of crimson light.
The space in front of them began to distort. The surrounding space began to twist and distort, and the landscape ahead gradually transformed.
At the same time, the sudden intensification of the spatial fluctuation caused the ground beneath their feet to tremble.
Alex instinctively took a step back.
The hidden entrance to the ancient ruin was finally appearing before them.