Ashen pulled from his bag a cube made of transparent crystal. Inside it, three glowing strands—red, blue, and yellow—spun endlessly, twining together like living streams. At its core, white energy clusters merged into a single form, only to split again in a strange, continuous cycle.
He gently placed it on the floor, which still bore scorch marks from the fire.
Ashen pressed his fingers lightly against the crystal.
Immediately, a pale golden energy spread outward, enveloping us like a protective cocoon. It expanded until it reached every corner of the room, then stopped—silent, but steadfast.
Kai sighed and spoke up:
"We haven't even started the plan and we're already using this... What a waste."
Ashen shook his head:
"We had no choice. The Elderwood Beast was slain by Mira, and the protective wards around this place were destroyed. That makes our position more exposed than ever. It won't take long for other monsters to track us down."
"Hey... can you guys explain to me what this thing actually is?" I asked, pointing at the glowing cube on the floor.
Ashen picked it up and explained:
"As you know, if we want to establish a secure base, we need certain protective measures. And among them, wards are the most important. They not only shield us from external threats but also alert us when danger draws near."
Then he asked me:
"So, do you know what the biggest weakness of a ward is?"
I thought for a moment, then guessed:
"It... takes a lot of time to set up, right?"
Kai clapped his hands, grinning:
"Exactly!"
Ashen nodded and continued:
"In the past, whenever we wanted to venture deeper into dangerous lands while still ensuring safety, we had to set up wards every time we stopped to rest. It cost a lot of time and resources."
He held up the cube, its three-colored light swirling inside.
"So with Elarith's help, I created this. It completely eliminates that weakness. This cube can activate wards instantly, depending on the type we need."
"There are three main colors, each linked to a different type of protection:
Yellow: physical defense. Red: mental defense. Blue: spiritual defense."
Kai chimed in, eyes wide with admiration:
"Compact, fast, and super useful! A true genius invention!"
"You think that's all it can do?"
Ashen smiled—not with amusement, but with a quiet confidence, as though he saw a larger picture none of us could grasp. His eyes shimmered with calm certainty.
"Ordinary wards can only produce a single layer of protection at a time."
He held up the cube again. The dim light from the bunker entrance refracted through its ever-shifting crystal edges.
"But when this cube is activated... it deploys three thousand six hundred layers of wards, stacked atop one another like invisible walls. Layer upon layer, forming a fortress of light and ancient magic, encasing the entire area."
His voice deepened, as if weighed by the truth:
"That's why the wards from this cube can be seen with the naked eye. And as long as we don't provoke anything, virtually no creature can break through them."
I paused for a moment, then asked quietly:
"If it's that powerful... then why haven't you been able to venture deeper into the core zones?"
The question cast a shadow over the room. Ashen didn't answer right away. He lowered his gaze and placed the cube back on the scorched floor—a place that once held a home, now reduced to ashes.
"Because... activating it requires a massive amount of energy. And after each use, it takes a long time before it can be recharged."
Ashen looked up at me. His eyes were calm, but laced with weariness:
"On top of that, the energy it uses doesn't exist out here. We could only activate it because Elarith provided the energy I needed to infuse into it."
Kai spoke softly, as if to fill the silence:
"In other words... to use it, we need a special energy source. And that energy doesn't exist on the fringes. It's only found deeper within—in the ancient, dangerous zones."
Ashen interrupted:
"Alright. Enough about that. We have more urgent matters to deal with."
He walked to a corner of the bunker, where the stones were darkened by soot. Carefully removing one, Ashen pulled out three leather backpacks—rough and handmade.
He handed one to each of us.
Kai was the first to open his, exclaiming in surprise:
"Whoa, you've been hiding all this?"
I opened mine as well. Inside were various essentials: a coil of rope, several vials of oddly colored potions, a few dried mushrooms, and in a side pocket, a carefully wrapped dagger.
What caught my attention the most... was a flute made from bone—the same weapon that had once caused the Elderwood Beast such pain.
Each backpack also had a small wind chime attached to it. Ashen had once explained that they weren't just decoration—they were used to ward off wandering spirits or creatures that disrupted the mind.
Kai still looked amazed:
"So you really planned for the possibility of a sudden evacuation to the new base? These will definitely help."
Ashen gave a faint, self-assured smile:
"A grand plan... always needs a backup plan."
Then he took out an old map from his bag, spreading it across the cold stone floor. He pointed to a marked spot:
"This—is our new base."
He continued, voice steady:
"Right now, we're in the southern outskirts. All around us lies the Elderwood Beast's territory. But since it's gone, we can now leave this area safely."
Ashen's finger moved across the map, pointing east:
"Our goal is to reach the eastern outskirts. But to get there... we have to cross two dangerous zones."
He pointed to a heavily forested area on the map:
"First: the Dark Forest."
Then to another section resembling swamps and murky pools:
"Second: the Dead Marshes."
The air turned quiet. From Ashen's gaze, I knew—this journey ahead would be anything but easy.