Oliver and his classmates stood before the entrance to [Erevalis — The Obsidian Ruins].
He had imagined something out of a horror story—an ominous cave mouth, dripping with black mist, guarded by stone statues with glowing eyes. But reality was… nothing like that.
Instead, what stood before them looked closer to a museum plaza than a battlefield. Wide marble steps led up to the colossal gate, its surface engraved with runes that pulsed faintly with a dim, eternal glow. The area outside was lively, almost festive.
The plaza teemed with people. Adventurers of every kind were gathered—warriors with gleaming armor, mages wrapped in flowing robes, archers slinging bows across their backs. Some looked calm and experienced, others were loud and boastful, while a few looked nervous as if today was their first attempt. Knights of the kingdom stood at attention around the area, spears in hand, keeping order among the chaos.
