After collecting everything, Eric looked toward the imposing castle.
Now shrouded in the malignant energy of the Demon King.
—Wow —Eric whistled—. It's incredible what the castle looks like after the Calamity—
Hateno kept records of what central Hyrule had looked like a hundred years ago, and this was nothing like it.
The kingdom had been utterly devastated.
Eric climbed a small hill, and his expression lit up when he spotted two more Guardians in the distance.
Not only that. Several others seemed to be hovering along one side of the castle.
Just as he was about to keep moving… the air suddenly vibrated.
Eric froze.
Then, a voice echoed.
It didn't come from any single point. It resonated from everywhere and nowhere at once.
—Adventurer…
Eric straightened slowly, the Bow of Light still in his hand.
—Who's there? —he asked, keeping his voice level.
—You have managed to bring down two Guardians with ease—
The voice sounded deep, ancient, serene… yet carried something that was neither benevolent nor hostile.
—Machines that for a century have dictated fear and ruin—
The sound seemed to roll across the hill and slip through the wind.
—I sense within you… —it continued— a power akin to my own—
—But still dormant. Still without a name.
Eric tightened his grip on the bow.
The runes carved into the wood answered with a soft vibration.
The voice noticed.
—That bow… —it said, a hint of surprise slipping through—
But it didn't finish the thought.
The wind spiraled around Eric.
—From it emanates an ancient power, refined by will —the voice paused—. It is no ordinary weapon.
Eric kept searching for the source, but it was useless.
—If you have something to say —he replied calmly— say it to my face—
A long silence followed.
Then, the voice spoke one last time.
—It is not yet time. When the hero awakens— the voice lowered— perhaps you will help him defeat it. When he awakens… you will know my name—
—Great —Eric muttered—. Now spirits are talking to me—
The pressure vanished, and the wind returned to normal.
Eric let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
He stood still for another second, listening.
For some reason, that voice had irritated him.
As if it were deliberately pretending to be someone mysterious and important.
—Who the hell are you? —he asked the air quietly.
No answer.
Only the wind, steady again, as if nothing had happened.
—Perfect —he scoffed—. A stalker.
He shook his head and did what he did best: ignored the inexplicable until it stopped being inexplicable.
That was when he looked past the hill again.
Along the castle's perimeter, hundreds of Guardians were deployed across the terrain.
Some walked wide patrol routes.
Others stood motionless, half-buried, with shattered plates and useless limbs… yet their central eyes remained intact and watchful.
Eric had already encountered those on his way here.
—Look at that… —he murmured, a slow, dangerous smile forming—.
—The jackpot—
There was danger. A lot of it. Real risk.
But there was also opportunity.
Points.
Materials.
Real experience against machines designed to kill without hesitation.
Eric turned around and called Astra, giving the horse a firm pat on the neck.
—Stay here —he said, as if Astra could understand—
The horse snorted softly, uneasy, but obeyed.
Eric turned back toward the ruins, adjusted his grip on the Bow of Light, and slid down the hill.
—Come on —he thought, feeling that familiar spark of greed ignite in his chest—.
—Show me how dangerous you still are after tormenting Hylians for so long—
In the distance, a red eye lit up as it detected an unfamiliar presence.
Then another.
And another.
Eric smiled and readied himself.
—Let's go—
…. (Time Skip)
By nightfall, Eric could barely move his muscles.
He had spent the entire day hunting Guardians on the outskirts of the castle, moving from ruin to ruin, from hill to hill.
At first, every encounter had been a tense, deadly dance.
Now… it was almost an exercise.
Lock on.
Charge.
Pulse.
Fire.
The beam always followed the same ritual.
First, the eye fixed on its target.
Then the hum, like a mechanical chest drawing breath.
Then the pre-flash.
And finally, the discharge.
Terrifying for anyone who panicked.
Predictable for someone who learned the pattern.
Eric didn't need to be faster than the beam.
He just needed to move first.
A sidestep.
A controlled fall.
A short jump using the right slope.
And the beam roared past, vaporizing everything around it… while Eric was already drawing the bow.
When the fatigue finally settled into his shoulders, he decided to stop.
He found a wide, circular structure, with broken columns and ancient symbols carved into the ground.
Once, it had been a ceremonial site.
Now it was just a dignified shadow… and a useful one.
He lit a small fire.
Took out a piece of meat, skewered it carefully, and let it roast slowly.
The silence of the night around the castle was unlike anywhere else.
In the distance, red lights blinked on and off in the darkness, mechanical eyes patrolling without rest.
Eric sat down, leaning his back against a fallen column.
—They're not invincible —he murmured, turning the meat—. Just… persistent.
He was calm.
Satisfied, even, biting into the meat with genuine happiness.
—Delicious—
His eyes drifted toward the distance as he chewed.
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