The valley smelled of rain and stone. From the ridge, Alex could see the ruins more clearly now: a long colonnade of marble pillars cracked by time, arches choked with vines, fountains dry but still glinting with inlaid silver. Birds with crystal wings darted through the empty windows, scattering tiny notes of music when they flew.
The fox stopped at the edge of a stairway carved straight into the hillside. Its flaming tail dimmed. "I can't go farther," it said. "The wards bite anything born of magic."
Alex hesitated at the top step. "But I'm—" He looked down at his hooves. "—not exactly human anymore."
"You're not entirely beast either," the fox replied. "The mark shields you. That's why the elves want you."
Alex touched the silver bell at his throat. It had come with him when he reincarnated, and every time it chimed it made his skin prickle. He thought of the pop-up he'd seen earlier—Hidden Trait: Cunning. Maybe the bell was more than decoration.
Below, the ruins beckoned. He felt a thrill in his chest, part fear, part curiosity. This was the sort of place where game tutorials taught you to open your first chest and fight your first monster. Only now there was no respawn button.
"Fine," he said, and started down. His hooves clattered on the stone steps. The fox watched, eyes unreadable.
At the bottom the air grew cooler. Vines glowed faintly, casting green light across the marble. Statues lined the path — creatures he didn't recognise, half beast, half armour, faces worn smooth by time. They seemed to watch him as he passed.
He glanced over his shoulder. The fox had vanished. Alone then.
Alex walked slower, trying to absorb everything. The arches above him were etched with symbols his human brain didn't know but somehow almost recognised. They pulsed faintly in time with the blue glow under his fleece.
A low chime rang from his bell. Text flickered across his mind's eye like a translucent screen:
Skill Unlocked: Sense Ward (Passive) You can detect ancient magic fields and their weak points.
He blinked. "Whoa."
Another chime:
Skill Acquired: Quick Dash (Active) Short burst of speed. Cooldown: 10 sec.
He grinned despite himself. Okay, this is definitely the Slime template. I can work with this.
As he moved deeper, the ruins opened into a courtyard. In its centre a dry fountain rose, shaped like a lamb rearing on hind legs, flames carved around its head like a crown. His bell vibrated as if recognising itself.
He stepped closer. The carving's eyes glowed faintly, and a voice whispered in his head: The one who walks as prey will open the vault.
He shivered. "Not ominous at all," he muttered.
A crack ran across the fountain base. Stone shifted. Dust rained. From beneath the fountain a shape unfolded — a guardian. It was built of the same marble as the ruins, but with joints of glowing runes, like an animated chess piece. Its head was a featureless mask, but horns curled from its crown. It turned toward him, movements grinding and slow.
"Great," Alex whispered. "First monster encounter."
The guardian raised a stone hand, palm glowing. He felt power building, like a bow being drawn.
His instincts screamed to run. Instead he forced himself to think. Use the environment. Trick it. His bell chimed again, the Sense Ward skill highlighting faint blue cracks in the runes across the guardian's chest. A weak point.
"Alright," he said, lowering his head. "Let's test Quick Dash."
The guardian swung. Alex darted sideways, hooves skidding. The blast scorched the marble where he'd stood. He bolted toward a fallen pillar, using it as cover. The guardian followed, heavy steps shaking the ground.
Another chime in his head: Quick Dash Cooldown: 3…2…1. He waited, heart hammering. The guardian raised its arm again, runes glowing brighter.
Alex dashed forward at the last moment, zigzagging around the pillar. The guardian's blast struck the pillar instead. Stone cracked, toppled — and fell onto the guardian's shoulder. It staggered, exposing the glowing crack in its chest.
"Gotcha." Alex lunged, not with claws but with his bell. He slammed his head forward so the bell rang against the crack. Blue sparks leapt, and the runes across the guardian flickered, then dimmed. It froze, arm raised mid-swing.
For a moment there was only silence. Then the fountain's glow died, and the guardian slowly collapsed into rubble.
Alex backed up, breathing hard. His bell gave one last chime and a new message appeared:
Skill Acquired: Trickster's Instinct (Passive) When facing a stronger foe, gain insight into its habits and weaknesses.
He laughed, a breathless sound. "I really am a Puss-in-Boots lamb."
The courtyard grew still again. The fountain-lamb stared at him with empty eyes. He felt both elated and unnerved.