Ryven lingered at the edge of the ravine for a moment longer before stepping back from the drop. The chasm stretched endlessly in both directions, its jagged walls plunging into a dim blue glow far below. It was the kind of place that made your stomach tighten if you stared too long.
Silas had already begun walking along the edge.
Ryven followed.
The terrain beside the ravine was uneven, rough slabs of yellow moon stone jutting out of the dust like old bones. The three of them moved carefully along the rim, the massive gulf yawning only a few dozen feet to their right.
Abel walked slightly behind Ryven, arms folded, staring down into the depths.
"What are those blue lights?" Abel asks.
"I'm not sure," Ryven responded. "Do you know what those blue lights at the bottom of the Ravine are Silas?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but I've heard rumors of tier 5 and 6 lunar creatures residing in the depths, claiming this ravine as their home."
"I see…" Ryven murmured.
"What do more formidable lunar creatures even resemble?" Ryven inquired.
"Well, it varies," Silas muttered. "Not every lunar creature appears identical. They could belong to the same species, but most possess distinct characteristics. However, the most powerful lunar creatures are typically entirely unique. They don't belong to a specific species and often operate independently. Nevertheless, they are also the creatures that tend to possess the greatest intelligence."
"And what tier are those?"
Silas glanced back. "They aren't truly categorized under a specific tier. They are simply known as the most powerful."
"Well then, what's the highest tier for normal monsters?" Abel questioned. Ryven looked back, giving the fuming man a smile as he remembered he couldn't really talk to anybody but him.
"Whats the highest tier for normal monsters?"
"Tier 7." Silas responded.
Ryven let out a small breath through his nose as they continued walking along the rim of the ravine. Tier 7. And he lost to three tier 1's. "Then I must be extremely freaking weak."
Silas nodded. "That's what I told you. Your a tier one who hasn't even fully manifested their powers."
Ryven sighed. There was nothing he could say or do against that.
The ground beneath their boots shifted between packed gray dust and jagged slabs of yellow moonstone that pushed out of the terrain like broken ribs. The ravine remained only a few dozen feet to their right, its immense walls dropping straight down into that strange dim blue glow far below.
The deeper they went along the edge, the more those lights seemed to pulse slowly in the abyss.
Abel glanced down again, his transparent form drifting slightly ahead of Ryven before easing back beside him.
"Tier seven," Abel muttered. "So if something tier 5 or 6 crawls out of that ravine down there, how bad is that exactly?"
Ryven kept his eyes forward. "Bad."
Silas walked several paces ahead, hands resting loosely at his sides. His pace remained steady, careful but unbothered by the proximity of the massive drop. The silence of the lunar surface surrounded them completely, no wind, no shifting trees, not even the sound of insects. Only the faint crunch of dust beneath their steps broke the stillness.
After several minutes of following the ravine's curve, Ryven noticed Silas's stride slow slightly.
The older man's head tilted a fraction.
His eyes shifted toward the distance ahead.
Ryven frowned. "Something wrong?"
Silas didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed ahead, scanning.
"My peripheral vision extends farther than yours," he said calmly. "I see a bridge."
"Really?" Abel asked. "I was just getting bored of this."
"Then what's wrong?" Ryven asks.
"Well… it seems like something may be guarding the bridge." He commented.
"I think we may or may not have found the source of those vibrations I mentioned earlier.
The trio moved closer.
Close enough for Ryven to finally spot it.
The bridge.
It stretched across the ravine like a pale arc of carved stone, connecting the two sides of the chasm. The structure was made entirely of smooth moonstone blocks fitted together with unnatural precision. Faint lines of silver light traced along the edges of the bridge, forming ancient patterns that pulsed dimly against the dark surface.
But Ryven's eyes were immediately drawn to the figure standing at the entrance.
A massive gargoyle.
It was carved from dense, dark moonstone, its body towering nearly as big as a two story house.
Huge wings folded tightly against its back, the edges sharp and jagged like blades of stone. Its tail curled around the base of the bridge, and thick clawed hands rested against the ground as if the creature had been waiting there for centuries.
At first glance it looked like nothing more than a statue.
Then its eyes glowed.
Two dull red lights flickered to life within the creature's stone face.
Abel slowly leaned forward, staring.
"That… is definitely not a statue."
Ryven stopped walking a few paces behind Silas.
"Please tell me that thing isn't alive."
"It is," Silas replied evenly.
Unlike Ryven, he showed no sign of tension as he studied the creature. His breathing remained steady, his posture relaxed.
"These gargoyles are usually placed in strategically important positions, So what exactly is one doing here?"
"Have you met one of these gargoyles before?" Ryven asks.
"Yeah." Silas muttered
"They're always placed around ruins and different landmarks. High tier dreamers keep killing them, but they keep reappearing."
"Well are they easy to kill?"
Silas chuckled.
"Not exactly."