In the wide tunnel, lit by glowing stones fixed into the walls, a group of barbarians charged ahead, their eyes shining with greed and excitement.


    Their muscles bulged as they ran, the light from the stones reflecting off their rough skin like ripples on water.


    "Boss, should we grab some of these stones? Everyone else is already taking them," asked one of the younger barbarians, his eyes glued to the glowing gems, their brightness making his gaze even wider.


    "Fool!" snapped the leader at the front, his voice sharp and impatient. "These are just scraps! This is an intermediate ruin for sure. If we go deeper, we''ll find real treasure—stuff you can''t even imagine. Don''t waste time on this junk!"


    Behind them, they could hear the other groups in the ruins, pulling glowing gems from the walls and ceilings, their greedyughter echoing through the tunnel.


    But this group was different. They weren''t here for small rewards. They were after something bigger, hidden deeper inside.


    "But won''t it get dangerous if we go too far?" the young barbarian mumbled, ncing over his shoulder as if the tunnel itself might reach out and trap them.


    The leader didn''t bother answering, just kept moving forward, their footsteps bouncing off the stone walls.


    Soon, they noticed a brighter light ahead, cutting through the gloom.


    "Boss, look! There''s something up there!" one of the barbarians shouted, pointing eagerly toward the glowing source.


    Their excitement grew as they reached the tunnel''s end and stepped into a massive chamber.


    The room was alive with light, huge gemstones towering over them, pulsing with colors that bounced off the floor.


    It looked like a forgotten treasure trove, untouched by anyone.


    The barbarians wasted no time, quickly filling their storage bracelets with glowing stones, scrambling over each other to take as much as they could.


    "Boss,e here! You need to see this!" suddenly, the young barbarian called, his voice trembling with both excitement and fear.


    The leader strode over, his eyes narrowing as he saw what the young barbarian was pointing at—a giant gem at the far end of the chamber.


    He leaned in close, peering into the gem''s clear center.


    Trapped inside was a strange creature, about half their size, dark and twisted, with eight spindly limbs syed out like some kind of giant insect.


    Its two front limbs were lifted together, as if caught in the middle of some prayer.


    "Boss! There are more! All these gems have those ant-like creatures inside!" shouted another barbarian from across the room.


    Noticing something strange, the leader spun around, a cold shiver creeping down his spine. "What the hell…?"


    Before he could react, two of his men froze in ce, standing perfectly still, their bodies stiff like statues.


    A thin, dark spike jutted out from the back of their heads, ck as midnight and wet with fresh blood.


    "Boss... what''s going on?" one of them asked, his voice hollow and strange, like he didn''t realize there was a hole in his skull.


    Fear wed at the leader, his instincts screaming at him to run.


    But just as he took a step, he heard a sharp crack behind him, like ss breaking. His heart thudded in his chest.


    He threw himself forward, spinning to face whatever wasing, but it was toote.


    A sharp pain shot through his gut, and he looked down to see the same dark spike that had pierced his men now sticking out of his own body.


    Grimacing in pain, he lifted his head and saw it. Read exclusive adventures at м??


    The gemstone he''d been staring at had shattered, and the creature inside was free, its eight limbs moving with unnatural speed.


    Its once-still form was now alive, and its dark, empty eyes locked onto him.


    The leader''s mind raced, but in that moment, he understood—they had woken something terrible, something that was never meant to be disturbed.


    …


    In another part of the tunnel, two figures stood still, their eyes tracking the movements of a lizard-like man creeping along the walls.


    Hisrge hands carefully plucked glowing gems from their sockets, one after another.


    With each stone he pulled, the tunnel grew darker, the light slowly fading as his hands worked quickly.


    "Your friend is pretty greedy," remarked Amelia, her white hair softly glowing in the dim light. Her voice was yful, but there was a hint of curiosity there, as if she wasn''t sure whether to be amused or concerned.


    "Friend? I don''t know that guy," Spark replied, waving his hand dismissively as if in denial.


    The lizard-like man, Bronn, paused for a moment, hisrge fingers wrapped around another gem.


    He had overheard Spark''s words and let out a huff.


    Then, with a quick and smooth movement, he leaped down from the wall andnded in front of them.


    "Look, boss!" Bronn said, his voice brimming with excitement. He held out his collection of glowing stones, holding them in his rough hands.


    The light from the gems shimmered on his skin. "I''ve got a ton of these. We''re gonna be rich!"


    Spark raised an eyebrow, turning his head slightly toward Bronn, a glint of amusement shing in his sharp gaze. "Aren''t you tired of this already? Look around. The whole tunnel''s dimming because of you."


    He wasn''t wrong. The tunnel behind them, which had once been bright and alive with light, was now almost pitch ck.


    Only a few faint glows remained from the few stones still left untouched in the walls.


    The path was a long stretch of darkness, all because Bronn had snatched nearly every glowing gem in sight. If Spark hadn''t stopped him, the tunnel would have beenpletely swallowed by shadow.


    Bronnughed loudly, his voice bouncing off the tunnel walls. "Free treasure, boss! How can I be tired when I''m hauling in this much wealth? It''s like this ruin is begging us to take it!"


    Spark''s eyes narrowed, though his voice remained calm.


    "I shouldn''t havee," he said, shaking his head. "You told me this was a greater ruin, but it''s just an intermediate one."


    Bronn scratched his head, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Well, boss, weren''t you the one who was interested in tagging along inside?"


    Spark shrugged, the faintest hint of a grin ying on his lips. "Well, I suppose I was. This is certainly an interesting catb."