Free Web NovelChapter 449: Chapter 448 - Where have I seen this before?
For a brief moment after Adrian’s words fell into the air, nobody moved.
The wind drifted softly through the rocky terrain surrounding them while the members of the Hero Research Club stared ahead in confusion, their eyes sweeping across the cliffs and uneven stone formations before them. At first glance, there was nothing there except weathered rock walls partially covered in moss and vines, ancient stone surfaces cracked by countless years of erosion beneath the open sky.
Then—
Luca noticed it.
A faint distortion.
Barely visible.
The space ahead shimmered for only an instant beneath the sunlight, so subtle that an ordinary person would never have caught it.
Adrian stepped forward calmly.
Without saying another word, he raised one hand and pressed his fingers lightly against the empty air before him.
The world rippled.
A low hum echoed through the surroundings as ancient mana stirred beneath the cliffs, the invisible distortion spreading outward like water disturbed by a stone. The very air itself began trembling while faded symbols slowly emerged one after another across the rocky walls surrounding them.
And then—
The illusion broke.
A collective breath escaped several members simultaneously.
Hidden behind the false cliffside—
Lay ruins.
Ancient ruins.
A massive stone structure stretched deep into the cliffs themselves, partially concealed beneath centuries of overgrowth and collapsed debris. Towering broken pillars rose from the earth at uneven angles while enormous stone platforms extended inward toward a half-buried sanctuary carved directly into the mountain.
The architecture alone immediately felt ancient beyond words.
Nothing about it resembled modern kingdoms.
Massive white-gray stones covered in faded golden inscriptions formed pathways leading deeper into the ruins while fragments of statues stood scattered across the area, worn heavily by time yet still carrying traces of impossible craftsmanship.
Some statues had lost their heads.
Others had broken arms or shattered weapons.
Yet despite the damage—
The overwhelming aura lingering around the place remained undeniable.
Ancient.
Sacred.
Powerful.
Faint traces of mana still flowed quietly through the ruins even after countless centuries, drifting through the air like remnants of a forgotten era refusing to disappear completely.
For several seconds—
Nobody spoke.
Then chaos erupted.
"THIS IS INSANE!" freёwebnoѵel.com
"An actual hidden sanctuary?!"
"How did nobody discover this place before?!"
One senior immediately began scribbling frantic notes into a journal while another stared at the ruins with tears nearly forming in his eyes. John himself looked moments away from collapsing spiritually from happiness, his body visibly trembling as he gazed toward the sanctuary ahead.
"...Beautiful..." he whispered dramatically.
Even Sylthara’s usually calm golden eyes widened slightly as she took in the hidden site before them.
Lilliane looked equally stunned, her green eyes moving slowly across the ancient structures while the wind stirred her twin tails gently behind her.
Meanwhile—
Luca remained silent.
His crimson eyes carefully examined every detail around him as his mind rapidly connected pieces together.
These designs...
He slowly stepped forward.
Some elements truly did feel familiar.
Not directly.
Not completely.
But certain architectural patterns resembled structures associated with ancient hero-era civilizations from the game’s lore. The golden inscriptions engraved into the stone looked similar to fragments he had once seen within hidden archives and ancient temples during previous playthroughs.
Yet this place—
Was different.
Far more preserved.
Far more significant.
His gaze shifted toward several enormous broken pillars standing near the entrance of the sanctuary.
Each pillar carried faded carvings depicting warriors cloaked in light, standing against monstrous figures beneath shattered skies.
And above them—
A symbol.
A circular crest surrounded by seven stars.
Luca’s eyes narrowed faintly.
The Seven Heroes...
A strange feeling settled within his chest.
Not fear.
Not excitement.
Something heavier.
As though the ruins themselves carried memories too old for the present era.
Nearby, Sylthara had already moved toward one of the partially collapsed walls, her fingers lightly brushing against the faded inscriptions carved into the ancient stone.
Luca walked toward her after noticing how focused she seemed.
"Did you find something?" he asked quietly.
Sylthara remained silent for a moment while carefully examining the symbols before answering.
"...Maybe."
Her silver eyes moved slowly across the worn carvings.
"These markings..." she murmured softly. "I have seen fragments of similar scripts within the oldest preserved records of the Dark Elf clans."
Luca immediately focused.
"You recognize them?"
"Not fully," Sylthara admitted honestly while tracing part of a faded inscription carefully. "Most ancient records from the Hero Era are incomplete... and many languages from that time changed over centuries."
The wind swept softly through the ruins around them as she continued studying the wall.
"But..."
A faint pause followed.
"These symbols are not ordinary religious carvings."
Luca’s gaze sharpened slightly.
Sylthara slowly looked toward the deeper sanctuary hidden within the cliffs ahead.
"...This place was meant to protect something."
The hidden sanctuary gradually came alive with movement as the members of the Hero Research Club spread throughout the ruins, their earlier shock transforming completely into unrestrained fascination.
Excited voices echoed between the ancient stone walls while footsteps disturbed layers of dust that had likely remained untouched for centuries.
Everywhere they looked—
There was something to examine.
Broken statues lined the pathways leading deeper into the sanctuary, each carved with astonishing detail despite the damage time had inflicted upon them.
Some depicted warriors clad in ancient armor unlike anything used in the current era, while others showed robed figures standing beneath massive celestial symbols that glowed faintly even now beneath the lingering traces of mana.
Collapsed archways connected portions of the ruins together, their surfaces covered in faded inscriptions and complex magical formations that most people could no longer fully understand.
Several members immediately began documenting everything they saw.
One senior obsessively copied symbols into a notebook while another carefully brushed dirt away from fragments of stone tablets partially buried beneath the ground.
Meanwhile—
John had completely transcended into another state of existence.
"Hahahaha..." he muttered breathlessly while wandering through the ruins with trembling hands. "This is it... this is what every member of the Hero Research Club dreams of..."
At one point he nearly hugged a pillar.
Nobody stopped him.
Luca, however, remained unusually focused.
Unlike the others, who explored with pure excitement, his crimson eyes continuously scanned every structure, symbol, and inscription with growing concentration.
Because the longer he looked—
The stronger the strange feeling inside him became.
I’ve seen this before...
Or rather—
Something similar.
The designs etched into the sanctuary walls.
The circular seven-star crest.
The layout of the structure itself.
Fragments of memory stirred uncomfortably within his mind like something buried just beyond reach.
He slowly walked through one of the partially collapsed corridors, fingers brushing lightly across ancient stone as he examined the faded carvings more closely. fгeewebnovёl.com
The atmosphere inside the sanctuary felt heavy.
Not oppressive.
But old.
As though countless years still lingered silently within the air itself.
Where...?
Luca frowned faintly while staring at another damaged mural.
The image depicted several figures standing together beneath a shattered sky while darkness spread beneath their feet like a tide swallowing the world.
Hero-era imagery.
Without question.
Yet something about the artistic style specifically kept bothering him.
He had encountered it before.
Somewhere.
Perhaps in hidden game lore.
Perhaps in one of the countless forgotten side stories buried within optional ruins and archives.
But no matter how much he searched his memories—
The answer refused to surface completely.
"...Damn it," he muttered quietly beneath his breath.
Nearby, Sylthara continued carefully studying the inscriptions along the walls, occasionally exchanging observations with Adrian, whose interest in her clan’s preserved historical knowledge had become immediately obvious.
Adrian himself seemed genuinely pleased watching the club members explore the sanctuary with such excitement. Unlike John’s explosive enthusiasm, however, his satisfaction appeared quieter.
More personal.
At one point he simply stood near one of the broken archways with his hands inside his coat pockets, observing the younger members scattered throughout the ruins while a faint smile rested on his face.
"...Worth the trouble," he murmured softly to himself.
Luca noticed the expression briefly before returning his attention toward the sanctuary itself.
The further they explored, the stranger certain details became.
Some chambers appeared almost untouched despite the centuries.
Several magical formations still emitted weak pulses of mana beneath layers of dust.
And in one partially collapsed room, Luca discovered fragments of metallic material embedded within the floor that did not resemble any ordinary alloy used in the current era.
Everything about this place felt important.
Important enough that it should have existed somewhere within his memory.
Yet the answer remained maddeningly incomplete.
The group gradually spread deeper through different sections of the sanctuary while excited discussions continuously echoed around the ruins.
"Look at these carvings!"
"This mana structure is still partially active!"
"These symbols definitely aren’t modern!"
At some point, even Lilliane became visibly absorbed in examining ancient murals while Sylthara quietly translated fragments of recognizable script wherever possible.
And throughout all of it—
Luca’s thoughts never stopped circling the same question.
Where have I seen this before...?
Then suddenly—
A loud voice exploded through the sanctuary.
"EVERYONE!"
The shout echoed loudly against the ancient stone walls.
Immediately, multiple heads turned.
John stood near the deeper side of the ruins with one hand dramatically raised into the air, his entire body visibly trembling with excitement once again.
His eyes practically glowed.
"LOOK WHAT I FOUND!"
