Divine System: Land of the Abominations-Chapter 286: The Origins of Stone.

The calling of the beings that had taken nest in the crowns of the trees filled this portion of forest with a different kind of life. Since Thornwood was a bit separated from Malady’s Garden, the feeling of gloom and doom was not as pronounced as the Garden’s abject misery, even this deep in.

They walked along the edge of the meandering riverbed as it led them deeper into the forest. The cracked earth stretched beside them with the same presence as a disfigured wound. Above, the canopy was thick with enough leaves to create an oppressive blanket overhead.

The world was moderately calm and cool because of it.

The air here carried the scents of the Loebron tree, which was the most common of the overgrowth within these parts. It was rather different from the foliage within the Garden, as corrupted was not that entrenched within its nature.

It smelled more of dry earth and old wood. The fungal smell from the riverbed itself had faded as they’d climbed back to ground level, replaced by the sharper notes of pine sap with slightly strange undertones.

Nero’s boots crunched against fallen needles and dry twigs. The sound was oddly comforting in its normalcy, a reminder that perhaps not everything in this damned world was twisted beyond reprise.

It was almost peaceful.

Arthur broke the silence first, his voice thoughtful. "Do you think we can find any ruins here in the depths of Thornwood?"

Jacob’s head snapped around, his expression incredulous. "You idiot. All the ruins here have already been discovered."

Arthur shook his head, and Nero noticed something shift in his demeanor.

"It might be unlikely, but maybe there might be other ruins scattered in here. Who knows..."

"This place has been combed through numerous times," Jacob said, "Perhaps even more than a hundred times in search of ruins over the span of thousands of years by the Church. If there even are any ruins that haven’t been discovered yet, what possibly could make you think we will be the ones fortunate enough to find them?"

As the two talked, Nero couldn’t help but think about the ruins he had found on his journey from Gor to Liedenstorm. The ancient settlement in that pocket dimension, accessible only through the underground grotto. The observatory temple split between Sariel’s degraded half and Orion’s pristine chambers. The Dead Godtree rising high, hollow and ancient.

The Church hadn’t known about that place. He could tell. If they had, it would have been swept clean already. It had remained hidden while the world moved on, preserving its secrets in silence.

For some reason, he couldn’t help but consider Arthur’s words seriously.

He turned to the young lord. "Why do you both seem so interested in the ruins? Are they really that profitable?"

This time, it was Jacob who replied, "The ruins are equal parts as irresistible as they are dangerous. They hide ruin and fortune in equal measures."

Seeing Nero’s doubtful expression, he explained further. "The ruins are the last pieces of the old world left behind. Stones will wither, steel shall rust, and bones will turn into dust. But the one thing that cannot truly die, are memories..."

Nero raised a brow. "Memories?"

Arthur spoke up, his voice very solemn. "The memories of the past, unless deliberately destroyed, can never truly die. Even if it is the smallest bits of it, knowledge is still highly coveted. Of course within the regulations of the Church. If what you discover is significant enough, you very well could earn your house a grand endorsement."

"I see..." Nero said thoughtfully.

The implications were interesting. The Church controlled access to knowledge, regulated what could be studied and what must be destroyed. But they also incentivized discovery, presumably because they wanted to be the ones to find and control dangerous information before anyone else could. It was a delicate balance— encouraging exploration while maintaining monopoly on what was found.

"As for how it is dangerous, I believe you should know that by now," Jacob said, his voice a bit ominous as they walked.

Nero knew of the knowledge that came with prices measured in pain and sanity. So yes, he understood the dangers quite well.

"Still, that is not enough to quell the greed of men, it seems," Nero said.

Arthur nodded. "Of course. However, ruins found in these parts, even in Malady’s depths, are considered rather low grade ruins. The truly big ones litter areas that are grossly untouched by human hands."

"Places like Golgotha, the Field of Skulls," Jacob said with a grimace on his face.

Nero frowned. Golgotha was one of the locations marked on the route to the capital, a Category Yellow zone filled with undead and death miasma. The Wandering Spirit’s Journal had referenced it in one of its prophecies, or at least the thought so...

"Amidst the swirling grey fog..."

But just as he was about to say something, there was movement from before them.

Or rather, there wasn’t movement. There should have been movement. The forest had gone still all of a sudden, as if someone had cast the world’s natural rhythm into ice. The calls of the birds ceased. The rustling in the undergrowth stopped. Even the wind had been cut away.

Nero’s hand drifted to his spear, his muscles tensing instinctively. Arthur and Jacob had noticed it too, both of them slowing their pace and scanning the forest ahead with suddenly alert eyes.

"What is it?" Arthur asked quietly.

"I don’t—" Nero started to say, then stopped.

Something was watching them.

He couldn’t see it, neither could he hear it. The same way one can feel eyes on their back in a dark room. The sensation was almost tangible, like invisible fingers brushing against the edges of ones mind.

The riverbed curved ahead of them, disappearing behind a thick cluster of ancient oaks whose roots had broken through the bank in gnarled masses. The shadows there were deep, untouched by the scattered sunlight that managed to penetrate the canopy...