Morning came without interruption. The final day of the sweep began when Vanra stepped outside the

  fortified house and signaled for everyone to wake. The faint red-orange light of the rising star washed

  over the upper tier, catching on the edges of the tall, well-built structures that surrounded them. The air

  felt strangely calm, almost peaceful, as if the last stretch of the mission would be simple.

  None of them believed that.

  Breakfast was short. A ration bar each. A gear check. Weapons prepped. Armor latched.

  Vanra gave a short nod. “City center today. Stay sharp. We are not relaxing until we are back at the

  portal.”

  They began the ascent up the wide, curved ramp that spiraled toward the highest part of the ancient

  city. Since they arrived the architecture changed noticeably as they climbed each level. The homes

  became wider. Two stories tall with clean stone lines. Decorative pillars cracked by time still stood in

  place. Faded murals lined corners of streets like ghosts of a culture long gone.

  The center came into view all at once.

  A circular district built around an enormous structure that could only be described as a castle. Not a

  medieval one, but a thick-walled stone fortress with reinforced towers, broad gates and an aura of

  authority. Around it sat an outer ring of large shops. Blacksmiths and Armor-smiths. Jewelers.

  Engravers. Fine crafts from a long dead society.

  Everything was eerily intact.

  No beasts. No movement. Just silence.

  Vanra raised a hand and the group halted.

  “Tyrish, Orran, Kayris. Take the left side. Korvex, Rhoen, Bash, with me. Sweep every structure. We

  do not enter the castle until the ring is clear.”

  They moved out in formation.

  The first sweep took them through the empty streets. Dust and broken stone littered the ground, but

  there were no tracks or signs of recent beast movement. Bash walked behind Korvex, glancing into the

  shadows between buildings, listening for any distortion hum that might reveal time crawlers or void

  spiders.

  Nothing.

  They reached the blacksmith buildings. Two long structures, stone-walled with wide open entrances.

  Inside were rows of weapon racks, armor stands and partially collapsed workbenches. A layer of dust

  coated everything. But the equipment itself was pristine.

  Vanra stepped into the front room of the first shop, ran her hand along the surface of a chest plate and

  lifted it. Despite its age, the metal shone under the sunlight.

  “These are high quality,” she said with a small note of surprise. “Tier 4 base material. No rot. No

  corrosion. No breakage. This is a strong find.” She turned to the others. “Collect everything. Pile it at

  the entrance. We will take it when we sweep back out. We are not returning empty handed.”

  As she said this Kayris shouted from across the street.

  “There is jewelry over here. A full shop of it.”

  Vanra looked at Bash, Tyrish and Orran. “Clear out this blacksmith building. I’ll join Kayris and

  Korvex, we will check the jewelry.”

  They split in two directions.

  Bash entered the first side chamber of the blacksmith. Swords, short blades and throwing weapons

  lined the walls. The room held far more than the open space outside suggested, likely an overflow

  storage area for finished products.

  The moment he entered, SC spoke in his mind.

  “These weapons are Tier 4 quality. That is why they have not aged. No imbuements. No enhancements.

  Pure crafted materials.”

  He reached for the nearest blade, intending only to lift it and carry it out.

  SC interrupted sharply.

  “Store one.”

  Bash froze, then looked over his shoulder to check the room. Tyrish and Orran were in the other

  chamber, already lifting larger items. No one was watching him.

  He walked casually toward the entrance of the room, positioned himself where the doorway blocked

  their view, and reached for a sword hanging on the wall.

  The moment his fingers touched it, the sword vanished.

  No shimmer. No fade. No sound.

  Just gone.

  Bash blinked once, quietly stunned. Beast fragments were small. Lightweight. Easy to imagine being

  pulled into the relic space. But this was a full-length sword nearly a meter long.

  It vanished as easily as a pebble.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  SC sounded pleased. “This is very good news.”

  She shifted her attention slightly. “To your right. Three throwing knives. Store them as well.”

  He reached without hesitation. The three knives disappeared instantly.

  Then SC instructed, “Carry the rest out normally. Do not create suspicion. Store only what I tell you.”

  He grabbed an armful of blades and walked them outside to the pile Tyrish and Orran had already

  begun. The two men returned to gather more, so Bash followed and made a second trip. By the time he

  finished clearing the chamber, his room was empty and the pile outside had grown impressively.

  Tyrish stepped back and whistled. “This is going to be a good payday even after the split.”

  Orran lifted a shield nearly as tall as his torso. “Feels solid. Perfect condition too.”

  A few moments later Vanra, Kayris and Korvex came out of the jewelry shop with both arms full of

  necklaces, rings, bracelets and gemstones. They dropped them beside the weapon pile.

  The group stood there admiring everything. Orran raised the shield once more and tested its balance.

  Tyrish swung a greatsword in two easy arcs, nodding approvingly. Kayris slid a few rings onto her

  fingers just to marvel at the craftsmanship before returning them to the pile.

  While everyone was distracted, SC spoke sharply to Bash.

  “There is a ring near your left foot. Step on it and store it if possible. Attempt storage without direct

  contact. Do it casually.”

  Bash shifted his stance naturally, placed his boot directly over the ring and simultaneously reached to

  pick up a sword from the pile. He pushed energy downward through his foot, focusing on the sense of

  storage the relic used.

  Nothing.

  SC said, “Release. Walk away normally.”

  He took a few steps back.

  The ring remained.

  Kayris noticed it. “Be careful. You stepped on one of the rings.”

  Bash bent down, picked it up and tossed it into the pile. “My bad.”

  SC hummed with minor disappointment. “It was worth a try. It seems direct contact is still required.”

  Vanra finished reviewing the haul and pointed toward the castle.

  “Move out. We sweep the center building next.”

  With renewed energy, the team marched across the square. The weight of potential treasure lifted their

  mood visibly. Bash stayed in the middle of the formation, watching the towering castle come into full

  view.

  Its walls were thick and layered with stone blocks shaped so precisely they locked together without

  mortar. Time had cracked many edges but the structure as a whole still looked formidable. The main

  entrance consisted of an enormous pair of stone doors, partially sunken but still intact.

  Vanra raised her hand and spoke quietly.

  “We have no idea what is inside. Every tier has housed different beasts. We should expect something

  new and something dangerous. Stay tight.”

  Tyrish nodded and approached the door. He placed his hands against the heavy stone and pushed

  slowly until it creaked open just enough for him to peer inside.

  He stared for a long two seconds.

  Then closed the door again.

  Vanra stepped forward. “Report.”

  Tyrish ran a hand over his face. “Good news and bad news.”

  She frowned. “Good news.”

  “They are the same spiders from the last level.”

  “And the bad?”

  “There are hundreds of them. At least five hundred right at the entrance.”

  He opened the door again so the entire team could see.

  A wave of shifting, pulsing distortions filled the entrance hall. Spiders clung to the walls, ceiling, floor,

  pillars and railings. Dozens blinked in and out of small localized void rifts. Hundreds of tiny space

  warps shimmered across the chamber like heat haze.

  Korvex muttered, “That is a lot.”

  Vanra lowered her voice. “We funnel them to the door. Keep focus. Expect more to appear once the

  battle starts. Make sure nothing comes out of the side walls. Watch everything.”

  She turned to Bash.

  “You call out when you need to be struck. We cannot afford your echoes dropping mid fight.”

  Bash nodded, his heartbeat rising in anticipation.

  Tyrish positioned himself at the door and slowly pulled it wider so the whole team could fit through.

  He and Korvex tapped Bash once each, activating his gear and igniting the familiar storm inside him.

  Before the spiders could react, Vanra raised her hand.

  “Attack.”