The following morning, May 21.

Richard, who had slept all night in the burned-out Oasis City, got up early.

After breakfast, he waited for all the dark gargoyles who transported the residents all night to return to the team.

He immediately gathered everyone and prepared to go to the ancient ruins to explore.

Xina was in a state of embarrassment the other day. Her body scars healed and disappeared with a vast amount of honey.

Her new leather armor made her look like a cheetah and perfectly displayed her figure.

The fierce aura of a veteran warrior was in stark contrast to her exquisite and perfect face.

She held a cross-shaped longsword in her hand, and her gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s.

Xina was starkly different from Adele’s naivety. Her fierce demeanor could make people tremble in fear.

She was a pure warrior. The battlefield was where she belonged.

“Xina, after we entered the ruins, all actions will be carried out according to orders.”

Richard’s gaze was solemn.

A team could only have one voice.

Xina was not his subordinate yet. He had to clarify the rules.

Xena looked directly into Richard’s eyes and was extremely serious.

“Yes, Lord Commander. I will starkly carry out your orders!”

“But if I find a treasure that can remove the seal, I beg you to help me…”

Richard consented slowly.

“I promise you with the glory of Twilight City that I will do my best when necessary!”

The eyes of both sides met at this moment.

The troop set off.

Richard continued to ride on the dark gargoyle. After he had the transportation means, he lost interest in traveling.

Although it was not as cool as a giant dragon, the dark gargoyle’s appearance was cool enough. Other than its buttocks, there was nothing wrong with it.

Shortly after they left the oasis, Richard suddenly thought of something.

Since Xina happened to have a map that led to the ancient ruins, she built the city in the oasis because of the ruins.

Her hero recruitment mission was to break the seal…

Then, could it be that the way to break the other party’s seal was ultimately the ruins?

Although this speculation was a bit far-fetched, it made sense.

In Richard’s eyes, Xina was like a sharp battle knife.

As long as the dust was wiped away, it could reveal its dazzling sharpness.

And he wants to use this battle knife. Even if broken, it had to be when he held the hilt in his hand.

To conquer heroes, recruit troops, obtain treasures, occupy resources, explore maps…These were the essence of the “Shining Era”.

In the quiet atmosphere, the troop quickly moved toward its target.

Xena had been to the ruins before, and since Richard had already synced the map in the parchment to the system map, she wasn’t afraid of missing the target.

After they moved north for more than five hours.

‘Huff! Huff!’

The wind in the desert began to grow stronger.

The gust of wind twisted the fine sand and blew on their faces, which hurt people.

This was a place where the wind and sand were violent.

No wonder Xina said there was no one here. No normal person would come to this lousy place.

When Richard saw this, he scattered the dark gargoyles to investigate the situation from a further distance.

The further he went, the stronger the wind and sand became.

It was hard to open one’s eyes when he reached the back.

However, the mummy troop did not react to this and continued to move forward at a constant speed.

To not waste Gunter’s recruitment characteristics, Richard hunted down several field troops and recruited another three units of Elite 1-star blood-colored mummies.

As a result, the number of recruited units reached seven and a half.

Six units of Elite 1-star, and one and a half units of Rare 2-stars giant monitor lizard mummies.

After Richard granted these units the Sand Transformation skill, they would be of great use.

He braved the wind and sand for a few more hours, then he compared the map and was instantly energized.

They had arrived!

Xena, who rode on the back of the giant monitor lizard mummy, also signaled to the team they had reached their destination.

Richard immediately recalled the dark gargoyles dispersed and then landed on the ground.

Xena pointed at a conspicuous dune in front of them.

“Lord Commander, after crossing the dune in front, we will arrive at the ruins…”

Richard nodded and let Gray lead the gargoyles to investigate. They only continued forward when there was no threat.

The troop arrived at the foot of a large dune amidst the whistling wind and sand.

The dune in front was more than 200 meters tall and stretched hundreds of meters.

It was indeed spectacular.

In front of it, there was a conspicuous dent due to the strong wind.

The wind and sand were pronouncedly much smaller while Richard stood in the dent.

He looked at the dune in front of him, and his heart skipped a beat.

‘That ancient ruin was buried under the dune?’

He took out the black magic mace from the system space.

It immediately lit up after the black magic mace was exposed.

Richard calmed his mind.

He was in the right place.

He turned his head to look at the mummy hero beside him.

“Gray, Gunther, each of you, take two teams of dark gargoyles and all the bandaged mummies to investigate the surroundings.

“I want to ensure absolute safety…”

“As you wish!”

The two heroes did not hesitate and immediately led their troops away.

Richard held the black magic mace and the map in his hands. At this moment, the two relics radiated light.

However, he was like a stone statue as he quietly looked at the dune in front. He did not move.

The only thing left in the air was the whistling of the wind.

When Xena saw this scene, a hint of admiration rose in her eyes.

When ordinary people saw the allure of the ancient ruins, they would probably be unable to restrain themselves for a long time. The other party was indeed extraordinary. This kind of temperament was hard to come by.

It took a full half an hour.

Richard only relaxed when Gray returned to report it was safe and sent three teams of blood-colored mummies to guard the surroundings.

He turned his head to look at Xina.

“Xina, how do I open the ruins?”

“Close to the dune, the ruins will call…”

Richard nodded and handed the two items to Gunter.

“Leave the soul phylactery and go open the ruins.”

The ruins were full of unknowns. And Gunter could be resurrected. It was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.

The mummy hero wrapped in the blood-colored bandage was fearless. After Richard left the soul phylactery, he walked towards the dune.

The black magic mace and the parchment map in his hands gradually lit up.

Gunter came to the bottom of the dune and felt something. He slowly placed the two items on the steep slope of the dune in front of him.

The next second.

‘Crash!’

The yellow sand above the dune shook, and a large amount of fine sand shook off.

And the two items were buried within.

The yellow sand forced Gunter to retreat.

Richard sensed something was wrong and immediately waved his hand.

“Everyone, retreat! Leave this valley!!”

The troop had just retreated not long ago.

‘Rumble!’

The more than 200 meters tall dune shook. And the yellow sand on it tumbled down like an avalanche.

Dust flew into the sky, and with the impact of a tsunami, it rolled down like a natural disaster. It was not something humans could withstand.

The scene was exceedingly spectacular.

The dark gargoyle immediately swooped down and lifted Gunter into the air before being buried.

After a few breaths, yellow sand shrouded dozens of meters deep depression.

After Richard checked and confirmed no one was swallowed, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Although there was sand, there was no need to waste this life-saving skill before entering the ruins.

The dust was too heavy. And it was hard to see the left and right.

After a long time, under the blowing of the wind and sand, the field returned to silence.

The brilliant scene appeared in Richard’s line of sight.

The two-hundred-meter-tall dune was like a goddess that had taken off her outer clothes and revealed her true form.

A vast bronze arch stood in the middle of the yellow sand. And there were as many as nine.

The middle arch was a hundred meters tall. Countless magic runes were engraved on it and shone a bronze light.

Indescribable mystery filled its appearance.

A white-bearded wizard on the gate made of an unknown material wore a high-horned wizard hat and a luxurious wizard robe.

The enormous relief was lifelike, and its eyes were bright as if alive.

It would probably take hundreds of years if a mortal craftsman carved it.

There were four vice gates to the left and right of the main gate that were dozens of meters tall. The further outside, the lower the height of the vice gates.

Wizards of different appearances carved these secondary gates. And they were extraordinary.

This miraculous scene made Richard’s mind waver.

What kind of powerful force was it to be able to cast a gate that was hundreds of meters tall to show its majesty?

And why did this force become a ruin under the dune?

Xena was speechless for a long time when she saw this scene.

Nine bronze gates were too overbearing.

After a long time, she suddenly saw something familiar that pointed at the right side of the deputy gate.

“The scepter is over there…”

Richard turned his head and saw traces of the black magic mace.

At this moment, the system notification suddenly rang.

[Ding~ You have discovered an ancient ruin — the Resplendent Wizard Tower.]

[Every ancient ruin contains numerous risks and opportunities. You might be able to find the lost artifact, or you might be able to trigger a forbidden spell buried for many years.]

[Please, feel free to explore everything.]

After Richard read the notification, he opened the Black Gold System.

As expected, it displayed the information.

[Resplendent Wizard Tower (ancient ruins)]

[Level: 3-stars]

[Threat level of the secondary gate: Medium, from left and right to the inside. The danger level is gradually increasing.]

[Threat level of the main gate: Extremely high.]

[Note: The ruins can not be upgraded.]

“Damn, a 3-star ruin!”

“No wonder it looked so domineering.”

Fortunately, the threat level of the secondary gate was slightly lower, and the black magic mace was the key to the right of the nine gates…which was also the door with the minimal threat.

Richard’s eyes narrowed.

“Xina, do you know anything about these bronze doors?”

Xena shook her head.

“I only learned from the parchment that this wizard tower once had unique research on seals. It often captured some powerful creatures from other planes and sealed them in the Resplendent Wizard Tower.

“That’s why I plan to come in and find a way to break the seal.

“But the secondary gate is safer. We might be able to give it a try… But I’ll listen to your orders for all operations, Lord Commander.”

Richard consented. His eyes paced.

“Regroup, prepare to enter the ruins…”