They encountered monsters—Ironbark Wolves and Copper Stags—but they were manageable. Thomas fought with a sturdy axe, his swings precise and powerful despite his lack of combat training. Elena used light healing magic, supporting from the back.
Max barely needed to intervene. Night stayed manifested but mostly observed, and Max found himself enjoying the role of guardian rather than main fighter.
They stopped for lunch in a clearing, eating packed food while Liam chased glowing butterflies.
"This is perfect," Elena said, watching her son play. "This is what I wanted for him—memories of adventure, not just growing up in a city."
"You're good parents," Max said.
"We try," Thomas replied. "It's not easy, making a living as a craftsman while raising a child. But we work hard, and we hope it's enough."
"It is," Max assured him. "He's lucky to have you both."
The afternoon was equally peaceful. They discovered area with a small stream of flowing water and Elena found several rare herbs growing along its banks.
"This is incredible," she said, carefully harvesting samples. "These plants could revolutionize fever treatments. The Herbalist's Guild will fund my research for years based on this alone."
Thomas had found several types of unique wood, already envisioning the furniture and carvings he could create.
Liam had made a crown of metallic leaves and declared himself King of the Frontier, making his parents laugh.
As they walked back toward camp, the sun beginning to set, Max felt something he hadn't expected.
Satisfaction.
Day Two
The second day, they ventured toward some ruins visible from camp—remnants of whatever civilization had once inhabited the Iron Frontier.
The structures were haunting: massive pillars of dark metal, walls carved with indecipherable symbols, courtyards overgrown with metallic vines. Everything had an alien quality, as if built by beings who thought in fundamentally different patterns than humans.
"This architecture predates anything I've studied," Thomas said, running his hand along a pillar. "The craftsmanship is extraordinary."
Liam was both fascinated and slightly nervous. He stayed closer to his parents, his earlier bravado fading under the eerie atmosphere.
They explored carefully, finding artifacts—broken tools, decorative fragments, shards of what might have been pottery. Elena speculated that the civilization had been technologically advanced but was destroyed by some catastrophe.
In one courtyard, they discovered a statue— a towering figure of what looked like a warrior or guardian. It stood at least fifteen feet tall, forged entirely of metal that gleamed with an impossible luster, unaffected by rust or corrosion despite its obvious age.
"Look at the detail," Thomas whispered, his voice hushed with something between awe and unease.
He circled the figure slowly, one hand hovering inches from the metal but not quite daring to touch.
"Every piece of armor, every weapon—it's perfect. The craftsmanship... it's beyond anything I've ever seen. Whoever created this didn't just master their art—they transcended it."
The statue's face was hidden beneath an ornate helm, but Max could have sworn its empty eye slits were watching them. Following them as they moved.
As they examined the statue more closely, Liam's voice cut through the inspection. "Dad, look! There's a door under it!"
Sure enough, partially concealed by rubble and shadow, there was an entrance. The stones around it were different from the rest of the ruins, older somehow, carved with strange symbols.
"A basement or vault," Elena said, but her voice carried a tremor of unease. "Should we... should we explore it?"
Every instinct Max possessed screamed no. Underground areas in unexplored ruins usually meant higher-level enemies and traps. But Thomas was already moving forward, clearing rubble with his hands.
The obsession in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Just a quick look," Thomas said. "If there are artifacts down there, they could be valuable. We could finally afford that larger workshop I've been dreaming about. We could change everything."
Elena looked uncertain, her hand instinctively moving to rest on Liam's shoulder. After a long moment, she nodded, though her face had gone pale.
"Stay close together. Max, would you lead?"
Max descended first, Night manifested beside him and on alert. The stairway led to a small vault—surprisingly intact, with no monsters or obvious dangers.
What they found was treasure. Not gold or weapons, but artifacts: intact pottery, small sculptures, tools in pristine condition, and—Thomas's eyes went wide—samples of refined metals unlike anything currently available.
"This..." His voice dropped to barely a whisper. "This is worth a fortune. These metals—I've never seen anything like them. I could revolutionize metalworking. Create pieces that would be displayed in museums for generations. Provide for Elena and Liam for years."
They carefully collected the artifacts, packing them into bags. Liam helped, excited to be part of the discovery.
When they finally emerged out, Max felt like he could breathe again. The sun was setting, painting the ruins in shades of red and gold.
"We should head back," he said, glancing towards the horizon. "It's getting dark."
They then started walking toward the camp. Despite their exhaustion, a sense of triumph followed their steps. The vault had been sealed for centuries, and they were the first to walk its halls.
Ahead, a massive canyon loomed. Max's eyes locked onto the winding path below, watching as shadows thickened with setting sun.
Still, they continued their journey, their voices echoing faintly off the rock.
And that's when everything went wrong.
It started with a sound—soft, almost too quiet to notice at first. Like sand shifting. Or faint footsteps pacing just out of sight.
Max froze mid-step, his senses screaming alarm. He spun around, scanning the cliffs above.
However there was nothing. Just the wind, he told himself.
They kept moving.
As they reached the midpoint of the canyon—the deepest point, where the cliffs rose highest, the silence shattered like glass.
A creature erupted from the top of the cliff without warning. It was massive, easily twenty feet tall, with a body like stone and metal fused together. Its eyes glowed with malevolent red light, and when it roared, the sound echoed off the canyon walls like thunder.
[IRONCLAD TITAN – LEVEL 40 ELITE]
HP: 45,000/45,000
Max's blood ran cold. Level 40. Eleven levels above him.
"RUN!" Max shouted, drawing Voidreaver. "Get to camp! NOW!"
Thomas immediately grabbed Liam, lifting the boy onto his back. Elena started running, but her eyes kept darting back to Max.
"What about you?" Elena shouted.
"I'll hold it off! Just RUN!"
The Titan charged, and the ground shook with each thunderous step. Max barely dodged the first attack—a massive fist that cratered the ground where he'd been standing. The impact sent shockwaves through the canyon, knocking everyone off their feet.
Thomas hit the ground hard, managing to twist so Liam landed on top of him instead of underneath. Elena scrambled up, pulling at her husband's arm.
[GROUND SLAM]
-234 HP! (shockwave damage)
[MaxThorne: 446/680 HP]
Max knew immediately this was bad. The canyon was narrow—maybe thirty feet wide—with tall cliffs on either side. The Titan blocked the main path back to camp, and there was no way around it. The only other route was to climb up the canyon walls which in itself was impossible with a child.
They were trapped.