**Following the Fragments' Guidance**
Sunlight draped the endless yellow sands in a veil of gold. Fa walked at the head of the group, clutching the letter they had taken from the sand bandits. Mysterious runes were etched into the envelope, emitting faint magical pulses that pointed toward an unknown location deep in the desert.
The party moved between dunes, the sand grains beneath their feet churning in the hot wind with a soft, rasping whisper. Suddenly Arya stopped and pointed ahead in astonishment. "Fa, look over there!"
Following Arya's gaze, Fa beheld an impossible sight—schools of fish swimming through the desert! These creatures did not move through water but through sand, as though the dunes were their ocean. Their bodies were covered in silvery scales, and each swing of their tails sent up delicate chains of dust, graceful and mysterious.
"What in the world…?" TISK's eyes widened, his hand instinctively tightening around his warhammer as if preparing for a threat.
Salsa poked her head out from the mechanical cat body, her ghostly blue eyes fixed on the creatures. "These are 'sand-skimming fish,' lifeforms created by ancient mages. They swim freely through sand and are said to detect the magical veins running beneath the desert."
Fa nodded, closed her right eye, and focused her Star Eye. Through it she saw faint magic flowing within their bodies and the magical trails they left as they swam. Those trails pointed southwest—perfectly matching the guidance in the letter.
"Their magical trails point exactly where we need to go," Fa said, opening her eyes with a trace of excitement. "We're on the right path."
Arya smiled, gently patting Fa's shoulder. "This world is truly full of wonders. Let's keep moving."
The party adjusted course, following the sand-skimming fish deeper into the desert, hearts filled with awe at this world where technology and magic intertwined.
**Plunder**
After several hours of travel, they reached an area of rolling dunes. From the distance came shouts mingled with the clash of steel. Fa immediately grew alert and signaled her companions to take cover behind a dune.
Peering cautiously over the ridge, they saw a merchant caravan being robbed by more than a dozen sand bandits. The bandits rode steel camels and gale birds, moving with ferocious speed. The steel camels' energy cannons roared; the gale birds circled overhead, ripping into their prey with blade-like talons. The caravan guards were powerless. Goods were looted in moments, and the bandits soon rode away on their mounts, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Should we intervene?" Arya whispered, fingers already on her bowstring, wind magic gathering around the arrowhead.
Fa shook her head, her gaze steady. "No. There may be more of them nearby. Charging in blindly is too risky. We follow them—we might find their lair and learn more."
TISK nodded in agreement, voice low. "Smart choice. Know your enemy, and you'll win every battle."
Salsa's soul form flickered slightly, her tone carrying a hint of mockery. "Let's hope these sand bandits kindly lead us straight to their nest."
The party moved silently, keeping a safe distance while tracking the bandits' trail. The bandits' steel camels and gale birds were fast, but Arya used wind magic to erase their own tracks, and Salsa slipped beneath the sand to scout ahead, ensuring they remained undetected.
**Discovery of the Sand Bandit Camp**
After some time tracking, the party arrived at a hidden desert canyon. Deep within lay the bandits' camp. More than five hundred bandits gathered there, laughing and dividing their loot, the clamor echoing through the canyon walls. Steel camels were tethered to one side; gale birds perched on makeshift roosts.
Even more shocking were the five black-robed Soul Clan members standing at the camp's center, radiating thick dark aura as they spoke amiably with the bandit leader—clearly the core of this alliance.
Fa and her companions hid behind a dune outside the canyon, holding their breath as they observed. Salsa's soul form turned into a wisp of ghostly blue light and infiltrated the camp. She drew close enough to overhear one Soul Clan member murmur, "With the bandits' strength and our Soul-Devouring Bells, Shad Fort will fall easily. Then nothing can stop our plan."
Salsa's heart jolted. She quickly returned and reported the intelligence to her companions.
"Over five hundred bandits and five Soul Clan members," Fa said gravely. "Their target is Shad Fort. We cannot let them succeed."
Arya frowned, worry lacing her gentle voice. "But there are far too many. We can't fight them head-on."
TISK rubbed his chin, a cunning glint in his eye. "Then we don't fight fair. We use our heads."
Salsa nodded, tone serious. "On the way here I sensed dozens of quicksand pits to the southwest. Extremely dangerous terrain—but if we lure the bandits there, the land itself can destroy them."
Fa's eyes lit up. "Excellent idea. But the bandits know this desert well. We'll need a clever ruse to make them miscalculate."
The party quickly devised a plan to lure the bandits into the quicksand zone.
**Luring the Bandits**
Night fell; the desert temperature plummeted. The party began their operation. Arya used light and wind magic to create an illusory merchant caravan—wagons piled high with glittering gold and jewels that shone temptingly in the darkness. Salsa summoned skeletal soldiers to mimic the caravan's movement and draw the bandits' attention.
The bandits soon spotted the "caravan." Greed overtook them; they immediately mobilized, riding steel camels and gale birds in hot pursuit. Fa and her companions guided the illusion southwest toward the quicksand pits from the shadows.
"They've taken the bait," Fa whispered, her Star Eye gleaming as she foresaw the bandits' movements.
TISK worked in the rear, using metal magic to bury spikes in the sand and prevent the bandits from closing too quickly. Arya constantly adjusted the illusion to keep them hooked. Salsa lurked beneath the sand, ready to act at any moment.
The bandits chased relentlessly, shouting battle cries, completely unaware they were walking into a trap.
**Sandstorm and Tornado**
Just as the bandits were about to overtake the "caravan," the sky suddenly darkened. A rumbling roar approached—a massive sandstorm laced with tornadoes swept in, blotting out the heavens with swirling dust and howling wind that instantly threw both sides into chaos.
The bandits panicked. Steel camels whinnied in fear; gale birds were tossed helplessly by the gales. Many bandits were sucked into the tornadoes and vanished into the yellow haze. Fa's party quickly took shelter behind a massive boulder. Arya and Salsa combined their magic to form a double-layered barrier against the storm.
"This storm came out of nowhere!" TISK shouted, his voice nearly drowned by the wind.
Fa closed her eyes and concentrated. Her Star Eye radiated silver light. Suddenly she sensed a faint star-fragment reaction coming from a nearby quicksand sinkhole.
"Everyone—I'm picking up a star fragment signature inside that sinkhole!" Fa opened her eyes, voice trembling against the gale.
Arya gripped Fa's arm tightly, worried. "But the sandstorm is raging—it's too dangerous!"
Fa shook her head resolutely. "This is our chance. The storm will cover us from the bandits. We have to seize it."
TISK nodded, brimming with boldness. "Fa's right! Let's roll the dice!"
Salsa's soul form wavered in the wind, tone laced with concern. "I'll scout the way, but unknown dangers may lurk inside the sinkhole."
The companions nodded and prepared to risk entry. Fa extended her hand, using earth magic to shape surrounding sand into a temporary shield against the storm. Arya waved her fingers, wind magic parting the dust ahead to clear a path. TISK reinforced the shield's edges with metal magic, while Salsa dove beneath the sand to confirm the route.
"Jump!" Fa commanded. The party leaped into the sinkhole together. As they fell, Fa focused her earth magic to slow the sand's flow, lowering them gently. Moments later their feet touched solid ground before a massive entrance.
The entrance was carved from hard stone covered in ancient runes that glowed faintly with magic. Between the runes, desert motifs seemed to tell a thousand-year tale. The passage inside was dim, lit only by the runes' soft light.
"This place feels seriously creepy," TISK muttered, his voice echoing in the empty corridor.
Fa nodded, her Star Eye continuously shining to guide them. "Stay close. I can sense the fragment's location."
The party cautiously stepped into the passage, officially entering the underground ruin.
**Challenges in the Labyrinth**
Upon entering, they found themselves in an intricately twisting labyrinth. Passages branched in every direction; walls of hard stone were etched with mysterious runes and patterns that emitted faint blue light, providing scant illumination in the oppressive darkness. The air carried dry dust mixed with a hint of decay.
They advanced until reaching the first fork. Fa closed her eyes, using her Star Eye to sense the fragment, then pointed left. "This way."
As soon as they entered the left passage, the ground trembled and dozens of arrows shot from wall crevices. Arya reacted instantly—drawing her bow and summoning a whirlwind of wind magic that deflected every arrow.
"Careful—traps!" Arya warned, tension in her voice.
Fa nodded, inwardly grateful for Arya's presence. They pressed on, encountering various traps—boulders crashing from above, quicksand pits that nearly swallowed TISK, flame jets that nearly scorched their clothes. Fortunately, Fa's Star Eye always warned her moments before danger struck, allowing the party to evade or disarm the mechanisms.
In a narrow passage they heard low growling. Salsa alerted them: "Something's coming!"
Before she finished speaking, mechanical spiders poured from wall cracks. Huge, with glowing red eyes and claws that sparked against stone, they were clearly guardians of the labyrinth. TISK roared and swung his warhammer, metal magic igniting the head as he smashed the nearest spider into scraps.
Arya loosed fire-enchanted arrows that struck joints with deadly precision, paralyzing several spiders. Salsa summoned shadow demon wolves that tore into mechanical bodies. Fa danced through the chaos, her starlight dagger striking vital points with lethal accuracy.
After fierce combat, the spiders lay destroyed. TISK crouched to examine the wreckage. "Who knows what else this maze is hiding."
Fa caught her breath and nodded. "It's more dangerous than we thought. Let's keep going."
The labyrinth grew ever more complex—dead ends and false paths abounded. Once they triggered a rolling boulder trap in a dead end and barely escaped; another time the floor collapsed into quicksand, and only Arya's timely vine spell saved them. But Fa's Star Eye always pointed toward the fragment, preventing them from becoming lost as they drew steadily closer.
**Discovery of the Ancient Underground City**
After hours of grueling exploration, they reached the deepest part of the labyrinth. The sight that greeted them left them speechless—an enormous underground city devoured by time rose from the sands. Walls bore salt crystals and mineral veins like the shed scales of a desert leviathan. Tall buildings leaned at precarious angles, their broken spires still revealing embedded glowing metal conduits that pulsed cold light in the gloom. The central palace dome resembled a giant energy stone buried in sand; though its gem was dust-covered, it cast gentle light over steps overgrown with silicon-crystal moss, each step etched with wind-worn grooves yet unnaturally precise.
Even more astonishing was the protective dome enveloping the city—a semi-transparent membrane no longer purely magical, but a dynamic structure laced with flowing sand grains, like a frozen hourglass. Magical fluctuations carried the soft hiss of sand striking glass, isolating the city from the outside. The air inside was fresh yet carried the metallic scent of ancient machinery—a stark contrast to the labyrinth's oppressive darkness.
"This is… an ancient underground city?" Arya said in awe, fingertips brushing a wall and leaving faint sand trails. The surface appeared solid but was webbed with cracks containing tiny gears that still twitched at imperceptible frequencies.
Fa nodded, her Star Eye sweeping over the metal pipes crisscrossing between buildings—pipes marred by rust yet leaking blue fluorescence from fissures. "At least a thousand years old. The dome material seems to be a fusion of magical crystal sand and mechanical matrices, capable of actively filtering dust…"
TISK rubbed his chin, greed flashing in his eyes. "A city this size must be packed with treasures and secrets."
Salsa's soul form passed through a rune-etched wall; the wall buzzed, blue light flashing briefly from the seams before fading. "Stay alert. These buildings are breathing…" Her voice carried a chilling tremor. "The dome's boundary is devouring my magical probes."
The party approached the dome and found it did not impede their entry—it seemed designed only to repel external threats. They stepped cautiously through and into the city proper. The streets were uneven, stone tiles overgrown with crystallized vines and centuries of sand, yet the architecture remained terrifyingly rigorous—every leaning pillar revealed internal metal bracing; wind-eroded reliefs on walls still faintly depicted flying craft soaring over dunes and mechanical behemoths carrying mobile fortresses, figures clad in armor striped with flowing luminous lines.
"Time here isn't frozen—it's compressed…" Arya whispered, bowstring taut. When her arrow tip brushed the ground, tiny electric sparks danced—the paving stones still held active conductive layers.
Fa nodded, Star Eye scanning for threats. "We'll split up to search for clues about the star fragment. Arya and I will take the central palace. TISK and Salsa check the surrounding buildings. Signal immediately if you find anything."
The companions nodded and parted to explore the mysterious underground city.
**Fa and Arya: The Central Palace**
Fa and Arya reached the palace entrance. The massive metal doors were studded with flashing magical crystals radiating powerful energy. Fa touched the door; her Star Eye detected hidden mechanisms. "It requires magical infusion to open."
Arya nodded, drew her bow, and channeled a gentle beam of light magic into the crystals. With a low hum the doors slowly parted, revealing a grand hall.
The interior was magnificent—walls inlaid with glowing rune stones, a gigantic hourglass at the center with sand flowing endlessly, as if keeping eternal time. Beside the hourglass stood an altar bearing a thick tome. Fa approached and carefully opened it, discovering the city's recorded history.
"This city is called 'Louyue City,' built a thousand years ago by a mage named Shaharwen," Fa read. "He fused magic and technology to create this underground refuge against the desert's harshness."
Arya leaned closer, voice soft. "He must have been a great visionary. These records may tell us where the star fragment is hidden."
Fa turned more pages and found: "The star fragment is concealed deep within the temple. Only those who pass the guardian's trials may claim its power."
"The temple?" Fa murmured, gaze falling on a hidden door behind the hourglass. "It's probably through there."
**TISK and Salsa: Exploring the City**
Meanwhile, TISK and Salsa explored the city's edge. TISK's warhammer struck walls, metallic echoes ringing through empty streets. Salsa's soul form floated ahead; her ghostly blue light suddenly condensed—she waved a finger and five shadow demon wolves emerged from the sand, sniffing for magical traces. "Spread out. Watch for mechanisms," she ordered coldly. The wolves scattered while TISK followed her into a half-collapsed building that appeared to have once been a library.
Inside lay ancient technological scrolls and books. TISK casually picked up a scroll depicting a flying craft's drive core and his eyes lit up. "These are tech blueprints! If I take them back, my hammer could be upgraded tenfold!"
Salsa flipped through nearby books. "Stop drooling over your hammer. There's something more important here." Before she finished, one of her skeletal soldiers pointed a bony claw at a floor crack—faint electric humming seeped from the gap like mechanical whispers.
"Basement." Salsa summoned two skeletons to shift the rubble, revealing an iron door. TISK pressed his warhammer against it; metal magic flowed through the seams and the lock clicked open. Beyond lay a spiral staircase lit by dim crystal lamps along the walls, leading to a metal hatch at the bottom.
The hatch bore complex gear runes. Salsa's demon wolves suddenly pricked their ears and growled warningly toward the interior. TISK pried the hatch open with his hammer; dust billowed out. Inside lay a two-meter-tall robotic body, metal shell covered in etched circuits, chest core pulsing faint dark red, eyes frozen blue orbs.
"A mechanical lifeform?" TISK leaned in, fingertip tracing the inscription on the robot's neck plate: "Rex…" He tried moving a joint but the bearings were seized by age. "Still no rust, but it won't move."
Salsa floated to the robot's head, soul form passing through it before frowning. "Core energy is in hibernation… consciousness matrix frozen. No immediate threat."
She ordered skeletons to drag the robot into a corner. TISK reluctantly pulled out his tool kit. "Wait, I want to check the circuits—"
"Focus on clues first," Salsa cut him off, ghostly blue eyes scanning wall etchings. "The dome core is in the temple, but this…" She pointed to the metal tag at the robot's waist bearing the same runes as the palace doors. "This guy was probably a guardian."
The pair collected several shattered memory crystals from the basement before returning topside. TISK kept glancing back at the robot. "We really should bring him along—he might be useful."
Salsa sneered. "You planning to carry two tons of iron through the maze? Business first."
**Reunion and Awakening**
The party regrouped before the central palace. After hearing TISK's excited report, Fa's Star Eye suddenly flared. "The hidden door behind the hourglass… its runes are a fusion of mechanical and magical design." She recalled the book's mention of the "guardian trials" and touched the wall beside the hourglass; faint robotic imagery appeared. "We need a mechanical core to activate the lock—just like the mechanical servants Shaharwen used to control the ruin."
TISK slapped his forehead. "The robot in the basement! His waist tag matches the door runes!"
Salsa frowned. "But he's immobile—core in hibernation—"
"We don't need him to move," Fa said, pointing to the gear mechanism visible through the hidden door's crack. "We just need to connect his core to the door's drive system. TISK, can you remove his core?"
TISK rubbed his hands eagerly. "Leave it to me—I've been dying to study his energy structure."
The four returned to the basement. Salsa's skeletons were still circling the robot, joints creaking eerily in the silence.
"That's him!" TISK shouted excitedly, slamming his hammer down and sending sparks flying.
As Fa stepped inside, her Star Eye suddenly blazed silver—the dark blue crystal in the robot's chest resonated with her inheritor stone, pulsing like a heartbeat. A wisp of starlight drifted from the crystal and wrapped around her fingertip.
"Warning: Star Eye bearer detected."
The robot suddenly spoke in a metallic rasp. Its eyes flared blue. TISK jumped back, nearly dropping his hammer on his foot; Salsa's soul form instantly shifted to combat stance, shadow tentacles bursting from the floor; Arya's bow was drawn, light arrow aimed at the robot's head. Only Fa raised a hand to calm her companions—her Star Eye's precognition showed no hostility.
The robot—Rex—slowly sat up, joints grinding. The nameplate on his neck glinted under the crystal lights. "I am Rex, designation 'Ruin Guardian Unit 16.' My creator, Lord Shaharwen, programmed my core directive: only the inheritor of the star fragments may release me from hibernation." He turned his head with a soft focusing whir. "Your destruction of the mechanical spiders during maze traversal was registered as a defense system error."
"Wait," Fa stepped closer, fingertip lightly touching the chest crystal. Warmth flowed into her palm. "You know where the star fragment is?"
"The fragment is hidden within Louyue Sanctuary," Rex replied. His arm unfolded, projecting a holographic map showing the structure deep beneath the central palace. "But entry to the holy chamber requires passing three trials—Form of Sand, Heart of Machinery, and Stellar Resonance. My creator left this memory: only a team that masters both magic and technology can awaken the ruin's true power."
TISK leaned toward the map, poking Rex's shoulder with his hammer. "How did you know we were coming?"
"Lord Shaharwen foresaw a great calamity a thousand years in the future," Rex answered calmly. "He encoded the fragment coordinates into the sand-skimming fish's magical trails and set trials within the maze. Three days ago my core detected your Star Eye fluctuations—star power of the same origin as my creator."
Salsa suddenly floated behind Rex, passing through his body before frowning. "His matrix core contains full administrative access to the city… including the dome and defense systems." She paused, ghostly blue gaze turning to Fa. "We might not need to force our way through the trials."
Rex shook his head, metal neck creaking softly. "The trials are chains set by my creator. Only by personally completing them can the fragment acknowledge its master." He stood, towering over TISK by two heads yet moving fluidly. "I may serve as guide, but you must fight the battles yourselves—that is the rule."
Fa exchanged looks with her companions. Arya lowered her light arrow; TISK excitedly stroked the gear workings on Rex's arm; Salsa circled him rapidly, searching for programming vulnerabilities. Finally Fa nodded. "Rex, lead us to the sanctuary. But first—" She pointed to the tag at his waist. "Can you disable the maze traps? We got pretty beat up by arrows and quicksand on the way in."
"Defense system has now registered you as 'Inheritor Party,'" Rex said, striding toward the exit with heavy footsteps that echoed through the passage. "Traps will yield to you from this moment. However, the sanctuary trials…" He paused and turned, lens eyes flashing blue. "Will be the true challenge you must face."
TISK pounded his warhammer against the floor with a booming laugh. "Tough? Perfect warm-up!" He turned to his companions. "His core energy is insanely stable—two centuries ahead of modern machinery… Just who was this creator Shaharwen?"
Fa gazed at Rex's retreating back. Flashes of the trials appeared in her Star Eye—quicksand coalescing into colossal beasts, mechanical guardians wielding energy blades, and the star fragment floating at the center, awaiting hands that could embrace both magic and technology. She took a deep breath, clutching her inheritor stone tightly.
"No matter what the trials are, we will face them together."