LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 36: The Vale of Mourning
Dain and the hooded man moved swiftly, covering miles of winding trails and shadowed valleys.
The air grew colder as they neared the eastern borderlands—where the ruins of the Vale of Mourning stretched as far as the eye could see.
A system notification flashed.
[Location Discovered: Vale of Mourning]
• Status: Cursed Battlefield
• Threat Level: High
Dain halted at the top of a rocky ridge, staring down at the expanse of ruined land before him.
It was a graveyard.
Rusting weapons and shattered armor littered the valley floor, their owners long dead.
The remnants of an ancient battle, frozen in time.
And yet—Dain could feel it.
This place was not empty.
The dead were still here.
A system notification appeared.
[Warning: Spiritual Echoes Detected]
• The souls of fallen warriors linger in this place.
• Some may be hostile. Others may not.
Dain exhaled sharply.
"This place is crawling with spirits."
The hooded man nodded.
"The Vale has been cursed for centuries. Those who died here were never given peace."
"And somewhere beneath this battlefield—lies the Second Hollow Gate."
Dain's grip on Silverlight tightened.
"Then let's find it before it's too late."
They descended into the ruins, stepping over weathered bones and broken banners.
The air was thick with silence.
But as they walked—Dain heard it.
Soft whispers.
Not the mindless murmurs of wraiths—but something else.
Memories.
A system notification appeared.
[Echoes of the Fallen Detected]
• Residual spirits are attempting to communicate.
Dain slowed his steps.
He turned his head—and suddenly, he wasn't in the Vale anymore.
The world around him shifted.
Instead of ruins and bones, Dain saw soldiers—thousands of them, standing in tight formation.
Their armor was battered, their faces pale with exhaustion.
A great fortress stood behind them, its walls cracked but still standing.
And before them—an army of shadows stretched across the horizon.
Dain felt his chest tighten.
"This isn't just a battlefield."
"This is where the Hollow Age was fought."
The vision continued.
The soldiers raised their weapons, their voices raw with battle cries.
And at their front—stood a man clad in silver armor, wielding a familiar sword.
Silverlight.
Dain's breath caught.
The warrior's voice rang out like thunder.
"Hold the line! The gate must not break!"
Dain tried to move forward—but the vision faded in an instant.
The battlefield returned to its ruined state.
The soldiers were gone.
Only the dead remained.
A system notification flashed.
[Vision Unlocked: The Last Stand of the Silver Wardens]
• This battle was the final defense against the Hollow's awakening.
• Something was sealed here.
Dain's mind raced.
"If Silverlight was here back then…"
"Then the one who wielded it before me must have fought in this war."
The hooded man spoke quietly.
"You saw them, didn't you?"
Dain nodded slowly.
"And I think they're still here."
The wind shifted.
The whispers grew louder.
And then—the dead awoke.
A system notification flashed.
[Enemies Detected: Fallen Guardians (Lv.17)]
• Status: Bound by the Curse of the Vale
• Hostile if approached
Dain's hand shot to Silverlight.
The first figures emerged from the mist—clad in broken armor, their skeletal faces hidden behind rusting helms.
They moved like soldiers, their weapons still held with discipline.
But their eyes burned with hollow fire.
The hooded man tensed.
"They were once defenders of this land. But now, they are prisoners of their own duty."
"They do not recognize friend from foe."
Dain gritted his teeth.
"Then we'll have to break their chains."
And with that—the battle began.
The first Guardian charged, his blade flashing in the dim light.
Dain parried instantly, Silverlight clashing against rusted steel.
The impact sent shockwaves through his arms—these things were strong.
But they were not invincible.
Dain twisted his blade, slicing upward—
[Direct Hit! 80 Damage Dealt]
The Guardian stumbled back, its armor cracking under the force.
But before Dain could press forward—another came from the side.
A massive halberd swung toward his ribs.
Dain ducked, narrowly avoiding the strike—
But the Guardian was relentless.
It twisted the weapon, slamming the pole against Dain's chest.
[Health: 160 → 120]
Dain grunted, rolling backward.
"I can't fight them head-on. I need to break their formation."
A system notification flashed.
[Skill Activated: Cleaving Strike (Lv.2)]
• Sweeps through multiple enemies.
Dain gripped Silverlight tightly.
Then—he moved.
Dain stepped forward, spinning Silverlight in a wide arc.
The blade flashed—cutting through the two nearest Guardians.
[Multi-Hit! 100 Damage Dealt to Each]
They staggered, their armor fracturing further.
The hooded man raised his hands, summoning a pulse of golden energy.
"Let them rest!"
The holy light crashed into the Guardians, burning away their cursed essence.
A system notification appeared.
[Enemy Purified: Fallen Guardian]
• +300 Experience
Dain watched as the warrior's skeletal form turned to dust.
The remaining Guardians hesitated.
For the first time—they looked uncertain.
Dain exhaled.
"They don't want to fight."
"They just don't know how to stop."
He tightened his grip on Silverlight.
"Then I'll end this."
And with that—he charged again.
Minutes later, the last Guardian collapsed, its armor disintegrating into nothing.
A system notification flashed.
[Battle Completed: The Forgotten Guardians]
• All cursed spirits neutralized.
• Path to the Hollow Gate revealed.
Dain wiped sweat from his brow.
"It's over."
But the hooded man stared ahead.
"No. It's just beginning."
Dain followed his gaze—
And saw the ground shifting.
The battlefield itself cracked open.
And beneath the ruins—
The Second Hollow Gate revealed itself.
A system notification flashed.
[Location Discovered: The Sunken Hollow Gate]
• Status: Seal Weakening
• Threat Level: Extreme
Dain exhaled sharply.
"We found it."
But the seal was already failing.
And whatever lay beneath—was waking up.