Serve To Survive

Kilian dropped down from the wall, landing effortlessly. As he did, the portal behind them began to fade away, its glowing edges dimming until they vanished completely, leaving only the stone wall with its intricate patterns behind.

"This is where the test will take place," Kilian said, with tea in his cup.

"Since we're early, go ahead and explore. The contract will guide you back if you get lost." he said while sipping the tea.

"Where did you get that?" Ena asked, her curiosity piqued.

"You don't need to worry about that; just take the time to explore while you can and soak in everything around you. We have three hours before the test starts, but I want you back here in two to ensure we're early," Kilian said before suddenly dropping backward from his seated position, disappearing behind the wall as if it was the most natural thing to do.

Without hesitation, Haruo jumped from the cliff, landing gracefully before setting off to explore the unfamiliar terrain below.

Ena, not wanting to be left behind, quickly followed, her footsteps echoing as she descended after him. The vast expanse of the area stretched out before them, offering countless mysteries to uncover in the limited time they had.

"Stop ditching me! I thought we were past this!" Ena shouted as they descended the long fall. As they neared the bottom, the sunrise of a new world unfolded before them, with blue and purple hues painting the sky, and floating islands drifting in the distance.

"Shut up, you might scare all my lunch away," Haruo said, glancing at the scenery one last time before making his way toward the forest in search of animals. The lush trees loomed ahead, and he moved quickly, eyes scanning for any signs of movement.

As they roamed quietly through the forest, they spotted an animal in the distance. It had four limbs and a long, messy-furred tail, its body an odd blend of features, resembling both a giraffe and a cow.

Its neck was slightly elongated, though not as tall as a giraffe's, and patches of its fur were marked like a cow's, giving it an unusual, otherworldly appearance.

"You better be quiet, I found my lunch," Haruo muttered, licking his lips as he crouched, preparing to strike. He waited in silence, muscles tensed, eyes fixed on the strange beast. The moment it looked the other way, Haruo lunged forward, launching his attack with precision and speed.

[a couple of minutes later]

Haruo cooked the creature over a campfire, the aroma of roasting meat filling the air. Ena joined him, eagerly reaching for the tender chest, and they shared the meal in comfortable silence, enjoying the warmth of the fire against the cool forest air.

"It's so good! It tastes like A5 wagyu but juicier!" Ena exclaimed, relishing each bite. Haruo remained expressionless, his eyes filled with envy as he watched her savor the food, wishing he could enjoy it as much.

Why do troublemakers like her get to enjoy the taste of food while I'm stuck with no flavor? Haruo thought, glaring at her with a mix of envy and irritation as Ena continued to savor every bite.

Oh well, luckily I brought MSG with me, Haruo thought with a smile as he sprinkled the seasoning into his food. The flavors burst to life, and he savored each bite, finally enjoying the meal alongside Ena.

Unexpectedly, the ground beneath them gave way, and they fell as if a trapdoor had opened. Ena accidentally choked as they tumbled down. Haruo quickly finished his food, then grabbed one of Ena's hidden daggers, using it to dig into the walls to slow their descent.

"Help—I'm suffocating—" Ena gasped, struggling to speak as she choked on the food.

Haruo hit her back with great force, sending a shockwave through her body and dislodging the food from her throat. Ena gasped for air, clutching her throat as she struggled to breathe, relief flooding over her as she finally regained her breath.

"Couldn't you have just used your ability to remove it or push it out?" Haruo said, glancing down at their rapid descent.

"It's not that simple, and I kinda forgot," Ena said, rubbing her throat as she looked at Haruo.

As they finally reached the bottom, Haruo pulled the dagger from the wall and handed it back to her, its blade ragged and dull. Ena grabbed it from him, her expression irritated, and placed it back in its hiding spot.

"Where are we?" Ena asked

"We're in a tomb, and the type... I don't know yet," Haruo said, glancing around the dimly lit space, uncertainty etched on his face.

As they roamed around, they noticed a wooden stick that had fallen with them. Haruo picked it up, examining it carefully. Continuing their exploration, they came across debris of quartz scattered on the ground from a broken wall. Seizing a nearby rock, Haruo struck it against the quartz, and with a single spark, he ignited the stick, a small flame flickering to life with ease.

"This should be good enough. I'll get more sticks to use, so even if this one dies out, we'll have backups," Haruo said, scanning the area for additional wood.

As they ventured deeper into the tomb, the flickering light from Haruo's makeshift torch illuminated their path. In the distance, they heard the faint sound of gears rotating, but neither paid it much mind and continued walking, focused on their exploration.

As they walked through the halls, their eyes followed the runic inscriptions carved into the stone. Haruo approached one of the walls, inspecting it closely, and spotted a faint glint of copper within a small crack.

Copper and gears... this could mean we're in a mechanical tomb.

Haruo thought, his mind racing as he pieced the clues together.

If that's the case, there's more to this place than just ancient stone. I need to be sure. If I find pipes or any more signs of machinery, I can confirm it for sure.

His expression hardened as he continued to walk through the halls, determined to uncover the truth.

"So, what type of tomb are we in?"

Ena asked, glancing at the walls and the architecture with curiosity.

"We're in a mechanical tomb."

Haruo replied simply, continuing to inspect the halls closely as he tried to take in every detail.

"What does that mean?" she asked, her curiosity growing as she watched him examine the surroundings.

"Mechanical tombs rely more on machinery than magic, but there's usually some magic hidden in them too. They're less chaotic than regular ones, but the layouts are trickier."

He grabbed another stick as the light from his current one is dimming.

"Mechanical tombs are usually considered safer, but that's only if there's little magic. They're called easy because it's mostly traps and puzzles, things you can see and avoid. But if magic starts mixing with the machinery, that's where it gets tricky."

As the they walk, Ena hears more gears rotating in the distance.

"The thing that make's mechanical tombs tricky, is that we're practically inside a altering maze. Hidden passages, Hidden traps, hard puzzles, and More."

Haruo suddenly stops at his tracks, Ena gets confused on why he suddenly stopped.

"Why'd you stop?" Ena asked

Ena followed Haruo's gaze, curious about his sudden stop. She saw two paths diverging ahead, both looking nearly identical with dark openings that led into the depths of the tomb, leaving her unsure of which way to choose.

"The moment we step into one of those paths, the maze will begin. Just hope that magic isn't involved, or we could be stuck here for a long time. These tombs are unpredictable."

Haruo quickly analyzed the two routes, searching for any distinguishing features. He scanned the walls for markings and listened for sounds. After a moment, he felt a faint draft coming from one path, carrying a hint of cool air that seemed more inviting.

Ena glanced at him, patiently waiting for him to make a decision. As the seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity, her irritation grew. Finally, she grabbed one of the sticks, planted it in the ground, and let it spin to see which way it would point.

"You were taking way too long, you know we still have the verification test." Ena said, her tone laced with impatience.

"It's only been two minutes! What kind of attention span do you have?" Haruo said, his face showing annoyance as he stared at her in disbelief.

"Let's just go; who knows? Maybe we'll find a mythic rank." Ena said, glancing at the ground to see it pointing left.

"Doubt that. Mechanical tombs are the last place you'd find a mythic rank artifact, and this one might have already been explored," Haruo said, following her as she took the left path.

"You don't know that-"

Suddenly, an arrow flew by at top speed, cutting her off mid-sentence. Ena ducked just in time, feeling the rush of air as it narrowly missed her. Heart pounding, she looked back at Haruo, realizing they were in serious danger as the arrow embedded itself into the wall behind her.

"An arrow shouldn't be that fast, right?" Ena said, her voice filled with confusion and worry as she pointed at it while glancing at Haruo.

"Shit looks like magic is involved!"

Haruo exclaimed as more arrows were dispensed, the sound of their whistling filling the air. Both of them took off running, but the faster they moved, the quicker the arrows shot out, matching their speed with alarming accuracy.

"Why are they getting faster?!" Ena exclaimed, keeping pace with Haruo as they dodged the incoming arrows.

"Runes! They're tracking our movements and calculating them for the dispensers!" Haruo explained, narrowly avoiding an arrow as they continued to run.

"Looks like they're imbued with mana as well! It's best if you don't get hit!" He exclaimed, catching an arrow mid-air and inspecting it closely.

"What does it say?!" Ena shouted, glancing forward as she jumped through the arrows, weaving between one coming from above and another from below. She landed, quickly grabbing the ground to steady herself before continuing her pace.

"It's complex runic! I can't read it properly, especially while dodging multiple arrows at once!" Haruo shouted, quickly retrieving the Monarch-13 and started firing, deflecting some of the arrows flying toward them.

"OSCAR! TRANSLATE THIS!" Haruo shouted, pressing the Monarch-13 against the text on the arrow, desperate for answers as arrows continued to whiz past them.

"As you wish, sire." a sudden robotic voice responded from the Monarch-13. Strange blue particles began to emanate from it, swirling around the arrow Haruo was holding as the translation process initiated.

"Who the hell is Oscar?!" Ena shouted, using her ability to shield herself from the arrows she couldn't completely dodge, her focus split between the danger and Haruo's strange command.

"He's a built-in A.I. in the Monarch-13! Anyway, Oscar, are you done scanning?!" Haruo said, his tone laced with urgency as he continued to dodge arrows.

After a moment, a distinct ding echoed from the Monarch-13, catching Haruo's attention. A blue screen formed from swirling nanomachines appeared, illuminating the dark tomb with its glow, displaying all the information it had scanned about the runic text and the arrow.

[Analyzation Complete]

Translation: ᛞᚱᚱᛁᚾ = Drain

Materials: Lunarim - Point

 Larkun - Shaft

 feather - nock

Created on: E - 3042

Enchants: Mana drain

 Poison 

As Haruo runs, he quickly scans the analysis and notes the enchantments. The Mana Drain effect could sap his energy, and the Poison enchantment raises some concern. He knows they need to navigate the tomb carefully.

Well, this isn't good. Mana Drain combined with poison can completely paralyze a person. Getting hit means death. Haruo thought, He glanced back to inform Ena, but before he could say anything, an arrow struck him in the leg.

As the arrow struck his leg, Haruo grit his teeth and kept running, focusing on escaping rather than searching for the source. Pain shot through him, but he couldn't afford to slow down. Each step felt heavier, and he fought to maintain his speed.

"Don't get hit! You'll get paralyzed!" Haruo shouted urgently. Ahead, he spotted a dim light and pushed through the pain in his leg, determined to reach it before it was too late.

As they neared the closing door, both sprinted with everything they had. Just when Haruo was about to reach it, the poison and mana drain took effect, causing him to stumble and trip right before the door.

Shit! Haruo thought as he stumbled, the poison and mana drain taking effect. Just as he was about to hit the ground, Ena grabbed him by the arm. In one swift move, she pulled him up and they slid under the door, barely making it through before it slammed shut behind them.

"Close call." Ena said, catching her breath as she looked back at the door that had just slammed shut behind them.