Chapter 14: Arrows and Magic (9)
‘A name I’ve never seen…….’
Of course, Artier didn’t remember all NPCs in <cross destiny="">.
But he remembered NPCs appearing in important story progressions.
In that sense, the name Collie definitely wasn’t one from the main story.</cross>
Don’t even make breathing sounds. That will dispel the magic.
After the administrators couldn’t find Artier and scattered, he could exhale the held breath and come out.
All tubes are probably under reinforcement magic now.
Why?
Why else! You broke the tube with force! Administrators aren’t idiots!
Artier was momentarily speechless at the scolding voice.
To think the tubes became this sturdy because of him.
Once activated, the mechanism lasts quite long. About six hours?
What?
For now, breaking tubes with force is out.
How do you know that?
To Artier’s question, Collie answered immediately.
Why else. Because I’m trapped here too.
You’re trapped here too?
Yes. I came here a very long time ago and got trapped.
Collie began telling Artier the truth about these ruins.
Things Artier didn’t know even as a player.
These ruins have a function to self-repair using mana.
From what he said, it was like this.
The ruins were equipped with a self-repair function to eternally guard the sealed item.
The wolf illusion was the entity controlling this function.
But this function had a most fatal problem…….
It needs mana. But there’s almost no way to supply mana inside the ruins.
Why such a mistake?
I don’t know. Maybe it was there originally but broke. Anyway, the ruins’ chosen alternative was to use people who come here.
Mana must be supplied. But if there are no mana stones or other elements?
Humans are surprisingly cost-effective mana production factories. As long as nutrients are supplied, they continuously produce mana.
So if you don’t rescue your companions, they’ll be robbed of mana here until they die of old age.
What?
Artier looked at the tube where Bow was trapped.
He couldn’t read Bow’s expression, but seeing him writhing, his condition didn’t look good.
Clench…….
His hand gripping the sword tightened.
Get a grip! You can’t break the tube with force!
Collie urged the angry Artier.
What I ask is simple.
Collie’s voice was that of a boy, but Artier felt calm upon hearing it.
There’s an emergency button in the very center of this corridor that opens all tubes.
In the center? There was clearly nothing.
It’s on the ceiling.
Ceiling?
Artier looked up at those words.
Then, he discovered one red button attached to the ceiling.
Found it.
Just press that. Then you can get your companions back, and I can escape too.
Artier pondered.
Was it okay to trust someone he didn’t know?
‘But there’s no other way.’
Even swinging his sword with full force couldn’t break the tube.
Gerard, I have something to say.
Artier explained the recent situation to Gerard, who had gone to the opposite corridor, via communication.
Yeah, I saw a big light from the other side suddenly and thought something was off.
Fortunately, Gerard answered the communication right away.
I was having a headache not finding a way to break the tube here too. It’s suspicious, but…… trying it isn’t bad.
But there’s a problem.
What?
The ceiling is too high.
Artier looked up at the ceiling.
Roughly estimating, even with two Artier’s stacked, it seemed impossible to reach.
Normal methods won’t reach.
Try using telekinesis.
Tried, but it doesn’t work.
Then climb grabbing nooks in the wall?
The intersection is where administrators patrol most. Dragging time will get us caught.
Troublesome……. Then I’ll draw attention here, so climb.
How?
What else? The best security device is right before my eyes.
The tube where Jeina was trapped.
Gerard planned to reverse-use the system they created.
As you said, their goal is to capture us alive. So no need to worry about me getting hurt.
Be careful.
I said don’t worry.
Ending the communication, Artier quietly waited for the chance.
Shortly after, he felt a strong flash and loud noise from the distant corridor.
“Intrusion trace detected.”
“Requesting support.”
He sensed quite a few administrators heading to the corridor.
As soon as he confirmed they were gone, Artier slipped out of the nook and began climbing the wall.
Passs!
‘What, so slippery!’
But climbing was harder than thought.
The sandstone bricks of the ruins, prone to crumbling, couldn’t support Artier’s weight and kept breaking.
‘Then.’
Thud!
Artier drew his sword and stabbed it into the wall.
‘It goes in!’
With a bit of force, the sword entered easily. Artier used the sword as support to pull himself up.
‘But now what?’
Artier looked up.
At worst three more stabs, at best two, and he could reach a distance to touch the button.
The problem was he had only one sword. The moment he pulled it out, his body would lose support and slide down.
‘No way? If only one more sword…….’
Sighing while organizing thoughts.
Artier felt like he was hit on the head with a hammer.
‘Sword…… I have another one?’
Holding the sword with one hand, Artier hurriedly checked his inventory with the free hand.
“Yes!”
Swoosh!
[Name: Worn Iron Sword (Normal)]
Attack Power: 1~3
Option: Critical Hit Rate -15%
It was the sword received from Gerard during the tutorial.
Forgotten due to poor performance, but luckily still in inventory.
Thud!
Artier immediately continued climbing.
Alternating the two swords, he could climb the wall at a much faster speed than before.
‘Good. Just a bit more…….’
When Artier stabbed once more, eventually having caught Gerard or something, multiple administrators swarmed out of the corridor.
‘Caught already. But I’ve climbed high enough, should be fine.’
Thinking that, Artier tried not to mind the administrators scurrying below.
But then, a chilling sound was heard.
Tok.
The sound of a wall fragment Artier dropped hitting an administrator’s thin body.
“Unidentified foreign object detected.”
“Investigating cause.”
They suddenly began looking around to check where the stone fragment on the ground came from.
“Ah.”
Soon, they stared at Artier hanging in the air.
“Intruder detected.”
“Immediate capture.”
“Immediate capture.”
“Damn!”
Artier hurriedly stabbed his sword in.
But there was something he hadn’t thought of.
Whirlik!
The administrators’ bodies were long and slender like earthworms, and unlike Artier, they didn’t need to climb walls.
The administrators, extending their bodies attached to the floor, approached Artier’s position in an instant.
‘No. If I fail, it’s over!’
Artier immediately kicked off the wall and leaped toward the center.
‘Reach!’
Shwik!
The moment he extended his hand, one administrator blocked Artier’s front.
“Immediate, capture.”
“Move!”
[Perfect Counter activates!]
Artier’s time slowed for a very brief moment.
Artier lightly twisted his body to avoid the administrator rushing to wrap his neck.
Grab!
He grabbed the administrator’s body as support and thrust his finger with all his might toward the ceiling button.
[All tubes’ locks are released.]
“Yes!”
Charruk!
“Ugh!”
The moment he smiled, the administrator’s body began wrapping around Artier.
Immediately, all administrators hung on, starting to restrain his limbs.
“Capture initiated.”
“Subjugation complete.”
“Initiating mana charger attachment.”
The administrators tried to put on him the necklace worn by those in the tubes.
‘Even with tubes open, administrators don’t stop?’
Even exerting full strength, his whole body wouldn’t budge.
“Uryaa!”
Boom!
But then, with a fierce impact sound, two administrators were seen bouncing off.
“Don’t touch our little brother, you bastards!”
“Jeina!”
Jeina immediately started grappling with two administrators.
He had worried recalling her being caught futilely, but fortunately, she wasn’t alone.
Pook!
“Dare…… I’ll kill you.”
“Jeina, I said don’t rush out!”
Bow’s arrow soon pierced the administrator holding Artier’s arm, and Gerard hurriedly approached, casting Shield on Jeina.
Everyone had run here as soon as the tubes opened.
“How long are you going to lie there?”
Bow, who instantly shot five arrows all into administrators’ bodies, extended his hand to Artier.
“Thanks.”
Artier picked up the fallen sword from the ground and looked at the confused administrators.
“Test subject escape.”
“Mana supply issue occurred.”
“Test subject resisting.”
Having suddenly lost all batteries for mana supply, it was natural for them to panic.
But it didn’t end there.
“Kuaaaah! I won’t let this go!”
The voice that had shown the giant wolf illusion earlier resounded again, and suddenly the entire area began shaking as if about to collapse any moment.
“What?”
“With no mana to supply, the ruins lost repair ability!”
“Annoying. We didn’t break it.”
Artier quickly looked around.
The ceiling was already cracking, with stone dust scattering everywhere.
“Return scroll! Hurry!”
“Got it!”
Gerard fiddled near his wrist and soon pulled out a worn, faded parchment.
“Everyone gather to me! We’re escaping here!”
Nothing more to grab here.
Artier placed his hand on Gerard’s shoulder without regret.
“Going. Back to Dorman!”
As soon as Gerard confirmed everyone had hands on him, he tore the scroll.
Then, a brilliant light magic circle formed beneath them, and their bodies began to fade slowly.
“Waiiit!”
“Huh?”
But something ran from afar and rammed straight into Artier’s chest.
“Ugh?”
“Take me too!”
Pat!
Almost simultaneously, the return magic activated, and Artier and the party disappeared from the ruins.