Zeebee Elestria Lake's Story

"Zeebee Lake. Nice to meet you. I am a newbie adventurer, along with my brother Sora who is...somewhere here" he said as his order arrived. He took a sip of his milkshake...only to realize it was not a milkshake but an even stronger alcoholic beverage!

"Shit, you weren't kidding" a female bartender said who was standing next to the original one. "When you called me I thought you were joking, but he drank that without any issue at all. That one usually gets people tipsy with one sip".

"...what happened to my original order..."

Zeebee almost complained about being used as a test subject again, but that would reveal he was used as one already which might cause trouble for him.

"Hey! Someone get this kid Ryncol!"

"Isn't that stuff Death to humans?!"

Zeebee looked to the others. "If anything happens to me, please keep my unconscious body safe until my brother shows up...I get the feeling I won't be escaping from this for some time".

Meanwhile....

Millen turned around and looked at the one who grabbed him. If he could use his battle form they might be equal height, but in the current form he looked like a kid...which was a side effect of Demon King Blood, it was so potent it made it impossible for him to reproduce. Though, there are occasional ways to make an exception.

"Sorry, just heard something that put me in a bad mood is all" he spoke. The man grabbing him irritated him, but as his words didn't seem hostile it helped negate that.

"And for the record, the black bullets are made of Black Steel, which despite having a higher density are a bit lighter, so they are good. Also not as expensive as Mithril bullets, though with Mithril bullets they can be reused since they almost never break".

Ava raised an eyebrow and looked at the kid. "Do you even want whatever this Ryncol is?" Her voice calm, yet concerned. "Cause it doesn't sound very fun."

"I'm only half human!" Ezran said loudly, as if she was speaking to the bartender."Doesh that mean I can have shome?" She asked with what could be described as just a shit-faced eating grin. Enjoying herself probably just a bit too much. However before the bartender could respond Ava slugged her commander in the arm."No. You need a glass of water and a chance to sober up. No more alcohol for you."

"B-but its a festival! I wanna celebrate!" Ezran whined. "You have been celebrating." Ava responded with a roll of the eyes, Ezran rubbing the spot where she got slugged in the arm.

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Jericho frowned a bit. dropping his hand from the other person's shoulder. "How did you know what I was looking at? Or what I was even considering? Besides, I can't afford the bulk prices for the mithril bullets. Hell, I can barely afford the enchanted bullets I want to get. Re-usability, especially for what I have, would be difficult and more time consuming than what I want to go through. So I'm not worried about it."

"No. But it seems like they are really enthusiastic. Well, this is the first time I ever had alcohol so I was sort of letting it pass to try something new. Its not like it can harm me anyways. As they mentioned, I am kind of superhuman" he replied, shrugging it off. "This festival sure is fun though. I was thinking of trying the Hover-Coaster next, but came to take a break and recharge. I didn't know that you could drink alcohol underaged provided you passed a test though, that was interesting".

After that, Zeebee looked around...and for just a moment, used his powers. It was a small something, but he felt like he needed it. Soon after...

"What the...the cooler is malfunctioning! I need to get more ice quickly!"

The small electro-wave he used would keep them busy, hopefully enough to forget about him, and then he could just relax and...

"Here, kid! Watch the bar for me! I will be back soon!"

Suddenly, he got pushed behind the bar and became the bartender while the others went to deal with the cooler issue. Zeebee just had a dumbfounded look on his face.

"Your trusting a random stranger?!"

"Relax! I am good at judging people! Besides, you need the money right? I will pay you two thousand to keep things running and safe!"

Zeebee nearly choked up. Two thousand was enough to secure him a place to live for a good amount of time. It meant less pickpocketing, less trouble, and he could splurge a little on comfort.

"Leave it to me!" he said, before turning back to the other two. "Well, normally I might not know whether to call this lucky, or unlucky, but..."

He took out the ingrediants and started making himself a milkshake. "This seems like its overwhelmingly positive right now".

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Millen just shrugged as he looked at the man. "Well, I mean, I saw what you were standing in front of and looking at? And while its a bit sad, so far every single four armed person I met has been interested in buying guns. I once knew a guy that carried like, sixteen different weapons, eight swords, eight guns, even though he only had four hands...apparently he liked to have backups, but still..."

Millen remembered that guy. He was similar to a mercenary that the hero had sent after him centuries earlier, so he wondered if they were related. However, Millen did not bother to think much of it. He didn't like thinking of the Hero.

That woman....taking up all that time of mine, forcing me to go through all that! I am so happy that none of the kingdoms were able to build a statue of her...

"Anyways, it seems like the festival has passed the mid point....I wonder if they are planning anything for the finale?"

And just then, a huge amount of fireworks could be heard launched into the sky as the sun grew further away.

The northern regions of the Rosetta Continent, just south of the Bittrend Mountains and the Marshlands, was a large saclae ruin larger in scale then Hayslem City times ten. A huge and massive ruins, overtaken by forest there were plenty of "urban" areas as well, and it created a diverse and unique Ecosystem in its own right. As such, creature mutations had a variety, no, an infinite number of possibilities.

Sora and Zeebee lake, two adopted brothers, could personally attest to that. They were wearing specialized adventurers clothing that would double as medium-light armor, and boasted shielding devices to help protect them against attacks. But from what they had seen, they wondered if they prepared enough now. Goblins and Orcs could also be seen here, but so could weird mutations they had never seen before. Now, there were a bit more typical ones, like Goblins capable of using Ice Magic, or a Drake that could breath lighning. Rare, but expectable. But they had also seen Winged Goblins, Organic Golems, Zombie Centaurs, and a number of creatures which appeared to be made of pure energy.

Honestly speaking, this was already mind blowing. And this was only what they had seen in the past hour, having made sure to arrive a bit early then the scheduled meeting time with the one who issued the Quest for an Escort and Assistance through these ruins.

"Did we...get here too early?"

Now, they were suddenly considering the idea that maybe they got overzealous and arrived too early, looking at each other with a bit of a comedic oops expression.

Cedric ducked under a bundle of hanging moss, brushing it aside. The area was interesting to say the least, he regretted not coming sooner. There was definitely magic here, creatures his research labs would have a field day with. Adjusting the satchel strap on his shoulder he continued on.

At a glance one would not expect to see him trudging through the ruins. Apart from the satchel there was nothing 'adventurous' about his clothes, he wore a suit, a long over coat, fedora, even his shoes didn't appear to be much for forging a path into the wilderness. Yet onward he trekked, seemingly unconcerned with his unconventional attire.

He felt his two companions before he saw them, which did not help his surprise when they turned out to be young children, at least in appearance. It wouldn't be the first time he worked with someone who was older than their physical age, and it wouldn't be the first time he worked with children who were much more skilled than anyone might expect.

"Haven't been here long I hope."

"Oh good...we didn't get here too early....no no, its fine".

"See? You worry too much Sora".

"As if! You were worried too!"

"Well, neither of us were probably as worried as those guys".

As Sora and Zeebee had that conversation, they pointed towards three sets of bones that were totally picked clean. However, and this should be of particular note, those three skeletons did not look old at all. In fact, they looked quite new.

"It looks like they downloaded an app yesterday from their phone, so...it looks like maybe there is something flesh eating or acidic here".

ALthough hat first glance Sora and Zeebee might look like normal children, there were some things that could be noticed easily. For one thing, they never once had dropped their guard. Each one had their hands near weapons, and almost constantly they positioned themselves in spots that allowed them both to cover each other's blindspots. In addition, Zeebee kept vigilance on the sky and Sora had repeatedly tapped the ground.

In other words, they were anticipating both flying and tunneling enemies. Flying was a bit more predictable but, it was known that tunneling enemies were those that people always forgot to anticipate.

In terms of experience, they were more diligent then some researchers Cedric might have, as they remained cautious at all times. It could not be heard in their voices or words, but their body language gave them away. Zeebee especially was a bit more on guard.

"So then, you are the one that submitted the Quest, right?"

Cedric had to admit he was amused by the terminology, quests and escorts and adventurers. He nodded a yes. "Just a little walk in the park." his eyes moved over the particularly clean skeletons, almost clinical. It was impressive enough for Cedric to make a mental note of. "You two must be Sora and," he paused to recall the name "Zeebee?"

Cedric could tell the two were clearly aware of their surroundings, he noticed their mutual synergy. It was like a pair of well trained guard dogs each ordered to protect the other. Their movements individually were completely natural but when taken together there was something unnatural about them. Like they had a connection that went beyond the senses. Good, he thought, always easier to work with people who work naturally together.

"Have you been in these ruins before?"

"Yeah, that is right. The one and only Sora Lake, and my brother Zeebee Lake".

Sora introduced them. Although Sora and Zeebee looked nothing alike, they were introduced as brothers. They were only adoptive brothers at the all, but they got along better then many blood brothers do.

As for the question on if they had been there before....

"No, it is our first time but we did heavy research on the area. After all..."

"...rule one of our own Adventurer's Code indicates one should do heavy research on any area we are going to that we have not been to yet".

"And Rule two is to make sure you pack not just enough supplies, but extra supplies for when things go wrong..."

"...which they always do, but when they don't, we get pleasantly surprised and save on what we need to buy the next time".

The two acted like twins, finishing each other's sentences and maintaining a perfect sync. In truth, this was partially thanks to the ability Link which had linked their bodies and minds and gave certain benefits.

"On that note, it appears the name of this city has long been lost, though some theorize this was multiple cities grouped together. As for the mutations...not only is this area high in mana count, but it also has a number of research labs that at one point or another were doing experimentation on monsters to learn more about them. It seems there are a good number near that tower there..."

Zeebee began explaining, jumping up with a strength no human child should have and grabbing onto a high tree branch, pulling himself up and then pointing at a large tower in the distance.

"There are also a few places closer. And along with creatures, it seemed there were those that dealt in Magic Tools, various practices of Magic itself, and as such you can find a lot in this city...if it doesn't kill you that is. It looks like the middle of the city is some sort of Pseudo Dungeon, because when I used a telescope to scout that area I thought I saw creatures coming out of the stone itself, though maybe it was the stone or monsters that were different from normal".

As the two explained various things, each one continued to keep a watchful eye on the area. And for good reason too, given that some creatures were watching. Not attacking, not preparing. They were waiting for one sign, any sign, of weakness. They were waiting for what would be the perject time to strike. It was nerve shattering, because even just a straight attack could be countered and what they were waiting for...

Cedric could feel it, them. The creatures around them, lurking, waiting, watching. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, the combination of natural instinct and his connection to magical creatures working to make him aware of the situation.

Reaching out in his mind he approached each creature, not directly, but in a broad sweeping manner. It gave the impression that he was more imposing than his physical stature, it would give them the same feeling of being watched that Cedric had. Not a challenge, but a sign that Cedric was aware and unafraid.

"We've got company already." he said casually, adjusting the satchel again. "Let's look for one of these research labs." creature hunting and data mining in the same place would be convenient.

"Indeed...only one thing to do then to draw them out..."

Suddenly, it appeared that Zeebee both moved and stayed still at the same time. AN image of Zeebee moved forward, while an image of Zeebee stood still at the top of that tree. The one that moved was Zeebee's Specter, a clone he could make that was his duplicate, even in terms of abilities and can also benefit from Sora's Link.

Sora meanwhile took out a pair of binoculars to scout the nearby area.

This Specter moved forward just a few steps, when suddenly a tree it went near launched it's branch out to strike it. But unlike afterimages or illusions, Zeebee's clone fought back. He blocked the strike using his arm in a martial arts style Cedric probably had never seen before, since they both were personally trained in it by their adoptive father. As he blocked, a huge surge of electricity came out and set the tree, or rather a monster known as a Trent, on fire. It swung around wildly at first before falling over dead.

"Looks like the trees might also be monsters. No wonder this place is listed as a dangerous area that should be avoided. Well, the outer ruins seemed clear, but this far in the closer you get, the more dangerous it becomes".

"Zeebee, how is the Specter? How much damage? How bad did it hurt?"

Notably, although Zeebee's Specter took the hit, Zeebee had gripped his arm. But the Specter appeared to be in at least twice as much pain.

"Taking a direct hit from a huge tree is always bad. A normal human would have had their bones crushed".

"You need pain meds?"

"No, its manageable. However...if we take the forest route, we will have to keep in mind those attacks. If we take the open route though, we will get swarmed by the other monsters...as for the nearest research labs, it looks like there is one over there, that large facility. The language is old Rozain, but it appears to read 'National Magic Research Lab'. It looks like its not in bad shape either...however..."

Sora looked around, and watched their surroundings. Zeebee was also on edge.

"It seems that they are just watching...no, unless...it might be a type of monster that waits for it's prey to attack something else. The moment that no one can really avoid, that brief moment in a fight where one cannot help but focus on what they are attacking. If it's waiting for that, then..."

Zeebee jumped out of the tree and rejoined the group.

"Then it's bad. If they travel in packs, the moment we attack one they will strike the attacker. And if they have this much intelligence, they may hold some of theirs back if we don't all attack at once...Mr. Valentine? It looks like we need to get a bit messy, so please stand clear. It is unfortunate, but it appears a battle where a one hundred percent chance of victory is impossible has already occurred...there goes Rule 3 again..."

"For the record, Rule 3 is 'Avoid Battles unless you can be certain of victory, so that when something goes wrong, the odds wont be as bad as they could have'".

Sora took out two guns, while Zeebee and his Specter deployed Electro-Blades from the sleeves of his arms (think Assassin's Creed Style but the blade comes out from the outside and not the palm side).

Cedric was impressed by Zeebee's specter and quick dispatch of the Trent. He couldn't help but smirk as his companions broke down the possible situation. Not having a guarantee of victory, the possible attack pattern of the unknown watchers, suggesting that he stay back.

"Oh I don't think you'll have to worry about me." he found himself subconsciously rubbing his ring, beginning to increase his reaction time and speed with magic buffs. Mentally he shifted from a non confrontational stance to a more aggressive presence, still not directed at a specific creature. His outward calm never changed as he reached out to see how many creatures there were. Despite his best effort he couldn't pin down a number, "I figure at least six. Hard to tell." he couldn't help but think the natural ability to mask numbers like this could be very useful.

"I'll let you two take the lead on this. It's what I hired you for after all. Then off to the research lab." a shadow of energy was weaving its way into reality around his right hand. "And remember, anything that doesn't get disintegrated is valuable to me."

"Five". "Seven".

The two said their own oberservations, but looked at each other in shock when they did.

"It didn't match?"

"That is rare...better be careful".

With Link, their estimates were rarely if ever different from each other, so when that did happen they grew concerned. And when Valentine mentioned about letting them take the lead, it did work out well. After all, Sora and Zeebee did not have as typical of abilities as one might think. Sora might seem a bit more atypical then Zeebee, but in truth Zeebee's only seemed more typical. In their works, there were fundamental differences.

Sora started off the attack by taking a simple step, but he seemed to put a lot of force into that step. And at that same time, it appeared that all of gravity in front of him inverted. Several strange creatures with colors that let them camouflage flew into the air in that moment, but in that same moment there was also one that had lunged from the side and was already at Sora's throat.

But it was not moving, because Zeebee had just stabbed it. Yet notably, there was also one at Zeebee's throat, but that was stabbed by the Specter...but then the Specter went falling to the ground with one of those creatures on him. And had Valentine moved to protect the Specter, there was indeed more in wait.

The Specter died instantly, but Sora shot it with a bullet while Zeebee stabbed another the moment he did. The moment Zeebee went to stab though, another jumped out of the ground aiming for his neck, which forced Sora to shoot it. But the moment he fired, yet another one was jumping out. Zeebee only just managed to get that one in time by releasing a bolt of electricity at it, and then also releasing a huge electrical pulse from his whole body. This wide spread area of effect attack is what finally broke the chain of attacks.

"Seriously...that was way more then six or seven..."

The two went back to back, looking at their surroundings. There were definitely more, but they were staying hidden. From all sides, at all times. Zeebee was not even sure he had the room to release a Specter.

"Guess we gotta use those then".

"Guess so".

Deciding to use some of their equipment, the two took out a cluster of small objects. Those were Microgrenades, and they threw them into every inch and hiding spot around them. Although these creatures normally attacked when one's focus aimed at another enemy, grenades didn't cause that situation and therefore they did not immediately react...which caused them to get blown to smithereens by the grenades. There were still plenty of samples from the chain earlier for Cedric though, so they figured he would be fine with that.

"The more forested route it is then, I think. I would rather not want to deal with those again if we ended up fighting something seriously dangerous".

"Agreed...no wonder they tell rookies to avoid this area..."

They came out quickly, in succession, from everywhere. By the third attack Cedric moved, raising his left hand toward the creature attacking the Spector. But he didn't attack, he blinked.

Appearing three feet behind the point he had been standing his hand was now pointed at a fourth creature. He fired a blast of dark energy, killing the creature. While this happened he was muttering an incantation while his right hand weaved its way through the signs of a separate spell.

As soon as the blast hit his left hand turned counter clockwise and it seemed like time slowed around him, he turned on one heel toward the next creature. His right hand swung around in a fist, carrying his bodies momentum and contacted the monster just below the jaw. The combination of speed and strength buffs with the slowed time increased the impact of the punch exponentially. Cedric could feel the jugular crumble, the bones crack. The creature crumpled in a pile on the floor.

As Cedric came back into real time an electrical pulse came from Zeebee, halting the chain of attacks. Taking inventory Cedric noted a few samples he could tag for his labs. Out of his satchel he produced three devices, tossing one at each of three corpses. They scanned the bodies before floating over them, projecting a barrier that would prevent any threat from damaging the subjects until they could be retrieved.

"Very well, after you." Cedric agreed to taking the forest route.

Sora and Zeebee kept an eye on the surroundings as they traveled forward, making sure to always watch the various approach angles, and now trees as well apparently. Since the trees themselves were also monsters on occasion. However, it was really clear that this place was at the center of monster evolution given the varients they could see in the distance.

Thankfully the route they took was the correct one, and they managed to get closer to the facility. But as always, or perhaps as expected, there came the next issue. One that could not be avoided or overlooked.

"This city...a lot of it is ancient, made of stone...but those doors are automated...and working..."

As Sora said, the doors to the front of the facility would automatically open when any living creature came near, and closed after they passed through or left. The city had been long abandoned however, so the fact that things still worked and had power demonstrated the genius that went into crafting this place.

"According to the guide, this place also had a few facilities for Magus Computing and Engineering....basically, a version of computers that ran on magic. It was not quite as good as the electronic computer systems, but it was effective...and it seems to be active. And connected to security measures. Well, since this facility focused more on the bio aspect of magic, I doubt their security will be as dangerous as the more tech based ones but...we should be careful all the same".

Fighting monsters was one thing, but now it turned out they might have to fight the building itself. Zeebee who read that from the guide make his explanation with a grim face. However...

"We are already familiar thanks to the spar...the intense training we got from dad".

Sora said that, and the two while not happy were not backing down either. The two rechecked all their gear and made sure they were ready for trouble.

"So unless you want to try a different facility, it looks like this is your best shot. After all, if it still has mana, the equipment and specimens may be in good condition".

"They're all the same to me." Cedric responded as he moved forward to the facility.

The fact that it still had working automatic doors was impressive, to say the least. A biological magic research center that still had power. This was bound to turn up something interesting.

Cedric approached cautiously, unsure what kind of security might be in place, and if it was designed to keep them out or subjects in. Cedric hoped for the later, he was after unique specimens after all.

He reached a hand out toward the doors, intending to touch them but they slid open before he could. It was strangely inviting, usually not a good sign on this type of exploration. The room opened up before him, some sort of atrium. The mix of overgrowth that had invaded the facility and various signs of magic technology set a strange scene, on one hand it seemed like the place had been kept up for all this time, on the other it had clearly been abandoned for a long long time.

There was what looked like a welcome desk with a monitor on it, and a sign with some image on it, but the decay rendered it unreadable. He tapped a finger on the desk, thinking. "You said this was a bio magic facility. They would have specimen storage, probably locked behind multiple security points. That's where we need to go."

As the trio entered the facility, with Cedric having hurried ahead of them due to his curiosity no doubt, they were quick to find that so far the entrance hall was clear. Sora and Zeebee had been expecting something there, but after managing to slip in so far it was undisturbed. Not even a stray Goblin. It was beautifully overgrown though, but it appeared this place might not have been government but corporate because of the symbol behind the front desk.

Even though it was ancient, before the time of electric computers, robotics, or electric power in general, and from the materials and décor it was clearly from ancient times, it had an air of modern business to it. Even the fact it had some sort of company logo was mysterious. But that company logo was something that drew Sora's and Zeebee's attention for a few seconds, more then it usually would and the first time they broke from the air of veteran adventurers the entire time. But in exchange, the expressions on their face were very readable. Shock, surprise, and even fear...they were familiar with that symbol.

When they were kidnapped and trapped inside that horrible science lab, they had seen that symbol. Not inside the building itself, the scientists were not so stupid. But on papers and documents, when they were getting resources apparently. Sora and Zeebee had seen a more modern but eerieely similar symbol to this before. On a modern company that was directly related to the lab that did all those immoral and horrible experiments.

Even though the lab they were imprisoned in had no connection to Origin, this company had a connection to the lab...Ilya Genetics. A forerunner company.

But still, they had built up quite a bit of experience and had the physical and mental training from their adoptive parents, so instead of breaking out into an emotion or staying in that state they snapped back to reality.

"Y...yeah. This place is certainly going to be dangerous though, so we better stay careful".

"Indeed. From what I remember...well, reading about anyways, facilities like this usually have more floors and facilities going down then up. This was a bit tower shaped though, but its possible that is to throw people off. Maybe there is a map or floorplan somewhere?"

As the two approached the front desk, suddenly various magic lamps turned on by their own will, and the sound of something flowing could be heard behind the walls, making extra noise after long dormancy. It appeared this place had been in standby mode until sentient creatures came to visit...though, whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was anyone's guess. It had been on backup power before, but it seemed that the main power was now turned on.

"Alert. Unauthorized lifeforms detected. Danger to labs detected. Locking down outer perimeter until Labs and Critical Areas are secure. Security levels are now at maximum".

And then of course, the building entered a lockdown state which had the primary focus of preventing people from entering or leaving, though it seemed mostly focused on the leaving part.

"Well. That seems excessive." Cedric replied to the building going into lock down mode. "I swear I will tear this entire building down if it starts giving me trouble." he threatened to nobody in particular.

He began looking for something that might give them the layout of the building. "Will need to find security now on top of the labs. Of course we probably needed to do that anyway to get into the labs."

He looked at a couple of hallways, and went with his gut, heading towards one like it was obviously the correct choice to get where he was going. "Keep up boys."

"Errr, I doubt that is possible" Sora noted when Cedric threatened to tear the building apart. "They would have fortified this place, enchanted it for increased durability and toughness, and then taken other extensive measures. Also, if you do somehow tear it down, a lot of rubble would fall down on top of us. Well, also..."

As the two kept up and Sora kept talking, Zeebee was wondering just who the guide was at the moment. However, that was when they came across one of the first security checkpoints.

Some form of forceshield, made through magic. Zeebee had his Specter come out and approach it, but it did not disintegrate him. It did however repulse him backwards.

"...if its security, even magic operated security, I can probably do something about it".

Sora went towards the field without any fear, and mumbled a bit of an unnecessary line.

"Up goes down, left goes right. In goes out, and heads becomes tails".

And then Sora walked right through. The line was just a habit of his, but what he had done was used his Inversion Power. Instead of rejecting, it accepted. Thus they could go through without any issue at all.

There were a number of ways to get around this particular kind of security, Cedric had done so on more than one occasion. Reversing the polarity, for lack of a better term, was an elegant solution, he could appreciate the theatrical flare too.

As he stepped through the barrier he felt something. He couldn't put a finger on it, but he felt it in the pit of his stomach. There was definitely something alive in the facility.

Continuing down the hall they came to a peculiar sight, some sort of floating spheres. Cedric eyed the closest device, a quick incantation and he raised a hand toward it. "It's, a mine. They are enchanted with a detection ward." he lowered his hand and took a step back, luckily they weren't designed to go off just by being detected. "Could try an illusion counter." he mussed, illusion counters were easier to perform against a live user than an enchanted item, but it wasn't impossible.

He focused for a moment and cast an illusion over himself target at the floating mines, making himself disappear, hopefully. He took a step, then another. He was much closer to the first mine now, seemingly it was working. He reached out a hand slowly, breathing steadily, though his heart rate did increase slightly. It had been a long time since he had done something he wasn't entirely confident would work.

He pushed the mine softly.

It floated harmlessly away. Cedric smiled and turned to his guides. "Sorry, this is supposed to be your job." he cast the same illusion spell over the two of them. "Don't worry, you get paid the same regardless."

He turned and continued through the field, pushing one or two of the devices away as it did so. The feeling in his stomach began to grow. What ever else was in this facility, there was black mana, he was sure of it. Something powerful.

"Well..."

"...I guess this is one way to deal with traps".

The two just commented on that. Ultimately, they felt a bit...not very helpful since they entered the actual facility. Of course, they got through the first barrier, which was a literal barrier. But ultimately, something about this place felt strange.

As they got past the minefield, it was ultimately growing on them.

"No security golems, no locked doors requiring some enchanted key, nothing that one would expect. It really is strange".

And there was something else that bothered them.

"Why is this hallway so long? Sure there have been turns, but...there has not been a single door to either side of us this whole time".

That was the real oddity. A facility like this without having a lot of doors leading to labs and storage rooms. It meant they had this long corridor before they got to the objective. That was bugging them a lot. And it seemed almost endless...

"Oh, son of a...I think we are already in another trap possibly. An endless loop spell".

"It is possible...but..."

"But?"

"There are magic sensors in this hallway. Anyone who uses magic here would trigger some kind of security event. Also, while there is a familiarity...what if the hallway is waiting for something to think that?"

"In other words..."

"...its a trap meant to psych someone out. Also its slight, but the corners are not perfect. It is a really nasty trick though. Make someone think there is a loop, and when they try to break it my guess is...the facility breaks them".

"...ouch..."