Artemia: Journey To The Thirtieth Floor

29. The Cave Of Secrets

"What the f**k is going on...?" Blake asked. "It's impossible for an ogre to achieve this level without modifications. There's no way the kings would go as far as to make the ogres this strong."

"What if there's a mad scientist lurking around here?" I asked as I clung to his sleeves.

Blake chuckled as he looked at me. "Cut the nonsense. It only happens in movies, not in real life."

"We're practically in a different dimension. What gives you the impression that it is impossible?"

"It was just a gut feeling."

I just sighed before telling him to go first. I know that they often ask me to take the lead since I'm the leader, not here. Besides, Blake should be the one to go first because he can create fire to illuminate the way. The cave seems to be very dark, which is most likely because of some strange phenomenon. To be honest, none of the caverns that we've explored have been as dark. And besides, this is supposed to be on the easy level, so it doesn't make any sense. If anything, I'm pretty sure that this has something to do with a crazy-ass b***h who decided to experiment here.

I had to use my keen eyesight to notice anything out of the ordinary as soon as possible. It was then that I began to hear the clattering of gears coming from below. Wait, what the f**k? A laboratory can't possibly be found down there, right? I mean, it's not entirely impossible, considering how we're inside this dimension...but technology can't be accessed by players like how the kings do. All of a sudden, my attention was drawn to Blake, but he did not seem to be paying attention to the gears. Is he, by any chance...afraid of the dark? I tried to tap his shoulder to see how he would react and was surprised when he flinched.

"Uhm, are you okay?" I worriedly asked as I looked him in the eye.

"Yeah..." he said hesitantly.

I pursed my lips together. "Hey, do you have nyctophobia?" I asked as I held his hand to help him calm down.

He let out a sigh. "Things were starting to get better recently. But this place is much too dark for comfort..."

"I'm sorry," I murmured as I told Shiro to light the whole place up.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Blake asked, almost shouting. "You're going to alert the ogres if you don't remove that light!"

I cracked a smile so I could assure him. "If the crowds come after us, we're going to have to retreat to the outside. We can't fight here if you're uncomfortable."

He had his head down, but I could see a smile plastered on his face. I laughed and immediately stopped walking so I could put my guard up. Dylan and Freya were both looking Blake in the eyes, concerned about his present state. He had been shivering since earlier, so I took his hand in mine to help him relax. I really wish Blake had told us of this condition of his earlier instead of trying to be tough. Maybe he really thought that it would be fine, so I won't scold him. I would not have compelled him to take the front.

"They're here," I said when rapid footsteps began to reverberate throughout the cave.

"Give us a command, Ivory," Freya said as he prepared to cast spells.

"As soon as they arrive, we'll run outside so we can get the upper hand. Blake, you'll be accompanying me," I said while holding my katana in my right hand and Blake's hand in my left hand.

Our pace increased dramatically as soon as the foot of a large ogre emerged in our path. We didn't have a strategy, but we were all in agreement that we couldn't battle inside the cave. It's not just Blake who can't possibly fight here, but also me. Such a narrow space would never allow me to fight as I wanted. Plus, the fact that we're all messy warriors means that we'd wind up burning the mountain to the ground. It'd be just too much hassle for the villagers to deal with.

Whatever the case, as soon as we took them outdoors, we assessed their numbers and ranks. Hmm, there were at least three dozen elite ogres present at the time. At the very least, that's what we refer to them as elite. Even though we are vastly outnumbered, it makes little difference right now. All that remains is for us to eliminate every single one of them and investigate what is inside that cave. I'm certain that there's something hidden down there somewhere.

"Should I obliterate them all at once?" Dylan asked as he licked his lips, prepared to go on a rampage.

I let out a sigh. "Sure, do what you want, but you will fight alongside Freya. Of course, I would prefer that you keep the elite ones off the list. I'm looking forward to seeing something in them."

They nodded and stood alone against a whole army of ogres. Freya is a support mage that prefers to stay at the rear of the group to cast enchantment spells for us since she dislikes close-quarters battle. But when the situation demands it, she transforms into a monster on the battlefield. She hides the katana often, but she takes it out when needed. It is possible for either of them to quickly clean the puny ones, but I do not want them to use excessive energy on them.

I kept my gaze fixed on the big ogres, waiting for them to make a move. Except they did nothing but stand there, motionless as though they were statues. I shifted my gaze to the side, confused as to why they were doing absolutely nothing. Since I anticipated them to get in those two's way, I was surprised to see them merely standing there like robots. Eh? That's definitely not what I expected to see.

Oh? I see what's happening now. Robots, huh...

"Those things might be prototypes," I said as I pointed at the big ogres.

"What?" Blake asked, his voice low.

I looked him in the eyes and offered him a kind smile. His fear of what had occurred before was palpable, so I rubbed my palms together and caressed his cheek to soothe him. He seemed to be a child in need of a great deal of attention! I would baby the hell out of him if he was constantly like this. Heh, he's so adorable at certain times. Although Blake turning into a child might be extra annoying than he already is.

"Ivory..." Shiro called my name when he noticed that I was already getting sidetracked.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I whispered to him as I smiled awkwardly.

When the tiny ogres were eventually defeated, a few of the larger ogres began to make their way across the battlefield. It's either they've been programmed to behave in this manner, or it's just that there's some sort of failure in their systems. But, if they are actually a part of the trial and error process, I'm curious as to how they came to attack the town in the first place. They couldn't have done it without someone physically operating them, especially given the way they're walking right now. They needed someone to maneuver them personally.

I squinted at them, my eyes searching for where the controls were. Isn't there some type of fuse in their body somewhere, even one? Ah, f**k. I don't believe it will be simple to locate them from this distance. I think I need a better vantage point! Blake has fallen asleep using my lap as a pillow, and I am unable to move. After all of that, he was completely exhausted, which is why I didn't want to bother him any further. But I can't just sit here and wait for those two to finish destroying these things.

"Shiro," I called as I motioned him to come near us.

He immediately understood what I wanted to happen and jumped around the ogres. Because his cat form is too small, he must be extremely agile. Using Shiro's eyes, I was able to get a good view of the robots' bodies, allowing me to spot the dents and features that appear to be parts of the failure. But the most important aspect of the whole situation was the fact that I was able to locate the fuses. Heh, I just need one of them to be left alive right now.

"Hey there, you two. Go ahead and kill all the ogres. But please leave one out for me, please," I told Freya and Dylan through telepathy.

"Okay, got it!"

Freya and Dylan quickly chopped off heads of the ogres, except one. I let out a gasp when I saw the lines and a control room near where they had been severed. Damn, I should have guessed it. Someone must have been in charge of each of them, issuing commands and all to them. Even though we had our doubts about it, it seemed like I was right. A person is doing experiments on these mobs, which should have been prohibited by law! And, given that this location is very difficult to find and is infested with ogres, it was an excellent opportunity for that person!

Shiro was able to stop the final ogre from moving once he burst its fuse open. I looked at the cables and saw how identical they were to the ones from Earth. Because I am neither a mechanical engineering student nor am I a computer information technology student...I had no idea how this was made possible. But I have a strong suspicion that someone from really significant is hiding within that cave, perhaps someone from the Earth. And I'm pretty sure that it was someone who has the ability to tamper with the system without being booted out.

"Let's go back inside," I said as I made the whole cave light up again, so Blake wouldn't be scared.

Blake was no longer afraid, so we proceeded to the bottom of the hill. We followed the sound of the gears, which was becoming louder. When we came to a stalemate, we looked for methods that might aid us in our endeavor. I'm certain that we will be able to use anything to move the boulder without causing damage to it. It's risky because I'm very certain that if we did that, the entire mountain would come crashing down. I can't afford to let it happen because the kidnapped women might be down there.

It was only after that that I saw some engravings on the wall. Whoever is inside the lab must be a member of the otaku community. What the f**k are these things...? There were drawings of catgirls...that was a little gross, to be honest. My eyes were drawn away from the two lads, who pretended they were unaware of what I was looking at them for. My suspicions were confirmed when I noticed Freya's shoulders shaking as she tried to suppress her laugh. Heh, it's not like it's a big deal. So what if they're degenerates? I shrugged at them to assure them that it was fine with me.

"It's not like that!" Blake exclaimed when he saw me smiling at him.

"What's not like what?"

"It's..." he trailed off as he sighed. "Never mind."

I chuckled as I rummaged through the walls for any buttons with Freya. The two boys refused to assist us since we were tasked with locating the incomprehensible levers or gears hidden behind this wall. When I pushed the ears, a hologram emerged and asked me for a password, which I provided. I rolled my eyes and wrote the first thing that came to mind. It was 'Catgirl,' which seemed a little too obvious. The boulder quickly shifted, revealing a long-ass stairway.

I smiled sinisterly. "Who could that madman be...?" I asked as I made my way down the stairwell.

Blake grabbed my hand tight as he lighted the torches, fearful that the darkness would overcome him. As I squeezed his hand, I looked at him with a smile on my face to assure him that it was fine. No one was aware of Blake's vulnerability, so the way he's behaving at the moment is startling. That he would be shaking with dread as he is right now was something I never anticipated happening. Phobias are, without a doubt, tough to deal with...

We were startled when we heard the sound of a rock shifting, which caused us to tense up. When it finally came to a halt, we turned around to see the exit had been blocked. What the f**k? I'm not particularly interested in getting into a fight right now. There is no other option for us except to go ahead at this point. I bit my lower lip as anticipated what could possibly greet us at the end of this tunnel.

Only our footsteps and breathing could be heard, as well as the sound of water dropping from someplace in the distance. When we entered the stairwell, the gears seemed to have stopped moving, which was strange. And I'm willing to guess that individual has already recognized that we've crossed into his domain. He could have already set up a few traps around here, so I'll have to be much more alert going forward.

A vast amount of magical power seemed to be up ahead, so my brows furrowed in confusion. My ears couldn't stop twitching because I had the distinct impression that we had come upon someone who shouldn't have been messed with. I'm certain that if we get into a battle with this person, we're condemned to die. Aside from that, Shiro grew aggressive after detecting it, showing that we were up against someone who should have been feared.

"I can sense the presence of someone..." I whispered.

"What? Is it a real person?"

"Maybe. I don't believe it is a monster since no monster has ever been as powerful as it is."

"Are we doomed?" Freya asked, sounding worried.

"Yes, if we provoke them to do so. All we have to do now is be cautious."

As soon as we saw a glimpse of light, a chill ran down my spine. I shook my head a little as I pretended that I wasn't terrified. The three of them followed after me, ready to assist me if we were suddenly ambushed by someone. I was trembling as I walked, but I had to maintain my composure. Having said that, there will be no going back! We have reached the point when we must choose between living and dying.

"All right, here we go..." I whispered as I walked into the light. I gripped the hilt of my katana, bracing myself for a counter-offensive. But when I saw the laboratory, I was overcome with a sense of annoyance.

"Welcome to heaven!"