Volume 21 Chapter 4 Exploration Part Ii
As I opened the door to the dome-shaped building, I found an entrance leading straight to a corridor ahead.
Light streamed in from the ceiling, just like in the other domes, brightening the space.
The entrance had several wooden boxes scattered around, but they were all empty.
Dust had built up on the floor.
"Looks like there's some division inside this dome,"
Al murmured.
The stone floor felt cool beneath his hand.
'Sensory Boost' - Enhanced Touch
It seemed there was nothing moving inside the building.
Al let out a sigh of relief.
'Don't let your guard down. There could be plant-type magic beasts...'
Glee warned him.
Hmm, is that really the case?
Sure, the floors in the other 2 domes were inexplicably made of dirt, but that doesn't mean this dome has the same. Besides, isn't worrying about plant-type magic beasts a bit excessive?
It's more likely there are golems here, perhaps sentry golems.
While contemplating this, Al cautiously moved down the corridor.
There was a door immediately to the right.
This door had a round transparent window, allowing him to peek inside.
Using the 'Floating Eye' spell, he looked inside.
It revealed a desolate botanical garden with only withered plants.
'Well, it's been sealed away for hundreds of years. Sunlight might get in, but of course it'd wither,'
Glee's voice carried a tone of disappointment.
Al approached the door cautiously and opened it to step inside.
A musty smell hit his nose.
Inside, there appeared to be a small depression that might have been a pond, but it too was completely dry.
There were remnants of magic tools for light, air conditioning, and water, but all were out of mana.
Among the dead trees and withered grass, Al recognized many familiar plants.
"This is probably Labdanum, and this one's Egonoki... These are all plants growing near my forest, but they're all things that can be harvested for their medicinal resins. If someone went through the trouble of cultivating these plants, could this be a herb garden or something? There might be some with incredible effects."
'There's a chance, I suppose. It seems unlikely, but there are other sections, so maybe we should check those out too?'
The inside of the dome-shaped building appeared to be divided into 4 sections, each separated by a corridor.
Following Glee's advice, Al decided to inspect the other 3 sections one by one.
But every section had already withered away.
In this state, it was hard to identify many of the plants, and there might have been something special among them, but in the end, he couldn't find anything.
"Oh well, let's just collect the Magic Tools and hope for the best in the 3-story building."
Al muttered to himself.
There were quite a number of Magic Tools left behind, including ones for temperature control, creating water, and light, as well as several magic stones.
There were also a few Magic Tools whose functions remained unknown.
Considering selling them could fetch a good price, or they might come in handy at the Death River base or the Iron Mine fortress, he shifted his focus and made his way to the 3-story building.
* * *
In the 3-story building, the sections that couldn't be surveyed in advance with the 'Floating Eye' spell were the first section on the second floor and the first section on the third floor.
Especially the first section on the second floor, which occupied more than half of the building's area, seemed to have multiple rooms inside, making it the most intriguing.
The entrance to that section on the second floor was closed, and it was locked.
After confirming there were no traps like in the dome-shaped building, he used the Open Lock spell.
Click!
The key turned smoothly and unlocked with a sound.
Here too, Al slowly opened the door while silently wishing for luck from the Goddess of Fate, Ruud.
Inside was a narrow room about 2 meters (6.6 feet) square.
There was another metal-like door directly in front, and an unidentified Magic Tool was attached to its surface.
The Magic Tool was about 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) in diameter, about 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) thick, and was a round, circular structure.
In the center, there were 3 hemispherical protrusions, about 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) in diameter, and a single small red light was lit.
"What's this?"
'Hold on, something's coming in. It says you're not allowed in this sector unless you're authorized to enter.'
"What? What do you mean?"
'Let me explain, just step out for a moment.'
Al went out of the room as Glee instructed and closed the door.
"What's going on?"
'Do you remember registering your permissions when you entered the Tempest Research Tower?'
Had that really happened?
Come to think of it, there was something about registering as a visitor, and Patricia being recognized as Tempest's successor.
Or was it?
'That round Magic Tool was verifying your status. Remember when I said I had a function as a form of identification? I think that door probably won't open unless that authentication goes through.'
"What should I do?"
What exactly is authentication?
Is it similar to handing a letter of introduction to the gatekeeper of a castle?
But how do he get permission to enter here?
It feels like there's no way to do so.
'I guess I have no choice but to break in?'
Al figured as much.
But breaking it seems wasteful, and it's likely there are some sort of security features in place.
Is there really no other way?
Since the door looks metallic, he could force it open using the 'Soften Metal' spell.
Alternatively, could he use the 'Magic Power Control' spell to drain the mana from the Magic Tool?
'If we try to force something, some sort of security mechanism might activate.'
"Then how about opening a hole in the wall of the next room using the 'Soften Stone' spell?"
If he make a decent-sized hole, the 'Floating Eye' can slip inside.
That way, he could explore the interior.
It might be easier than trying to break in through the main entrance.
'Hmm, is that a good idea? Should we give it a try?'
Al moved to the neighboring room, which faced the area where the 'Floating Eye' couldn't access, and tried using the 'Soften Stone' spell to create a hole in the wall.
While he was able to peel away the outer layer of stone with ease, there was a wooden board underneath it.
"Ugh, this is a hassle, but it's probably intentional. Maybe some bandits had the same idea. If it were an iron plate, I could break through with magic, but with wood... it seems difficult to make a hole quietly. Still, if the situation suggests there are likely no security personnel around, a little noise shouldn't matter..."
Saying that, Al used the 'Create Weapon' spell to make a chisel and wooden mallet.
Though it was pretty forceful, he used them to make a hole in the wooden board.
The wall had multiple layers, with a stone face further inside, but he managed to create a hole using the 'Soften Stone' spell.
Finally, a hole opened up into the room behind the Magic Tool door that had been blocking entry.
Al sent the eye of the 'Floating Eye' into the room.
It was a room about 6 meters (19.7 feet) square, with the door that the Magic Tool was stuck to and another door visible in the back.
Along the walls, 4 simple, humanoid-sized dolls were waiting, each with a round head and long limbs.
Their hands were swords.
This didn't look like a simple decoration.
They were probably golems, designed to eliminate intruders under certain conditions.
They didn't seem as strong as the Tempest's guardian golems, but Al himself had no confidence in combat with weapons.
"Glee, you think they'll attack anyone who tries to force the door open?"
'Hmm, I don't know. They might attack even if we widen this hole and go inside.'
Al scratched his head, feeling frustrated.
This route seemed like it was going to be troublesome.
Maybe it would be better to make a hole from the third-floor floor.
"Is this the hallway above?"
'Yeah. The third-floor hallway. But it seems there's a space of about 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) between the third and second floors. I wonder why?'
Al looked up at the ceiling.
So, there's a ceiling panel, a space of about 50 centimeters (19.7 inches), and then the third-floor floorboards.
That means, if he made a hole in this ceiling with the 'Soften Stone' spell, wouldn't he be able to bypass the room with the golem-like things and get to the room on the other side?
'Something in that space is reacting to "Detect Magic" too. Considering how tight their security is, it's probably some kind of alarm system.'
This is getting annoying...
Al was a little exasperated.
But, this much security means there must be something worthwhile inside.
"Alright. Let's see what it is."
From here on, it's a battle of wits.
He was definitely getting into that room.
Al clenched his fist, determined.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)