Bobby stepped forward into the pitch black chamber, wary of any threats lurking within. The moment he crossed the threshold, he heard the grinding of gears speed up all around him.

The noise built to a cacophonous din, until blinding lights flickered on overhead. Bobby shielded his eyes for a second as they adjusted.

When he could see again, an astonishing sight lay before him. The hidden room contained intricate machinery that whirred and clicked as countless cogs turned.

All along the walls, massive gears spun behind metal grates. The ceiling was a maze of pipes hissing steam. At the back of the chamber stood a towering machine with mechanical arms that were busily re-covering books in darkened leather sheaths, before sorting them onto conveyor belts that carried the books out of sight.

As Bobby marvelled at the intricate machinery, the book-binding machine at the back of the room whirred into overdrive. Its mechanical arms moved with blinding speed, grabbing and processing items faster than the eye could follow.

Bobby watched, puzzled, as the conveyor belt feeding the machine ran out of coverless books. Instead of shutting down, the machine continued running at full tilt. To his amazement, gears, screws, and other metal components began appearing on the conveyor belt, as if materialising from thin air.

The machine didn't seem to discriminate between books and metal parts. Its arms snatched up the gears and bits of metal, wrapping them in dark leather covers just as it had done with the books. The newly ‘bound’ metal objects were then sorted onto different conveyor belts, disappearing into slots in the walls.

"What the hell?" Bobby muttered, stepping closer to get a better look. "Rem, are you seeing this?"

Rem replied, sounding equally perplexed.

As they watched, the machine's pace grew even more frenzied. Sparks flew from its joints, and an ominous grinding noise rose above the usual whir of gears.

"I don't like the sound of that," Bobby said, taking a step back. "Maybe we should-"

Before Bobby could finish his sentence, a loud bang echoed through the chamber. A hidden compartment in the wall burst open, revealing a swarm of strange, book-sized mechanical creatures. These bizarre constructs appeared to be cobbled together from the very metal parts and gears that the machine had been processing moments ago.

The creatures' bodies were a mishmash of cogs, screws, and metal plates, all encased in the dark leather covers intended for books. Sharp, blade-like appendages protruded from their sides, glinting menacingly in the harsh light of the chamber.

Codex Drones

Level 1

Health 5/5

With a collective whirring sound, the mechanical drones surged towards Bobby. Their leather-bound bodies flapped open and shut like grotesque wings as they advanced.

"Shit!" Bobby exclaimed, stumbling backwards.

Two of the Codex Drones lunged at Bobby's legs, their sharp appendages slicing through his jeans and cutting into his flesh. He cried out in pain, kicking one away while firing his pistol at the other. The bullet tore through the leather covering, sending gears and springs flying.

+10 (5*2) EXP

Rem's voice rang in his mind as more of the creatures swarmed around him.

Bobby spun, firing off three more shots. Each bullet found its mark, disabling the mechanical monstrosities one by one. But for every creature he destroyed, two more seemed to take its place.

+20 (5*4) EXP

Those experience notifications are too distracting. He thought, as one particularly agile Codex Drone leapt at his face. He barely raised his arm in time, the creature's blades slicing into his forearm instead of his throat. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Bobby grabbed the thing and smashed it against the wall, reducing it to a shower of parts. I wish they wouldn’t show during combat. As if on command, the experience notification for the now destroyed Codex Drone didn’t appear.

Good.

Knowing he was low on ammunition, he holstered his pistol and switched his sturdy dagger to his right hand.

"Rem!" he shouted, ducking under another airborne attacker. "Any ideas on how to stop these things?"

Rem said.

Bobby nodded, steeling himself. He'd have to fight his way through the swarm to reach the malfunctioning device at the back of the room. With determination in his eyes, he raised his dagger and charged forward.

The first Codex Drone that came within reach met a swift end as Bobby's blade found a gap in its makeshift armour. However, the victory was short-lived. As he pulled the dagger free, the blade caught on the creature's internal gears, nearly wrenching it from his grip.

"Damn it!" Bobby cursed, barely maintaining his hold on the weapon. The moment's hesitation cost him as another drone slashed at his thigh, leaving a shallow but painful cut.

He swung the dagger at the offending drone, but this time the blade glanced off its leather covering, not even leaving a scratch. The drone retaliated, its sharp appendage catching Bobby's knuckles as he pulled back.

Blood trickled down his hand, making the dagger's grip slippery. Bobby realised with growing alarm that the knife, while effective against flesh, was ill-suited for these mechanical foes. Each successful strike required precise aim to find the gaps in their armour, and the blade was already showing signs of damage from contact with the hard metal components.

As he fended off another attack, a drone latched onto his calf, its blades digging in painfully. Bobby cried out, stumbling backward and nearly losing his footing. He kicked the creature off, but not before it left several deep gashes in his leg.

Breathing heavily, Bobby surveyed the room, his 'Think on Your Feet' skill kicking into high gear. The knife clearly wasn't going to cut it - he needed a better solution, and fast. His eyes darted around, taking in every detail of his surroundings, searching for anything that could turn the tide of this battle.

The whirring gears, the hissing pipes, the conveyor belts - there had to be something here he could use. As another wave of drones advanced, Bobby's mind raced, as he sought a solution to this mechanical menace.

His eyes locked onto a large pipe near the ceiling, hissing with pressurised steam. Following its path, he noticed it connected to a valve just within reach. An idea formed in his mind.

"Rem, I've got a plan!" Bobby shouted, dodging another drone attack. "But I need to get to that valve!"

Rem urged.

Bobby sprinted towards the valve, weaving through the swarm of drones. He took a few more cuts along the way, but adrenaline dulled the pain. Reaching the valve, he gripped it with both hands and heaved.

The valve resisted at first, rust flaking off as he strained. With a final burst of strength, it gave way, spinning freely. Steam burst from the newly opened pipe with a deafening hiss.

Grabbing the pipe and ignoring the pain in his hands, Bobby aimed the scalding jet at the approaching drones. The intense heat melted through their leather coverings and warped their metal innards. Drones dropped from the air, their delicate mechanisms failing under the onslaught.

"It's working!" Bobby yelled triumphantly. He swept the steam jet across the room, creating a barrier between himself and the bulk of the swarm.

Nodding, Bobby redirected the steam towards the book-binding contraption. The intense heat caused its gears to warp and jam. Sparks flew as the machine ground to a halt, smoke billowing from its frame.

With their source disabled, the remaining drones faltered. Their movements became erratic, some colliding with each other mid-air.

Bobby didn't let up, continuing to blast steam until the last drone fell. As silence settled over the room, he sagged against the wall, exhausted but victorious.

Rem commended.

"Thanks. I think I’ve done some serious harm to my hands, though." Bobby said, looking at the blistered palm of his hands.

Bobby winced as he examined his blistered hands. The adrenaline was wearing off, and pain was setting in from various cuts and burns across his body.

"I should probably check how badly I'm hurt," he muttered. Focusing his thoughts, he called up his status screen:

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Status Screen

Name

Robert "Bobby" Jones

Race

Human

Age

29

Level

4

Class

Undefined

Title

None

Exp

1016/1251

Skill points left

2

Effects

Lucky Seven - open for more details.

Poisoned - Total Health Reduced

A toxic poison is corroding your health. Total health is steadily declining. Antidotes or healing skills are needed to counteract the poison.

Lacerations - Bleed effect. Total health is reduced and slowly dropping until wounds clot.

Burned - Your hands are burnt from the hot pipe. Beware of infection. Total health reduced.

Health

39/130

Health Regen

Slow

Stamina

70/115

Stamina Regen

Moderate

Mana

21/21

Mana Regen

Slow

Attributes

Strength

8

Perception

5

Constitution

7

Intelligence

6

Agility

8

Willpower

9

Charisma

4

Luck

6*

"Looks like I took quite a beating," he said to Rem. "But at least I'm still standing."

Then he noticed his experience total. "Hold on, how much EXP did I get from those drones?" He thought back, trying to count how many he'd taken down after disabling the notifications. He'd used the steam on a good portion of the swarm, and had taken out a few others before that.

Rem interjected.

"Really?" Bobby said, surprised. "That's handy. How do I access it?"

Bobby concentrated, and a translucent screen materialised before his eyes:

Combat Log:

Codex Drone x2 defeated: +10 EXP

Codex Drone x4 defeated: +20 EXP

Codex Drone x16 defeated: +80 EXP

Total EXP gained: 110 EXP

Improvisation increased by 1

"Wow, you're right," Bobby said, scanning the log. "Looks like I took down 16 more drones after I turned off the notifications. That's another 80 EXP on top of the 30 I saw earlier, and an increase to my improv skill."

Bobby nodded, impressed with his own handiwork. "110 EXP total. Not bad, but my health took a battering, and I need to do something about that bleed effect. And it looks like I'm even closer to levelling up than I thought. Just another 200 odd to go."

He shrugged off his backpack and began rummaging through its contents. "Two pouches of sterile water, some blue roll... not exactly a full med kit, but it'll have to do."

Rem cautioned.

Bobby nodded, then cleaned his wounds with the sterile water and blue roll. He winced as he dabbed at the cuts on his legs and arms, but knew it was necessary to prevent infection.

After tending to his cuts and gashes, he turned his attention to his blistered hands. "Can't forget about these," he muttered, examining the angry red burns.

He opened the second pouch of sterile water and poured it over his hands, gritting his teeth at the stinging sensation. The cool water provided some relief, washing away any debris that might cause infection.

"This isn't ideal, but it's better than nothing," Bobby said to Rem as he gently patted his hands dry with a clean section of blue roll. He then wrapped his palms and fingers with more of the blue roll, creating makeshift bandages.

Medicine increased by 1

"That should protect them for now, at least," he said, flexing his fingers gingerly. The movement was stiff, but manageable. "It looks like the System likes to increase your actual skill set with use, is that another way of levelling up skills then without EXP?"

Rem observed.

Bobby nodded, checking his status screen again:

Health: 55/130

Battle Effects: Poisoned, Burned

"You're right," Bobby agreed. "The bleeding's stopped and I've treated the burns as best I can, but I'm still in rough shape. We need to find some way to deal with this poison and restore my health."

He finished tending to his wounds before surveying the room, now littered with the remnants of the Codex Drones.

"Might as well check if these things dropped anything useful," he muttered, approaching the nearest fallen drone.

As he picked through the wreckage, his hope for valuable loot faded. The drones were nothing more than a jumble of gears, cogs, and metal scraps held together by the leather coverings.

"Just junk," Bobby sighed, dropping a handful of small gears. "I don't fancy lugging around a bag of jingling metal parts."

Rem suggested.

Nodding, Bobby made his way over to the disabled, book-binding contraption. It was a mess of warped metal and melted components, testament to the effectiveness of his improvised steam attack.

As he circled the machine, something caught his eye. Near the base, partially hidden by a panel warped from the heat, a faint glow emanated from what appeared to be a small compartment.

"What have we here?" Bobby murmured, crouching down for a closer look.

He grasped the edge of the panel with his bandaged hands, wincing at the discomfort. The metal was still warm, and his injured fingers made the task awkward. After a few attempts, he pried the panel open with a metallic groan.

Inside the compartment, nestled among more gears and mechanical parts, sat a single cog unlike any Bobby had seen before. It pulsed with a soft, ethereal light, its surface etched with intricate symbols that seemed to shift and change as he watched.

Bobby reached in and lifted the cog from its resting place. It was heavier than he expected, and he could feel a faint vibration in his palm, as if the gear was somehow still in motion despite being removed from the machine.

Bobby held it up to the light, examining it closely. The cog's teeth were oddly shaped, seeming to spiral inward in a way that defied conventional engineering. As he turned it over in his hands, he noticed an inscription along the outer edge:

‘Chronos' Tooth’

Rem mused.

"You can say that again," Bobby agreed, pocketing the strange cog in his trouser pocket. "I don't know what it does, but it might be worth a credit or two."

As the weight of the cog settled in his pocket, Bobby felt a strange sensation wash over him. A flurry of notifications appeared in his vision:

Item Acquired: Chronos' Tooth

A mysterious gear of unknown origin and purpose. Its intricate design suggests a connection to the flow of time itself.

Bobby raised an eyebrow at the description. "Time, huh? Well, that's not ominous at all."

Rem cautioned.

Quest Complete - Explore Lambeth Palace Library and discover a brief part of history.

+250 XP Gained

≪ Level Up! ≫

1 Skill Point Gained

2 Bonus Skill Points for reaching Level 5

"Ah, level 5. I knew I was close!" he exclaimed. "And... wait, bonus skill points? Is that normal?"

Rem explained.

Bobby whistled, impressed. "Nice. So I've got five skill points to play with now. That's a game-changer."

He glanced at his status screen again, his eyes lingering on the mana points. He paused, a thought occurring to him. "Hey Rem, I've noticed I have these mana points. Does that mean I can use magic? How do I get some spells going?"

Rem replied.

Bobby's eyes lit up at the prospect. "Alright, let's look at these skill options at least. I mean, I always wanted to be a wizard."

With a deep breath, Bobby focused his mind, calling forth the skill tree interface. As he prepared to dive into his skill tree, Bobby couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation. The Chronos' Tooth weighed heavily in his pocket, a reminder of the mysteries yet to be unraveled. Yet the prospect of getting to wield magic was too exciting. He pictured himself casting a fireball, like a wizard from D&D, only in real life.

"Time to level up," Bobby grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Show me what you've got, System."