COI C225
The city thought they could flat out ignore the vessel. Even the machines are roaming out to the surface repairing itself from its old rust and corroded plates. The phenomena are coming from it. The spark, it keeps going on and on as the limits of their internet is reaching a breaking point. The servers connected into their hardware can’t able to function by these strange sparks. Electrical visuals were happening before the vessel reached the surface, they thought it was a visual bug. It starts to get worse from there as many troubles keep booting into their system.
The websites are getting attacked with tremendous amount of data trying to hack in. But there were no breaches to the firewalls just endless amounts of unknown users erupt out of nowhere. No sources that it was coming from the dark web, nor from their own accounts. Then it reaches it pinnacle, the internet apocalypse. The sudden “no internet” page is popping out. Since the day for the city to reopen their electrical grid. The internet was never an issue. This is the first social media disaster have come to the city.
The majority who are affected by it. It’s other than Fuku City. Their safe haven in the internet, social media. When there is a single night gone, without it, there will be complaint and demand to get it back. Rumors spread easily than the cult leader had thought. His desk is filled with request and never-ending argument with the ‘top executives’. Sheltered by their own homes, tall tower homes, bring to notice about their internet situation. One of them said to him
“My group have clear evidence is that the large thing is indeed the source of the jamming”
“Why won’t try to stop it? We have followed your request as we dearly can, but you can’t seem to answer ours”
“I know the internet is child’s play, yet these are the things that help my kids to stay away from me”
“Plus, we have content to post and live. You know where our money is coming from, right? We are bloggers by the way”
One of cult leader’s gang leaders react their comments “That was fast, I thought they are not going to crowd you before after a few hours, but this . . .”
Swear words going through the heads of other commentors, ceasing nothing of their spoiled complaints and impatient remarks.
“Keep this shit up and we will remove you from your desk”
“This city gives you the opportunity to have your way. Now you can’t handle a threat just like the demons’ army. Pfft. How about kill yourself”
“You will ruin many people who had work so hard to form this community. A lousy gang member like you should’ve been in jail like the rest of them”
One of the gang leaders laughs at it “. . . But this, this is pure gold if we have to see their actual faces and names on the panels”
The cult leader smirks at his joke, and the gang leader nods. The one of the gang leaders managed the entertainment industry. Her mind is blown by the privilege of those content creators. Trying to look away from the shame they are trying to say to the cult leader. The cult leader response to the ‘executives’
“I am grateful for your concerns. This will be taken longer than you all ever imagine. I will update you all in this matter”
Many react “What!!!?”
He logs them out leaving the actual people who helps him to become leader in this district. The cult leader says again “They are becoming more custom in this world”
“This district is at lost as of now. Bokushi Hidari, let’s stop talking first about the professional names. You already forgotten what we are supposed to be called. None of them remembered your first introductory name, Speaker”
The cult leader is truly forgotten about it. His mind is busy to keep in check in this district. From the disappointing disappearance of certain residences, he has collected enough secret from his spy.
Still, the man who questioned him is not wrong. The internet does have a problem getting through because of the disruption of its servers. But that is not what he is concerned about. The reason is what the servers found out.
He said to the gang leaders “Did any of you have checked the servers, yet?”
“Yes, some of us did. It wasn’t a good experience when you’re literally getting kicked out”
“Sigh* You mean the bug?”
“That’s what we thought. Boss, are we ready to get into there?”
The cult leader doubted “It’s a shame, and we must do it still. Not by their complaints”
“Then what about the city guild, I heard they go down to that shrine and made a map”
“You’re right, but the boss won’t trust their side of the map. We’re still going to do the boss’ plan”
“I hope so. It would be just great by teleporting from one place to the other, but through the internet? I would like to take myself for a journey from one IP address to another”
“But those IP addresses he said are outside of the city. You mean to tell me . . .”
The dare devil looks from one of the gang leaders said to the other “Imagine, going through what those hackers did to Enders Bridge or beyond that”
They show their anticipation that it would happen. The thrill of them going there to Rune Isles and get into the secret ruins for the apocalyptic technology. By going into the internet is a spark of their discovery, and the rest of the archscience tech to learn and be part of this city. Eyes shines with opportunity and advantages when they get a hold of it. Others were positive, but some never to understand these people’s head. Some are the defectors, who never treat the internet as a heaven. Only their interest is in the vessel, secrets are getting mysterious as it never breached under the city, but only rose to near it. What is it after?
Stranding Island, the leaders are so close to reach the infamous vessel. Lady Hivites sought of its secrets whether it was taken or not. Either it be gone or changed, these are the assumptions she could grasp. The leaders gathered before her, under the host of the demon elf. She brings forth the goblins
“Are you sure? It must be done as your kind will never involve in this favor”
The goblins don’t like how she worded out “You know the Horde chief is there. Its custom to be chief when rare spirits lost to the world . . .”
The goblin’s voice silent as the spirits come to stop him talking. A plague to his body, weakening him barely for him to speak with only his expression in ill and tone of a sickly
“Auugh”
Lady Hivites expected much, but never known that the vessel has something goblin related. An archscience vessel, what spirits demand a technology like that. She has no other options to figure it out in other means necessary. She must find a way to convince the citizens to stop the vessel from digging back down.
Then her guild calls out to her “Archaic, we are being requested to journey into the large ship by the river. They want to stop the jamming of the signal”
Lady Hivites slowly turns to the man who contact her. They are the co-guild between Agatheus and Isekai City, Victory Rooks, and they are so to happen to get inside the vessel.
She harshly replies to him “You know what that vessel is? Your lives sent to me as soon as you set foot there. Only certain kind of people would go there”
“I understand, but we can provide our runes to them. We might give them your runes to sneak in what you are looking for”
Her eyes open wide and skip that idea, because of how her people is not suited for the task. If they were betters, then she remembers the Enders daemos.
“Yes, I think I would agree to it. Sends only the most protective kind of runes. Strong enough for someone like them would try to inspect it. Make sure to give it to the one who are going to study the vessel’s structural skeleton or its content”
“As you wish, Archaic”
Her eyes glows in expression of scheming joy. The years have gone by and the vessel contain priceless habitats will surely be appease with such fine collection.
Later dimmed down as she lower her expectation “If only it was that easy”
At the outskirt of Isekai City, never would’ve thought a group of misfits pull up together to form such an unstable team. Haw steps forth along with Maser above their heads are the machines hovering over trying to clean the rest of their mechanical parts. The drop of its oil and rotten fluids turned to shards raining down on them. The runes they carry deflect it without a care for the two. As the words misfits going through the both of them, there are one adventurer joins with them.
“From the beginning we have to patrol the city barrier, and I have to join with you guys again”
Maser responds “Altair, we are not even going to fight what lies inside. We have to get in and found out more from your companions”
“Yeah, like the others behind us” Altair turns around where others with well-equipped set of raiding tools.
There are many ways to get inside, and Haw is the only one with experience to get into an advanced security system. Other Enders are tired of their rescue, and only him alone and no other Enders from the island will help them to get inside. Except there were two Enders guild masters, but they seem to slowly taking their time. This mission will be a hard one.
Altair reminds himself with their plan “Are you sure about it? Haw, Maser, and me are going in without any proper weapons to fend off the robots”
Maser knew that and jokingly said “We are supports. Doing technical supports”
Altair blurted out laughing “I guess you’re starting to use to being in our city”
“Eheh. Haw. you didn’t seem to laugh at my joke. It is surprising for you who is an expert here”
Haw didn’t listen, but he carefully watches the behavior of the robots going by. He starts to think this is not a technical issue.
“Or maybe, those robots you said. They are more than just making a beeping noise”
Altair shakes his head “Don’t take it seriously, we need a little laugh going into the massive ship. Let’s hope the Rogue and Heist got the map right. Or we will be as soon as dead by the entrance”
It wasn’t it. Haw knows better about the ships sunk into Rune Isles broken seas. Telling them that won’t make them understand their situation. He pulls out a small bottle corked and sealed something inside. The micro probe didn’t react at all. It charges easily when the lights shine on it with its advance energy conversion system.
The moonlight won’t be able to stop it, and yet, the light didn’t crystallize nor charged enough to the botic thief. Still, there is still energy inside the vessel. He hopes he could make it before what kind of machines are flying are up to. Casually going, without a sense of danger to the Horsin people. Altair watches the machineries above getting repaired. He can’t seem to stay calmed where one of the robots are eyeing on them.
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“Hey guys. Are we going to walk like this? They are looking at us”
Maser didn’t doubt “I trust Haw in this. If that ship is the same from Rune Isles, I guess we follow him”
Nervous and sweating down on Altair’s forehead, and with the runes on him protecting from the moonlight, he can’t seem to understand how this is safe where the robots are heading down on them.
He rushes to Haw’s side and said “I can’t use my failsafe and neither for the both of you going to escape. Would’ve be kind enough to tell me that this is really is safe?”
Haw looks up and sees the robots are descending down. The robots in motion leaving no signs of opening fire then fly back up. It behaves oddly familiar. It is more so that those floating robots possessed energy weapons. This added his suspicion with the goblins.
Beside going to the entrance, they headed to the vents. Covered in many filters against the subterranean stones, it specializes really well to release the air. But more importantly to where it headed to any life hidden inside.
Altair realizes Haw’s intention “As expected, we are going to directly where those live specimens they told us about”
Haw was a bit surprised “You knew? I thought this exhaustion vent for the robots’ cooling process”
Altair has runes to detect life, even from residues from any living creature like breath or excretes. He turns to the other vents where exactly what Haw mentioned.
“It’s amazing how we got this lucky. So, how can we get in?”
Haw pulled out his small bottle and pulls out the cork. It releases the potent of the air able to clean off the crystallized dust. A micro probe frees itself and begins to latch itself on the vent, beginning to hacking through inside of it.
Maser asks “What is that thing?”
“An old era robot, we called it botic thief. It hacks through any electronic mechanism . . .”
The botic thief is able to open the vent as the defense mechanism react to it.
“. . . Quick, get in”
They rushed inside as the vents closed under a minute. Into the dark, Maser raises his mace up and lights up for them to see.
Altair says to him “Using magic here? I heard the machines will detect it and probably found us”
Haw explains to him “It seems that our technology is not beyond from what you think. Air ventilation here shouldn’t be mixing together with archscience. It will sicken most life if they breathe the same air for a long time. They have a preferred not letting the two exists, because of how hazardous those robots are”
“Then those robots outside were?”
Maser whistles at him. Altair looks at him and sees something is moving. They step aside as the small robot floating by checking on the vent. It swiftly scans for anything entered this place. It found traces of living being and starts to light up. The botic thief appeared behind it and hacked it down to the ground. After a few struggles between the two. The small robot is reprogrammed and drained, and continue its way back where it came. Altair looks at the botic thief as it goes back to the bottle. Haw seals it back inside.
Haw turns to see Altair is ok, and with a confuse look on his face gives a way to make Altair couldn’t understand what is going on.
Altair politely asks “Can you explain anything while we going through the vents?”
Haw nods as his face remained confused “I will, but there is nothing like this. Other robots won’t recognize it for some reason, but the small thing it can. Hmm, we can’t find our own share of answers here”
Maser goes on ahead and reads the map. This vent is nothing from the map the adventurers made. They move on their own and hope nothing will find them.
Archscience tech, either how advance it is. There is a matter of fact in common software in different patterns. Because before the apocalypse, the hardware is slowly becoming identical in software and everyone can use it. The botic thief for example, possesses the ability to hack, control, or even acting like a parasite for any AI. Except this one is heavily re-manufactured to only follow any Dexter Guild members. With such a powerful tool, why the guild gave it to him? Or rather, what they expect to do with him going into Isekai City?
Yet, there is an exception that Haw will not understand. A robot that able to hide from the botic’s detections. What else he will know about those machines? The other sinking flying ships beneath the sea have the same structure. Except this vessel, maybe there is something to do with this vent. A vent that allows to flow air healthy enough for a living breathe in. The robots can handle smoke with their own filter system. There is no need for something like this. They didn’t know, more or less, as the three finds the vent has its own separate routes.
Altiar checks his device. “Here! I think this vent goes to where the map is made”
Haw smells the sense of corroded metal. The robots inside seem not have clean it yet. The putrid enters the vent, but blows away as the clean air trying to keep it away. Haw backs away from the horrible stench. The contaminated air molds into his clothes as Maser and Altair whiff the smell of metal.
“What kind of smell is this?”
“My UI detects a mix of substances?”
“Substance? What are they called?”
“This is the first time a read in a different language. It some doodles with images”
“Shamanism? Haw, is there in Rune Isles that possessed shamanism within the robots”
Haw felt so familiar “I don’t think so . . .”
He hesitated for a bit. After what Maser said, he didn’t say anything else. They head back and into the room where it was not yet map out. Botic helps them unscrew the vent. It fell to the ground, but Altair catches it with his magic. Gently, sneakily, and carefully into the room filled with cylindrical containers. Altair thought it was those sci fi containment unit. A living specimen inside with unknown fluid. It’s almost the same, except for its combination of runes and different forms of stone putting together. In a chamber sealed into clear gem, nothing emerald color but grim.
Altair stayed his eyes on the containment units, where he sees arts both surreal and mysterious. They can’t identify which animal or seeds are. After going through some of the containment unit. There they could see one broke open. The cylinder opens showing an arc and the image of the creature. It is the sea serpent. More so in details, the panels show many information. The information was decrypted into his UI, yet, the information is already given, back when it first arrived at the surface. There is nothing else for Altair to see.
“I have a reading that this containment is where our sea serpent come from. It is quite unreal for a creature like that put into a stone like this”
Haw explains to them “It’s because it was designed for not letting demons nor the elves to obtain them. Ironically, from what we have gathered before in Rune Isles. The Heroes’ Faction have also demons at their side. For something like this to exist, or better we wonder of why it is made this way”
Altair looks at the opened arc. To have such complete detail under those powerful runes and carved like that. It makes him wonder what archscience design to make it possible with other mana.
The door opened. Altair’s UI pops up a warning, Maser feels a painful disruption flowing into an electrical current, and Haw remained still.
Altair nudges Haw “Hey, something is coming. Hey! Haw! Haw!?”
Altair saw something that sparks on Haw’s head, the electrical current flows in violet colors slowly turned venomous as the smoke is coming out from Haw’s head. Haw remained still and couldn’t move.
“Maser, something is wrong with Haw” “Me too here, the floor is feeling magnetic”
“Magnetic?”
Altair took a short step, as his foot raises up, a powerful electrical current dimly shows a face.
Maser can’t able to move “This is not good. Altair, we can’t move”
Altair needs to think fast “I’ll go distract it. Wake Haw up”
Maser nods and Altair goes to the enemy. Maser pulls out his mace and casts his spell into it. The mace glows and swings into Haw. The electrical current release a dark light, a spark that flashes them into the darkness. Maser is being electrocuted and resisted it. He tries again, enforces it with his runes, and slams it again to Haw’s shoulder. Haw’s head reacts to Maser’s magic and a magic insignia sprung open. A barrier appeared on Haw’s head prevent Maser’s mace to hit him.
“What the?”
Maser sees the insignia, an old one that no human had forgotten what it is. His eyes couldn’t believe it, a barrier to appear protecting a precious servant.
“How is that possible? The slave marked? No one survived the slave marked. By the words of the gods, I thought the men in Mountaiwall should’ve end it. It’s been more than 10 years ago. Haw, when did you get branded?”
Haw didn’t respond, the part of his brain is trying to took control of him. The current applied on him made it to break free from it. The dark electrical current flowing up to his head, as something is fighting within him.
Altair finds the robots wondering into the containment units. They behave as it if they were blind. Its heads though, moving around with their lights up, are acting normal. But its limbs are moving all around the corners and the stretch of its body is tapping on the ground. Moving and climbing from everywhere they touch and grab. They move as they are searching for something. Their movements are slow, clearly the same pace as a blind man enter a new area. Altair won’t be tricked as its head going around and he clearly sees right in front of them.
More of them show up, Altair readies his magic as he brings out his crowd control spells. As one of them leaps over the other robots, he casts his barrier. The robot holds it trying to break it through. The barrier is starting to crack where it uses its drill. Piercing through then it fell down as it gets stuck. The robot moves around as its drill stuck up. The other robots’ lights shine on it as it itself reflected back to the other direction. Altair got expose to the light and effects of silence is affecting him.
“Silence!?”
Altair runs back as he is getting fired with lasers. He got hit by the back as he takes cover. The runes on his body are already being chipped. The sizzling burns of the laser sips into his skin feeling the burn. The silence was over and his magic returned, he quickly cleanses himself and pulled out his inventory with the rune repair kit. The robots catch him before he could use it. Altair backs away, but got caught with its light. The silence went back in as he falls down almost casting his teleport spell. He pulls out his runes to side step away from the charging robot.
The sparks of the robot sliding through using its weight to pummel him. It turns around and flashes its light at him again, uses its wire on him, and tases him down. It immediately got attacked from the first robot entering the room. Altair remained suppress as the robots fought each other out. The blind robot wrapped around the robot, that attacked Altair, revealing its invisible part of its body. The struggling robot keeps its lens on Altair, trying to exterminate him. The body materialized as one big bulk of a rock golem. The dark electric current is sparking all around it, getting engulfed into the blind robot.
It implodes as its system is being crushed, shutting the light as Altair breaks free. Altair runs back. He couldn’t distract them any longer as the robot has such powerful disruption. His mind couldn’t comprehend it all
“Those robots learned fast. Heist and the Rogue were able to escape from them. I guess those two were enough for them to know where I am supposed to evade”
He headed back to the two and he sees Maser lying on the ground. “Maser!”
As Altair approaches to him, his body starts weighing himself down. “What happened to me . . .”
He sees Maser struggling to move his head up and sees Altair
“Haw is . . .”
Maser falls to the ground from the sheer force. Altair checks his UI and sees that is starting corrupt.
“A demon? HERE!?”
Struggling to see what’s going on, reaching into his actual strength. He pulls himself off from the floor trying to walk on his two feet. The immense demonic magic can’t be distinguished whereas the lights in this room can’t be differentiate. Trying to find Haw as he remembered where he stood. Haw remained the same, but something coming out his head. It is bursting with blurred heated air. He no longer moves.
Altair shouted his name “HAW!”
“. . .”
No response, he touches his runes, but didn’t have the strength to pick it up again. This intense pressure going through his body. The pain is collecting into his head, but he can see clearly that Haw still unphased from all of this. Haw begins to move as his face shines on the light. His part of his head covered by some hard stone where the leak was. It tinkers his eye changing color but loses his pupil and spread his entire eye. Altair can’t believe what he sees. Couldn’t speak a word, he muttered in his muzzled mouth.
“Haw is possessed”
Haw says to Altair “The robots can’t see the living”
He drops his small bottle and smashed to the floor. The botic thief climbs up to his head signaling itself. The robots appeared from the ceiling, the first that entered the room. Its extended limbs reach out to the botic and accidentally crushed Haw to the ground. The head leaks and hardened break, where rituals are pushing the demonic spell out from him. The sounds of Haw’s bone cracking leave much what Altair fears.
The demonic presence disappears. Maser brings out his recovery potion, drinks it, and runs to the two of them. Altair breaks free, casts his support spells, and buffs everyone around him in the small radius. Then he almost used his ultimate, that moment of hesitation stops him to waste all of his mana for this moment. This is not the time. He needs to carefully strategized it. Like he did in the challenge, it will not be any secret when the enemies realized his worth.
Maser comes by and knocks the machine out of the way. He carries Haw and runs away. Altair follows him as they run around where the robots are making their moves. From corner to corner, the robots are following them. Maser hears them at the back but not flanking them. He took a guessed, and swings his mace to the other direction redirecting the sounds of their footsteps. The robots followed it as they stretch their limbs and continue moving. When the footsteps are about to disappear, the robots sling back where they were and carefully listens their tracks. It was gone.
Maser and Altair somehow made it. Maser carried Haw as his head starts to react again. This time, Maser didn’t hesitate and strike his mace with the magic he harnessed. Altair, didn’t react on time
“Wait . . . (Smack*) . . . Ow, why did you do that?”
“I’m sealing what is inside his head”
“What’s going on back there?”
“I don’t know, but let’s not take it in our concern”
Altair doubts it, neither what he heard Haw said to him. A strand of wires coming pass their way. Maser almost reacted.
Altair stops him “Wait! I heard Haw said it can’t see the living”
Maser slowly lies down his weapon. The robot moves its light, its optic eyes were obviously looking at them. Yet its limbs are all over the place, even touching their armor. Thought it was the background, they tried to feel what it is. How the two tried to hold it in, not moving, the robots keep moving them around and still not noticing them is a full-blown insult to its AI compatibility to its own sensors. The botic thief passed by and the other robot is chasing it. The robot who is mugging the two stop what it is doing and proceed to follow it.
Altair never been his life to put his life on someone’s words while possessed, and now he is here. Follow’s Haw’s word during this life-threatening event. Maser sighs in relief to be able to get away. Still, robots like that shouldn’t have defects thanks to the Jigeram’s light. From the past eras, that moon light is the safe haven to all tech, archscience tech, and those robots they just witness played a dumb response.
“I almost forgot. We should heal Haw”
“Wait!?? Is your healing not strong enough?”
“You’re talking to me when you’re the stronger healer”
Altair has his UI back and checks on Haw. There are a lot of internal bleedings and broken bones. But the strange thing happened in his head was gone, leaving him curious where it is coming from.
Meanwhile Maser, starts to think who is Haw really was. The words go out from his mouth is the realization of that illegal group a long time ago. Yet the two focuses on one thing they have in mind. The two spoke in their mind as they heal him
“Where did he get the idea that those robots are defected?”
Somewhere watching them from the cameras. A short green figure is observing the situation. With his rituals opened contact to the outside of the vessel. A call to the ritual item and it responds
“. . . The spirits are here, and you did amazingly trap yourself there for a while. But it is pointless. You need the same kind of shaman if you wanted to speak them”
The contact cuts, and leaving him alone again. With his bags of chips and other kinds of Isekai City’s snacks and foods. He checks his bag for his supplies running out. Instant noodles and water heater are his next meal from Heist and the Rogue’s supply cache. This place was the two’s hide out. They left some nice supplies as it was supposed to be their secret safehouse from the robots. He is vigilant, and so are the screens. There he sees the spirits are trying to get in. From the outside, many are ready to breach.