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„So, when was the last time you did a delivery mission?“

„A few years ago. But I had a spaceship with me.“

A spaceship would have been nice. But of course, we don‘t have one of those right now.

Vincent and I were at the start of the mountain road. We stashed our backpacks somewhere near and moved up the mountain.

„Yeah, you would want your spaceship back. The spaceship you bought with the money we both earned.“

„Shut up.“

Mount Kamlin was mostly rocks, maybe a few vegetation around, but mostly rocks. There was no snow on the top either. I wonder when winter arrives on this planet?

Funny, I have yet to know this planet‘s name and the star. I don‘t believe that the star here is Tessera, there is no way.

„Why was Wilmer grinning when he sent us here?“ I asked.

„How am I supposed to know? This does seem to be an easy job, so it doesn‘t really make sense.“

„Maybe there is something here that could attack us?“

Then I heard small rocks falling from above. And the sound of a howl came from the mountain.

„Oh great, wolves,“ Vincent sighed.

„I am going to guess they were the ones Wilmer grinned about.“

How strong can these wolves be? Vincent could probably handle them with his blaster. So we should be fine.

----------

„Vincent! There are too many of them! We have to fall back!“

„Don‘t worry! I can handle them!“

No, he could not.

Only a few hours have passed, and it has been pretty peaceful. Until the wolves started attacking us from every direction.

These wolves looked much different than I had imagined. Instead of fur, they had scales all around their bodies. They were like lizards, but they were not.

We moved away from the road and ended up near a crevasse.

One wolf came at me. And I quickly bashed it with my shield, and the shield reacted by knocking down the wolf with strong wind.

Oh right, I turned back on the Don‘t use this piece of crap wind protection thing. And I managed to reprogram it so it would not send me flying. I basically just decreased the force of wind. And also the ones who attack it won‘t fly far anymore, they would just maybe get knocked down. Or if I hit the perfect spot they might get some broken bones.

Vincent‘s shots do easily go through them, but there were a lot of wolves. My sword couldn‘t go through their scales, so I was mostly on the defensive. But if I could manage to thrust my sword forwards, I might then pierce one. But they could easily dodge my attacks.

„Ah screw this. Program! Explosive Shots!“ Vincent called out.

His blaster started heating up, and then it fired many rounds that caused an explosive effect.

Some of the wolves died horrifically. I mean like their bodies were torn apart. I felt like throwing up.

But when some of the shots went passed the wolves, they instead hit the wall behind them. Then I felt like the mountain started moving.

„What is happening?!“ I yelled out.

„Look up!“

I looked. There were rocks starting to fall. Big ones.

„Program! Sky Shield!“ I called out and pointed my shield upwards.

But when my words came out, nothing happened.

„Huh?“

Vincent jumped towards me and intentionally fell down a nearby crevasse while he pushed me down with him.

„OH! SHIT!“

This was a long drop. Maybe we should have looked down before jumping in. But if we stood there idly and looked down, then the big rock avalanche would have likely killed us.

We were screaming, but then we stopped when we noticed water below us. We braced for the impact.

Don‘t be shallow! Don‘t be shallow! Don‘t be shallow!

We hit the deep water feet first. Then we started swimming up.

We took a large gulp of air and coughed, then swam towards the nearby rocks and climbed them.

We laid there, breathing heavily.

„ETHAN!“ Vincent yelled out.

„What?“

„What the hell happened to your program!“

„How the hell am I supposed to know!? My shield still has energy so it was supposed to work!“

„But it didn‘t! Was that even the right program name!?“

„Of course it was!“ I yelled out and then checked the screen to find the program.

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„Oh. . .“

„What do you mean by oh!?“

I doubled checked the name, then checked again. Blinking my eyes a few times to see if it would change anything. It didn‘t.

„The program name is Sky Barrier, not Sky Shield.“

The program Sky Barrier was supposed to create an energy barrier, or a shield above us and nothing could go through it. But if you call out the wrong name, then nothing would happen. I have to remember all the names.

„Oh my god! You idiot!“

„But wait a second! You had the idea to blow up the mountain!“

„Not to blow up the mountain, I was blowing up these lizard wolves!“

„Maybe you should have not used that program! Then we might have not fallen here!“

The arguing went on for some time. Until finally we stopped talking. I activated the Light Energy program to see better.

We were in a cave, and the only way was up. But looking at it, it might be really hard. Because the big rock was covering the hole.

„We are screwed aren‘t we?“ I said.

Vincent sighed and stood up.

„Come on, there must be another way out.“

I stood up and examined the walls. This was just an ordinary cave, there was nothing here.

„Hey, Vincent, why did you save me back there?“ I asked. It felt strange for him to jump at me to save me from the avalanche.

„Just don‘t think about it.“

Huh? Why does he not want to talk about it?

All of a sudden I was starting to hear something above me.

„Hey, do you hear that?“

We stood still and listened, and also glanced up.

Then the sound of rocks hitting rocks, and the big rock that was covering the crevasse fell down.

„Move!“

We dashed away and hid behind a wall.

The rock hit the water with a big splash, and also it felt like there was an earthquake here. The walls vibrated and small rocks fell from the roof.

Then everything stopped. It was once again peace and quiet.

„Whew, that was scary.“

We walked back into the opening. And noticed that the ceiling wasn‘t covered anymore. So now we might be able to climb back up. But I am not a good rock climber, I have not been a good climber ever. I always fell on my back.

Oh and also, I was afraid of heights. But only was I afraid when I could easily fall down, if I knew I was safe climbing this then it would have been fine.

„Are you ready to climb?“ Vincent asked.

„Eh. . .“

„You can climb, right?“

„Hehe. No.“

„Oh, great. Then I have to climb and then pull you up.“

„You have a rope?“

Of course, he has one. He would use it to tie me up, or someone else and keep as his hostages or something.

„I don‘t actually have the rope right now. But I can go get some.“

Oh. He doesn‘t have one. Or it is in his backpack that we stashed.

„Alright, you go up then. But don‘t leave me here.“

Vincent took off his backpack of supplies and started stretching.

„Okay, let‘s do this.“

He first inspected the wall, then he started climbing.

He climbed carefully, testing out the rocks that stick out with his hands, to see if they were loose. Some did fall, but others held tight.

Step by step he was getting closer to the opening. When the rock he stepped on fell loose.

„Shit!“

He barely held on with his hands. But managed to find his footing.

„That was close Vincent! Don‘t fall or you have to do that again!“

„Shut up!“

A minute later, he finally made it.

„Are you sure you can‘t climb this?“ He asked while taking a big breath.

„Yeah, I am not as strong as you.“

„Fine then, could you throw up the backpacks?“

Huh? Why? Is he going to leave me while he completes our punishment task?

„I am only going to give you one of them, you go back down and get the rope and we both go up.“

„If I could bring both the supplies bags to Darryl, then we might complete our task quickly and get a reward. And also I am sure that guy has some rope, who wouldn‘t need a rope on a mountain?“

While he talked, I glanced over a wall and saw something there. It looked like a corridor that was opened up when the big rocks fell from the mountain. And there I saw a light.

An artifact dungeon?

„Alright, fine.“ I threw him the bags, and he managed to catch them.

It would need him about 2 days to go up and back down to me. I have a pouch on me with food. So I should be fine. And I also wanted to go check that corridor that revealed itself.

I didn‘t tell Vincent about it.

Vincent thought for a second. Maybe he was suspicious?

„Okay, great, I will be back in about two days.“

Then he was gone. I hope wolves won‘t attack him. And I wonder if there are any dangers around here?

I started going towards the glowing corridor.

I walked inside and saw that this place was not like any other place I have been in.

The walls of the corridor were made by metal with glowing orange lines, and lights hung from the ceiling. This did not look like it was made by humans. This was built by something else.

I walked the corridor. Then after some time, I found stairs leading down.

I continued. Then the stairs stopped going down, and then it continued forward again.

„Christ, how long is this?“ I muttered to myself.

Step by step, the corridor felt endless.

Who had the idea to make this boring long ass corridor? Could the guy who made this not have found a better way to get to their destination?

Then finally after maybe about two hours, The corridor ended. I cautiously entered a big room and looked for any human or lizards around. There were none.

In this big empty room was only a large map of Slefend and Smittis on the ground.

I walked over it and my shield started reacting by glowing even more. And then the map started brightening, then fell dark again. But I saw two dots that were lit.

One of the dots was on Mount Kamlin, and the other was on a second mountain that I haven‘t heard the name of yet. It was on the top left of the map, or just northwest.

„What the hell is this?“

I walked over to the second dot, and the ground there started opening.

I quickly walked backward.

Then a pedestal started going up from the ground there. And on the pedestal was what looked like a key.

„Strange.“

I moved my hand towards it. And took it. The pedestal went to the ground and closed itself.

I inspected the key. It was like an ordinary key for a door.

I felt my shield wanting to do something. I looked at it. And then the key shot itself towards the shield.

„What the?!“

Then the shield opened and placed the key inside it.

What was going on?

The shield made a whirring sound, but then it stopped. Now all was quiet.

But then I felt for an earthquake again.

„Oh goddammit!“

The ceiling and walls started collapsing.

I ran for the corridor and made it inside just before the entire room fell apart. Thankfully, it looked like the corridor would not collapse.

I checked the screen if something changed. It was normal for me. But when checking one of the buttons, I found a new thing to activate.

„The Map Of The Elders? What is that?“

I activated the new program and the shield opened and the key showed itself. Then it made a holographic map of the continent and showing a dot on Mount Kamlin and on the second mountain.

„Am I now on some hunt for the pirate's treasure? Do I even have time for that?“

While glancing at the map, I started my way back to the crevasse. Then I have to wait for Vincent to get back, great.