Interestingly, as Hiral traced his finger along the lines of the unfamiliar rune, he felt it went beyond just the surface layer he was seeing with his eyes. Thanks to his sensory domain, more of the pattern became apparent with every second he studied it. How somebody had ever managed to inscribe this – assuming it was done by a person, and not some freak accident of nature – boggled Hiral’s mind. It seemed impossible.

There were no seams. No openings. No way for somebody to have opened it up and put it back together again.

What if… nobody did this? What if it was actually a natural occurrence? Dr. PIMP said the runes wanted to be found. Could they appear like this?

It wasn’t something he had an answer for, but it was certainly an interesting question. If that was the case – and the more he inspected it, the more it seemed the most likely explanation – this item was completely unique. So unique, in fact, even a Progenitor had taken an interest in it. Well, enough of one to stick it in one of her creations. Did Tomorrow know what it was?

Probably.

And after a minute of scrutiny, he had a pretty good idea too. Given the complexity of what he was looking at, what the rune itself was on, and how it had been used – along with the general feeling he was getting from it – this had to be the Rune of Piercing.

As soon as the understanding of it passed through his mind, his body confirmed his theory, the double-helix bursting off his skin to circle around him while he floated into the air. The strange stinger leapt from his hand to hover him front of him, his arms spreading to his sides naturally. He watched as the rune seemed to untangle itself from within the spike, like some kind of creature extracting itself leg by long leg.

It only took a second for what looked like a ball of snarled yarn to emerge, the stinger turning to dust as soon as the rune was removed. Hanging there, Hiral’s eyes easily traced the lines his sensory domain had told him about previously. This was definitely one of the complex runes, like Separation or Dreaming. And, similar to the latter, it seemed to require a more complex pattern – it had to be in three dimensions.

Which could only mean…

The tangled solar energy suddenly burst apart into a dozen individual strands that shot straight for Hiral’s chest. An inch in front of it, they split, racing around his chest and sides without touching his Coat of Amin Thett, to rejoin with each other near the center of his back. There – once they had all rejoined – they dove into his back.

Into his spine.

Fingers and toes twitched as it felt like the strings were crawling through his entire body, though his domain told him no such thing was actually happening. The strings were imprinting themselves between his Rune of Gravity and Energy on his back. With a shape more cylindrical than either of those two tattoos, it was almost like it was connecting them, though they didn’t actually touch. What he was feeling, that was from the Rune of Piercing using his spinal cord the same way it’d used the stinger. Wrapping around and slipping inside.

A quick look at what was left of the stinger after the rune had been removed was pretty good motivation to never let the same thing happen to his spine.

That moment of distraction was all it took for the rune to finish the process of engraving itself on him, and Hiral’s double-helix snapped back around his limbs and body. A split-second of weightlessness, and he dropped to the ground, down to one knee.

Taking a deep breath – his solar energy bottomed out from the process – he took a quick look at his status window. There, with all his other runes, was the new one – his Rune of Piercing.

It’s not quite the Rune of Spears I’m sure Yan was hoping I’d get, but maybe it’s a good second option.

As soon as his solar energy ticked up, he activated Foundational Split, then gently grabbed some energy and threaded it into his new rune, while focusing on his hand. There was a slight resistance to the process, so he closed his fingers into a fist. Even more resistance. Extending his fingers, the flow immediately became smoother, but there was a clear difference between his new rune and his older Rune of Separation. This energy didn’t go naturally to the edge of his hand, but instead to the tips of his fingers.

The rune was all about stabbing, so it made sense. It also meant it wouldn’t do much for something like his Greatsword of Amin Thett.

Then again…

Hiral closed his fist again, then added Expansion into the mix. Invisible to the naked eye, his sensory domain didn’t miss the frighteningly sharp spike of Piercing that extended in front of his closed fist. Oh yeah, that could work nicely.

“Got something good?” Seena asked him over the party chat.

“Rune of Piercing,” Hiral explained.

“Not stabbing?” Seeyela asked.

“Close relative,” Hiral said. “It’s a complex rune, though, like Gravity or Separation. Powerful.”

“How long do you need until you’re ready to go?” Seena asked. “Vorinal and the others are getting antsy.”

“If it’s like last time, the next room is probably some kind of research area,” Hiral said. “I can recharge while we walk. Cycling is already helping.”

“Banner of Courage?” Seeyela suggested.

“I need more solar energy myself before I can shape it,” Left said from beside Hiral.

“Oh, I probably have enough to give you that now,” Hiral said. A fist-bump reabsorbed the double, and Hiral immediately activated Foundational Split, giving his double enough to shape the banner. A second later, a golden dome covered the pair, upping Hiral’s solar regeneration rate by a full Rank. “Thanks.”

“Speaking of Left,” Yanily cut in. “What tattoo does he get from your new rune?”

Hiral looked over at his double, and the man shook his head.

“Nothing, unfortunately,” Hiral said. “It’s down my spine, which means Left only gets half of it.”

“Selfish,” Yanily said. “The last two runes, he doesn’t get anything for them?”

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Hiral looked down at his Rune of Exchange on the palms of his hands – a place he had no tattoos – and then considered where his new Rune of Piercing was. “It’s not like I wanted them to be there.”

“And once Hiral figures of his Edict of Piercing,” Left added . “Then I will have access to the complete set.”

“The complete set for what?” Seena asked.

“For the Spear of Clouds,” Left replied. “Not the original, of course, but the tattoo version.”

“It’s never been shaped before,” Hiral added, remembering what Yanily had done with the weapon in hand. “By anybody.”

“Nobody? Ever?” Seeyela asked.

“Nobody.”

“And your dad gave you the tattoo anyway?” Seena said.

“I had all S-Rank solar attributes. I was the best chance for anybody to be able to shape it. Didn’t quite turn out like they’d planned,” he said with a chuckle.

“Hate to change the subject,” Seeyela said. “Hiral’s right about the next room. Doesn’t look like there’s a fight waiting for us – just a lot of equipment.”

“Researchers are on the move too,” Seena added a second later.

“It’s fine,” Hiral said. “I’m ready enough.” His energy was quickly climbing – between Cycling and the banner – and he’d hardly given Right much energy. A few minutes and he’d have more than enough for anything short of another Mid-Boss. And, if Vorinal’s theory was correct, they’d have to figure out the second, hidden switch in the next room as well.

“This chamber is very interesting,” Vorinal was saying as the researcher group caught up to where Hiral was standing with his doubles. “The entrance to this ruined facility was hidden deep underground, but the fact it continues to go even deeper…”

“Perhaps Tomorrow is using a geothermal power source for this place,” Lusco suggested. “It would explain how all of these machines are still operational after all this time.”

“Interesting hypothesis,” Vorinal agreed, while Hiral fell into place beside Seena to walk with the group. “It might be something worth exploring for our own projects. We rely too heavily on solar energy – and the natural plants that emit it during the dark cycles. Another source of reliable energy would be most beneficial.”

“We’ve looked into geothermal before,” Bellina said. “Didn’t turn out so well.”

“No,” Lusco said. “It really didn’t. We didn’t have a facility built by Tomorrow to learn from though.”

“You have a point,” Bellina admitted, suddenly looking a little more interested in the topic. She even went over to the railing of the bridge to look down into the darkness below. “And, did I see it right? More of those constructs came up from below?”

“A lot more,” Hiral said. “Hundreds of them.”

“There must be some kind of production line down there for them. I wonder how we’d get there.”

“Tomorrow could fly,” Vorinal reminded Bellina. “She could’ve just gone down here.”

“Bah. Stupid dragons and their stupid wings,” Bellina cursed.

“Weren’t you working on a project for wings?” another of the researchers asked.

“Yes, and it’s highly impractical without actual magic supporting them,” Bellina said. “My prototype is almost finished though.”

“She’s stuck on whether to make the trim gold or silver,” Vorinal said with a chuckle.

“Aesthetics are important,” Bellina countered.

“They are,” Vorinal agreed. “But a discussion for later. We’re here.”

As he said that, the group caught up with Yanily and Seeyela, standing at a now-open door leading into another room filled with heavy equipment. Machinery, the researchers called it. The equipment reminded Hiral a lot of the crystal devices they’d found in the Lost Refuge of the Lost. Advanced technology – that’d been created thousands of years before Hiral had even been born.

“This doesn’t look like the same kind of assembly line we found in the last room,” Lusco said.

“Which means the switch will be hidden in a different location as well,” Vorinal said. “Lusco, while the others search for that, I want you and Bellina to dig into what this equipment is for. It looks more like research equipment and experiments to me, but lets find out what Tomorrow was investigating.”

“Got it,” Lusco said.

“What about you?” Bellina asked, clearly noting Vorinal wasn’t volunteering for either role of searching for the switch or figuring out what the room was for.

“I think it’s time I tell our escorts why we’re here,” Vorinal said.

“Still don’t completely agree with this,” Bellina said.

“Be that as it may, they agreed to take this job despite the obvious political ramifications of siding with us against the council’s wishes,” Vorinal said. “They’ve already thrown their lot in with us – it’s only fair we show the same level of trust.”

“Fine. Have it your way,” Bellina said, turning away. “Come on, you guys, the door to Tomorrow’s vault isn’t going to open itself.”

As Bellina led the other researchers away, Vorinal turned to the party. “I do apologize about keeping you in the dark like I had, but it was actually – partially – for your protection. The less you know about what we think is in this ruin, the less the council will pressure you.”

“What is it you think is here?” Seena asked.

“Besides technology even more advanced than our own?” Vorinal said, slowly waving his hand to indicate the wide room behind them. When he’d finished gesturing to everything present, he lowered his arm, and his face took on a serious expression. “A threat.”

“The constructs in here?” Romin asked.

Vorinal tilted his head to the side at that. “Yes and no. This has been a known – though top-secret – ruin for a number of years. Decades, really. None have been able to penetrate as deeply as we have, the guardians were too powerful for any who have come. For most, delving these ruins was suicide.”

“And you hired us for that anyway?” Yanily asked. “You’ve either got a lot of confidence in us, or you were pretty desperate.”

“Both,” Vorinal said with a shrug. “The work you’ve done for us before was nothing short of exceptional. And, though you work exclusively for money – as any good mercenary does, I do not intend this comment as an insult – you’ve also shown an impressive amount of consideration towards the common citizens of our nation. More so than even our council.

“Ah, sorry, I should watch my words. Some of my thoughts may be considered treasonous in the wrong circles. I hope you’ll forget what I just said?”

“I didn’t hear anything,” Seena said. “Hiral?”

“Nothing here, and if I didn’t catch it, nobody did,” he said.

Vorinal forced a smile. “See? This is why we chose you. As for these ruins and the danger, well, it’s not the facility itself which is the danger – I hope. The guardians never exited the facility, which is why it was mainly left alone. Many of those in power don’t hold much love for Tomorrow’s facilities scattered around the world. With good reason. Aside from the death traps found within, Tomorrow’s work is beyond the ken of many who would try to understand it.”

“You’re different?” Seeyela asked.

“I’d like to think so,” Vorinal said. “I have gathered the brightest minds of our generation, and done everything I can to give them unfettered access to knowledge and opportunity. The breakthroughs we’ve made in just a few short years are – pardon my bragging – life changing.

“Unfortunately,” he said with a shrug, “this success has also garnered some of the wrong kind of attention from those who would use our skills for more selfish ends. Instead of pushing the boundaries to alleviate the everyday struggles of our citizens, they demand we use our skills to enrich them alone.”

“And how did that get us here?” Seena prompted.

“Of course, of course,” Vorinal said. “Pardon my rant. It’s a bit of a story, which starts almost forty years ago, with an odd discovery near the entrance to this facility.”

“The specimen you were talking about before?” Hiral asked.

“Exactly that,” Vorinal said. “A creature unlike any we’d ever seen before, or have seen since. Some of our predecessors – scientists like us,” Vorinal gestured to the others in the room, “attempted to figure out its origins. Its secrets.

“It was a very strange kind of creature, naturally invisible to us – which I might add made it a miracle we found it at all. Somebody literally tripped over it. Even dead, it remained like this, also making it very difficult to autopsy or study. As you can imagine, they didn’t make much headway, and the corpse was eventually put in cold storage to return to later.

“Despite the oddities of the creature, and the questions of its origins, it wasn’t a high priority. Nobody even thought about it again for almost four decades until we took it out of cold storage to give another attempt at unlocking its secrets.”

“That obviously went better than before,” Yanily said.

“Not really,” Vorinal chuckled. “Really, studying something invisible is very difficult.”

“Then, that’s why you’re here? To find another sample?” Seena asked.

“Not exactly,” Vorinal said. “As you may have noticed, my team has varying interests and expertise. It’s rare for all of us to work on a single project together. Not unless it’s incredibly important.”

Each of the party members looked around the room at that comment.

“How important is it that you’re all here now?” Hiral asked the question everybody was thinking.

“The potential downfall of our entire civilization and the extinction of our species,” Vorinal said.