'Omega what is this?'
{ a spherical disc consisting of hardened clay and stone properties. Omega senses a unique trace of Mana.}
'Traces of mana huh.' Roland rubbed his chin in deep thought. He glanced at the sealed tomb, and an idea emerged.
He held the small disc securely and pressed it directly in the middle of the sandy surface. Almost instantly, Roland saw the once firm surface fissuring away into nothing. He blinked a few times and watched the seal completely vanish. Staring at the gaping dark hole, an ominous chill escaped from it. Countless negative thoughts raced through his mind. And somehow, standing by this entrance filled Roland with anxiety.
"Tsk! Omega, stay alert. I need to know if any surprises are waiting for me."
{Affirmative. Switching from navigator mode to Scout Mode}
'Scout mode, wait what the- '
{scout mode active}
Roland stepped forward and felt a strange sensation racing through his body. A slight pain throbbed against his skull, and a warmth gathered behind his eyes. He blinked several times before realising something had happened to his vision. The dense darkness didn't seem so dark suddenly, and everything felt a lot clearer than usual. He could actually see every curve and unique groove against the fleshy stoned walls without going close.
Roland couldn't tell, but there was a bright glow emanating away from both of his eyes. Similar to the euphoric experience when he saw the world through bright colours. He held no time to idly fawn over these surprising changes. Present on his mind was just how time-sensitive this all was. With Omega keeping a close eye on his surroundings, Roland walked into the dark tunnel with a renewed sense of confidence.
The cave turned narrow quickly, but he wasn't as scared as before. Knowing Omega had developed a scout mode opened a range of possibilities he hadn't thought possible.
The tunnel stretched on for another few hundred feet. Roland arrived at a closed iron door, dark in colour and with a hooked door handle.
He held the iron handle with his two hands and pushed into it.
The heavy frame lifted away from its hinges and slowly groaned open. An air of dampness walked out from the enclosed space. Roland shielded his lower face as he stepped inside.
From the corner, a small fire spluttered into life, triggering a chorus of flames to ignite around the wall. Roland watched a ring of fire form, unveiling the true face of this interestingly eerie cave.
His first thoughts were of a crypt, minus the tombs and elaborate skeletons, but instead filled with practical things he'd find in someone's study. In the corners were tall, slender lamp stands and two bookshelves brushing the short ceiling. Each time his gaze fell upon one of the items placed inside, a soft chime sounded with a thread of white detailing a short description.
*Mechanical bell sound*
#Book ???. Weight 4kg Approx 109 years old.
#Book ??? Weight. 2kg Approx. 56 years old
#Book ??? Weight 6.6kg Approx 450 years old...Mana detected
Roland flinched and felt compelled to explore that further. However, he quickly caught himself mid-stride and twisted around to observe the rest of the cave.
Just ahead was a thick, dark stone table with an elaborate throne pressed against the wall. The table was messy, with countless unfurled scrolls and spilt glasses of dried ink everywhere.
He furrowed his brows at the stench before shifting his gaze back towards the stacked shelves. The book with traces of Mana was wrapped in thick leather like a scrapbook. Roland needed two hands to carry it away from the shelf. After a small tussle, he placed it against the ground and curiously opened it. The pages were thick and hard like sandpaper, and the contents scribbled inside might as well be alien to him.
'Omega what language is this?'
{According to the matrix data pool uniquely embedded into the framework of this world. This is considered an ancient dead language before the age of power 100 years ago. Beings were required to sacrifice to deities to learn their words of power. This language likely began during that period.}
Roland shuddered under the weight of hearing that. He was someone who never shied away from his deeply invested interests in ancient history and the first sciences. This text likely contained secrets from that time. Given the size of the book, Roland was not confident in bringing this along with him without being seen. He was also trying to heed that old man's warnings about taking things out of there. That truth sparked a sudden idea in his thoughts.
'Omega, how long will it take you to copy everything in this book?'
{…}
{2:45 seconds}
A bright smile creased childishly against his features.
"That old geezer never said anything about copying his books. Heh-heh so this doesn't count as breaking the rules."
After he finished flicking through each page of the large book. He exhaled deeply, hearing Omega confirm all pages had finally been copied into his Mental Palace. Roland scanned the rest of the shelves and repeated this until he had 2/3rds of Wizard greys scrolls and books copied.
He only stopped off the basis of feeling full all of a sudden. Like he had eaten a great meal.
'This is likely a result of copying so many. In that case, I'll stop before it turns into greed.'
He laughed at himself, seeing the irony in that thought.
"Okay, now it's time to find the mask and the… testament?"
Roland stared at the corner of the table, where he noticed a half-opened pouch folded to one side. It was only a small trace, but he could see something bright, sparkling inside.
He approached the table and opened the sack. A small gasp of surprise broke out. He was on a lucky streak today.
Inside sat a porcelain ivory-colored mask and a black dagger in a decorated sheath of the same colour. He ignored the scroll inside and went for the dagger first.
It felt a little weighty. Pulling it away from its sheath, a glittering obsidian glass blade shone inside. Roland was utterly entranced by the beauty.
Omegas whirring chimes sounded off in his vacant thoughts.
#Obsidian Glass. Weight 0.5kg Approx Age = ????
#unknown traces of dense Mana detected#
"Dense Mana? Omega, what are you talking abo-"
Roland was caught off guard by a bright light pulsing in and out. A pang of anxiety raced through his little chest as he nervously opened the bag and peered inside with one eye.
Of course, the glowing light was coming from that ominous-looking mask. Roland delicately pulled it out from the carrying pouch and inspected it.
"Ah, a goat's head, because that's not completely terrifying, isn't it." Said Roland sarcastically.
Two ram-like horns folded over its head. The mask had a chiselled jawline and a forked beard, giving Roland more of the impression of a deity than a goat. Despite the very obvious cultish undertones, Roland could appreciate the sheer level of detail in the ivory mask.
A triangular cut of half-black and half-white stone sat between the goat's hollow eyes. The stone continued to pulse with a humming green light, almost like a signal. Roland frowned; he didn't like this one bit.
{unknown energy source detected}
Roland traced the outline of the goat's face; suddenly, he felt a noticeable quake against the cave.
'Shit what's going on now. Omega!'
Roland put the mask and pouch down before moving to one side. He placed his palm against the fleshy wall and waited.
4 minutes later, waiting in silence…
{4 heat signatures detected. Two are fading rapidly…two heat signatures remain …closing in on the host's location. Approximately 699 feet away and counting. }
Roland snatched his hand from the wall and retreated to the middle of the cave. He started to panic and tossed his gaze around the room, looking for anything to use as a potential weapon.
He opened the satchel and took hold of the obsidian dagger.
{409 feet away}
'Shir-shit-shit -Omega what do I do?'
Omegas silence was deafening at first. That familiar chime echoed, but not with the answers Roland needed.
(235 feet away)
"Omega! I need help! Find me a way to survive." Roared Roland
{unable to formulate a choice, increasing host chances of survival. Omega searching matrix for emergency solution…host is limited due to current mental and physical capacity…activating force upgrade to system bios…intense emotions detected…downloading Omega battle mode…67…89…100. Battle mode activated}
{Omega temporarily controlling brainwave length…limiting host access to the node producing the emotion known as fear}
Before Roland could vocally protest his thoughts, he felt a sudden jolt running through his body, followed by a deep, untold emptiness filling his mind. His fears, worries, and the anxiety in his chest had vanished. He crumbled to the ground and stared at his two outstretched hands. This feeling, this euphoric burst of energy, ran through his blood.
"O-o-omega? Wh-what the hell did you do to me."
{whilst battle mode is active, hosts' focus and senses will be heightened considerably. Whilst this doesn't guarantee hosts survival. It at least allows the host to…go down with a fight. If said enemies are unbeatable}
Roland felt a slight warmness hearing that. One which was swiftly ruined by Omegas next announcement.
{100 feet}
Roland swallowed harshly and braced himself. He grappled the dagger in his palm and glared at the dark door. Wizard Grey had said people would come. Only the people he mentioned sounded as though they were as strong as the hitters within this castle. Roland didn't like the thought of that.
Whomever these people were, Roland understood he couldn't die here. Somehow, he had to see this through.
{56 feet…43 feet…20 feet…they're here.}
Roland exhaled a calm breath and cracked his neck from side to side. He wouldn't openly run and get himself killed. But he was also not one to shrink away and cower.
'Okay, let's hope this goes well.'
Roland heard their footsteps right before he heard the door sneering open. Footsteps entered. A tall, slender frame, clothed in black. For the first few moments, Roland was filled with yearning joy. But that was swiftly shattered when he looked at the silvery blonde-haired girl beside the shadowy figure wearing a mask.
Dressed in half a silver armour over hunting wear. Her eyes sparkled with a wildness that made Roland's spine turn cold
"Alyssa? Wh-wh-what are you doing here?"