The cavern housing the colossal machine was eerily silent, save for the low, pervasive hum emanating from the device itself. Kael ran a hand over the smooth, cool alloy of the nearest ring – it felt ancient yet untouched by time, unlike the crumbling stone above. The blue light from the embedded circuits cast long, dancing shadows.
"I've never seen anything like this," Roric murmured, leaning against a wall for support. "The legends speak of the Architect's 'Great Works,' structures built before the Sundering that could shape the land itself, but they were always described as myths, impossible constructions..."
Kael circled the mechanism slowly. The Tablet of Binding Wards in his hand pulsed warmer as he neared the central pedestal. Intricate symbols, identical to those on the tablet, were carved into the pedestal's base. Guided by instinct and the growing resonance, Kael knelt and carefully touched the Tablet to a corresponding symbol on the pedestal.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the hum of the machine intensified. The interlocking rings around the central structure began to rotate, slowly at first, then picking up speed, grinding softly like immense gears engaging after centuries of disuse. Crystal conduits connecting the rings lit up, channeling streams of bright blue energy towards the focusing lenses above the pedestal. The entire cavern vibrated faintly.
"Whoa!" Roric exclaimed, shielding his eyes as the light intensified. "What did you do?"
"I think I woke it up," Kael replied, watching the unfolding spectacle with a mix of apprehension and fascination.
The partial activation, however, triggered an unforeseen response. Shimmers of blue energy appeared around the cavern's perimeter, coalescing rapidly into humanoid shapes – smaller, less defined constructs than the Guardian Kael had fought earlier, but numerous. At least half a dozen Energy Sentries phased into existence, their forms crackling, their blank faces turning towards Kael and Roric. Defense system activated.
Kael mentally allocated the 15 stat points from reaching Level 13, sticking to his formula: 8 to Strength, 4 to Vitality, 3 to Dexterity. He felt the familiar surge reinforcing his body. "Stay back!" he yelled to Roric, stepping forward as the Sentries advanced.
These constructs were faster than the slow Golems and tougher than the Restless Spirits. They darted forward, firing smaller, quicker bolts of energy. Kael, now Level 13 and benefiting from his steady investment in Dexterity, found dodging much more manageable. He weaved between the incoming bolts, closing the distance.
His first punch connected with a Sentry's core. It crackled violently, the construct staggering. It took only two more solid hits from his STR-boosted fists to shatter its form.
[System]: Energy Sentry defeated! +500 EXP! [System]: Loot Drop: Minor Energy Core x1 [System]: Minor Energy Core detected. Transmuting via Absolute Assimilation... +100 EXP! [System]: Total EXP Gain: 600 EXP. Applying 3x Multiplier... +1800 EXP!
Level 13: 2800 / 8500 EXP
He spun, intercepting another Sentry that was trying to flank towards Roric. A quick side-step, a brutal right hook, followed by an uppercut – the second Sentry dissolved. He moved like a whirlwind, his vastly superior stats allowing him to dismantle the constructs with surprising speed. They were individually weaker than the main Guardian, seemingly designed to overwhelm through numbers, but Kael's raw power output was too much for them.
As the last Sentry dissipated, the central mechanism reacted again. The spinning rings locked into a new alignment with a resonant clang. The focusing lenses atop the pedestal pivoted, gathering the channeled energy into a single, coherent beam of bright blue light. The beam shot across the cavern, striking a specific point on the far wall.
The alloy wall shimmered where the beam hit, patterns spreading out like cracks in ice. Then, with a low hum, the affected section dissolved, revealing a brightly lit tunnel leading upwards. It looked like an access corridor or an emergency exit, starkly different from the ancient tunnels they'd been navigating.
Kael stared at the opening, then back at the mechanism, which now seemed stable, its rings rotating slowly, the beam holding steady on the newly created exit. The Tablet in his hand pulsed gently, its glow softening.
"Is that... an exit?" Roric asked hopefully, still looking drained but immensely relieved the constructs were gone. "We need to get out of here. I need to report back to Captain Valerius."
Kael felt torn. The mechanism, this entire subterranean complex, pulsed with mystery. The Tablet felt like a key, and he'd barely begun to understand its purpose or the function of this 'Resonator' chamber. Leaving now felt like abandoning a crucial discovery. But Roric was right. The scout was injured, and they had fulfilled the primary objective of the quest – finding him. Plus, lingering in an active, unknown Architect-era facility felt incredibly risky.
He made the decision. "Yeah. Let's go," Kael said, nodding towards the illuminated tunnel. "Your report is the priority. We can worry about... this... later." Maybe he could return alone someday, better prepared.
He helped Roric to his feet, the scout leaning on him slightly. They approached the opening created by the energy beam. The tunnel beyond was clean, well-lit by embedded light strips, and angled steadily upwards. It felt blessedly normal after the oppressive ruins.
With a final glance back at the humming, enigmatic machine and the secrets it held, Kael stepped into the light of the exit tunnel, Roric beside him. Their escape from the depths had begun, but the echoes of the ruins, and the purpose of the Tablet he carried, lingered heavily in Kael's mind.