I made my way to the meeting building, feeling ready and confident. I had prepared well for this dungeon, making sure I had enough potions, explosives, and weapons. I entered the building and saw Maya and Spring waiting for me at a table. They greeted me with smiles, and we exchanged some small talk.
"Hey, Karma. You look pumped," Maya said.
"Hey, Maya. Hey, Spring. Yeah, I'm pumped. This is going to be fun," I said.
"Fun? You mean challenging, right?" Spring said.
"Challenging, fun—same thing," I said with a grin.
We were waiting for Arthur, the last member of our party. He was a paladin knight who had joined us recently. He was friendly and timid but wary of me for some reason.
He arrived a few minutes later, apologizing for being late. He said he had some trouble with his armor and shield. He looked at me and nodded, then sat down next to Maya.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting. I had some issues with my equipment," Arthur said.
"No worries, Arthur. We're glad you're here," Maya said.
"Yeah, welcome to the party," I said.
"Thank you. It's an honor to be part of this team," Arthur said.
We all looked at the stage, where the briefer was about to start his speech. The man began his speech, explaining the rules and regulations of the dungeon. He also gave some tips and warnings about the dungeon, such as the types of monsters, traps, and treasures that could be found inside. He said that this dungeon was more focused on robotics, meaning that there would be more machines and gadgets than living creatures. He also said that the dungeon was shaped like a city, with buildings, streets, and vehicles.
I listened to him for a while but soon lost interest. I already knew most of what he was saying from my research. I looked at my teammates and saw that they were also bored. Maya was playing with her gun, Arthur was polishing his shield, and Spring was using her tablet.
"Hey, guys. Do you want to discuss our plans?" I whispered to them.
They nodded and leaned closer to me. We lowered our voices so that no one else could hear us.
"Alright, Spring. What do you have for us?" I asked.
Spring tapped her tablet and showed us a map of the dungeon. It was a large and complex maze of buildings, roads, bridges, and tunnels. Some icons indicated the locations of monsters, traps, and treasures.
"I used my ability to scan the dungeon and find the best route for us," Spring said. "This is what I got."
She traced a line on the map with her finger, showing us the path we should take. It seemed to avoid most of the dangers and lead us to some of the rewards.
"Wow, that's amazing," Maya said.
"Indeed, it is," Arthur said.
"Good job, Spring," I said.
"Thank you," Spring said with a smile.
She looked at me with admiration and gratitude in her eyes. She had an obsession with me ever since I saved her from a mini-boss monster that she had accidentally led us to. She saw me as a miracle and a savior, and she followed me everywhere.
"So, this is our plan. We follow this route, clear the dungeon, and get out alive," I said.
"Sounds simple enough," Maya said.
"I hope so," Arthur said.
The briefer finally finished his speech and received applause from the audience. He wished us good luck and told us to proceed to the entrance of the dungeon.
We got up from our seats and headed towards the door. Spring stopped us and said she had to go to the coordinators' area, where all coordinators were assigned to monitor their teams and communicate with them through their devices.
"Be careful, guys. I'll be watching over you," Spring said.
"We'll be careful. Don't worry," Maya said.
"We'll be back soon," Arthur said.
I looked at Spring and smiled. I reached for my hair and pulled out a strand. I handed it to her and said,
"Here. This is for you."
Spring gasped and took the strand of hair from me. She looked at it with awe and wonder in her eyes. She knew what it meant. It was a tradition among elves to make eternal vows or oaths. It was also something that was only reserved for weddings.
"Karma..." Spring whispered.
"I promise you, Spring, I'll bring our team back in one piece," I said.
Spring nodded and smiled through her tears. She held the strand of hair close to her chest and said,
"I believe you, Karma. Thank you."
I hugged her briefly and then let go. I joined Maya and Arthur at the door, and we walked out of the building. We walked towards the entrance of the dungeon, which was a large metal gate with a sign that read "Danger!". Several guards and staff members checked our IDs and devices before letting us in.
We entered the gate and felt a sudden jolt of energy. It was the sensation of transitioning from one reality to another. The dungeons were portals to different dimensions, where the laws of physics and magic were different. It was always a bit disorienting and uncomfortable, but we got used to it after a while.
We opened our eyes and saw that we were in a different place. It was a futuristic city, but not like the one we came from. This one was dark, dirty, and ruined. Some buildings were crumbling, cars that were rusting, and wires that were sparking. There was also a thick smog that covered the sky, blocking the sun.
"Wow, this place looks like it's been through a war," Maya said.
"Or a robot uprising," I joked.
I remembered a movie I had seen in my original world, where machines took over the world and tried to exterminate humanity. It was a classic sci-fi horror story, but it seemed oddly fitting for this dungeon.
I checked my weapons, making sure they were ready. I had an elven sword and two elven daggers that my mother had given me. They were made of a special metal that could cut through anything and had runes that enhanced their power. I also had a pistol magnum that I had bought in my first dungeon. It was a powerful gun that could fire bullets with explosive force.
I looked at Maya and Arthur and saw that they were also prepared. Maya had her gun, which was a custom-made rifle that could shoot different types of bullets, such as armor-piercing, incendiary, or electric. Arthur had his shield and sword, which were both enchanted with holy magic that could protect him from harm and smite his enemies. Though, do robots even get hurt with light magic?
We moved forward, following the map that Spring had given us. She was in the coordinators' area, where she could monitor our progress and communicate with us through our devices. She was our eyes and ears in this dungeon, guiding us to the best route and warning us of any dangers.
We reached a crossroad where we had to choose between going left or right. Spring's voice came through our earpieces.
"Go left. It's safer and faster," she said.
We nodded and turned left, trusting her judgment. We walked along a street that was lined with abandoned shops and offices. There were signs of looting and vandalism everywhere. We saw some broken robots and machines lying on the ground, some of them still twitching or beeping.
"Be careful. There might be some active robots around," Maya said.
"I got it," I said.
We kept our weapons ready, scanning the area for any movement or sound. We heard a loud whirring from above us. We looked up and saw a futuristic air drone hovering over us. It looked like a metal disc with four propellers, gun turrets, and a camera. It had a red light that flashed with hostility.
"Shit. That's a spy drone," Arthur said.
"Should we run?" I asked.
"Yep," Maya said.
She pointed at a nearby building that had a sign that read "Cybernetics Research Center". She said, "There. Let's go there."
She ran towards the building, followed by Arthur and me. The drone chased us, whirring and shooting lasers at us. We dodged and ducked, avoiding the beams of light that burned holes in the ground and walls.
"Spring, where are you?" I whispered into my device.
"I'm here, Karma. I'm sorry, I didn't see the drone on the map. It must have been cloaked," Spring said.
"It's okay, Spring. Just tell us, is there any jammer we can find here?" I asked.
"Okay, okay. Um...good news. It looks like there is something inside the building that is actually stopping the robots from entering, but I don't know what it is. You better check it out," Spring said.
"Got it. Thanks, Spring," I said.
We reached the door of the building and opened it. We entered the building and closed the door behind us. We heard the drone hitting the door but did not break it.
We breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the wall. We looked around and saw that we were in a lobby that was filled with computers, monitors, and wires. There were also some posters and banners that advertised various cybernetic products and services.
"Wow, this place looks like a hacker's paradise," Maya said.
"Or a mad scientist's lab," I said.
"Or both," Arthur said.
We decided to search for the jammer device and explore the building. We hoped to find some clues or treasures that could help us in this dungeon. We searched the building, looking for the jammer device. We checked every room, every closet, every drawer. We found a lot of interesting things, such as cybernetic limbs, implants, chips, and gadgets. We also found some documents and files that hinted at some shady experiments and projects that were done here.
We finally found the jammer device in a lab. It was a small metal box with a switch and an antenna. It looked old and rusty, but it still had some power left.
"Is this it?" I asked, holding the device.
"Yes, that's it. Good job, Karma." Spring said through my device.
"Alright, let's use it and get rid of that Drone." I said.
I flipped the switch and turned on the device. It made a beeping sound and emitted a faint blue light.
"Did it work?" Maya asked.
"I don't know. Let me check." I said.
I walked towards the door and peeked outside. I saw the Drone still hovering over the building, but it seemed to be confused and erratic. It was spinning and tilting as if it had lost its balance and direction.
"I think it worked. The Drone is acting weird," I said.
"Great. Let's get out of here then." Arthur said.
We grabbed our stuff and headed towards the door. We were about to leave when we heard a loud bang. We turned around and saw that the jammer device had exploded, sending sparks and smoke everywhere.
"What the hell?" I exclaimed.
"The jammer device must have been faulty. It couldn't handle the signal overload." Spring said.
"Damn it. Now what?" Maya asked.
We heard another loud whirring from outside. We looked out and saw that the Drone had regained its composure and was angrier than ever. It had noticed us and was aiming its lasers and bombs at us.
"It's back. And it's pissed." I said.
"We need to take it down." Arthur said.
"How? It's too fast and agile." I said.
"I have an idea." Maya said.
She took out her gun and loaded it with a special bullet. It was a silver bullet with a blue tip and a red stripe.
"What's that?" I asked.
"It's a bullet with explosive runes." Maya explained.
"Will it work on the Drone?" Arthur asked.
"It should. But I only have one shot," Maya said.
"That sounds risky," I said.
"It is. But it's our only chance," Maya said. She looked at us and smiled confidently. "Don't worry, guys. I got this," she said.
She ran out of the door, holding her gun in front of her. She aimed at the Drone, which noticed her and fired its lasers at her.
Maya dodged the lasers with acrobatic moves, jumping and rolling on the ground. She closed the distance between her and the Drone, waiting for the right moment to shoot.
The Drone fired a bomb at her, hoping to blow her up. Maya saw the bomb coming and kicked it back at the Drone, making it explode in mid-air.
The explosion created a cloud of smoke and debris, obscuring the drone's view. Maya used this opportunity to shoot her EMP bullet at the Drone, hoping to hit its camera.
The bullet flew through the air and pierced through the smoke. It hit its target, hitting the Drone right in the camera.
The Drone made a loud screech and stopped moving. It fell from the sky and crashed on the ground, creating a loud thud.
Maya landed on her feet and holstered her gun. She looked at the fallen Drone and smiled triumphantly.
"Boom. Headshot," she said.
"Hot damn!" I yelled in awe.