As the morning sunlight filled the cave, Alex stirred from his makeshift bed. He found Henry up and tending to a crackling fire and preparing breakfast.
Henry seemed to be cooking rabbit again, but this time he also had a pot of oatmeal simmering.
Alex approached the fire and spoke, "So, today's the day, huh?" Henry replied with , "Yep, today you're either going to emerge from that cave with the key to unlocking your true potential or not come out at all."
After finishing a hearty breakfast, Alex returned to his makeshift bed and contemplated his next move.
He decided it would be wise to take his extra sword as a backup in case he lost access to his primary one for an extended period.
Gathering his gear and checking his inventory, he took note of his items—a sturdy shield, a ring that could cast fireballs with the use of mana, a sword that occasionally ignited enemies, a sword that produced flammable slime, a shirt that enhanced his mana capacity, and pants that made him slightly faster.
Alex felt as ready as he could be.
Stepping toward the cave entrance, Alex surveyed the items once more, ensuring he had everything he needed.
The narrow cave passage scraped against his chest and back, but it eventually opened up into a wider space. On one side of the cave, large doors with a stone brick outline caught his attention.
The doors themselves were made of what appeared to be brass or a brass colored metal and adorned with symbols and markings resembling ancient runes. With considerable effort, Alex managed to open the doors, revealing a hallway with numerous vents.
As he placed his hand next to one, feeling a faint breeze confirmed the vents to be functional. Alex felt relieved, realizing that he could still use his fire, albeit sparingly, thanks to the ventilation.
The hallway was illuminated by lights positioned along the top of the walls, a clever use of runes that Alex had heard of certain ruins before. He hadn't expected to encounter such advanced technology in a structure that was over two hundred years old, built by a long-lost race of machines.
Alex proceeded down the hallway until he reached a split, with signs above each direction. To his surprise, the signs were written in the runic language.
Though not an expert in runic writing, Alex managed to decipher a few words. One sign displayed runes for heat and fire, while the other showed the rune for metal. Knowing that he needed to find a mechoids heart and that they were machines and was probably made of metal, he followed the corresponding sign, hoping for the best.
While navigating the passage, Alex noticed a mechanical spider approaching from a distance.
The spider was sizable, roughly the height of his chest, and its legs were as long as his arms, each with three joints. If it hadn't been moving, Alex might not have even noticed it, given its brass color that blended with the surroundings. As the spider's eyes locked onto him, it charged forward, revealing long, sharp metal fangs.
Alex's adrenaline surged, and he readied his shield for defense. With a swift strike, he bashed the spider as it leaped at him.
The impact sent the spider crashing to the ground, and Alex took advantage of the opportunity, impaling it with his sword.
Although it struggled briefly, it soon went limp. Alex made a mental note to collect the spider's remains on his way back. He also realized that flipping the spiders over was a weakness he also noticed they turned hostile upon seeing him.
Continuing his journey through the recycling plant, following the signs that read "metal" in runic, Alex eventually encountered his first helper guarding a door.
Standing at an imposing 6 feet 4 inches tall, the helper resembled a solid brass statue. Suddenly and without warning, gears and cogs protruding from the statue began to animate, with its movements being choppy at first but then becoming fluid. The helper grasped a war hammer nearby, and Alex couldn't help but feel a mixture of fear and determination, he needed to get that heart.
The statue charged toward Alex at full speed. Alex, realizing the difficulty the metal man would have in changing his course, he decided to stand his ground, as if taunting a bull.
As soon as the helper came within sword's reach, Alex lunged forward, impaling it. Yet, it didn't seem enough to kill the machine.
The helper attempted to grab Alex, who then had the idea to fill it with slime. Almost instantly, the sword understood his intentions and began sucking in air, then expelling green slime into the metal man's body.
The machine gradually filled with the viscous substance. After a few seconds, Alex pulled out his sword, causing slime to pour out from the entry wound.
now knowing his next move, Alex readied his ring and launched a fireball, igniting the slime within the machine.
The metal man ceased its movements, collapsing and turning red-hot, then white-hot. Sensing danger, Alex took cover and crouched behind his shield.
A hissing sound was followed by a deafening boom, and Alex felt the impact of several large debris fragments against his shield.
Although it suffered some damage, his shield held up, and Alex remained steady. Bits of flaming slime scattered throughout the hallway. Crawling on the floor trying his best not to inhale the smoke Alex made his way to the door where he sat with his back against the wall and thought about what had just happened. Alex knew his fire wasnt hot enough to make metal that hot and decided that what the helper did must have been a suicide bomb attempt.
After a brief pause to allow the smoke to clear, Alex stood up, opening the door that the helper had guarded.
The previously dark room burst into light, revealing a workshop-like space filled with tools and parts spread across various counters.
It was only then that Alex noticed the presence of four other helpers and six spiders, who seemed to be standing guard in the room.