Chester crouched in the dim light of the cave, tinkering with his damaged GP pad, its cracked screen flickering faintly. The advanced, military-grade device had seen better days, but Chester wasn't one to give up easily. He pressed a few buttons, watching as the display buzzed weakly before fading again.
"Come on, you piece of junk," he muttered, frustration lacing his tone.
Across from him, Clara sat cross-legged on the rocky floor, glaring at her own GP pad as if her sheer annoyance could fix it. She groaned loudly and slumped back against the cave wall. "This thing's a goner. Completely fried."
Chester chuckled softly, his lips curving into a small smile. "Your angry face is almost as scary as the major's death glare," he teased.
Clara rolled her eyes but didn't respond, instead grabbing her rifle. She began cleaning it methodically, her movements precise as she worked to clear out the sand that had clogged the barrel.
Chester returned his attention to his GP pad, trying once more to establish a connection to HQ. As expected, the device failed to find a network. With a heavy sigh, he leaned back on his hands and glanced over at Clara.
"Does it bother you?" she asked suddenly, her voice breaking the quiet hum of the cave.
Chester raised an eyebrow. "Does what bother me?"
Clara set her rifle down and gestured vaguely toward the entrance of the cave where Lucius had stationed himself earlier. "Him. The kid. Don't you think it's weird how secretive he is? Like, he knows way too much for someone who just happened to save us."
Chester didn't answer immediately. His fingers tapped idly on the edge of the GP pad as he considered her words. Finally, he nodded. "Yeah, it bothers me. He's hiding something—hell, probably a lot of things. But…" He sighed. "He saved our asses. He didn't have to, and we had nothing to offer him in return. That counts for something."
Clara frowned, her fingers brushing the edge of her rifle. "What if he's a spy?" she asked quietly.
"For who?" Chester scoffed, shaking his head. "He doesn't look like he belongs to anyone—or anywhere, for that matter. And trust me, none of the settlements we're not on good terms with would send someone like him."
Clara's expression softened slightly. "You're probably right. But still… he just appeared out of nowhere. It's like he's not even real."
Chester gave a half-hearted shrug. "Maybe. But even if he's hiding something, I don't think he's planning to stab us in the back. At least not yet." He paused, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Besides, he's not half as annoying as you."
Clara chuckled, shaking her head. "Thanks, Chester. Real flattering."
The two lapsed into a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they continued working on their equipment.
....
Near the entrance of the cave, Lucius stood with his arms crossed, his attention fixed on the faintly glowing runes etched into the wall. The Aetheris beside him displayed a steady stream of data, analyzing the markings in slow, methodical detail.
[Analysis Ongoing…..]
• Energy Classification: Ancient Runes
• Origin: Unidentified
• Potential Applications: Unknown
• Risk Level: High
Lucius's gaze narrowed. Ancient runes—extremely rare and unpredictable. They weren't like the artificial runes created by mages or scientists for specific purposes. These held secrets far beyond the comprehension of most. Secrets tied to unimaginable power, alternate dimensions, and sometimes, gifts that could elevate an individual's abilities to godlike levels.
But that power came at a cost. Ancient runes were as dangerous as they were alluring. Marcus recalled one of the novel's subplots where Ash had confronted a corrupt business official attempting to harness the power of a rune embedded in a glowing white stone. When the rune was damaged, it unleashed a surge of residual energy, transforming the official into a monstrous abomination.
And that was just one example. The novel was rife with instances of ancient runes causing chaos and destruction.
Lucius leaned back against the damp wall, his arms crossed as he considered his options. He wasn't foolish enough to tamper with something as volatile as these markings—not without more information.
Of course, he could always manipulate Chester or Clara into acting as test subjects, but he dismissed the thought with a smirk. "Too messy," he muttered. "And they're more useful alive than dead."
Turning his attention back to the Aetheris, Lucius sighed. The analysis was painfully slow, and he didn't have the patience to wait for it to finish. Instead, he opened the system interface to check his stats.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
• Name: Lucius Foster (Marcus Evans)
• Level: 16
• Class: [Restricted]
[Stat Performance]
• Health: 78%
• Mana: 52%
• Stamina: 88%
[Aetheris Deciphering]
• Aetheris Command (Active) – 55%
• Mana Flow (Active) – 52%
• Runic Decipher (Active) – Analysis: 45%
Lucius frowned. "Still too low," he muttered, his gaze lingering on the skills section. If he wanted to stand a chance in the later stages of the tournament, he needed to level up—and fast.
But leaving the cave now would only raise suspicion. Chester and Clara were already wary of him, and any sudden moves would only make things worse.
He let out another sigh, his thoughts drifting to the main characters of the novel. By this point in the story, Ash, Seraphina, Kallus, Soren, and even Elena were beginning to grow stronger.
"Elena," Lucius muttered under his breath. He remembered their brief conversation during the second phase of the tournament. She was supposed to be Ash's second love interest, the heroine who brought a new layer of depth to his character arc.
Lucius's brow furrowed. "I hope I didn't mess up anything too drastic…" he muttered, a wry smile tugging at his lips at the thought of him inadvertently changing Elena's dynamic with Ash.
Shaking his head, Lucius pushed the thought aside. There were more pressing matters to deal with.
Standing, he walked to the entrance of the cave, the sandstorm outside still raging. He pulled out his handgun, checking the ammunition. Low, but manageable.
A devious smile crept across his face. "Let's see what these monsters of the past have to offer," he murmured, stepping toward the edge of the storm.
...
As Lucius vanished into the swirling sands, the faint glow of the runes on the cave wall flickered ominously, as if reacting to his departure.