Chapter 22: Another one(3)
And so, night fell. Leon, grabbing his weapons and grenades, disguised himself and set off on his journey.
Fortunately, despite the fact that the Ruins Leon was heading to were a sacred place for the elves, they were unguarded. This allowed him to enter without any issues. Inside, he was met with a strange landscape — it was immediately clear that this had once been the land of the Old People.
"As you said, Master, there should be an AI in this place. But I still have no idea who it is," said a voice, breaking the silence.
"I remembered something along the way. This is a laboratory, and it's managed by an AI. However, I think it's currently in a dormant state. Unfortunately, I don't recall all the details. But when we reach the main chamber, it should greet us," Leon said, surveying the scattered remnants of technology around him.
"Wow, everything here looks so fascinating!" exclaimed the first companion.
The second nodded in agreement.
Luxion, on the other hand, began analyzing the various pieces of equipment scattered throughout the ruins. Most of it was in terrible condition, but he made a mental note to collect some interesting items on their way back.
"Alright, let's keep moving. There should be a hole in the ground around here, or maybe we'll have to create one ourselves," said the second companion.
They all started searching, with Luxion joining in. Using his sensors, he quickly scanned the area. After a few minutes, he announced:
"Master, I believe I've found an entrance."
Leon immediately headed in the direction indicated. He approached a set of massive doors leading to another section of the laboratory.
"And where exactly is it?" Leon asked, looking around.
"Over there, near that giant pipe," Luxion replied, pointing with his mechanical eye.
"Really?" Leon said with an intrigued voice and started walking toward it. But as he took his second step, the ground beneath him gave way, and he fell.
"AAAAAAHHHH~! Luxion, you bastard!" Leon screamed as he plummeted.
The fall wasn't too deep, and Leon landed relatively safely. Still, it became evident that this was the work of the AI. Before he could recover, the noise of his landing attracted a group of strange mutants.
Seeing them approach, Leon quickly pulled out a grenade and threw it in their direction. The explosion obliterated the entire group.
"Damn it!" Leon shouted, getting back on his feet.
At that moment, a spherical object began descending slowly from above.
"You bastard! I'd forgotten how annoying you can be," Leon muttered, brushing the dust off his clothes.
"I don't understand what you mean. I told the truth. It's not my fault you were careless," Luxion replied with his usual calm tone.
"Yeah, sure… Ugh, my back," Leon groaned, wincing.
Just then, another wave of mutants appeared. Seeing them, Leon grabbed his rifle loaded with magical bullets and prepared for a fight.
"Listen, Luxion. If you guide me to the main chamber correctly, I'll give you a gift," Leon said, narrowing his eyes.
"A gift? An AI like me doesn't need gifts, especially since I can create almost anything on my own," Luxion replied neutrally.
"Oh, trust me. When you see it in its original form, you'll be ecstatic," Leon said with a sly grin.
Intrigued by Leon's words, Luxion decided not to push his luck and agreed. After a brief scan of the building, he responded:
"Done. First, you'll need to get through this group of mutants."
"Ha! Consider it done," Leon said, firing at the mutants and pushing through their ranks.
Once the path was clear, Luxion continued guiding him.
"Turn left here..."
After several more skirmishes with increasingly grotesque mutants, Leon and his companion finally reached their destination.