Morell roared as he charged forward.
His blade carved a deep, crimson line across the Minotaur's back—
—but the beast didn't even flinch.
Its burning gaze remained locked on Bao and Elincia.
"GET UP!" Bao shouted.
They barely managed to push themselves onto their knees—
Just as the creature's claw came sweeping in.
Low.
Fast.
Deadly.
Bao saw it clearly.
The trajectory.
The end.
With everything he had left, he grabbed Elincia—
And threw both of them sideways—
Through the narrow breach.
Metal screamed.
Claws pierced through the Monolith's surface right where they had been a heartbeat before.
Bao hit the ground hard, dragging Elincia with him.
For a second—
Silence.
Then—
"Everyone! —GET IN HERE! It can't follow us!" Bao shouted back through the opening.
"I'll hold it off!" Morell's voice thundered from outside.
"You go!"
Bao waited.
One second.
Two.
Nothing.
No footsteps.
No replies.
Elincia's gaze met his.
Cold.
Quiet.
A single tear rolled down her cheek.
Without thinking—
Bao pulled her into his arms.
"We finish this," he said quietly.
"For them."
She nodded.
Inside the Monolith—
Darkness swallowed everything.
Only thin rays of light pierced through the claw-made holes behind them.
Bao blinked, trying to adjust.
Nothing.
"Do we have a light?" he asked.
Elincia shook her head.
"We lost everything with the carriage…"
A pause.
"…But I can do something else."
She whispered.
Soft.
Ancient.
The air shifted.
From the cracks behind them—
Tiny glowing particles drifted in.
Like fireflies.
They spread through the chamber—
Casting a dim, ghostly light.
It wasn't much.
But it was enough.
And what they saw—
Was not what they expected.
No grand hall.
No mystical core.
Just—
Machinery.
Pipes and cables snaked down from above.
Metal structures pulsed faintly with hidden energy.
Cold.
Artificial.
Alien.
And at the center—
A staircase.
Not leading up.
But down.
Deep into the earth.
"…Of course it goes down," Bao muttered with a tone of irony.
"Intruder detected."
The voice came from behind them.
Both turned—
Too late.
A humanoid figure stood in the shadows.
Metallic.
Featureless.
Unnatural.
A robot.
Its hands—
No.
Its fingers—
Ended in small, cylindrical barrels.
Weapons.
Bao froze for half a second.
Then—
"…Fuck."
"RUN!"
They bolted.
Red beams tore through the air behind them—
Burning through cables—
Scorching metal—
But failing to penetrate the thicker pipes.
"Cover!" Bao shouted.
They dove behind a large horizontal pipe at the far end of the chamber.
Silence.
Heavy breathing.
Again—
They were running.
Bao's grip tightened around his sword.
"…No."
"What are you doing?" Elincia whispered.
Bao smirked faintly.
"What does it look like?"
He grabbed a loose piece of debris.
"I'm done running."
He tossed it.
Clang.
The sound echoed from the opposite side.
The robot turned.
Just like that—
Its back was exposed.
Bao moved.
In one fluid motion, he vaulted over the pipe and charged forward.
His sword leveled.
His mind sharp.
One chance.
He aimed for the gap between neck and torso—
And struck.
Metal screeched.
The blade slipped between the plates—
Piercing inside.
Resistance.
Then—
Give.
But not enough.
The sword jammed.
Too wide to go deeper.
"Commencing defense protocol."
The robot moved.
Its right arm jerked—
Then—
Sparks exploded outward.
Blue electricity sprayed across Bao's body.
"AGH—!"
Pain ripped through him.
He dropped to the ground, rolling—
Trying to escape the burning shock.
The robot turned—
Its left arm rising.
Aiming.
Blasts fired.
Bao rolled again—
Barely dodging—
One shot hit.
It tore right through his shoulder.
Burning.
Piercing.
But adrenaline drowned the pain.
Bao scrambled to his feet—
Running erratically—
Zigzagging—
Closing the distance again.
He grabbed the sword still lodged in the robot's back.
Using it as leverage—
He forced the metal apart—
Just enough.
Inside—
Wires.
Exposed.
His left arm useless—
His right hand locked on the blade—
So he did the only thing left.
He leaned in—
And bit down.
Teeth tearing through cables—
Ripping them apart.
Sparks burst.
A sharp beep echoed.
Then—
Silence.
The robot collapsed.
Bao staggered back, breathing heavily.
For a moment—
He just stood there.
Then he turned.
Elincia still lay on the ground, staring at him.
He extended his hand.
A faint grin on his face.
"Shall we, m'lady?"