Forbidden Sector – Northreach Underground Mine. 500 Meters Below the Castle.
The air here was thin and smelled of old metal.
The small Sudrath family party walked down the narrow, abandoned mine shaft that had been closed for a hundred years. Rusted mine cart rails served as their guide.
Formation:
Front: Sir Riven (Tank/Pathfinder) carrying a large shield and a torch.
Middle: Sir Rianor (Strategy) & Lady Rumina (Detector).
Rear: Duke Lucian (Rear Guard) & Lady Rhea (Scout).
"I swear, this feels like a 'Jurit Malam' (Night Courage Test) back in Scout Camp," Riven whispered, his voice echoing softly. "The difference is, back then we were scared by camp counselors in ghost costumes. Here, we might meet actual demons."
"Don't talk about ghosts in a place like this, Bang," protested Rumina, clutching Rianor's robe sleeve tightly. "I'm getting goosebumps."
"Focus," Lucian admonished from the back. "Ancestral Sudrath memories say this mine wasn't closed because it ran dry. But because the miners 'woke something up' that drove them mad."
Rianor stopped for a moment. He lifted a small canary cage he was carrying.
"The canary is still alive," Rianor murmured. "That means oxygen levels are safe. No methane or carbon monoxide. Safe to proceed."
"You brought a bird just as a gas indicator?" Rhea asked, amazed. "I thought it was for chatting."
"Science, Rhea. Science," Rianor replied, walking again.
They walked for another hour, going deeper and getting colder.
Suddenly, the narrow tunnel opened up into a massive natural cavern.
Their eyes widened.
The cave walls weren't dark. They were... glowing.
Veins of electric blue metal ran across the rock walls like a giant nervous system. The light pulsed slowly, illuminating the giant cave with a mystical ambiance.
"Woah..." Riven lowered his shield. "So beautiful."
Rumina let go of Rianor. As an artisan, she felt called. She walked to the wall, touching a blue vein.
"It's cold," Rumina whispered. "But it feels like... a mild electric shock."
"Mithril," Lucian said, his voice full of awe. "God Metal. Harder than steel, lighter than a feather, and conducts magic 100 times better than gold."
Rianor immediately pulled out his notebook. His eyes turned into Dollar Signs (or Gold Coins).
"The size of this deposit... Insane. If we mine this, House Sudrath's valuation will surpass the Kingdom's National Budget."
"But..." Rhea pointed to the center of the cave. "Who built that?"
In the middle of the cave, amidst the forest of Mithril crystals, stood a giant metal gate.
Not a medieval wooden or wrought iron gate.
The gate was made of smooth, seamless metal. The design was geometric, futuristic. Like a Sci-Fi bunker door.
"That wasn't made by Dwarves or ancient Humans," Rianor said, approaching cautiously. "That is machine precision."
As they stepped closer to the gate...
The cave floor rumbled.
ZIIING...
The blue light on the cave walls turned blood red.
Mechanical sounds echoed. Gears grinding and steam releasing. HISS...
From the shadows of the gate, something rose.
Not a dragon. Not a fleshy monster.
A suit of armor standing 4 meters tall. But there was no person inside.
Its body was made of black stone and Mithril. Its eyes glowed red. In its right hand, it held a spear with a chainsaw tip spinning slowly.
THE SENTINEL (Ancient Guardian) – Type: Mechanical Golem.
"Get back!" Lucian shouted.
"DEFENSE SYSTEM ACTIVATED," a stiff, broken robotic voice issued from the Golem. The language was ancient, but understandable. "INTRUDER DETECTED. EXTERMINATE."
The Golem charged. Incredibly fast for something that size.
Its chainsaw spear aimed for Rianor.
"RIVEN!" Rianor shouted in panic.
CLANG!
Riven jumped in, blocking the attack with his massive shield.
But the Golem's power was immense. Riven was dragged back five meters, his feet plowing the earth.
"Holy shit! It's heavy!" Riven yelled. "Dad! Help!"
Duke Lucian dashed forward, his greatsword wrapped in Blue Aura.
"Break!"
Lucian slashed at the Golem's leg.
CLANG!
Lucian's sword bounced off. Not a scratch.
"What?!" Lucian was shocked. "Its skin is made of Adamantite Alloy!"
The Golem spun, swatting Lucian away with the back of its hand. Lucian flew and hit the cave wall. Thud.
"Dad!" Rhea screamed.
Rhea darted in, trying to find an opening. She ran up the Golem's body, stabbing its neck, armpits, knees.
Ting. Ting. Ting.
Useless. Rhea's rapier even bent.
"It's impenetrable!" Rhea shouted, jumping back. "This is like attacking a tank with a fork!"
The Golem aimed its spear at Riven again. The saw at the spear tip spun furiously. WIRRRRR.
Rianor, hiding behind a crystal rock, racked his brain.
Mechanic. It's a robot. It must have a power source. There must be a Core.
Rianor watched the Golem's movement patterns. Every time it made a heavy attack, a part on its back opened slightly to vent steam heat.
A Heat Vent. Inside, there was a bright blue glow.
"Riven! Hold him for 10 seconds! Don't die!" Rianor shouted.
"Easy for you to say!" Riven grumbled. He tossed aside his dented shield. He gripped his axe with both hands. "Come here, you rusty tin can!"
Riven clashed strength with the Golem. Muscle vs. Hydraulics.
"Rhea!" Rianor called. "Its back! There's a heat vent! Stab the glowing blue part when it attacks Riven!"
"Roger!" Rhea understood. She vanished into the shadows.
Riven screamed, holding back the Golem's spear with the haft of his axe. His knees trembled. "Hurry up! My bones are about to snap here!"
The Golem raised its hand high for a Finishing Blow.
The vent on its back opened. Psssht.
Rhea jumped from a stalactite above.
She held a Mithril dagger (which she picked up from the cave floor) with both hands.
"Die!"
Rhea drove the dagger right into the vent gap. Piercing the machine core.
CRACK!
Blue electricity sprayed wildly.
The Golem convulsed. Its engine sound roared irregularly.
"ERROR... ERROR... SYS... TEM... FAI... LURE..."
Its red eyes flickered, then went dark.
The giant body collapsed forward.
BOOM.
Dust billowed.
Riven fell to a sitting position, gasping for air. "Hah... hah... crazy. I almost became a Riven Pancake (Geprek Riven)."
Lucian walked over, limping, holding his sore shoulder. "You guys... good work."
Rumina, who had been hiding, ran toward the Golem carcass.
"Brother Rian... look at this."
Rumina pointed to the Golem's chest, which was open from the internal explosion.
Embedded there was a Blue Crystal Cube glowing dimly.
Rianor picked up the crystal. It felt warm.
"This isn't normal magic," Rianor murmured. "This is technology. Magitech."
Rianor looked at the metal gate behind the Golem.
"This cave isn't a mine, Dad. It's a facility. Maybe a laboratory of a lost ancient civilization."
"And we just became the owners of the key."
Castle Living Room (Family Mode: ON).
Midnight – After the "Dungeon Raid".
They sat in a circle. In the center of the table lay a chunk of Mithril ore and the Golem Core Crystal (Mana Core).
"Okay," Rianor said, his face serious but eyes shining. "We are officially the most dangerous family in this world."
"Why?" asked Roland (who didn't join the cave trip because he was busy with soap).
"Because we have raw materials to make weapons that can pierce any armor," Rianor pointed to the Mithril.
"And we have an energy source that can run machines without electricity," he pointed to the Golem Core.
"If Rumi can reverse-engineer this core," Rianor continued, looking at his sister. "We can make our own Golems. Or crazier... Magic-Powered Trains. Street Lights. Rifles."
Everyone fell silent. Their imaginations ran wild.
From Bankrupt Family -> Industrial Kings.
"But," Lucian cut in. "For now, keep your mouths shut. Seal that mine. No one enters but us. If Morvath knows we have Magitech, he will send the entire royal army, not just Assassins."
"Agreed," Riven said. "I'll put Garrick to guard the cave entrance. He's crazy enough not to ask questions."
"Speaking of Assassins..." Rhea played with her dagger. "Their deadline is in 4 days. They want 'That Thing.' They think we're hiding the Mithril."
Rianor grinned wickedly.
"They want Mithril? We'll give them Mithril."
"Huh? You want to give away our treasure?" Riven protested.
"No," Rianor answered. "We give them a special 'gift.' We will set a trap. When they come to collect the 'package'... they will wish they were never born."
Rianor turned to Rumina.
"Rum, can you make Flashbangs using magnesium powder?"
Rumina grinned widely. "Absolutely, Kak. Want the temporary blinding kind or the permanent blinding kind?"
"The kind that makes them blind, deaf, and traumatized," Rianor replied.