Sometime later, Alex could safely say his hopes for finding anything of use, much less nanomachines, was getting rather low. Every room they had come across so far was in far worse condition than the one they started in. Which meant they had found nothing of real use. It was something that would require far more than it worth fixing, was literal trash, or it was so archaic that not even Zanthras could really identify. The labyrinthine like layout hadn't helped things.

Periodically, the lizardman would need to recast her light ability on the knife. Alex had eventually asked why she kept casting it on the knife than something like their clothing. Her response had been simple but straight to the point.

“The skill doesn’t work on anything else. It purely works on tools. It’s a kitchen knife, not a dagger. It’s the only reason it worked at all. And before you ask, no, a pipe is not a tool.”

Alex was rather disappointed, but it made sense. As much sense as game mechanics did anyway. There would always be inherent limitations. Alex was glad to be able to see regardless.

“Nice to see one of us has magic on their side.”

“It’s not really magic. More divine assistance if anything else.”

Alex raised a nonexistent eyebrow. He felt the facial movement but hadn’t touched any hair when he examined his head with his hands.

“So, there are gods in this reality? Couldn’t have guessed.”

The dilapidated hallways and desperate aura everything gave would have hinted at the opposite. It was also weird to hear something mythological in a sci-fi setting. Then again, his classes hadn’t been within the confines of pure science fiction. They were more supernatural if anything else.

“Something like that. I couldn’t really tell you. One day I just woke up with my class evolving into Holy Engineer. Other than some fancy light shows, it hasn’t done much else for me. Saves me the trouble of scavenging flashlights and the like. Would have been more useful when... when I...”

Zanthras trailed off, leaving only the pair's footsteps making any noise. It went on for long enough that Alex felt the need to check up on the lizardman. Safe to say he hadn’t been expecting the thousand-yard stare she had. A dangerous mindset in a dangerous environment.

Especially when he heard a loud noise coming from down the hallway. A sound the Zanthras hadn’t really recognized and kept moving forward. Grabbing her, Alex pulled them into an open room. Putting his back to the wall, arm on Zanthras, Alex prayed they hadn’t been noticed. He didn’t want a repeat of his last fight.

Senses strained; Alex was able to recognize some bit about the sounds coming down the hallway. It was like metal grinding against metal. A sort of rhythm to it. Footsteps? Maybe a machine of some kind? Whatever it was, it was certainly getting closer.

And then everything went quiet.

Alex was confused. It hadn’t sounded like it had stopped. Hell, it sounded more like it disappeared. It wasn’t until a moment later that Alex realized he couldn’t hear anything. Tapping his head, he tried to fix his likely broken ears. No sound returned for his efforts. Turning to he could see Zanthras was moving her mouth, pulled out of whatever stupor she had been in. Trying to talk in a very panicked manner.

Alex was on the verge of panicking himself. There was something nearby and he couldn’t hear it. A couple steps away from their starting point and they already ran into trouble. It would only be worse if whatever was heading their way was also causing this phenomenon.

Readying himself for the oncoming struggle, Alex peaked through the doorway. He tried too at least. Once his head turned to the doorway, he came face to face with a creature far more horrifying than he’d ever seen, virtual or not.

It was a quadrupedal beast with a pair of horns on its head. Its feet were blood-stained knives and its fur failed to hide the numerous holes littered across its body. It lacked the top of its skull, a broken lower jaw leaking a hair’s breadth away from Alex’s face.

He froze. Zanthras was shaking behind him. The silence seemingly deepening as he stared at this monstrosity. It stared back, still as a statue.

They remained like that for a time. A pair terrified stiff and a creature remaining entirely motionless.

Then the light on the knife began to dim. The monster twitched. Just like the corpse in the intro.

The silence was pierced by words.

“Found You.”

Its half mouth broke into a grin before darkness took both Zanthras and Alex.