[/Collision_warning]

[/Collision_warning]

[/Collision_warning]

[/Collision_warning]

[/Collision_warning: Disabled]

The machine decides to ignore the warning as it slowly traverses through the uneven terrain in the dark tunnel, since the machine's new radar navigation is unable to pull off any clear image of the environment around the machine, its collision warning system has been going off ever since the machine left the newly built colony area.

The machine feels one of its leg slips on loose dried dirt as it quickly shifts its weight on the 3 other legs to avoid tumbling down on the ground, then it slowly reverses a few steps to get back on last known good footing area, the highly stable quadleg system has been very reliable and helpful in this situation the machine is currently in so far. Despite the lack of clear visual navigation system, the machine has not lost its balance completely even once. However, the machine does notice the extra data flow needed to control the two extra rear legs is a bit overwhelming since the secondary processing unit now have to run on overload mode to handle both the control of the headless body and other data processing duty.

The machine slows down a bit as it listens for its head's beacon, the signal is still very weak and distorted, but as long as the machine can predict the general direction of the incoming signal, the machine can be confident that it will eventually find its head sooner or later, probably not later as the head's power reserve won't gonna hold forever, maybe a day or two is its maximum limit before the head's beacon goes quiet.

While firing another radar nav pulse, the machine's processing core done processed an interesting data strip, the data was from an unpacked archive file containing backup data from the head, the data is old, about 2 days old at least. But still interesting nonetheless.

The machine had been going through the detailed list of skills and titles in its idle time to investigate what each skill really do and what title is for. While most of the skills seem useless for the machine, 3 particular skills caught its attention, Lesser Magic Sense, Lesser Art Sense and Lesser Alchemy Sense. The machine learned that Sense is the ability to perceive something, with Magic sense gives the caster the ability to perceive 'Mana', Art sense allows the caster to have a better grip on their body condition and control, Alchemy sense grant the caster the ability to perceive the world around them deeper and more detailed as if the world is a part of their body. All of this make no sense for the machine's logical processor when it tried to apply common senses and scientific findings of the old Earth. Those data reminded the machine of its maker habit to tap into the machine's powerful processor to play games and do weird things back when the machine was still not yet fully developed, though. The machine thought maybe those data are related to its maker, and it also supports the 'virtual world' theory that the machine made a while ago.

Since the machine has some spare unallocated point, and the Lesser Evolution Core that the machine received earlier was very helpful, the machine thought maybe the machine should try investing into some skills and cores to improve itself more. The machine thought it would be worthwhile even though those things make no sense in the machine's processing unit.

The machine tries unlocking a core at first as those things seem more useful.

[Not enough unallocated point, 20 unallocated points needed to unlock new core. You have 4 unallocated points]

It seems like the core will have to wait as the machine shifts its attention to the Sense skills, the machine ponders what sense it should take, the Art Sense is unneeded as the machine has no need to improve its motor functions. So Alchemy Sense and Magic Sense are the two only good option now.

The machine is uncertain what Mana is as the expand command does not cover that part, and Alchemy Sense sounds like some kind of overly complex geographic scanner or chemical analyzing system. The machine can't really decide what should it take, so the machine tries doing the coin flip to decide the winner.

[/console_debug_input: Allocate point 'Skill' | Lesser Mana Sense]

[Lesser Mana Sense unlocked | 0 skill points remain]

[Evoke Lesser Mana Sense? {Y/N}]

The machine checks its remaining power level first before it casts the Sense skill, but then the machine suddenly wonders, how to cast a skill?. Call it from the debug console?. Pick up a stick and shout random, meanless words?. Start a fire and dance around it?. The machine is uncertain what it should do, the machine will have to try doing classic trial and error method.

[/console_debug_input: Cast 'Skill' | Lesser Mana Sense]

[/console_debug: Invalid command]

[/console_debug_input: Evoke 'Skill' | Lesser Mana Sense]

[/console_debug: Invalid command]

[...]

[...]

[Evoke Lesser Mana Sense {Y} ]

[Lesser Mana Sense evoked (-0.25 EN/s) - EN remain 122/1000]

The power consumption is just awful, 1 EN is supposed to power the machine for some dozens of minutes in normal mode and 2 minutes in battle mode, but here it is only enough for 4 seconds of Sense running, the machine wonders if other skill will even consume even more EN over a shorter period of time.

The machine was about to stop the skill as it suddenly notices strange data flows into its processing unit, the data came from the receiver antenna in a manner that the machine thought the module has broken at first. As the machine analyze and convert the data into visual images, the machine notices aside from the raw black and white radio navigation image, there also have a lot of blueish fog around the machine, the fog made the raw image more detailed somewhat and it also have a better refresh rate up to 6 Hz, that mean the machine can now move a bit faster and safer in the dark tunnel. However due to the high power consumption, the machine had to turn the skill off after 10 seconds of run time, the machine will have to save the skill for special occasions instead of letting it run all the time.

The machine returns to the crude radio imaging system as it slowly advances into the darkness once again to find its head, this time the machine is more confident and bold in its manner as the machine knows it can defend and pull itself out of trouble when needed.

-------------------------------------------

Arc the Human adventurer

"Aura Slash!"

Arc performs a quick chant as he focuses a large amount of mana in his sword before slashing the air swiftly, the move created a fast moving crescent shaped wave of light aiming for an Evolved Hivewarrior and severed its left pincer as the giant bug screeches loudly and charges at Arc for a payback.

"Lilica, help Arc!. We will support Thekeg!"-The elven archer calls out at her companions as she nocks a poisoned arrow to prepare for another attack at the ferocious bugs.

"I will help with the light. Come forth, Midden Torch!"-The Priestess conjures a bright, large floating orb of light with her staff, the orb the Priestess casted seem to be a mid or high ranking magic as it not only provide much more light than Lilica's light orb, it also seems to be warmer and have light healing effect, a soothing light ball some may call it.

"Thunder, hear my words, devour my magic powers, gather and prepare, I command you, destroy my enemy, come, Archon of Destruction!"-Lilica seeing the Priestess taken over the lighting duty she immediately calls her Archon to aid Arc in fighting the incoming Hivewarriors and Evolved Hivewarriors, the group has been struggling against the endless wave of attacking bugs for quite a while now since the first time they met them on the upper area.

"Ey, spare some for me too, eh?"-Thekeg smiles as he watches everyone showing off their skills before he casts a body fortification skill on himself, the dwarven does not seem to be tired of the fight at all, rather than that he seems to be more active and having fun contesting with Arc for 'who killed more bug'.

The battle lasted for about thirty minutes before the bugs decided to retreat for some reasons, maybe they know that they can't defeat these strong and brave adventurers and they are plotting something. Arc and his companions know it, it just too obvious for someone who kills monsters and explore ruins for a living.

But that does not mean the group gonna stop their advance now, the quest has not ended yet as the undead legend is still nowhere to be seen, and they know that these bugs will be a threat to the mining town outside the cave if these vicious creatures come to the uppermost area and block the cave access. The party can not let this happen.

"Think we should take another rest, Arc?"-Thekeg asked as he brings the hammer over his shoulder and looks back at the Priestess with a cool smile, his reply is just a quiet huff, however.

"Well, if we continue we will meet more of these things. Stronger version of these things even...We should take a rest, we need all the spare strength we could get. Rena, Elly, mind watching the area?. It's your turn."-Arc replies with a nod after a moment of thinking before he and his party gets to the corner of the tunnel to light a campfire and rest.

"I don't mind."-"Same"-The human and elven archer reply as they cast lesser version of the light orb and place them around the campsite before they check their remaining arrows and poison potion count.

"You guys sure used to this kind of fight and rest schedule, aren't you?"-The Priestess comments as she warms up her hands near the camp fire while looking back and forth at Arc's party members.

"With you here, rest become more relaxing, hee?"-Thekeg chuckles as he retrieves some dried bacons from his satchel for a quick snack while Arc drinks a stamina recovery potion.

"Indeed, old people love seeing youngsters, he?"-The Priestess replies with a playful tone as she smiles lightly while looking at Thekeg, who is now getting grumpy again after being called old.

"Hmm."-Arc laughs lightly to join the fun as he places the emptied potion on the ground and leans on the wall relaxingly, thinking of getting a short nap to make full use of the potion he just drank earlier. The young hero is confident that his companions will keep him safe.

Arc was getting into his comfy posture for the nap he wanted as he feels something pointy poking his side, it also feels like a shard of metal or something, so Arc opens his eyes and shifts aside to let the camp fire light illuminate the area for him to see what it is.

"What the..."

What Arc found is a group of metal fragments littered on the wall as if something metallic had been stationed here for a long time and then removed from the area forcefully. As he looks at the metal shards, he notices there has a small hole next to him. The hole was too dark so he couldn't see anything so Arc decided to call Thekeg and the Priestess to help him looking up what these metal shards are.

"...What is this?. I have never seen such metal before!"-Thekeg exclaims as he looks and touches the metal shards to examine it while the Priestess bends over to look into the rather large hole and summons an orb of light to peek in.

"There have more..."-The Priestess mumbles as she feels something very familiar coming from the metal shards and randomly distorted things in the hole, something very...technological.

The Priestess and Thekeg baffles at the scene as Arc scratches his head in confusion, not knowing that he just discovered something very important that only The kegs and the Priestess seem to know the answer.

A loud screech echoes through the dark tunnel as Arc's party jumps slightly, something fast and powerful is rushing toward them, they all can feel it, but none can see it.

Their new nightmare begins here.