-----E-----

Nia ran at one of the robots and went down to slide beneath its legs, dodging a blow. She then turned around with her gauntlets touching the back of the robot, using her hack program against it.

After she finished and backed away from it, the robot suddenly started swinging his sword around the air, hitting no one.

„Was that your plan?“ I asked, confused.

She sounded like she really knew what to do after she yelled „I got it!“ to herself.

„Well. . I hoped it wouldn‘t be that dumb, it is moving about like it is blind.“

„Maybe you didn‘t hack it completely?“

„I did hack it completely! I know that for sure!“

„Then why is it acting like it doesn‘t know where the enemy is?“

Then a thought hit me.

„Nia! Can you check one of the dead robots for eyes or sensors!“

„Ehm, what?“

Like what Nia said, that one might actually be blind. Maybe when Nia hacked it, it lost signal to sensors, or maybe even lost its signal to cameras around the room. I might need to look at one of the robots for myself, Nia might not know much about them after all.

„Forget it, I‘ll check them!“ I ran towards one of the slain robots and looked around its head and torso.

The head was like a medieval helmet but had no slivers for eyes to see through, and no little cameras were around. It might have some sort of sensor around himself, but I couldn‘t see one, or it was there and I just didn‘t know what it looked like.

I dropped the body and glanced at the ceiling. I noticed a few bumps around, and some plates up there seemed to be made out of glass.

„Ivona!“ I called.

She shot an arrow that pierced through a zettra stone in one of them, and then ran up to me, still firing.

„Could you shoot one of those up at the ceiling, it might be their eyes!“

„Um, sure?“ She said, confused.

She fired an arrow, and the sensor broke into many bits of glass. The machines stopped their attack for a second, but then they all started charging towards Ivona.

„I knew it! Everyone! Protect Ivona while she clears the room of the sensors!“

Ivona started firing with accurate shots at every eye that she could see, while I and the others gathered around her, taking down those who came close at us. Nia was still hacking a few more, and they still just swung around their swords and axes blindly.

„Nia, don't you have any offensive programs at all?“

„Well, I do, but there is a catch that everyone hates.“

„And what would that be?“

What sort of problem is there that people hate? It couldn‘t be that hateful.

„Remember when we first met? I said that I could use other artifact programs for myself.“

„I remember, then why haven‘t you asked someone to borrow their programs?“

„Because. . . I have to completely steal it from their artifact, and it can‘t be returned no matter what I try. . .“

„Oh. . yeah that makes sense.“

I‘m not sure if I want to give her some of mine, I might need them for the future.

„But wait, if you have used it before, don‘t you then have something already?“

„Ehm, heh heh. . . once I take it, it will disappear after a day or more.“

Okay, I have made my decision. I am never going to give her my programs. It really makes sense for people hating her program, I kinda hate it too.

„Wait, what about the map you copied from me?“

„Oh that? There are some programs I can copy, mostly programs that can‘t be used as a weapon.“

„I see.“

I started focusing more on the defense, Ivona has destroyed almost every single one of the sensors. The machines have seemed to have gotten more agitated for every eye gone, and they were trying their hardest to get at Ivona.

Reve was swinging at one and the other, they were to easy to take down for him. As for Letya and I, it was a bit harder for us, because we were using normal swords.

I could see the robots at the back starting bumping into each other, this might actually be working then!

They were starting to get slower, and not as many were coming from the doors. At this rate, we might easily win. It was all thanks to, Nia, honestly. If it wasn‘t for her hacking one of them, I wouldn‘t have noticed.

„Aaand. . there!“

Ivona fired her shot at the last sensor. And the machines stopped once again for a few seconds, but then started attacking randomly. They started taking each other down, blow after blow. They couldn‘t see their target, so they were doing their best trying to find us.

We got away from them and took our seats, watching the conflict unfold. It was really funny to watch.

„Sooo. . . Do we have any snacks?“ Nia asked.

„I guess we could take a break,“ letya said and grabbed her bag with food, and gave some to us.

„Hey, wanna bet?“ Reve asked.

„Bet what?“

„To see which one is the last statue standing.“

„Sure, why not.“

----------

After eating our food, and cheering for the robots we bet on, it eventually ended when a few were left. They were quite far apart, so they were just swinging in the air.

„Well this just got boring.“

„Yeah, I totally thought that Mr.Robot-Statue would have won. But Ivona‘s is the last one there, along with a few others.“

„Why do you always have Mr, or Mrs, in your nicknames?“

„Because I have great imaginations!“

„Uh-huh.“

„Do I get something for winning the bet?“ Ivona asked.

„Well, there are still a few left, so you technically didn‘t win.“

We took down last of the machines after Nia threw one of her grenades at Ivona‘s bot. We still gave Ivona a reward, it was just a few silvers.

The hidden doors that the machines came from have closed themselves after the sensors were destroyed, and we couldn‘t find a way to open them. So we took out weapons in hand and went through the door at the back of the room.

It was only a hallway behind the door and not a long one. We could already see the double door.

„We‘re already at the last room?“

„There are some vaults that only have a few rooms, it is just mostly random,“ Reve explained.

With my sword sheathed and shield at the ready, I pulled the door open and carefully looked inside.

Just like in the last room, I couldn‘t see anything. It was pitch black until we went through the door and walked a few steps when the lights finally shone.

There were no enemies in sight, the room was a dome filled with glass. There was nothing around here until a few small pillars protruded out of the floor and started projecting spherical holographic images. I knew immediately they were planets, in the middle was Tessera.

„What‘s all this?“ Ivona asked.

„It might be the planets around our star,“ Letya answered. „See, that one is Edafos.“

She started pointing towards the white planet, I believe it is covered in snow. Then she pointed out to Aganos and Dasos.

„But this. . is this where we are now?“ She pointed towards what I thought to be Kentrikos, where we are now.

„I think so, do you like learning about them?“ I asked.

„Of course, they are full of mysteries, I have heard there is life on them all.“

If they really all are habitable, then I really am still in the same star system after getting the shield. I thought for a time that the translation that I was given just bugged out and made me think that the locals where saying Tessera. Even though this is a crazy thing to think about, but we really were never transported to a different system. I just don‘t understand!

I walked up to the hologram that projected the planet Dasos, it was full of greenery, it might be a tropical planet. I tried touching the hologram with my hand, and when I did, my shield suddenly made a beeping sound.

I glanced down at my screen, it showed me a text that read, Access To Planetary Information Denied, Transportation Gemstone Required.

„Huh? Gemstone?“

Vincent said I needed a gemstone to leave from here, but why would I need it here?

I checked the other planets, but I only got the same message, I even couldn‘t get information about the star.

„What are you doing?“ Reve asked.

„Trying to find a way out. Just let me think for a bit.“

Why would I need the gemstone here? What exactly is this place? Is this just a place to get information about the planets? Why would that be the reward for the vault? I really should‘ve brought Vincent along. I can ask if Nia could try and hack it.

„Hey, Nia, do you think you could do something with this?“

„I could try!“

Nia went over towards one of the holograms and opened up her screen with her gauntlets, then started waving around with her hands. The hologram started wavering, and then a few seconds later of her doing her thing, all of the holograms disappeared.

„What did you do?“

„Um. . . I‘m not so sure.“

„Was there some sort of text that you got? Maybe something appeared on your screen?“

„Well, there was a text saying „Breach detected of elder tech, vault guardian activation in progress“, something like that, I didn‘t really understand some of the words there.“

„Oh shit, pull out your weapons! Enemies are coming!“ I yelled.

We all took out our weapons and made a circle, watching every angle.

„I don‘t understand, what is coming?“

„I‘m not exactly sure, it might be some sort of guardian like what Nia said.“

I held my sword firmly and was ready to use a program. Whatever it was, it was likely aggressive with more power than the last robots we fought.

I suddenly felt the room start to rumble, and a voice that sounded like an A.I. spoke.

„Target Identified. Nia [ ? ]. . .“ Then it started making weird sounds when it was trying to say Nia‘s last name.

„Organism Threat Level. High. Eradication Of Elder Killer In Progress.“

„What the hell is it talking about?“

Why couldn‘t it say Nia‘s last name? And did it say, elder killer?

„Targets Identified Of Lower Threat. Ivona Rihru. Letya Darlen. Roderick Reve. Eradication In Progress.“

It didn‘t say my name?

„Target Identification. Failed. New Humanoid Organism. Probability From Elder Transportation. High. Planet Kentrikos. Artifact. Shield. Scanning Of Artifact In Progress.“

I noticed a few glances at me. I guess I can‘t really hide about me any longer. Why did this A.I. even speak out loud to us?

„Scan Complete. Wielder Of Artifact With Transportation Capabilities. Ethan Shield. Artifact Transportation Still Capable. Eradication In Progress.“

„Seriously, what is going on?“ Reve asked, confused.

When the A.I. stopped talking, two giant doorways opened up from the walls.

Two giant robots came out, they had weapons, not swords or axes, rather they held giant guns. It was like they held a cannon, the width of the barrel was large as my head, and they needed to hold the weapon with both arms. Their body height was two times as a dynami.

These machines didn‘t have the same features as the last ones we fought, these two were a lot more high tech. The armor plating seemed to be brand new and quite thick. Its core is likely a zettra stone deep within its chassis.

„Unknown Organism Found. Deactivation Of Unknown Stealth Armor Engaged.“

A few of what looked like antennas suddenly came out of the dome ceiling, it made electric sparks, then sent a wave of electric pulse that hit us, but didn‘t do anything.

I heard someone yell in pain, and I glanced around to see some other person lying on the ground, writhing.

„Who‘s that?“

The person wore a full light armor in black and has a helmet so I couldn‘t see the person face.

„Target Identification. Wielder Of Artifact With Transportation Capabilities. Amara Zurie. Artifact Transportation Not Capable. Eradication In Progress.“