"Slar must have went down this tunnel." Mary confirmed as she looked down at the magic map in her hands.
Isaac and Mary found themselves standing in front of a hole in a wall at the back of the armory. There is a humongous painting lying face down on the ground in front of the hole.
Isaac simply nodded. He doesn't really have the energy to talk after the hard conversation he just had with Dark Isaac just a few minutes ago. Not to mention the shock he had when he found out Mary over heard them talking about Ilivir's fate. What does she think of him now that she knows the truth? Does she hate him? Does she fear him? What does she think of Dark Isaac and Ilivir? She has been quiet and her face has been unreadable ever since he gave back her fencing sword.
Mary looked towards Isaac in concern. "We can worry about dangerous information later. We have a mission to focus on."
Isaac looked up to see Mary's concerned expression. Isaac felt a weight lift from his shoulders when he heard Mary's kind words. Thank goodness. So she doesn't hate him after all. "Thank you Mary." He said with a weak smile.
Mary didn't respond. She was already in the secret passage by the time Isaac finished his sentence.
Feeling better now that he got some kind of response from Mary, Isaac pressed on after her.
Down the dark tunnel they went...
...
How long is this tunnel going to go on?
Slar has been walking through this dark hidden tunnel for what feels like a month! It's been a straight hallway made of bricks and the occasional turn. When is he going to reach the end of this passageway? This better not be a dead end! There better be something worth it at the end of this tunnel! This better not be a waste of time!
The lone part-time mercenary and full time writer's agonizing wait came to a end when he found a door at the end of the tunnel.
Star slammed open the door and inhaled the fresh air on the other side. Except that the fresh air was filled with chemicals and who knows what else.
Star quickly covered his nose as he saw that he's currently in some kind of mix between a laboratory and a workshop. Wait a minute, aren't laboratories and workshops the same thing? But then again, this place looks just like a mad scientist laboratory from science fiction novels. Questionable liquids, test tubes everywhere, experiments that scream 'DO NOT TOUCH', disembodied organs, magical relics of a unknown function. Not to mention all the machinery. Yep, he's in a Mad Scientist's laboratory out of a science fiction novel.
Star was somewhat amazed by the somewhat fantastical room he found himself in. He wonder what kind of treasures could be hidden here.
But just in case, he readied his material shot gun in case something tries to attack him. If those science fiction novels taught him anything, it is that there is most likely a monster created by the mad scientist lurking about. Sure, finding something from fiction in real life might be a little far fetched, but judging by all the impossible stuff relics he has seen in this mansion so far, it's not farfetched for some kind of impossible creature to be living here as well. After all, he already seen one of this mansion's residents take Mary prisoner, and it doesn't look like it was made of clouds at all. But that does begs the question... is Mary alright? He was so sure of the kid's ability to defend herself when he ran awa-... when he trusted her to defend herself. But man, just thinking about her just makes this mission all the more urgent. Just his luck that he happen to find her here of all places... Geez, to think that this mission would actually get more complicated.
Even though his mission is to find a weapon to fight dragons, the mansion mission is really just a low priority mission. In other words, it's basically a optional mission. The Boss would be satisfied if he just looked inside the windows from the outside. There's no guarantee that Slar will find anything useful in this place. But Slar decided to investigate anyways on the off chance that there is something of worth. Bedsides, he was curious. The mansion in the middle of the woods has been a mystery for years and to finally get a chance to explore it is a opportunity for actual adventure the he couldn't resist at least checking.
That brings him to his current moment. As Slar explored the strange laboratory/workshop, he noticed the aspect of this place that defines it as a 'workshop'. Most curiously of all, there are gems stones everywhere. Despite all the things that just screams MAD SCIENTIST LABORATORY, there are a bunch of tables and counters filled with gem stones and tools scattered about. Not to mention the house hold items scattered about on the same tables as the gem stones. Some of the the house hold items has gems stones attached to them. For example, there is a hour glass with a grey gems fixed on the middle were the powder should fall through. Another example would be the gem attached to a crown. Yet, there are a lot of the items scattered about are somewhat ordinary, like brushes, cloths, furniture, and other such normal stuff. Yet there are also some otherworldly objects scattered about that just doesn't look natural to Slar. Like a shirt that has holes for three heads and six arms with a gem stone fixated on the center collar. It's stuff like that that help gives the room a 'Workshop' feel alongside the 'laboratory' feel Slar already got from the questionable potions and test tubes scattered about. But just like the other relics Slar passed up, Slar didn't make any move to grab anything. He didn't want to trigger any traps in this crazy place.
Yet... there's one gem in particular that caught Slart's attention.
Sitting on a counter was a snow crystal floating suspended in the air inside a small jar with a cork on it. The jar was small enough to fit in someone's palm. What's more, there's a chain hanging off the jar so it can be worn as a neckless.
Star doesn't want to risk any traps... but... why not. It'll be a waste if he doesn't take at least one gem with him.
Picking up the jar, he placed around his neck.
He lifted up the jar the marvel at the crystal floating inside it.
How does it keep floating in the center of the jar like that?
While Slar was gazing into the small jar, he noticed something in his line of sight.
Ahead of him was some kind of strange device. Slar came closer. It looks like some kind of vehicle. He's not really sure what it does or how it woks, but judging by how much harder it looks compered to cloud material and how it's reflecting light, he can only assume that it's from the material plane.
Out of curiosity, Slar mounted the strange vehicle. He's got to say that the seat is firm but comfy. That was when he noticed some kind of key lodged in the side. Not really thinking, he turned it.
*RRAAAARRRRR!!!!!*
The strange machine purred to life. Slar subconsciously smiled as he felt the vibrations of the engine. But he quickly turned the key back. The vehicle became lifeless again.
Star got off the strange machine. He knows he should leave it alone... but he kinda likes it. He decided to take it with him.
(Star obtains a motorcycle!)
Not feeling like turning it on again, he decided to just roll the strange two-wheeled viecle on it's wheels as he walks.
Getting his hands on a pretty gem and a strange machine with wheels is nice and all, but he really needs to finds something, anything that can help in a fight with air dragons. He's already taking a risk by taking these extra stuff.
That was when he noticed another strange device somewhat hidden in the corner. It was another material machine attached to a bag on one end and some kind of tube on the other end.
Out of naive curiosity, Slar pushed a button on the machine.
The next thing he knew, gem stones, test tubes filled with who knows what and all kinds of other objects were getting sucked in the tube into the machine and from there, into the bag! It doesn't mater how large the object was, they all fit in the bag!
Star detached the bag from the machine and looked inside the bag.
What he saw astonished him. Inside the bag was a void with the captured objects floating harmlessly inside.
Star reattached the bag to the vacuum.
A bottomless vacuum huh... It's not exactly what he expected but it's close enough. This should come in handy if he ever has to fight air dragons! Hopefully, air dragons can't break through a endless void...
For the sake of convenience, Slar sucked the strange vehicle (the motor cycle) into the vacuum pocket and took the vacuum with him. Luckily, the hand vacuum is pretty small. Small enough to be held by one hand. The bag may also be small, but it's pretty obvious that is magical. Once that whole thing blows over, Slar is going to use this bottomless bag to carry his stuff!
Man, walking around this laboratory is like walking through a market place. It make you want to get the next thing you see.
But alas, he probably shouldn't get greedy in a creepy place like this. He got what somewhat fits his job description, to find a weapon to fight dragons. He should probably leave this place...
...yet... there is a strangely interesting book conveniently sitting out in the open on a pedestal. The cover has it's name written in a language Slar couldn't recognize. But maybe it could useful for later. What's one more thing right? He'll just grab it and get out of this crazy place.
But before he went to grab it, Slar realized something.
This was way too easy. In adventure stories, there's always some kind of trap or guardian protecting the treasure. Yet he was able to walk in and grab whatever he wants without any consequences. He didn't even get his memories wiped just like in the rumors... But then again, monsters protecting out-of-place objects are not really realistic. This ain't some stereotypical fiction! This is real life! He should be find just grabbing it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
In a shopping high, Slar went for the book. But before he could touch it, he heard something...