Chapter 97: Stepping into the Unknown (Patreon)

Sparks scattered across the dungeon’s metal floor as the Operator ran her torch along Napoleon’s chassis. Eron had nearly destroyed the little spider during their fight. She also had to forge a new front leg and was now readjusting the casing, repairing the internal failures left by the heavy impacts.

A few feet away, Dan groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. “My brain feels like it’s going to explode,” he muttered. He froze, eyes widening as he looked at the others. “Wait. What did I just say? That wasn’t Syris.”

“It’s the local language,” Catherine said, touching her throat with a deep frown. “There was absolutely no need for whoever did it to shove it into my head. You already taught me this when we were in the Library.”

Lessa didn’t say anything. She just sat there, staring with a deeply disturbed expression at the severed arm gripped in her right hand. With her left hand, which was completely reconstructed, she slowly opened and closed her brand-new fingers.

“This is so messed up,” Lessa whispered, her eyes darting between the dead limb and the living one. “Holding my own arm… I know it’s useless, but the thought of leaving it behind when we leave feels awful.”

Operator, I suggest you accept the Level 8 upgrade right now. It is better for your body to assimilate these changes before stepping out into an unfamiliar environment.

“You’re right, Tera, but first I need to speak with Lessa and Dan about something.”

“No need to sound so serious, Operator,” Dan said, offering a weak smile. “Lessa and I know we’re stepping into a new world and have to adjust. We’ve already talked about it, and we’re okay with whatever happens from here on out.”

She set her tools down and stopped working on Napoleon. "It’s about your world... you saw what happened and the state it was in when we left."

At her words, Lessa grabbed Dan’s hand, and they both lowered their heads. They were clearly still affected by the destruction of their planet, the loss of their friends and acquaintances, and the terrible fate of everyone who lived there. Maybe they were just trying to seem strong so she wouldn’t worry.

“There are still people from your world alive. A lot of them.”

Lessa jumped to her feet, covering her mouth in shock. “Are people alive? How is that possible? We saw what happened. Everything was destroyed… please tell me this isn’t a lie.”

Dan’s face went completely pale. He looked at Lessa, then at the Operator, at a complete loss for words. The shock of realizing they weren’t the last survivors of their world seemed to paralyze him.

“I still don’t know exactly how it works, but I have access to return to the chunk of rock that’s left of your planet. I need to confirm it, but there’s a high chance many of the people kidnapped by the Winged Ones are still alive… and possibly some of those damn scientists, too.”

“When can we confirm that?” Lessa asked, her voice tinged with anxiety.

“Don’t worry. Remember, they’re in cryo-sleep; they’re safe. First, I need to organize my thoughts and make sure the way back is secure… okay?”

Lessa and Dan looked at each other and let out breathless laughs of pure relief.

“I feel like a massive weight has just been lifted off my chest,” Dan said, wiping away a tear.

“Yeah, we aren’t alone,” Lessa whispered.

"Alright. With that out of the way, do you guys want a moment to process this, or should we talk about what we're going to do once we leave this place?"

Lessa stepped forward, wiping away the tears from her face with renewed energy. “What’s next, Operator? What kind of world lies beyond that exit downstairs?”

“I’m going to be completely honest with you. I have no fucking idea.”

They all looked at her, confused. Catherine, Dan, and Lessa were waiting for the same confident, precise instructions she always gave them.

“I already told you guys my story,” the Operator said.

"Right. That you come from a different world than this one," Cat replied.

“You need to understand that when we step out there, several factions probably hate my guts, and there is a very high chance they want me dead. I highly doubt things have calmed with them, so once we leave, we have to move carefully.”

"And who exactly are these groups? We should know so we can be prepared," Dan asked.

"Okay, where do I start... There was a priest from a major church in this world who wanted to kidnap me for my skills. He almost killed Napoleon, so I killed him."

Let's see, who else. The ones who hunted me when I first arrived in this world... I never found out much about them. I don't even know the name of their organization.

"There's the Veil. It's a society of assassins. I tried to help the kids they sent here for training; their objective was to enter this dungeon. But they betrayed me, so I kept their map... I have no idea what terms I'm on with them right now."

"How many more are there?" Dan asked, clearly surprised. "Since we met you, you've been nothing but kind. You've helped us and saved our lives. Shouldn't you have allies?"

“Thanks, Dan. I really appreciate that… And it is true. I consider myself a good person,” she said, raising her voice slightly. “But this is apparently a warrior society. For thousands of years, they’ve been brainwashed into thinking only about fighting each other, leveling up, and getting stronger.”

A face appeared in the Operator’s mind: tall, dark-haired, and powerfully built. A true tank. Despite his imposing size, he had been fiercely kind and deeply honorable. “Yeah. I did have an ally once. But he’s not in this world anymore.” She tried to mask the sadness in her voice, but a slight tremor gave her away.

Suddenly, the Operator felt a heavy weight settle on her back. Two arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Catherine.

“Hey, you already have allies,” Cat said. “And we’re a big group… there’s Lessa, Dan, Napoleon, Tera, me, and you, making six. I think we can defend ourselves against whatever we find out there.”

Sometimes I wish she could hear me. I would tell her how much I like her. 

Thanks, Cat. “Alright, enough sentimentality,” the Operator said, a genuine smile finally breaking across her face. “We need to finish this briefing… As I was saying, there are groups that hate me, and we have two left.”

“One of them is called the Vaek, and my history with them is a little confusing. But long story short… I accidentally killed the son of their leader. It wasn’t on purpose; it happened when I killed his combat animal. They share strength and take damage together… which sounds stupid, but if you actually fight them, you can kind of understand what they were trying to do.” She noticed the deeply confused expressions on Dan and Lessa’s faces. “Okay, wrapping it up… I almost killed their leader, but apparently there was some internal fighting, and they robbed me of the chance to finish her off. I think she must be dead by now. If you’re still confused, ask Cat for the full story later; she already knows it.”

"And the last group?" Dan asked.

“That one is even more complicated because… they’re royalty.”

Dan raised his eyebrows in surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected that last detail. “Well, there’s no doubt about the first thing we need to do when we get out of here… I’d say you need to dye your hair and change your clothes. And if they know Napoleon, he needs to stay completely hidden.”

“They also can’t know my profession,” the Operator added. “They’re called the Vorminians, and I might be accused of murdering a prince… or maybe the blame still falls on those kids from the Veil. I don’t know yet. We’ll find out once we’re outside.”

"Is that it?" Lessa asked.

"Yep, that's it."

I believe you have left them afraid for their lives. 

“Operator,” Dan said with a deadpan tone. “I just watched my world get destroyed. I saw monsters and creatures that, if I hadn’t seen them with my own eyes, I would have found it hard to believe. Being hunted by normal people instead of monsters doesn’t actually sound too bad.”

I stand corrected, Operator. I believe they have PTSD.

Cat interrupted the conversation, clapping her hands together. “So, when we get out, the plans are: change the Operator’s appearance, get better clothes, upgrade our weapons, find a place to stay, and eat, please. I think I speak for everyone when I say we are starving. Then we get to know this world, our new home.”

"And get access to a bathroom," Lessa added quickly.

“Yes,” they all replied in perfect unison. A collective, relieved smile spread across the group.

"Now that we know what we're doing, I need to get a few things ready," the Operator said, gently prying Cat off her back. "As soon as I'm done, we're getting out of here. Please search the ship and check if there’s anything helpful in there.”

For the next two hours, Dan and Lessa scoured the ship for anything useful, but they eventually returned empty-handed. It was nothing more than a standard transport vessel, completely devoid of weapons or anything easy to carry. Giving up the search, they sat down with Catherine and listened closely as she shared stories about the years she and the Operator had spent living in the Shadow Library.

A few feet away, the Operator finally completed her repairs. Napoleon stood loyally beside her, his mechanical joints whirring softly as he observed her organizing and packing her tools.

"Alright, Tera, it's time. Let's hit Level 8."

The HUD appeared before her.

[Level 8 Available]

[Yes / No]

She clicked Yes, knowing she would no longer feel the pain that leveling up had caused. The sedatives delivered by her nanobots now took care of it. You guys have no idea how much I love you. My own personal drug dealers.

The circles on the palms of her hands merged, forming two silver circles on each hand, one inside the other. But these were larger, covering her entire palms. Then the message appeared on the HUD.

Level: 8 

Ability: Living Forge MK II: The right hand commands a 24x24-inch heavy-duty cylindrical furnace, melting large amounts of metal under mental control. Meanwhile, the left hand expands its liquid-metal matrix to reshape it into larger custom molds as needed. 

It seems you will now be able to build much larger equipment, Operator.

“Why don’t we test it out?” She turned toward her group, still talking among themselves. “Hey, you guys want to see something interesting?”

[Activating Living Forge MK II]

Both rings detached from her right hand and hovered in the air, coalescing into a compact yet massive 24-by-24-inch floating furnace. Its exterior was a rugged steel shell protecting a thick, heat-blasted refractory lining. It even featured a bottom-pour spout protruding from its base.

Okay, let’s try the Liquid Matrix now.

As she activated the rings on her left hand, they detached and rapidly expanded, forming a mass of liquid metal far larger than anything she had produced before. Just imagining everything I can mold with this… Fascinating.

"What is all that, Operator?" Lessa asked, her eyes wide.

“You could say it’s another perk of being an engineer. Sometimes I like to build. Now, step back and head toward the red door. There’s something else I want to try.”

Time to test those flames.

The moment she willed the furnace to ignite, a massive burst of fire roared to life, erupting with volcanic force right in front of her. Shit, I’m not alone. Unsure how the sudden heat and pressure might affect her group, she immediately snuffed it out.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked, worried.

“Just a little dizzy,” Cat said, rubbing her forehead. The rest of the group nodded.

Mental note: I can use this only when I’m alone. After that, she dismissed the forge and the Liquid Matrix.

It is the perfect size to shove Eron inside and set him on fire.

“Tera, what the hell was that? Since when have you had serial-killer thoughts? What happened?”

I was only joking. I can revert to standard robotic mode if that makes you feel more comfortable.

“No, keep being you. God, it caught me completely off guard… But honestly, if I’d had this earlier, I probably would have used it exactly that way.”

“Okay, team, we’re leaving this place. Are you ready?”

"Ready," Dan said.

“Ready,” Cat and Lessa said at the same time.

Napoleon leaped onto the Operator's shoulder. “Defense systems active. Concealing inside the backpack.”

The Operator turned to look back at the ship one last time. “A little more, and my brain would have fried trying to use Machine Reading on that thing.”

You can think about that later. For now, the Guardian is right. It is time to rest.

"True. Let's get the hell out of here."

The Operator gradually descended the stairs with her team. A flutter of butterflies stirred in her stomach as she prepared to face the world that would be her new home, feeling a reassuring relief that the continuous missions and running were, at least for now, over.