Chapter 252 Theotech Madness
The depths of the Theotech Vault stretched before the Vandasisimo like an endless, shifting nightmare.
Its scale was incomprehensible, a labyrinthine structure of spiraling alien architecture that seemed alive, twisting and rearranging with an eerie fluidity.
The fractal geometry of the Vault defied logical comprehension; corridors would expand or contract without warning, and what appeared to be a straight path one moment would spiral into an impossible angle the next.
Using my greater existential height, I could perceive the progress of Vandasisimo's struggle.
Each team that ventured deeper was met with challenges that tested their coordination, strength, and sanity.
The first major obstacle was the Vault's traps—puzzles designed not just to harm, but to disorient and confuse.
One team encountered a corridor lined with crystalline walls that reflected their movements with perfect accuracy.
At first, they thought it was just an elaborate illusion. But when one member accidentally brushed against the reflective surface, his reflection reached out and pulled him inside.
The man's screams echoed through the Vault as his distorted duplicate emerged from the wall, its eyes glowing with malevolent intelligence.
The team was forced to fight against their artificial equivalent, only to find their weapons turning against them, controlled by unseen forces that mimicked the Vault's defenses.
It was one heck of a gruesome and cruel scene.
Another squad found themselves in a chamber filled with floating platforms suspended in a void-like expanse.
The platforms shimmered with faint glyphs that pulsed when stepped on. At first, it seemed like a simple pathing puzzle—until the platforms began to vanish randomly, sending several members plummeting into the abyss.
Worse still, those who fell reappeared moments later, climbing out of the dark, their bodies twisted into crystalline constructs that attacked their former comrades without hesitation.
But it wasn't just traps that claimed the lives of the Vandasisimos.
The Vault's defensive guardians were a nightmare of their own.
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Massive crystalline constructs, each the size of a house, patrolled the larger chambers and intersections.
Their forms were malleable, shifting seamlessly between shapes—a giant humanoid armed with a colossal blade, a writhing serpent made of razor-sharp shards, or a swarm of smaller, flying constructs that zipped through the air like sentient daggers.
One such construct had cornered a Vandasisimo squad in a massive, circular chamber. The crystalline titan loomed over them, its surface reflecting the squad's panicked faces as it raised its arm, transforming it into a massive blade.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
With a single swing, it cleaved through half the squad's formation, sending the survivors scattering.
Desperation drove them to fight back.
Energy blasts and physical projectiles ricocheted off the construct's reflective surface, some redirected back at their originators.
One battle puppet managed to sever a section of the construct's arm, only for the severed piece to shatter into dozens of smaller constructs that swarmed the puppet, dismantling it piece by piece.
"They can't keep this up," Charis muttered as we observed the carnage from the Landship's interface. "It's like watching mice try to fight a dragon."
I nodded, my gaze fixed on the projections sent by the drones.
The Vandasisimo were skilled, their weapons and tactics honed from countless expeditions, but the Vault was something beyond their understanding.
Even for us, it might also be quite the hardship, even if we possessed the greater firepower and overall information of the alien landscape of the Theotech Vault.
"It is quite the smart idea to send them first as the test rats," Kuzunoha chuckled. "And here I thought I'm the heartless one~"
"By our definition, you're the most heartless out of us all," Verina pointed out.
"To think that Theotech can be this mortifying," Viviane commented, her gaze were cautious and introspective.
"You seem to be quite surprised considering your age," I said.
Viviane waved her hand dismissively. "Unlike that fox there, I barely tackle anything Theotech-related. I only knew of their existence, but not to a great extent of their history and influence."
"I told you that things can get nasty inside the Theotech Vault," Kuzunoha said before she was casually sipping on her tea. "I find it that our fate is more on the lucky side with how we have an entire faction of shock-troopers to be sent into the unknown for our cause."
"Considering the amount of Theotechs that you have plundered and displayed as your collection, I find it hard that you will have a hard time with this," I chuckled. "Washed much?"
"To an extent," Kuzunoa answered with a sly smile. "If I have access to all of my tools beyond Carcosa's secluded expanse, I can quite literally loot all of the Theotechs in that vault in less than five minutes without a single harm done to my side."
While we were witnessing the chaotic expedition, the observing drones also did their task to gather the information to be given to the Bastioneers' personal Cognitive Engines, where they could watch the live feed like watching a livestream.
As for the Heavenly Maids. Well, they possessed the existential height of a demigod, so they should be able to extend their perception and observe the unveiling events before them.
"Tch, we have been returning to the same spot for the tenth time now!"
"This Theotech Site is too massive, we can't decipher our location!"
"Communication is lost! I repeat, our communication is lost!"
The scale of the Vault itself worked against them.
Spanning what felt like an endless maze, its towering exotic spires trying to claim the sky and its underground chambers stretched deep into the earth, a labyrinth so vast that even the most advanced mapping systems could barely comprehend its layout.
The Vandasisimo had divided their forces to cover more ground, but this only left them isolated and vulnerable.
Communication faltered as the Vault's energy fields disrupted their signals, and without coordination, they were easy prey for the Vault's defenses.
One squad attempted to regroup after encountering heavy resistance, only to find themselves back where they started.
The Vault had rearranged itself, leading them in circles until they collapsed from exhaustion.
Another group tried to set up a defensive position in a large chamber, only for the walls to close in on them, crushing their barricades and forcing them into open combat with yet another crystalline construct.
Two hours into their expedition, the Vandasisimo hit a wall—both literally and figuratively.
Several paths forward were sealed off by massive, shifting barriers of liquid metal, each one marked with glyphs that pulsed in rhythmic patterns.
Attempts to breach the barriers were futile; energy weapons and explosives were absorbed by the metal, and any attempt to touch it resulted in painful burns and disorientation.
At the same time, the relentless assaults from the Vault's guardians were taking their toll. The Vandasisimo were running out of resources, their forces dwindling as more and more squads were lost to the Vault's traps and constructs.
In one particularly harrowing moment, Evaris and his personal guard were cornered in a narrow corridor by a crystalline serpent.
The creature coiled around them, its gleaming form refracting the light into a blinding cascade. Evaris fought valiantly, his staff crackling with energy as he struck at the serpent's head, but even his efforts were only enough to drive it back temporarily.
It was clear they couldn't survive much longer.
And that was when I decided to make my move.
The observation deck of the Landship shimmered as I opened a spatial rift, stepping through and appearing before the battered Vandasisimo forces.
My presence was heralded by a faint golden light, my hair catching the faint luminescence of the Vault's glowing walls.
At that moment, I raised the output of my divine charm to its fullest.
The Vandasisimo froze at the sight of me, their weapons lowering as their gazes locked onto my divine and angelic form.
The air around me suffused with an aura of warmth and undeniable authority.
Even Evaris, who had proven himself resistant to my presence before, seemed momentarily stunned. His grip on his staff slackened as his green eyes met mine, a flicker of hope cutting through the exhaustion and desperation on his face.
I approached him slowly, my steps light and deliberate. "Lord Cade," I said, my voice carrying effortlessly through the corridor. "Your bravery and determination are commendable, but your men cannot endure this alone, as it is willed by none other than me."
Evaris swallowed, his throat dry as he struggled to find his voice. "Why…"
I smiled gently, though there was a weight behind my gaze that made him shrink back. "I came to offer you salvation, Evaris. I can save your men, turn this doomed expedition into a victory, and elevate the Vandasisimo to heights you've never dreamed of." I extended a hand toward him, the faint golden light around me intensifying. "But to do so, you must pledge yourself to me. Swear your loyalty, and I will lead you to triumph."
The room fell silent, the weight of my words hanging heavy in the air.
Evaris looked around at his men—battered, bloodied, and on the brink of collapse, all forced to showcase their reverent to my overwhelming presence.
He turned back to me, his expression torn between pride and desperation.
Finally, he sank to one knee, bowing his head. "I swear it," he said, his voice trembling. "My life, and the lives of my men, are yours, 'O Radiant One."
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