⟨Just come inside for now⟩
A deep voice rang inside Blake's head as if the person was right next to him and the huge metal gate opened with a loud thump and the joints creaking with it's enormous weight.
"W-what the-"
Blake was visibly stunned at sight ahead of him.
Inside stood a castle, once majestic now lay ruined, but not by the passage of time. It resembled as if it withstood the wrath of a heavenly being, only to crumble away at his sheer power.
That's not the only thing to prove the absurdity of the situation, lifeless bodies of humanoid creature and other lifeform lay scattered everywhere signifying the devastating situation.
This scene shook Blake from inside out, as if his modern day views and ethics were crumbling in front of him just like the castle.
⟨Come inside. How long are you planning to just stand there⟩
The voice inside his head woke Blake from his daze.
(I don't know who or what's inside but if he caused this he can't be a decent person)
(Let's just go inside, not like I can escape here anyway)
Blake carefully moveing pass the bodies and debris, made his way inside the grand castle. Even the inside wasn't spared, it was completely ruined.
At the end of the hallway stood another huge door though already broken
"Should I go inside..?"
Gulp*
He stepped inside the room with fear and anticipation of what's inside that could cause such destruction.
The room was spacious from inside, though in ruins it looked like the throne room of the castle with the huge throne on the other side of the room.
The room had similar state as the outside, utterly destroyed as if the it hosted the battle of the century. But 'something' or rather 'someone' sitting on the throne caught Blake's eye.
The 'person' was clad in black formal clothes, black hood covering the head. But that's where the normal things ended, when Blake focused on his face it wasn't anything the could be explained by logic, if one had to compare it was like his face was glitching in real life.
"I know what you are thinking, don't worry I won't harm you"
"Okay?..." Blake still on guard couldn't fathom why the man had brought him here
"We don't have much time, I'll get straight to the point"
"First of all you are an anomaly remember that, second I called you here to help you"
"...Help me?" That's the last thing Blake expected to hear.
"Why would you help me? I don't even know you"
"Let's just say it's fate" chuckled the man
"But in exchange you have to help me too.
Nothing is free kid"
"...what if I refuse? "
"Well if you can handle the senile old thing outside, you are more than welcome to leave here"
"...."
"Ok I'm listening..." Blake said humbly, he knew he didn't have a choice.
"That's more like it. Here is a little something for you"
As soon as he finished speaking a familiar unemotional mechanical sound rang inside Blake's head.
[TARGET STATUS UPDATING TO HOST]
[COMPLETE]
[GRADE 2 FEATURES ACCESSIBLE]
{NICE TO MEET YOU NEW HOST}
{I'M SYSTEM DELTA, AT YOUR SERVICE}
A pale blue translucent screen similar to modern virtual games appeared in front of Blake.
"Umm..." Blake looked at the screen and then back at the man still confused.
"Yes, yes, it's exactly what you think it is"
"As much as I would like to explain everything we haven't got enough time. I'll explain the next time we meet"
"Also DO NOT tell anyone you are not from this world" the man emphasised.
"Wait, What do you-" before Blake could finish asking he was already back in the room with old man still stuck on the wall. He still wanted to ask many things but that had to wait because of what was written in front of him.
[TEMPORARY GRADE 5 ACCESS GRANTED]
[TEMPORARY GUARDIAN SELECTED ACCORDINGLY]
{Dear Host, guardian can be deployed for only a set amount of time, then it will disappear}
{Please use it only when necessary}
{The puppet has been neutralized for the time being}
{Host is advised to escape as soon as possible}
(Hm? puppet? He it talking about the old man?)
{Affirmative}
"Huh?"
"You can read my mind?!" Blake exclaimed
{Negative}
{Host can think about talking to me to communicate, according to your understanding it would be like telepathy}
"Oh ok... Makes sense..."
{Host is advised to leave quickly before the puppet can restabilise connection}
(how do I leave? There are other people beside him guarding this place. I can't escape like this)
[SCANNING AREA...] [COMPLETE]
{There is no one except the host within 100 meter radius}
(What about the people I saw in other cells? Or the knight and the girl who were with me?)
{Mostly dead. Some beyond rescue}
{No knight or girl detected within scanned area}
{Host is advised only to think about his escape}
"Got it!" Blake sprung up on his feet and started sprinting through the hall.
{Host is very slow. Advised to sprint faster.}
(Shut up! I'm running as fast as I can!)
(Just tell me where to go)
Another pale blue translucent screen popped up in front of him a green dot on bottom of the screen.
(What's this now?)
{A live MPM}
(MPM??)
{Live Mana Pulse Mapping. The green dot is the host and all the these shapes around are walls and room layouts. If there are any other entity beside host it will show up as red dots}
(Ok but where is the exit?)
{Reporting to host, you have to find it yourself. I can only generate about 100 meter square of MPM, past that distance it's useless}
(...Cool. So, do you have anything more useful?)
{Sorry to disappoint you host, but I can not just magically turn someone useless into a superhuman} (-_-)
(You got some way with your words huh-)
{Host quick turn left and hide into the room!}
Hearing the system's warning Blake quickly turned left and entered the room. The room was full of chests and others unknown devices, it looked like a storage room to be exact. Blake hurriedly spotted a decent sized cabinet and went inside it.
The translucent screen showed two red dots quickly heading to towards the room entrance.
"She can't be very far, I'll go this way, you go to right"
Blake could faintly hear someone talking in hurried breath right outside the room. Then the footsteps fainted signalling they had left.
Phew*
(Looks like I'm safe for now) He wiped his forehead.
As Blake was planing his next course of action a hand tightly grabbed his mouth in the darkness of the cabinet making him unable to utter a single word, almost sending his nerves to fight or flight responce.