Kaelan maintains control over the automaton.
Through its eyes, he studies the laser emitters embedded at the junction of the wall and ceiling.
He raises the automaton's metal hand and aligns its palm carefully toward one of the glass-covered nodes.
He does not fire immediately.
The energy reserves are limited.
The steam boiler inside the automaton contains alchemical water rich in spiritual essence.
Once consumed, it cannot be replenished here.
The tunnel is devoid of spiritual energy.
Every discharge must be calculated.
He adjusts the angle slightly.
Locks onto the seam between the emitter casing and the wall.
Then he fires.
A concentrated energy bullet shoots from the automaton's palm and strikes the glass surface.
There is a sharp flash.
But the glass remains intact.
Not even a scratch.
The surface absorbs and disperses the force effortlessly.
Kaelan narrows his eyes.
This is not ordinary material.
He considers briefly.
"I have to enter myself."
Before withdrawing, he decides to test its limits further.
He forces the boiler to heat beyond safe capacity.
Steam pressure rises rapidly.
The alchemical water begins boiling violently.
The automaton trembles.
He channels the accumulated pressure into a single focused beam.
A thick ray of condensed steam-energy bursts forward.
It slams into the emitter.
For a fraction of a second, the glass glows.
Then,
The unstable boiler detonates.
The automaton explodes.
Fire and metal fragments blast outward from the tunnel mouth.
Outside, Kaelan opens his eyes.
A surge of heat and flame rushes from the hole.
His severed consciousness thread snaps back through the faith connection.
He stands unmoved.
Then he says clearly, "We must enter ourselves. There is no use sending automatons."
All eyes turn to him.
Then to Raphael.
Kaelan also glances at Raphael.
He waits.
But in truth, the decision is irrelevant to him.
He begins walking toward the tunnel.
"Master Kaelan, wait! Where are you going?" Rapheal calls out.
"Exploring further," Kaelan replies without slowing.
"Wait, Master Kaelan. Let me enter first."
Kaelan lifts one hand slightly, signalling there is no need.
He steps into the metal tunnel.
The air smells faintly scorched.
Inside, he surveys the aftermath of the explosion.
Among the six laser emitters embedded along the walls, one is completely destroyed.
Two others show visible cracks spreading across their glass surfaces.
The remaining three remain intact.
Footsteps echo behind him.
Rapheal enters and stands beside him.
"Master Kaelan," Raphael says, eyes fixed on the emitters, "I should test the power of these energy weapons. Can you destroy them from here?"
Kaelan answers calmly, "There is no need for you to walk ahead."
Without waiting for Raphael's response, he channels his energy.
A rune array forms above his head.
Intricate symbols interlock in a circular formation.
From the array, metallic arrows begin to emerge halfway, shimmering with condensed spiritual force.
Five arrows fully manifest.
They gleam like forged steel yet pulse with contained energy.
With a subtle gesture, Kaelan releases them.
The arrows streak forward in precise arcs.
Each one targets a laser emitter.
The first arrow pierces directly into a cracked glass surface.
The glass shatters instantly.
The internal mechanism ruptures.
A burst of unstable energy detonates outward.
The second and third arrows strike almost simultaneously.
Both cracked emitters explode violently, sending fragments scattering across the tunnel.
The remaining two intact emitters resist momentarily.
Their glass surfaces flare bright red as the arrows impact.
Then fractures spider across the surface.
A split second later, both erupt in concentrated blasts.
The tunnel fills with thunderous detonations.
Heat and shockwaves surge outward.
Rapheal reacts instantly.
His fighting energy erupts.
He steps forward.
A gravitational wave expands from his body, forming a dense barrier in front of him.
The shockwaves collide against the invisible force and disperse.
Behind him, Kaelan stands unharmed.
Dust and fragments rain down as the explosions fade into silence.
The shattered remains of the automaton lie scattered further down the tunnel, twisted and scorched beyond repair.
Yet the metal walls surrounding them remain completely intact.
Not a single dent.
Not a scratch.
Kaelan steps toward the side of the corridor.
He raises his hand and lets his palm rest lightly against the wall.
The surface is smooth.
Cold.
Unyielding.
He closes his eyes slightly and extends his spirit power.
The moment his spirit touches the metal surface, it is repelled.
Not blocked.
Reflected.
His eyes open wider.
He tests again, more carefully.
This time, he channels a thread of energy instead of spirit.
The result is the same.
The energy bounces back as if striking a mirror.
He does not push further.
A stronger fluctuation would not go unnoticed by Raphael.
Behind him, Raphael speaks.
"Master Kaelan, which path should we take?"
Kaelan turns.
The ramp ahead splits into two corridors, left and right.
They run parallel for several meters before angling back toward the same direction.
Rosalyn and the others enter the tunnel.
Clive moves quietly and stops just behind Kaelan.
They all study the split.
Rosalyn suggests, "Should we divide into two groups?"
Rapheal answers sharply, "No."
He turns to them.
"Master Kaelan and I will check both paths first. After that, you may proceed."
Alissa steps forward slightly.
"I can protect myself."
Rapheal shakes his head.
"Alissa, I need you to protect them."
She exhales softly but does not argue further.
Rapheal looks to Kaelan.
"Master Kaelan, what do you think of my plan?"
Kaelan nods faintly.
"It is acceptable."
He turns to Clive.
"Go. Cultivate outside."
Clive bows immediately.
"Yes, Master."
He turns and walks out of the tunnel without hesitation.
Kaelan takes the left path.
Raphael follows.
The corridor is narrow and entirely metallic.
A thin tubular line runs along the upper wall, emitting steady white light.
Rapheal glances upward.
"What powers these lights?"
Kaelan studies the thin glowing conduit but does not answer.
They continue until Raphael stops abruptly.
"There is a door."
A smooth metallic panel blocks the corridor.
There is no handle.
No hinge.
No visible seam.
Rapheal steps forward and presses his palm against it.
Nothing happens.
He channels fighting energy into his arm and pushes.
His aura flares.
The metal does not move.
He narrows his eyes and releases a controlled gravitational pulse.
The air distorts slightly around him.
The door remains unmoved.
The surrounding walls remain equally unaffected.
Rapheal withdraws his hand slowly.
Kaelan speaks calmly.
"Stop. Preserve your fighting energy."
Kaelan steps to the side of the doorway.
Mounted into the wall beside it is a rectangular box.
On its surface is a small illuminated screen and a grid of buttons.
Symbols cover the keypad.
None resembles any script known in this era.
Kaelan presses one of the buttons.
A tone sounds.
A mechanical voice speaks in a language neither of them recognises.
Rapheal's eyes narrow.
"What is that?"
Kaelan withdraws his hand.
"The key to the door."
Without explaining further, he resumes walking down the corridor.
Raphael follows close behind.
The metal floor echoes faintly beneath their steps.
The corridor stretches forward, cold and silent.
They pass another door on the right.
Identical to the first.
Smooth.
Seamless.
A box with a small screen and keypad mounted beside it.
A few meters later, another door appears.
Then another.
All on the right side at first.
Evenly spaced.
Precise.
Further ahead, doors begin appearing on both sides of the corridor.
Left and right.
Symmetrical.
Kaelan's gaze sweeps across them.
The layout is deliberate.
Segmented.
Ordered.
He begins to form a mental image of the structure.
If this is only one corridor of many, then the entire ruin may not be a cavern city at all.
It may be a single massive structure.
Layered.
Compartmentalized.
Engineered.
What shape was this building originally?
A tower?
A subterranean complex?
A vessel?
The corridor finally opens.
The metal walls end abruptly.
They step into a vast chamber.
Darkness stretches outward.
Then Raphael inhales sharply.
"What is this?"
Before them lies an overgrown forest.
Trees rise high, their branches twisting into a canopy that swallows most of the light.
Vines hang from above.
Thick undergrowth blankets the ground.
Yet the air is stale.
Artificial.
The ceiling is far above, barely visible in shadow.
They step forward cautiously.
Leaves crunch beneath their boots.
Silence presses in around them.
Only their footsteps disturb it.
Then,
A hiss.
Sharp.
Close.
Kaelan reacts instantly.
He jumps backwards.
His gaze shoots upward.
Two massive spiders descend from the branches above.
Their lower bodies are enormous arachnid forms.
Their upper bodies are humanoid.
Pale torsos.
Long arms gripping curved swords.
Thick strands of webbing connect them to the branches above.
They swing downward simultaneously.
One targets Kaelan.
The other lunges toward Raphael.
Kaelan draws his sword in one fluid motion.
Steel meets steel.
The collision rings sharply through the forest chamber.
The spider's strength is considerable.
Its humanoid face is expressionless.
Black eyes gleaming.
It presses forward with a swift downward slash.
Kaelan pivots, redirecting the force and stepping to the side.
He does not use spiritual energy.
He does not channel gravity or life force.
He fights purely with physical power and refined technique.
The spider follows with a sweeping horizontal strike.
Kaelan ducks beneath it, sliding forward and slashing upward.
The blade grazes the creature's abdomen, slicing through chitin with a grinding sound.
The spider hisses violently and retracts upward slightly on its web line.
Then drops again with a thrust.
Kaelan meets it head-on.
Their swords clash repeatedly.
Fast.
Precise.
Controlled.
He shifts his weight and traps the spider's blade momentarily.
With a sharp twist, he forces it off balance.
The spider attempts to retreat upward.
Kaelan steps forward and cuts through the web strand with a swift strike.
The creature falls.
Before it can recover, Kaelan closes the distance.
One clean arc.
His sword flashes.
The humanoid head separates from the body.
It falls to the forest floor.