The smell of gunpowder in Vargo's office had faded away.What remained was the sweet, metallic scent of victory.
The greatest danger of the night had been eliminated. Vargo was dead. His guards had been neutralized. And most importantly, Hope and his team were still alive. There were no more screams, no orders being barked, no chains rattling. The corridors were empty.
Now came the most enjoyable part of every dungeon raid.
Loot.
Kai and Bianca had cracked open Vargo's private treasure room, the hidden compartment they had marked earlier while crawling through the ventilation shafts. When the room opened, it was flooded with golden light.
"This… this is justice," Bianca said, letting gold bars clink together between her fingers. Her eyes gleamed. "And my favorite kind. Spread out! There might be things here worth more than gold."
The team split up instinctively.
When Deniz reached the far end of the room, a nearly childlike grin spread across his face. A massive pair of black, heavy-metal gauntlets rested on a pedestal, engraved with bull motifs.
"Goliath's Fists…" Deniz muttered as he put them on. The moment the gauntlets settled around his hands, the metal warmed slightly.
"I can't wait to punch someone with these," he said. "Kai, want me to test them on you?"
"Get lost," Kai replied, scanning the shelves for something useful. "I need to find myself a new item. I'm not falling behind this idiot."
Lypin, meanwhile, had found something more delicate. A blue gemstone that seemed to trap moonlight itself hung from a silver chain. The moment she placed the necklace around her neck, the exhaustion drained from her body and her mana surged back.
"This stone…" Lypin said in awe. "It continuously recharges my mana. I won't collapse while healing anymore."
When Kai removed one of the wall panels, he discovered something hidden behind it. From the shadows, he retrieved a pitch-black dagger that seemed to swallow light itself. When he swung it through the air, it made no sound.
Perfect for assassination. Perfect for theft.
Bianca watched all of this from a distance. She had turned her attention to the large chests at the center of the room. Inside were gold coins, sealed contracts, and tokens marked with the Collector's sigil.
"Items are nice," she said as she poured the coins into her pouch. "But money works everywhere."
Everyone had found something.
Everyone except Yaat.
Yaat stood near the very bottom of the vault, staring at a strange object inside a dusty box.
It was a mask.
But not an ordinary one.
It was made of smooth white porcelain. The strange part was this: there were no eye holes. The places where human eyes should have been were completely sealed.
Instead, there was a single, perfectly circular hole in the exact center of the forehead.
Yaat picked up the mask. It was cold.
"Blind Guardian…" he read from the faded text on the box. "Protects against a single catastrophe. But the price—"
The rest of the sentence had been erased. There was no way to know what the price was.
Yaat lifted the mask toward his face. That single empty eye hole felt as if it were staring back at him. A voice inside whispered, Leave it.
Another voice, cursed curiosity itself, replied, Take it.
"Maybe…" Yaat murmured. "Maybe it'll protect me from a bad future."
He placed the mask into his bag.
Hope, meanwhile, wasn't interested in gold or weapons.
He had slipped into the hidden laboratory behind Vargo's office. He ignored the rare mana crystals and spell tomes lining the shelves.
His eyes were locked onto a cylindrical capsule in the corner of the room.
Inside floated a small creature, suspended in a pale blue liquid.
It resembled a fox, but its tail was far longer and fluffier than normal. Its fur was white, with black tips and black paws. A strange energy radiated from its body, sometimes flickering like flame, sometimes flowing like water.
A label was affixed to the capsule.
SUBJECT 0-V. FAILED. ELEMENTAL INSTABILITY.
Hope placed his hand against the glass.
"Not failed," he said. His green eyes gleamed. "Just… not optimized."
He failed to unlock the capsule properly.
Instead, he struck it.
The glass shattered. Liquid spilled across the floor.
The small creature fell out, soaked and trembling. It opened its eyes for the first time and looked at Hope. Fear filled its gaze. Its fur bristled as sparks burst forth, its color shifting to red as its body transformed into a small flame. It growled.
Hope didn't step back.
He crouched down and extended his hand.
He remembered his days as a Dungeon Master. Monsters were not merely beasts. They were pure instinct.
Hope calmed himself. He suppressed his anger and replaced it with peace.
"It's okay," Hope said gently. "I won't hurt you."
The moment Hope's emotional state changed, the creature changed as well.
The flames vanished. Its fur turned blue, forming into curling droplets like water. The growl faded into a curious purr.
The creature approached Hope's hand and rubbed its head against it.
"Adaptation," Hope said with a grin. "You change elements based on my emotions. You're like a mirror. That's AWESOME!"
He lifted the creature into his arms. "What should I name you? Maybe Vector? Since both your direction and magnitude change."
The small fox-like creature did not seem impressed.
"Yeah… didn't like that, huh? Lypin's better at names. Let's ask her."
The tiny fox chirped happily in Hope's arms.
For the first time, Hope hadn't gained a weapon.
He had gained a companion.
And this companion would be the best teacher he could have for learning his own emotions.
Thirty Minutes Later – The Main Hall
The team had regrouped. Bianca had filled several sacks, and Deniz was showing off his new gauntlets.
Hope entered the hall with his new companion perched on his shoulder.
"HEY, LYPIN!" he shouted while running over. "LOOK WHAT I FOUND!"
Lypin stared at the tiny creature.
"IT'S SO CUTE!!"
She immediately tried to scoop it up, but the creature growled protectively.
"Oh… I guess she's not ready to meet new people," Lypin said, a little disappointed. "Where did you find her?"
Hope explained everything.
"Wow!" Lypin was shocked that such a creature had been created in a lab. "So… what's her name?"
"Well…" Hope looked at Lypin eagerly. "I want you to name her."
Lypin froze. She hadn't expected that.
"Are you sure? She's your companion. And she already seems very attached to you."
Hope glanced at the creature on his shoulder.
"Yes. We bonded in a way I didn't expect. I thought about naming her Vector, but she hated it. And I'm trying to stop thinking so logically. So… I want you to name her."
Lypin smiled shyly.
"Oh? Is that so, flirtatious architect?" Bianca teased as she walked over.
"HEY!" Hope protested. "Don't interrupt!"
"Relax. I'm just interested in the little one."
"What's her gender?" Lypin asked. "I should choose a name accordingly, right?"
"She's female," Bianca said after an oddly long stare. "You can tell from her posture and her tail. Too long and too fluffy."
Lypin puffed out her cheeks, resting her chin on her hand as she studied the creature.
"How about… Mira?"
Hope looked to his shoulder for approval. The creature smiled.
"I think she likes it," Hope said. "Why Mira?"
"Short for Miracle," Lypin replied. "Because she brought your old smile back."
"Good name," Hope said softly. Then, almost inaudibly, "Just like your eyes."
"What did you say?"
Lypin hadn't heard him.
Hope sat down instead of answering.
"Hey! Tell me!" Lypin shouted after him.
Hope just grinned.
Yaat approached Hope, hesitantly.
"Hey, Architect," Yaat said.
Hope turned. "Wow, Yaat. New mask? Looks cool."
"I picked it up," Yaat said, tapping it. "It's strange… but it might be useful."
He hesitated.
"There's something I wanted to ask. You're close with Deniz and Lypin. But we haven't really talked. Because of Kubo… are you still mad at me?"
Hope looked at him.
"I'm not angry," he said honestly. "I just… had some issues lately. Nothing to do with you. I love Lypin more than anything, and Deniz was always by my side in the arena. We shared a lot. That's all."
He smiled.
"And honestly? Your power is incredible. You see the future. That's beyond my calculations. You saved my life when Bianca and Kai first arrived. I couldn't hate you even if I tried."
Hope extended his hand.
"You're one of the most important members of this team."
Yaat smiled and shook his hand. "Thanks, Architect… for making me feel like I belong."
The ice between them shattered, like the broken glass in Vargo's office.
"Since that's settled…" Hope said, stepping back as he summoned his scythe. "How about a test run? I want to try something new. And your future-sight makes you the perfect training partner."
Yaat grinned and removed his robe. "Testing your reflexes? Fine. But fair warning. My eyes cheat."
"Seeing isn't enough," Hope said as green flames ignited around him. "You have to catch me."
The others stepped back.
"YES!" Deniz shouted. "Place your bets!"
Yaat closed his eyes. Veins bulged on his forehead. He saw two seconds into the future.
Hope would attack from the right. He would swing downward.
Yaat dashed left.
But Hope had already struck where Yaat fled.
VZZZT!
The scythe stopped inches from Yaat's nose.
Yaat's eyes snapped open. "How—?! I saw you go right!"
"That was my old speed," Hope replied.
The green flames around him shifted, taking form.
Behind Hope rose a massive, crowned skeleton of fire.
[Soul of the Flame Tyrant: Active]
"Do you know why I stab my scythe into everyone I kill?" Hope said, his voice echoing. "I harvest their souls. The Flame Tyrant I killed to save Lypin… his burning rage is now my fire!"
The scythe glowed like a green sun.
Mira growled, flames dancing across her fur.
"And the souls I took from Vargo's guards?" Hope continued. "Pure physical strength."
Hope vanished.
Yaat saw the future—but his body couldn't react.
Hope reappeared behind him, the shaft of the scythe lightly tapping his back.
"Bam."
But Yaat vanished.
He reappeared in the shadows, panting. "Okay… okay. You've gotten stronger. This power… it's terrifying, Hope."
Yaat lunged from above.
"But I can still see the future!"
Hope retreated. A massive slab of metal crashed down where he stood moments before. He caught it with both arms, straining beneath the weight.
"And your future," Yaat said coldly, stepping closer, "is getting crushed!"
Just as Yaat prepared his final strike, Hope unleashed a raging inferno. The metal above him melted instantly.
"And yours," Hope shot back, "is becoming fried chicken!"
The team cheered, basking in the moment. Vargo was dead. The loot was secured. Hope had grown stronger.
Everything was perfect.
Then—
WEEEU! WEEEU! WEEEU!
A shrill, ear-piercing alarm echoed through the building.
Red lights flashed.
Bianca covered her sensitive ears. "What the hell is that?! Another trap?!"
Deniz stared at a crystal on Vargo's desk. It glowed red.
His face went pale.
"No," Kai said. "Not a trap. A notification."
"Notification of what?" Lypin asked.
Kai looked at Hope.
"The Collector's Cleanup Team is on the move," he said. "And this alarm means one thing. If we don't leave immediately, an extermination squad is coming."
Hope dismissed his scythe.
Mira turned gray, sensing danger.
"Run," Hope said.
Kai lifted Bianca onto his back and bolted.
The intoxication of victory vanished in an instant.
The brief peace they had earned was over.
The real fight for survival was about to begin.