Time and space rippled like choppy waters as Alm and Bruno slid imperceptibly through the force field, moving like shadows within the confines of the universe. Finally, they crossed the boundary, and the world around them unraveled.
With their visions stabilized, they found themselves inside the black tower. In a swift motion, they withdrew all the QI, focusing on hiding their presence.
’It seems to have worked perfectly,’ Bruno commented within their soul connection, surveying the desolate surroundings, as dark as a dead and deserted region.
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Alm added mentally, ’The laws are much more fragile; this must be a smaller world, similar to a ring space.’
With cautious movements, they advanced a few meters, and the desolation gave way to a bright and multicolored world. The ground was covered with small gems, emitting a soft, inherent glow. When observed directly, the soul trembled with the pure QI emanating from them. It was the repository of soul gems. The intense glow created a spectacle of lights, and the power contained in them was almost palpable.
’It seems the Demon Lord managed to get a large stock of gems. The place we came from was where the gems that gave rise to the robots were extracted,’ Bruno remarked, sensing the atmosphere around. ’I don’t feel consciousness in any of them. Being trapped here must be the cause of that.’
’The idiot Demon Lord must have done this on purpose. He understood the nature of these gems and didn’t want to enslave them, harvesting the QI from their cores,’ Alm stated without much emotion. ’He was too soft. If consciousness developed, the level and density of QI would certainly be higher.’
’Not everyone puts themselves above everything, not caring about anyone. Learn, but not from this demon,’ Bruno advised. Then, Alm grumbled, the Demon Lord was a disappointment and didn’t seem like a true demon.
The place wasn’t very extensive, covering only a few kilometers, but it contained billions of soul gems. Everything went smoothly until then, and in no time, walking silently, they found a weaker point that would be the exit.
As they crossed unnoticed, they finally concluded they were truly inside the black tower. Everything was dark and silent; the tower was so vast that it could be observed from almost every point within the force field. After examining the walls, they understood a bit more about the heroes’ situation.
’You can’t sense anything from the outside of these walls. The Demon Lord built everything into a strong formation... though weak, he was quite clever,’ Alm commented dryly.
’The heroes, even after defeating him, got stuck in here. Probably, the force field was already active, trapping the army. They found an opening, but it only connected to the inside of the field. Thus, the plan to corner and eliminate the army slowly with the robots was conceived,’ Bruno added.
Alm agreed with the analysis. ’They probably didn’t have the knowledge that these gems could create life. Their power became much greater, and the robots defeated the army in no time.’
As they explored the corridors near the gem repository, they came across various machinery, furnaces, hammers, and all the signs that it was a large forge. Judging by the size of the tools, the construction method, and their analysis of the robots, they confirmed that the builders of the robots were undoubtedly dwarves.
’Definitely dwarves, maybe two of them. It’s incredible how they managed to create millions of such well-crafted robots. Most likely, they are also heroes, just like the one we fought in our universe.’ Bruno commented.
After a few hours of movement, something increasingly strange made their minds alert. There was no sign of the heroes, and they couldn’t detect any living presence inside the tower.
Realizing something was wrong, they decided to burn a significant amount of QI, merging again with the world. They conducted a large-scale search within the tower, which, despite costing a third of the QI stored in their soul gems, produced no results.
The absence of any sign of the heroes further deepened the mystery and put them on high alert. They decided it was imperative to get out of there as quickly as possible, and now they weren’t moving cautiously. The robotic chimera’s body twisted, and several spider-like legs formed. They ran at a frightening speed toward an exit, which they managed to find.
With each passing second, the sense of danger cultivated over thousands of years grew stronger. They felt that if they didn’t leave quickly, they would be completely lost. Nothing was spared, and after a few hours at full speed, the dark and confined world was replaced by the open and almost infinite cosmic space. They didn’t come back inside the Force Field. Instead, they were truly out now, in open space.
Calm reigned, and absolute silence permeated the space. As they looked back, they glimpsed the black tower and the imposing force field, both remaining unscathed.
Superficially, nothing seemed out of place, but the robotic body began a metamorphosis, changing into a combat form. The instinct of danger, forged over millennia, was now their most reliable compass.
Abruptly, the serenity of the environment faded like a dream, giving way to a golden realm that seemed to extract the very essence of the cosmos. Alm and Bruno, petrified, gazed in astonishment at the transformation around them. The universe lit up with blinding intensity, every inch radiating golden splendor.
A cosmic wave, saturated with QI and power, swept in all directions, engulfing them in a golden tide. Alm and Bruno felt the air saturated with hostility as if the entire universe were on the brink of collapse. Everything that had remained on alert now sank into an abyss of deep hatred. They... recognized this presence very well.
That fleeting scene lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to provoke a burning sensation on the skin and the imminent sense of death hanging over them. From above, a sacred light stood out against the golden world, revealing something that was also well-known to both of them.
A slender elf woman floated, her eyes adorned with golden runes, casting a piercing gaze. With raised hands, she summoned a sacred sword, materializing with divine radiance. They also remembered that sword, as the hero from their universe, also had one.
In the face of that sword, their death was as clear and dense as day. However, neither Alm nor Bruno were afraid. The only thing they felt was endless hatred and a desire for wild blood.
’We’re caught. We’re screwed,’ spat Alm.