Grains of sand slid from the soles of her boots, making a soft rustling sound.
Rosie looked up at the grayish-white complex of buildings ahead.
The closer they got, the clearer and more massive the outlines became.
Light from the crystals spilled down from the dome overhead, shining upon the ruined walls and casting deep gray shadows.
The exploration team advanced slowly, maintaining their combat formation.
Everyone kept their footsteps low, leaving only the occasional clink of armor plates and the rustling of boots treading on sand.
But this tension did not last long.
Ginli the dwarf was the first to leave the column.
Carrying his axe on his shoulder, he rushed toward the nearest broken wall in a few quick strides. He wiped a hand over the surface with his glove, brushing away the dust, then leaned in to closely examine the texture of the wall.
He tapped the wall, pulled a small hammer from his waist, and gently tapped a corner. After tapping, he pressed his ear against it.
The mercenaries had been watching the dwarf's movements. Seeing that nothing happened after all his touching and prodding, they exchanged glances. Then, someone—it was unclear who was first—stepped out of the formation and walked toward a half-collapsed building.
The others followed suit, dispersing and slipping into various ruins in groups of twos and threes to rummage through the rubble and debris.
They spoke in hushed voices, but their eager excitement could not be suppressed, and brief exclamations of surprise rang out from time to time.
A few of the bolder workers also followed them, rummaging through the ruins.
The Baron's soldiers stood in place, casting their gazes toward the mercenaries searching the ruins, and then looking back at the Baron.
The Baron did not stop those who were searching, but he did not order his soldiers to search either.
Rosie kept close to Anna's side, maintaining a distance of just a few paces.
Unlike the others, the female mage did not stop to examine the ruined walls; she didn't even spare them a second glance.
She swept her gaze around the area, chose a direction, and continued forward at an unhurried pace.
Rosie followed.
Heavy footsteps sounded behind them as the dwarf caught up, carrying his axe.
The Baron was silent for a few seconds before waving his hand, leading his men to follow.
Anna walked for a bit, then stopped and turned around, looking at the group following following behind her.
“Why aren't you looking for treasure? Why are you all following me?”
Rosie answered quickly, “You're the most knowledgeable one here. Following you definitely won't lead us astray.”
The dwarf spoke bluntly, “Mages are incredibly shrewd. We definitely can't let you keep all the benefits to yourself.”
The Baron did not speak, merely standing in place with his gaze fixed on Anna.
“Suit yourselves.”
Anna turned around and continued forward.
The dwarf slowed his pace, leaning in close to Rosie, and whispered, “Guess what I found?”
Rosie also lowered her voice. “What did you find?”
“Those buildings didn't collapse naturally; they were destroyed,” the dwarf said.
“Maybe it was caused by some natural disaster,” Rosie suggested.
The dwarf shook his head, a rare look of seriousness in his voice. “No. I checked earlier. Those fractures and collapse marks look like they were smashed down by some immense force.”
“Smashed down?”
“You said this place is a menagerie, right? Could there be some kind of ancient, massive beast?” the dwarf asked.
Rosie recalled the words on the stone tablet: Never-Ending War Co., Ltd. Biological Weapons Facility.
“Perhaps.”
Her gaze instinctively swept over the grayish-white ruined walls ahead, imagining some creature far larger than the sandworms once running rampant here.
A moment later, Anna stopped in front of a massive building.
This building was much better preserved than the surrounding ruins.
The walls were thick, and the foundation was still stable, but the entrance had collapsed.
Rubble blocked the doorway, completely obstructing the path inside. The gaps between the stones were packed with fine sand and dirt, making it look as though it had collapsed a long time ago.
“Help me clear this out. I want to go in and take a look,” Anna said.
Rosie walked over, sized up the rubble, and gripped the edges of a stone with both hands. With a surge of strength, she lifted the rock.
The stone was heavier than expected. She carried it to the side and dropped it, producing a dull thud as it hit the ground.
“This stone is really heavy.” She brushed the dust off her hands.
The dwarf was also moving stones. His arms were short, so the rocks he carried were smaller, but they were still heavy. Grunting, he shuffled to the side and set one down.
“These things are harder than the marble in our Dwarven Kingdom. I have no idea how they made them.”
The Baron ordered his soldiers and workers to help as well.
With more people, the speed of clearing the rubble increased significantly.
The sound of shovels prying into stone crevices, the clatter of rolling rocks, and the rhythmic chanting of the workers echoed through the empty ruins.
After working for over an hour, a path wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side was cleared through the entrance.
Anna was the first to step inside, with Rosie and the dwarf following closely behind.
The space inside the building was much larger than it appeared from the outside.
The dome was high, tapering inward. Light poured in from the entrance, illuminating the area ahead, while the deeper parts faded into a gray, hazy darkness.
A thick layer of dust and sand had accumulated on the floor; stepping on it kicked up fine plumes of gray mist.
Several tables, their original shapes no longer recognizable, were half-buried in the sand, showing only their grayish-white edges.
Rosie swept her gaze around but didn't see anything of value.
She turned her head to look at Anna.
“Do you know what this place is?” Rosie asked.
Anna looked around, her gaze pausing on the walls and tables for a moment before she spoke. “Judging by the structure, this should be some kind of archives.”
“Archives?” the dwarf repeated. “What are we here for then?”
“Do you think I'm like you all?”
Anna's chin lifted slightly, her tone carrying an undisguised pride.
“I didn't come here for vulgar gold, silver, and treasures. I came for lost knowledge.”
“Fine, aren't you noble...” the dwarf muttered.
The Baron stood at the entrance, surveying the interior space.
The ground here was flat and wide, and the walls looked sturdy. It was a suitable spot for a camp.
He turned to the knight behind him and ordered, “This location is good and spacious enough. Set up camp here.”
The knight complied and began directing the soldiers to set up camp.
Anna did not participate in the camping arrangements.
She walked slowly along the wall toward the deepest part of the building, stopping in front of a tightly closed metal door.
The metal door had a flat surface that gleamed with a dull luster.
There was no handle on the door panel, nor were there any visible gaps. It looked like a single solid piece of metal embedded in the wall, fitting tightly against the surrounding stone.
Only to the right of the center of the door was there an extremely thin vertical line, resembling the seam where two door panels met.
Anna looked at the door, then turned back. “Rosie, help me check what's written on the door.”
Rosie walked over and stood in front of the door.
Several symbols were carved above the door. The writing was clear and had not been completely eroded by time.
She deciphered them for a moment and read aloud, “Experimental Data Records Room.”
Anna nodded. “It seems we're in the right place. Can you open it?”
Rosie walked up to the door and reached out to give it a push.
Her palm touched the metal surface. It was ice-cold and smooth, and it didn't budge at all.
She applied more strength and pushed again, but the door remained completely still, as if welded to the wall.
She took half a step back and carefully examined the walls around the door. A few meters away, she discovered a slot embedded in the stone wall.
The slot was not large, about the size of a palm, and was made of the same material as the door, looking like the outline of a socket.
“It seems we need authorization,” Rosie said.
The Baron walked over, glanced at the slot, and then at the metal door. “Have the workers pry the door open. Our supplies are limited; we don't have time to waste here.”
Anna shook her head. “I've seen this kind of door before. It's made of a special alloy and is extremely difficult to destroy.”
The Baron turned his gaze to the grayish-white wall beside the door. “Then smash the wall open?”
The dwarf had already stepped forward. Raising his axe without another word, he swung it hard against the wall.
The blade struck the wall with a dull thud.
There was only a shallow white scratch on the surface of the wall.
“See that?”
The dwarf retracted his axe and patted the wall.
“This wall is cast in one piece, clearly poured directly. It's impossible to destroy with physical strength alone unless we use magic crystal explosives.”
“Weren't you doing excavation before? Do you have any explosives?” Rosie asked.
“Those things aren't easy to get. Usually, only a high-level alchemist can formulate them, and they are incredibly expensive. No one would be willing to waste them on digging rocks,” the dwarf said.
“If you don't have any, just say so. No need to make it so complicated,” Rosie grumbled.
“This is just a records room; the authorization level shouldn't be too high,” Anna spoke up. “Search other areas. Perhaps we can find something to open this door.”
Rosie looked at the female mage. “Are you sure?”
The female mage smiled slightly. “Ancient ruins aren't unique. I have studied ancient ruins with layouts similar to this place. Of course, that one didn't have a teleportation portal, nor was it underground.”
“Looks like that's our only option,” Rosie nodded.
“Once the camp is set up, I will send people out to search,” the Baron said.
Rosie looked at him. “I want to search personally. Experience tells me that good things don't just present themselves.”
She turned to the crowd and added, “Rosie's Adventure Squad is recruiting interested individuals!”
“An adventure squad? Sounds interesting, count me in!”
The dwarf's booming voice rang out immediately, bouncing the axe on his shoulder.
Anna shook her head slightly. “Count me out. Crawling through holes everywhere is not suited for a delicate woman like me.”
The Baron nodded. “I need to command the camp. Let John go with you; he is very experienced in scouting.”
Rosie nodded. “Alright. Quality over quantity. Let's rest a bit and then head out!
Rate on N.U.
