Prologue To A Bigger Story

𝗛𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝘁ō

"""What a coward"""

I woke up early in the morning. The sunshine on my face because of the slight gap in the windows.

"Uggggghhh, I want to sleep," I said to no one but me. A few minutes later, I left my jacket as I leave my room.

"I want to go outside!!!!" Astoria who was wearing a sleeveless shirt complained as I was going down the stairs. The people silently agreed with her complaint but they understood why they were staying.

Of course, I have no idea why Astoria was complaining about it. After the quest yesterday, we decided to stop adventuring for a while after getting enough coins to stay for about two days or so. Looking around, Alice was nowhere to be found.

'Seems she's staying in her room again.'

I said with a feeling of irony. She always stayed in her room researching about summoning magic, the only time I saw her leave is when we go adventuring or Freya and Astoria drags her out.

It seems they finally noticed me

"Astoria, you know- Oh morning Himura." Freya greeted me.

As I approached and sat at the next table, Freya drags the chair I was sitting at to their table.

"...morning, what's with her?" As I ask Freya a question, Astoria cuts in. "Take a look at this Himura!"

*****

For about ten days starting today, Kliyer will be on lockdown. The unknown threat which the government is referring to as "The Abyss".

This threat has been located to the south inside the former artificial factory and all active adventurers and Kliyer's military power will be fighting the said threat.

For adventurers, please go to the adventurer guild for more information about a special quest.

In this lockdown, all civilians will not be allowed to go out. Only adventurers, artificials, soldiers, and those who have government-related work.

*****

"Huh," I said after reading most of it.

"What do you mean huh? How am I--" Astoria starts to rant about wanting to go outside. Ignoring it, I look at Freya and questioned her.

"Can't we just join that special quest?"

"We already went there but apparently the guild is still waiting for instructions from the government so until then, all adventurers are forced to stay where they are staying."

"I see." I waited for Astoria to finish her rant as I eat the food that I ordered. I left the table soon enough and decided to go to my room.

"I'll be in my room if you need me."

I head upstairs to my room. Grabbing my sketchbook, I sat on the top of my bed and spend my time drawing something.

After 30 minutes or so, someone knocked on my door. Unlocking the lock, I saw the three women in front of me.

"Yes?" I asked.

"We came to hang out!" Astoria said as he let herself into my room. Alice was in Freya's right arm while reading a book and also dragging a chair where a thick notebook was placed. She also looked troubled but after Astoria let herself in, she also let herself in and immediately sat at my table.

"Sorry." Freya apologizes as she waited for me to let her in.

"*Sigh* it's fine and lock the door for me."

I turn around followed by Freya.

"Geez Himura, why is this room so dark?" Astoria said with a playful smile. Saying nothing, I sat on my bed and continued drawing.

Alice was writing down notes as if she discovered something life-changing, Astoria was sitting on a chair that Alice dragged along looking outside and Freya sat next to me looking at my drawing.

'Recently, they've been more invasive of my privacy.' I said, sighing at this troublesome trio but for some reason, though I didn't know it, I was fine with it.

We all spend the time like this until dinner time.

*****

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗿𝘂 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁

"My hands are really sore," I complained.

"You can do. This honey!" A woman similar to my age responded to my complaints.

'My woman is truly amazing, she's been with me for about 6 hours now and all she's been doing is giving coffee and encouragement.'

"You're right I can do this!" I said with enthusiasm before I continued writing on documents. 'Though I was only a mere inventor, I was given this troublesome position called "Defense something something".'

'Honestly, it was really troublesome, it only give me more work.' I thought to myself and I was reminded of that threat. The Abyss.

Putting my hand on my forehead as if I have a headache. 'We barely know about them other than they will kill, absorb and replicate everything. By the rate that they are absorbing the land, it will take about five years at the minimum to kill everything on the surface and fiftteen if we fight but lose anyway. Bows don't do jack shit, so we had to make a fast weapon that is rapid-fire as well. Melee weapons do fine as well, but it's like they have eyes everywhere, they always manage to dodge.' Someone knocked at the door and a male artificer entered. "Mr. Likru! The weapon, they would like to see it!"

"...alright." I stand up and follow the man leaving but before that.

"I'll be back, honey." I wave at my wife.

"I'll be waiting." The old woman waves back at me.

*****

𝗛𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝘁ō

"Done." After some time, I finished my new piece. It was a stalus with a body made out of diamond and with a stone core on the side.

It took a while to draw and finish the concept art but it was fun.

Finally, I realized that the three women in my room were sleeping. Freya took one side of the bed and rested her head on it, Astoria in the window and was also resting her head with a pillow on it and Alice probably passed out on how tired she was. I put my jacket on Alice to cover her up and gave Astoria an extra blanket and closed the wooden window.

My hand was a bit sore and I was tired so sharing the blanket with Freya, I also hit the sack early.

After a while, I thought to myself. 'I could definitely...wake them up but I---'

Before I could finish my thought, I fell into a peaceful sleep which I couldn't wake up to.

*****

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗿𝘂 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁

In the dead of night. I arrived at the temporary base near the site. it was lit by only torches since we had to keep moving the base as the abyss grows bigger.

"How's the situation?" I asked one of the artificers.

"The Abyss is slow when they are consuming everything and fast when not. We also found about the mysterious barrier that repels them." The artificer explains.

"What else? clearly, there's something else." The artificer's face was grim.

'We already had about 12 deaths on this day but it's definitely not that.'

After a while, the artificer reluctantly speaks.

".....we found evidence that there may be more of these things in other countries."

"What?! Have you contacted the neighboring country?" I was shocked at this. How many people have they killed and how long have they been around?

"Yes, after we found out-"

""AHHH!!"" Screams of pain reverberated through the night.

When we look at the soldiers, they were slowly being eaten starting from the arm.

"Idiots, cut off your arm or your body will be eaten alive!!"

The artificer shouts but it was too late. As they slowly get consumed many artificials stab into him trying to quickly kill the abyss while it stays in his body.

The artificer had a sad yet angry face. I stayed silent not because of lack of grief but so I can't attract "him".

The plan was simple. Early in the morning, we call upon the soldiers and adventurers and we will set everything up.

The soldier will be positioned in a crescent position and the adventurers will be the flankers.

Using Likru as bait, the abyss which was already 1 kilometer wide will come from him and they'll try to kill as many of them.

That was the simplified version of the plan. A soldier heads my way and after a crisp salute, they spoke to me. "Sir, the weapon is working well." The soldier said brightly.

The weapon which I created was a repeating crossbow with 15 small bolts inside of it. Using magic to strengthen the string. We also made many other things that make its fire rate and speed increase in hopes of being able to fire at them.

I haven't made any weapons suited for close combat but based on the properties of the abyss, regular weapons are enough as long as you're fast enough to hit them.

Though it was simply unbefitting the standards today, it was effective at the least.

"I see, good," I responded as the soldier reports to me various things about the weapon before he leaves for another duty.

The artificer also leaves as well. I look at the abyss from a distance once again.

'If we are the first one to find out about these then this is only the prologue. This is now the concern of the entire world or maybe I'm just being paranoid.' I laugh at myself but soon hardened myself preparing for a battle that might last as long or longer than my lifetime. I went inside a tent where most of the commanders are, it seems they were talking about changing the battle position for tomorrow.