Chapter 77: Connection

Jace and Joy stepped out of the room, finding their two companions already waiting. 

—Good, you're here! Look at this, to me it seems like a continuation of the entry before the test—The enthusiast pointed to a screen projected on the wall. 

[Even now I have no answers to all my questions, but at this point in my life it doesn't matter. I've lived longer than anyone could wish, invented and discovered more than I ever dreamed in my youth. I even saw heroes rise, my dearest friends, yet couldn't protect them. Perhaps that is my one true regret in this long life. 

—Savant of the Grand Archive]

—How sad...—The mage's comment was simple after finishing reading. 

—Sad? I don't see it that way. As it says, he did everything he wanted in his life. Asking for answers to his questions or wanting to do more might border on greed. Still... who could this person have been? I don't think Savant of the Grand Archive was his real name. 

—Who knows. Seems we're nearly done with this tower—The red demon exclaimed while looking out the window, discovering everything below was now covered by hundreds of clouds.

—Alright team, one final push!—The enthusiast rallied them as they advanced down the last hallway, encountering a massive metal door covered in strange engravings—Three wretches inside. Like the others, they're robotic models... but these feel more dangerous. Stay sharp. 

Jack and the enthusiast heaved the door open, revealing a cavernous chamber. Cables snaked across every surface, walls, ceiling, floor, all converging on a circular control panel at the far end, its center projecting a holographic planet. 

Before the panel stood three wretches, detaching from their wiring as the intruders entered. 

The leftmost vestige coiled like a serpent, its upper half sprouting three elongated arms on each side, each wielding a scalpel. Its metallic skull-face wore a surgical mask and cap, eyes glowing violent red. 

The rightmost opponent stood quadrupedal, its claw-tipped legs supporting a lashing tail. A red holographic face, twisted in rage, hovered above its shoulders. 

The central figure maintained a humanoid form, with armored wrists, ankles, and chestplate. Its helmet featured a single darting eye that analyzed the group with mechanical precision. 

Jack and Jace charged simultaneously as Joy activated her second ability, forging their psychic link. Across the room, the serpent-bot and quadruped launched their counterassault.

Jack faced the quadrupedal machine, while his brother confronted the serpentine one. Jace fired multiple shards at the robot, but it easily dodged with its flexible body, countering with its scalpels. Yet the blue demon, still under the effects of his ability, calmly blocked them with his spear. 

Meanwhile, Jack engaged the quadrupedal robot head-on, slashing at it with his saber but failing due to the vestige's immense agility. Unfazed, the demon began strategizing, discreetly setting a trap with his free arm. Through their shared connection, he sensed the mage had noticed his plan, she was preparing a spell to ensure his scheme bore fruit. But something would soon twist the course of the battle. 

Without moving, the central vestige stopped shifting its great eye. Instead, it raised its arm as if transmitting orders. Without even looking, the two robots reacted instantly, swapping opponents in a flash and leaving the group stunned. 

Mid-movement, two things happened: First, the quadrupedal robot's face shifted, taking on one eerily similar to Jack's, twisted in anger. Second, the serpentine robot gathered all its scalpels and slashed the air, seemingly to no effect, but the group quickly realized the truth. The connection granted by Joy's ability had been severed. 

Before he could react, Jack was overwhelmed by the serpentine vestige's barrage of blades, losing his advantageous stance as minor cuts riddled his clothes. Yet it was only a matter of time before deeper wounds followed. 

From a distance, Joy tried to reestablish her connection with the others, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't hold. Limited, she resorted to smaller spells to avoid accidentally striking Jack. 

Jace, too, was in dire straits. The quadrupedal robot, having taken Jack's face, had also copied his abilities—its maw spewed torrents of flame, barely contained by hastily raised ice walls. But the barriers couldn't withstand the blistering heat for long, and the resulting smoke masked the machine's movements, catching Jace off-guard repeatedly. Weighed down by all this, the blue demon could no longer maintain his calm demeanor, causing his frost and spiritual energy expenditure to spike.

—(These vestiges wouldn't be such trouble if not for that one staying back. Just like us, they have a connection - ours was cut off. Our only option is for me to become that connection for now. Anyway, the only one who really needs help is Jack. Jace can probably handle himself once he realizes. If that doesn't happen, we'll be available to assist)— Thought the enthusiast while keeping his bow drawn. He couldn't shoot without the right moment, as he might hit one of the two demons—Joy, follow me! Prepare your telekinesis!

Desperate from being unable to help, Joy simply obeyed, advancing alongside the enthusiast toward Jack. Who had already set part of the room ablaze due to his rage, while bleeding from multiple parts of his body. Knowing the time had come, he discarded his saber and used his apprentice ability to summon his great flaming sword.

He could clearly see his two companions approaching him, so he attacked without fear. The serpentine robot had already observed Jack's changes and kept dodging, only this time it had no room to counterattack.

The red demon managed to corner the vestige, preparing to deliver a fatal blow. And even if he failed, his two companions would at least ensure some damage. This was also known by the great-eyed robot, which with no other option launched itself at high speed toward Jack, exactly what the enthusiast wanted.

—Now!—As if it were a command, Joy's telekinesis spell took effect, trapping the great-eyed robot mid-air and making the enthusiast smile—Actually this whole time I've been looking for you, you fool.

The enthusiast released his charged arrow, piercing through the robot's skull with some difficulty and sending it crashing to the far end of the room with its eye destroyed.

At that moment, both demons could feel a shift in the battle. The movements of the other two robots became more erratic, making more mistakes, something neither demon would overlook.

Jack made his fatal attack. Unfortunately, he missed, but he persisted, continuing to strike with his great sword and shooting flames. The serpentine robot could barely keep up with its dodging. The red demon unleashed a powerful attack - from his great sword came an explosion that nearly caught the vestige. Seeing an opportunity to counterattack, it lunged at Jack, which only made him grin:

Boom!

The trap he had set earlier could finally be used, though its final victim wasn't the original intended target. Regardless, the codex soon made its presence known:

[You have killed "Prototype 76: Chirurgus" a wretch]

Moments before the enthusiast's entire stratagem unfolded, Jace was still resisting as best he could under immense pressure, watching clearly as all his companions moved to help his brother.

—(Why aren't they helping me? Can't they see I'm suffering too?)—Negative thoughts flooded the demon's mind, but in the heat of battle, he had to reconsider quickly—(I can't be a crybaby now. Mr. Kai is too smart. If he's not coming to help me, there must be a reason... but what is it?).

Though he thought this, it didn't stop the quadrupedal robot's ferocious attacks. Finally cornered behind an ice wall, completely alone, Jace reached a pleasant realization: 

—(My brother's heat is always comforting...even when now hurled by a monster...hah, come to think of it, I'm more likely to burn from my own ice than his fire)—With this final thought, his ice wall evaporated as a fireblast overwhelmed Jace, seemingly incinerating him. But this was quickly disproven when he shot forward with minimal burns, his surrounding ice turning to smoke—(Seems for once this power of mine works in my favor). 

Fearlessly, Jace confronted the robot head-on, fighting fire with ice. The battle was even at times, but when the enthusiast destroyed the central robot's eye, the scales tipped decisively in Jace's favor. 

However much fire the quadrupedal robot spewed, it couldn't match Jace's pace. The demon simply let go, knowing he'd quickly be heated by his enemy's own flames. With this advantage, he regained his calm. Cornering the robot, Jace unleashed a massive frost discharge, encasing the vestige's entire body until completely frozen.

[You have killed "Prototype 43: Canticore" a wretch] 

With both vestiges eliminated, the group simultaneously turned to the last one struggling to rise from the ground. Before it could react, they surrounded it, Jace froze its body solid, and Jack's great sword cleaved its head off, sending it rolling across the floor. But then something surprising happened:

—G-g-good job, Gooood jobbb—A robotic voice came from the head before its lights finally went out. The codex promptly announced the victory:

[You have killed "Personal Assistant, Final Prototype: Halleus" a wretch]

—Great job team!

—Yeah...that was harder than expected— The red demon paid no mind to his bleeding as he approached his brother and began warming him.

—You two never change—Joy joined in too, healing them both with her magic. The enthusiast, meanwhile, was exploring the room.

—Hmm...actually, whoever built this pagoda seems to have lived on this very planet. Interesting to say the least, especially considering this place is full of technology that should be impossible to build...

—What are you muttering about, sir?— asked the red demon as he stood beside the enthusiast.

—Nothing special. Hey Jack, there's something near you that caught my attention. Can you grab it?—The enthusiast pointed to a specific object on the panel. Without much thought, Jack picked it up, a key whose material the demon couldn't identify upon touching it. Before he could even speak, a new codex screen appeared before his eyes. 

[Special item recognized. Deposit?] 

—Huh?—Confused, the demon looked at the screen with its key slot—It says I can deposit this key. Should I do it? 

—Well...— answered the mage hesitantly. 

—Do it if you think it's right— Jace replied lazily. Finally, the enthusiast nodded with an expectant look. 

With everyone's approval, Jack inserted the key. Upon leaving his touch, it turned and disappeared along with the screen, making way for a new one. 

[The second of three seals has been broken]