Temple Of An Unknown Cult (1)
That was enough.Atlas darted to the side, avoiding the blow of the second enemy.The first one was still trying to come to his senses, but it was too late.
A sharp jerk.
The blade slid across his defense.
– Minus one! Atlas growled, pushing off the ground.
The remaining two immediately changed tactics.
– He's not that simple! Hold it down!
They rushed forward at the same time.
Atlas smiled: –It's too late.
Atlas jumped back sharply, avoiding the synchronized blow.
They realized that he was no easy prey.
But that didn't mean they would back down.
–I have acquired new skills, one of which is a Sense of Waste.
[Passive skill of the [Scavenger] "Sense of Discarded" is activated.]
[Item found: A trap made of broken mechanisms.]
Atlas spotted her in the grass.
Someone left an old mechanical trap–broken, but still working.They don't know about her.
–Excellent Sin, the right side!
His mount beast reacted instantly, rushing towards the second opponent, forcing him to change his position.Atlas rushed to the left, straight to the trap.
There was only one thing left – to make them come.He spun around, pretending to stumble.
– Ha, gotcha! – one of the PKAshers rushed after him, swinging his blade.
And that's when his foot touched the mechanism.
[Trap activated!]
[Target is immobilized for 3 seconds.]
–Wh... what?
With a click, the metal teeth snapped shut on his leg.Atlas didn't give him time to recover.
One quick movement.A blow to the neck.
[The opponent is defeated.]
There was only one left.The one who was the leader.
He looked less confident now.
–You…
Atlas wiped his blade as he took a step forward.
–You have a chance to leave. Or... you'll stay here forever.
He clenched his teeth, looked back... and ran.
[You have won!]
[Gained experience.]
[Your reputation among PCashers hunters has increased.]
Atlas took a deep breath, putting his weapon away.
He won.
The air shark swam closer, its fins calming down again.
– Good job, partner. –Atlas looked towards the forgotten trace of aura.
Lina waited.He exhaled, taking the first step forward.
Atlas watched as the blurry trace of Lina's aura strengthened again, becoming brighter.It was as if the fight with the Pkashers itself had pushed him further.
[You have gained +1 level.]
[Current level: 7.]
[Dagger Combat skill improved to Level 2.]
[Tactical Evasion skill improved to Level 2.]
[All Stats improved by +2]
He felt a slight surge of strength coursing through his body.It was a pleasure.
But it's too early to relax.
– Go ahead.
The air shark wagged its tail, circling nearby.
The trail led deeper into the Forgotten Hills.Atlas walked faster, feeling a new lightness in his movements.The experience was bearing fruit.
Soon the road became less level, the rocky trails were replaced by overgrown ruins.And then…
[You have discovered a hidden area: The Deserted Temple of a Forgotten Cult.]
[Threat Level: Unknown.]
Atlas froze.The temple was old, dilapidated, and entwined with roots.
And something about him felt wrong.
"Was the old lady here?"– He took a step forward.
The air thickened.
And suddenly…
[System Notification: Congratulations! You have completed a Unique Quest for Beginners – new ways to improve are open.]
[Your Scavenger class has gained access to hidden features.]
Atlas frowned. –What does that mean?Hidden features?
A new menu appeared on the screen, different from the standard skill tabs.Atlas read it slowly:
[Additional specialization: "Antiquities Collector"]
[Allows you to find and recycle forgotten artifacts, turning them into useful materials.]
[Unique skill: "Repair of forgotten items"]
[Allows you to repair broken artifacts, giving them new properties.]
Atlas exhaled: –What a surprise.
His "Scavenger" class, which seemed useless, was now getting something special.
But why now?He looked at the temple in front of him.
Old architecture, dilapidated columns, forgotten symbols…He seemed to understand.
This temple was associated with his new power. So, in order to understand what exactly he got, he had to log in.
The air shark vibrated softly in the air, as if sensing the changes.
– Well, shall we check it out? He took a step forward.
As soon as he crossed the border of the temple, another notification appeared.
[You have entered an abnormal zone.]
[An ancient artifact has been discovered. Repairs are possible.]
Atlas smiled. It looks like his "useless" class has just become the key to something much bigger.Atlas took a couple more steps inside.
The air became heavier, as if an invisible veil of time hung inside.The stone walls, covered with moss and cracks, still held remnants of ancient symbols.
Suddenly, something lit up under my feet.
[You have activated the runes of an ancient cult.]
[Starting the test...]
Atlas tensed.The floor began to vibrate faintly, and thin lines of light crept across the walls, connecting the symbols into a single pattern.
Sin growled softly, her body glowing slightly with tension..
_Looks like there's no turning back, partner.
At that moment, an echo came from the depths of the temple.A quiet, scratching sound.
It was as if something ancient, forgotten, had begun to awaken.
[The trial has begun: Fix what is destroyed.]
A blue holographic diagram flashed in front of the Atlas, showing the destroyed artifact.Part of it was lost, the other was damaged.
Atlas looked at the description carefully.
[Artifact: The Heart of the Temple]
[The broken mechanism that once supported the power of this place.Restoration is necessary.]
Atlas thought about it.Now his new "Repair of Forgotten Items" ability could come into play.He stretched out his paw to the artifact and felt a faint response.
It was not an ordinary item.There was still some life in him.
So... he could have been saved. Atlas took a deep breath.
The heart of the Temple sounded formidable, but now there was only a pile of ancient fragments in front of him, covered with a touch of time.His new ability activated automatically, but…
["Repair of forgotten items" skill – Level 1.]
[Chance of successful repair: 35%.]
[Additional materials required.]
–35%? Seriously? – Atlas frowned.
That's too little.He examined the pieces.They were smooth and cracked, but there was a faint light flickering in the center of each one.
Something was keeping them from completely collapsing.
[Tip: Some forgotten items require not only repair, but also a proper understanding of their structure.]
Atlas ran his paw over the largest fragment.Immediately, a faint throbbing started in his head.He saw something.Blurred images.
It was as if someone had used this artifact a long time ago.
"...Interesting."
If he just tries to fix it with brute force, the chance of failure is obvious.I had to find another way. Atlas began to inspect the ruins, looking for fragments that fit the main structure.
The air shark was flying nearby, picking up the weak energy streams.
And soon…
[Additional fragments found: 3 pieces]
[Chance of successful repair increased to 50%.]
That's better. Atlas put the fragments in the right order, trying to feel the natural connection.But as soon as he touched the central piece…
Flash.
Headache.A blurry silhouette flashed before my eyes.
Someone has restored this artifact before.But how?
The last detail remained.But when Atlas tried to connect it, there was resistance.It was as if the artifact itself would not accept repair.
[An additional energy source is needed.]
Atlas swore.He didn't know where to get it.But suddenly... the air shark vibrated softly and touched the fragment with its fin.Her body began to glow faintly.
Atlas looked at his partner in surprise.Could she really help?He gently took her fin and channeled the energy into the artifact.
And then…
[Repair start... 60%...]
[Error. Not enough energy.]
–Damn it. It wasn't enough. Atlas thought about it.
He needs another source.…But where can I get it?
Atlas stared at the dimly glowing artifact.
60%... is not enough.
[Error. Not enough energy.]
So we need another source.He looked at the air shark.
She has already given away some of her energy, and asking her to do it again is too risky.But if not Sin…
Atlas raised his paw and stared at her.
[You can use your own energy for repairs.]
[Warning: this will require significant resources.]
To be continued, please like and save…