The Thief's Bargain and an Unlikely Alliance

The Rogue's sharp gaze swept over Yanaki's party. He assessed Sylva, a mass of muscle and wood that radiated power. He glanced at Volt, a standard combat automaton. He squinted at Elara, an entity he couldn't quite comprehend. And finally, he looked at Yanaki, the commander. He was a solo player; a 4-on-1 fight was clearly not to his advantage.

Yanaki understood that too. But she also knew that a fight here, amidst dozens of recharging machines, could accidentally activate all of them. That would be a disaster for both sides.

She decided to take a pragmatic path, true to the style of Aethelgard. She stepped out from the shadows, her hands raised moderately to show she had no immediate intention to attack. Sylva and Volt followed, forming a threatening but not proactive wall.

"We didn't come to pick a fight," Yanaki said, her voice calm and clear. "This place is big enough for both of us. We take our share, you take yours."

The Rogue let out a short, not-so-friendly laugh. He lowered his pair of daggers. "I'm Kael. And I don't believe in free 'sharing' in this Aethelgard."

He analyzed the situation, his voice low and experienced. "If we work separately, the noise will increase, and the risk of waking this entire nest will be higher. If we ignore each other, one of us might get stabbed in the back while busy 'carving up' a machine. I don't like those risks."

Kael pointed a finger at the ceiling. "Look there. That's the central energy conduit. If we destroy it, all the drills here will be permanently deactivated. But it's protected by an automated defense system. I've tried, but I can't get past it alone."

He looked directly at Yanaki, making a proposal.

"You have a big, tough brute," he said, nodding towards Sylva, "and an automaton. I have the skills to disable the security systems. I'll lead the way and disable the outer defenses. When the main defense system, the auto-turrets, activates, your 'brute' will have to tank the damage. While that's happening, I'll unlock the final control panel."

"Once the conduit's protective shell is open, we'll all destroy it together," Kael concluded. "Afterwards, all the components in this warehouse, we split fifty-fifty. Your team gets half, I get half. That's my bargain. Fair, efficient, and with the least risk."

Yanaki thought it over. It was a logical plan and a fair deal. A temporary alliance based on mutual benefit. She nodded. "Agreed."

"Good," Kael said. "Follow me."

He led the way, moving with a light-footed grace. With his professional tools, he easily disabled several laser traps and pressure sensors that Yanaki hadn't even noticed. Soon, they were standing before the central energy conduit, a giant brass pipe running along the cavern ceiling.

The moment they entered the area, dozens of small auto-turrets popped out from the walls and ceiling, aiming directly at them.

"Your brute, now!" Kael yelled.

"Sylva!"

The Guardian Treant roared, charging forward and raising its Legacy Shield. A relentless barrage of energy shots from the turrets rained down, creating a storm of light. Sylva took it all, its B-Rank shield performing to its fullest. Though its body was constantly pushed back, it stood firm.

While Sylva was drawing all the fire, Kael rushed to the control panel, his fingers flying across the keypad, disabling layer after layer of code. Volt stood beside him, shielding Kael from stray shots.

"Almost there!" Kael said through gritted teeth. "Get ready to attack!"

He pressed one final button hard. K-CHUNK! A metallic sound echoed. The titanium shell of the energy conduit slowly opened, revealing a rhythmically pulsing blue crystal core.

"Now!"

But just as Sylva and Volt were about to charge forward to destroy the core, a piercing, deafening alarm siren echoed throughout the cavern. Red emergency lights flashed continuously.

[WARNING! WARNING! CENTRAL DEFENSE SYSTEM BREACHED.]

[ACTIVATING "MINE-SWEEPER" DEFENSE UNIT.]

From the largest charging bay at the far end of the warehouse, a machine they had never seen before began to activate. It was three times larger than a T-9 drill, with four giant mechanical arms and a body encased in thick armor.

Kael swore. "Damn it! We've triggered the area boss!"

Their simple "harvesting" plan had unexpectedly turned into a boss battle that no one had anticipated. Their unlikely alliance was about to face its first real test.