The Automaton Graveyard and the Scavengers
After thorough preparation, purchasing a few more repair kits and necessary components, Yanaki's party proceeded to an area frequented by few players: The Scrap Hauler Elevator Station. The elevator here was not sleek; it was massive, rusted, and let out horrifying screeches as it began its journey down, even deeper, to the very bottom of the flying city.
As the heavy metal doors opened, a completely different world was revealed. They were standing on a separate flying island, connected to the main city by giant chains. The sky above was completely obscured by the underside of Aethelgard, turning this place into a land of eternal twilight.
This was the Automaton Graveyard.
Giant mountains were formed from rusted metal, dead robots, and the wreckage of unidentifiable machines. Rivers of toxic coolant snaked between the scrap heaps. The air was thick with the smell of oxidized metal and the acrid scent of short-circuited wiring. Occasionally, an electric spark would flash somewhere in the darkness, accompanied by the groan of metal under its own weight.
"This place... is terrifying," Elara whispered. She felt uneasy in an environment with no living memories, only the silence of mechanical death.
They began to advance. Yanaki took out the [Ancient Signal Detector] that Valerius had given her. It was a brass device with a directional needle and a small lamp. The needle was trembling, pointing towards the center of the island, where the tallest mountain of scrap stood, looking like a collapsed skyscraper.
Scrabble... scrabble...
A sound of metal scraping against metal echoed. From within a pile of scrap, several mechanical scorpions charged out. Their bodies were patch-worked together from all sorts of components, and their tails were sharpened steel rods.
[Scrap Iron Scorpion]
Level: 11
Description: A mechanical creature that feeds on scrap. They hunt in packs and are very aggressive.
"Defensive formation!" Yanaki commanded.
Sylva and Volt immediately stood guard in front. The battle ensued. The scorpions were fast, but they couldn't penetrate the solid defense of the two tanks. Sylva's [Legacy Shield] easily knocked them away, while Volt's power mace paralyzed those that tried to slip past. Yanaki and Elara stayed in the back; Yanaki used her dagger to finish off those that were knocked back, while Elara warned of the positions of those still in hiding.
After clearing the pack of scorpions, they continued to follow the detector's guidance. The path to the center was not easy. They had to constantly face mechanical scavengers and the natural traps of the junkyard: areas of sinking ground, sharp metal plates, and dangerous [Camouflaged Auto-Cranes], machines that could disguise themselves as scrap heaps to wait for prey to pass by.
As they crossed a metal slope, they saw another group of players in the distance, also struggling to fight a large pack of scorpions. Yanaki signaled for her party to go around, avoiding unnecessary attention. Her mission was the top priority.
Finally, they reached the base of the giant scrap mountain. But the only path up, a makeshift bridge made from the body of a fallen transport robot, was being guarded by another machine.
It was not like the other scavenger monsters. It was large, humanoid, and encased in thick armor. Its two arms were two cannons that sprayed a type of high-pressure coolant. It stood imposing in the middle of the bridge, its red sensor eyes scanning back and forth.
[Scrapheap Supervisor G-8]
Level: 22
Description: A security automaton designed to manage and stop scrap thieves. Equipped with high-pressure coolant cannons capable of freezing and cutting metal.
When it detected Yanaki's party, a robotic, emotionless voice sounded from its speaker.
[Warning. Restricted area. Trespassers will be neutralized.]
The gatekeeper of the path had appeared. There was no Kael here to help. Yanaki and her party had to overcome this on their own.
The Scrapheap Supervisor raised its two cannons, and the energy coils on them began to glow with a cold, blue light. The battle with the guardian of the path to the treasure was about to begin.