A day later, North Cornwall, abandoned drug factory district, Dungeon Serial Number A-173.
’They make billboards for dungeons too, huh?’ Cashel thought as he drove past the huge white billboard and into the already crowded parking space near the abandoned factory. He stepped out of the car, took out the bag he brought with him and walked over to the other side.
He helped Andeen out and let her go in while he stayed back to make a call.
On the second ring the caller answered almost immediately.
"Cashel, what’s the matter?"
"Where are the things I asked for? I can’t go in there barefaced." He said, glancing around to ensure no one was close.
The voice on the other end chuckled softly. The sounds of rustling filled the space before another laugh came again.
"I forgot. My apologies," he paused. "I’ll send Amia over to deliver them."
Beep!
Cashel cut the call and exhaled.
It was finally the day of the dungeon and Cashel was exhausted, more exhausted than he had ever been in his life.
Why? Andeen had to tutor him throughout the night about the dungeon and what to expect once they stepped in.
It was not unnecessary, but at the same time it was a lot.
He got to learn that the gates appeared when a certain amount of one of each; negativity, magnetic force, radiation and spiritual energy, was in one place.
For example, the gate he fought in last time was an old and weak one, and it was situated in a place where spiritual energy from the forest was high. Yes, the forest had a lot of spiritual energy.
This particular gate, ranked A, was as a result of the radiation and negative energy in the abandoned factory.
The files she showed him, the results from the gate’s investigation, showed that the factory was shut down as a result of the unexplained deaths and random awakenings that happened here.
Over two thousand people died in this area of the city and at the same time twenty people awakened, only to die about a year later in a similar gate.
The gate in question was an abandoned city type.
Cashel pushed his fingers into his hair and leaned backwards against his car until he was staring up at the canopy overhead.
"How long do I have to wait?"
"Not any more."
Cashel jolted upright, nearly pulling out his gun to shoot, only to find the masked woman from before beside him.
"Can you stop doing that?"
He sounded stressed and she only smiled, her red-stained lips curving sinisterly.
"I’ll be joining the ARM with you. Boss asked me to cover for you since you’re new and wouldn’t really know how to move around without exposing yourself," she smirked. "Especially with that hawk of a wife you have."
Cashel laughed softly. "Sure, just don’t let her hear you call her that." He glanced at the large black case, resembling a guitar bag. "Is that mine?" He asked, sounding rather excited.
Amia nodded. She held the case with both hands and stretched it out to him. "We took your preferences in mind and got the mask printed as fast as we could, but we couldn’t do anything about the voice changers or sound cancellers or the visors, so..."
Cashel waved dismissively. He closed the distance between them, placed his thumb on the scanner and the case clicked open.
His eyes brightened up instantly as the contents came into view, staring right back at him with the same gleam.
"I can sense the mana in them too," his voice dropped to a happy falsetto. "Damn," he muttered as he brushed the different silencers in one corner.
Amia narrowed her eyes. "These are enough to get you in a good mood, huh?"
Cashel glanced at her briefly with a flat expression, but once he looked at the weapons his eyes gleamed again.
"How much is all this?"
Amia tilted her head, adjusting the case resting on her arms like a table. "About a million plus. I’m not sure, but boss said it’s a welcome gift."
"Any opportunity to customise later?"
"Yes, everyone is entitled to their own weaponry and warehouse in the building," she smiled. "Your suits will have to be transferred through the system though."
Cashel suddenly paused. He raised his head and looked at her, his fingers resting on the dagger he was about to pick up. "What do you mean?"
"Boss has a way of sending stuff through the system. All he needs is to set our names on his inventory and send them," she paused. "Like gifts."
Cashel was stunned for a moment. He could not say a word, or admit he was fascinated by how easy things were with the system, but at the same time he was curious about the kind of system his new boss had.
Shaking his head, he bent a bit to get a clearer view of the case and then he narrowed his eyes.
"What does this ’sync with inventory’ do?"
Amia stretched her neck over to take a look at what he was talking about. When she saw it she laughed.
"Well, for someone like you with multiple weapons and vast demand for items, the case was created with your preferences and comfort in mind."
Cashel thought she sounded like she was running an ad with how she spoke but said nothing.
"You can connect your system directly to the case, especially in cases where you cannot open it and take out something, so you just have to summon it out."
Another wave of stunning.
Cashel could not hide the bright smile on his face. He quickly reset the security system on the case, added a new passcode and shut the case before taking it from her.
Then he swung the case over his shoulder and summoned his inventory. Just like she said, his new mask and combat suit were already there and a notification appeared over the screen.
[You have received a gift from the Player Gungod.]
[Item 1: B-tier Combat Suit ×1]
Description: A custom combat suit manufactured by the Black Market’s weapons division Textile and Thread Team. Constructed from mana-conductive materials and reinforced with high-density defensive fibers.
Effects:
Provides B-tier resistance against physical impact and low-to-moderate mana-based attacks.
Automatically adjusts to the wearer’s movements.
Reinforced against tearing, heat, pressure and friction.
Can synchronize with compatible weapons and equipment.
Special Feature: Stretches.
[Item 2: Temporary Mission Mask ×1]
Description: A provisional mask manufactured for temporary field operations. Designed primarily to conceal the user’s identity until their permanent equipment is completed.
Effects:
Conceals the wearer’s face.
Provides basic protection against dust and environmental debris.
Offers no significant enhancement to the wearer’s abilities.
Voice Modification: None.
Mana Suppression: None.
Visual Enhancement: None.
Duration: 72 Hours.
Warning: Automatic destruction upon expiration.
Cashel blinked in disbelief. Annoyed, he muttered, "Why not put a time limit on my entire body, tch."
He touched the combat suit through the inventory screen, his eyes practically glowing. The ability to store his equipment was convenient enough, but he missed carrying his weapons on his back too.
He felt complete.
It was ridiculous how something as simple as a case full of weapons could make him feel this way, but there was something comforting about having the tools he knew best within reach again.
Then—
Beep!
...another notification appeared.
[Mission Equipment Synchronization Complete.]
[Weapon Case linked to Player Inventory.]
[Compatible equipment detected.]
[Would you like to synchronize the Weapon Case with your Inventory?]
Cashel did not even hesitate.
’Yes.’
The massive case on his shoulder suddenly became lighter, then another sound came from the case, like a gear turning.
Cashel’s smile widened. "Now we’re talking."
Amia simply watched him from behind her mask. He had completely forgotten she was standing by him.
As she opened her mouth to speak...
"Honey!" Andeen’s voice suddenly came from the direction of the factory’s entrance.
His expression immediately changed. He returned to his bored look, dismissed the screens and turned around.
"I’m coming!"
Amia watched him hurry away, her lips curling into an amused smile beneath her mask. "He’s like a lovestruck teenager..." She glanced towards the entrance and saw him walk up to Andeen. He kissed her forehead, said something to her before hurrying towards the restroom.
Then she glanced at the sky and then to Andeen, who was looking right at her.
Amia froze. Her hand had already begun rising when she suddenly remembered...
’Oh... she’s blind.’ She slowly lowered her hand and tilted her head, wondering why Andeen’s head was turned towards her and why in her direction.
Yet Andeen’s face remained perfectly calm.
"...She really can’t see me, right?"
Amia shifted slightly to the left. Andeen’s head followed.
She shifted right. Andeen followed again.
Then Andeen suddenly smiled sweetly, sending intense chills up her spine, then she turned away as if nothing happened.