"This floor is..."
The area Jin D and Reiko emerged into had a completely different atmosphere than the levels above.
"It doesn't feel like the work of the Progenitors," Jin D remarked, immediately identifying the source of the discrepancy.
The floor was made of steel, whereas the previous level had been paved with polished stone.
"Markitus must have renovated this floor. Reiko, be car—"
Before he could finish his warning, it happened.
The gravity in the room suddenly spiked, becoming ten times stronger in an instant. However, neither Jin D nor Reiko so much as flinched under the sudden tenfold increase in weight.
"I see. A trap typical of someone like Markitus, who specializes in gravity magic."
While he spoke, the force increased to 20G. It was still meaningless to them.
"The steel flooring must be an reinforcement to withstand the gravity magic," Reiko observed.
"Most likely."
Still conversing casually, Jin D and Reiko began scouting the floor for an exit. The gravity eventually climbed to 30G before finally plateauing.
"It seems thirty Gs is the limit."
Jin figured it was likely a limitation of the mana required to maintain the field.
"Still, being able to output a constant thirty Gs is impressive."
Gravity magic was notoriously inefficient. Being able to maintain such a high output continuously suggested a highly sophisticated management system.
As they walked across the room, they noticed something else: the gravity wasn't uniform. It was weakest near the entrance, at around 20G, and reached its 30G peak near the center.
"Given the nature of the trap, the exit is probably located where the gravity is strongest."
"That is logical, Father."
While a more devious enemy might have inverted the logic, they decided to investigate the most likely possibility first.
"The gravity is getting a bit higher this way."
"Yes. Though it has only gone from thirty Gs to thirty-one."
As they moved forward, it hit 32G. Moving laterally caused no change, but moving further ahead brought it to 33G.
"It’s straightforward enough, but... somehow..."
If Jin were the one designing this, he would have made the point of maximum gravity a trap and placed the actual exit slightly off-center.
I wonder if my personality is getting as twisted as my enemies', he mused.
As it turned out, Markitus was just as petty as Jin had feared. The moment Jin D and Reiko reached what appeared to be the peak gravity point, a pitfall suddenly yawned open beneath their feet.
While the opening was "sudden," it took approximately 0.3 seconds from the start of the mechanism until the floor was fully retracted, making it easy to react to. Jin recognized the danger in 0.1 seconds, they leaped clear in 0.2, and the hole finished opening at 0.3.
"It was a trap after all," Reiko noted.
"Yeah."
On the surface, their conversation seemed relaxed, but both were fully engaged. Reiko was scanning the surroundings with hyper-vigilance, while Jin, operating Jin D, analyzed the purpose of the pit.
"Reiko, scan the hole."
"Yes, Father."
Reiko used her magi-detector to peer into the dark opening. "There is a high-concentration mana reaction at the bottom."
"Just as I thought."
It was the classic dilemma: a trap that looked like an exit, or an exit hidden within a trap.
"My Lord, if I may be so bold, might I investigate with the Peeping Telescope?" Laojun’s voice came through. Reiko could use a simplified version of the function, but her precision was limited compared to the specialized equipment. She could see through walls, but fine detail was difficult.
"Yeah, good idea. Time is of the essence. Do it."
Jin was determined to use every asset at his disposal.
"Understood."
Three seconds later, Laojun reported back.
"The hole is approximately ten meters deep. There is an electrical trap at the bottom. However, there is a side tunnel about three meters above the floor of the pit that leads to the next level. It appears to have been an original maintenance tunnel, so there are no direct traps inside. The only potential risk would be an environmental attack, such as flooding the passage with liquid or gas."
"Got it. Thanks."
"Father, shall we proceed?"
"Let's go. But stay sharp. If they cut the gravity magic while we're mid-drop, it'll throw off our balance."
"Indeed. If they timed the switch within point zero-one seconds, it would be quite troublesome."
But the feared interference never came. Jin D and Reiko reached the side tunnel without incident.
"If this is a maintenance tunnel, it has to connect to a primary corridor or a control room eventually."
"As you say, Father."
The two began navigating the maintenance passage. The ceiling was only about 150 centimeters high, forcing Jin D to walk with a slight hunch, though Reiko could walk upright. The only light came from the dim, bluish glow of Ether Lights, but that was more than enough for their advanced optical sensors.
"What on earth are they...?"
The slavedoll acting as Markitus’s eyes watched their progress with a voice full of exasperation.
"Ugh..."
Suddenly, the slavedoll groaned. The doll itself felt no pain, but the actual Markitus controlling it was clearly suffering, and his agony was reflected in the doll's movements. Curiously, the assistant automata standing nearby did not react to his distress.
"...Phew."
After about two minutes, Markitus regained his composure.
"They have entered the maintenance tunnel."
<Yes, Lord Markitus. How shall we proceed? Current options include flooding the passage with molten steel, detonating the tunnel structure, or filling the area with chlorine gas.>
The assistant automata listed the lethal countermeasures with cold efficiency, but Markitus shook his head.
"None of that will work. It is enough. I shall receive them here."
<Are you certain, my lord?>
"I am."
<...Understood.>
Jin D and Reiko moved cautiously through the narrow passage.
"Father, nothing has happened yet."
"Yeah. I figured they’d have tried pouring in molten metal or poison gas by now."
"Perhaps they have realized such attempts are a redundancy?"
It was a casual observation, but the implications were grim. They continued through the maintenance tunnel without lowering their guard.
"This way?"
"Yes. The mana reaction is strongest in that direction."
They spent twenty minutes navigating the labyrinthine crawlspaces, guided by Reiko's magi-detector.
"There is a massive reaction just ahead."
"Yeah, I can feel it too."
They reached the end of the maintenance tunnel. A single door stood before them.
"I wonder what's waiting for us... We need to be more careful than ever."
But before Jin D or Reiko could reach for the handle, the door slid open on its own.
"Welcome, Intruders."
Waiting to receive them were Markitus’s slavedoll and ten high-performance assistant automata.