The Lost Super-Hero

Chapter 8.2 - Hotpot in a Hotspot (2)

Nolen had been walking away from the magma river for several days now. His explorer instincts triggered him to continue collecting materials even as they moved further away, like an impulse. Meanwhile, Romy began to gather data and information for Nolen. Fortunately, her systems had recovered to the point where she could move independently in her crystal drone form for a couple of hours in her drone form, up to 1 kilometer away from Nolen. However, she still needed to return to Nolen periodically to recharge.

"There is something strange about this area. Something about the air composition and the magnetic field is different here." Romy mentioned.

"Do you know what it is?" Nolen asked. Several meters away.

"I can't fully detect the details because of the area's ash clouds and volcanic activity, but the magnetic field seems very strong here." Romy continued.

"What do you mean strong? Strong enough to be created by a power source?"

If it can generate this magnetic field, the source may be strong enough to enhance your repair functions and provide you with energy to regain some strength instead of waiting.

"How much energy are we talking about? Would it be enough for me to fly?" Nolen asked.

"No, I am afraid not. The magnetic field here is not strong enough for that. It might give you a little boost in strength and durability. Lucky you are still powerful enough to deal with most things here." Romy responded.

"Well, good enough, I guess. It should improve our situation and recover some of your system. It will allow us to do more complex things or activate more of your functions." Nolen then continued to ask.

"So, where is it, and what should we do?"

"First, we need to find the source of the field. I’m sure the power source will be at its center."

Romy replied.

"Let's start our search then."

Nolen started to walk to the area Romy indicated.

***

After two days of searching, they were able to locate the origin of the magnetic field. It appeared to be an artificial cavern under a mountain within the ruins of an ancient civilization. It was most likely an artifact that had been hidden for centuries.

Nolen had no choice but to enter the artificial cave. Getting some of Romy’s function back appealed to his sense of adventure.

Romy was an extraordinary AI companion created by the brightest minds of the Solarian Commonwealth to assist Nolen in exploring and colonizing the galaxy. She was designed to provide guidance and be a friend to Nolen during the most challenging times of his mission. Romy possessed advanced capabilities such as analyzing ancient languages, decoding intricate patterns, simulating strategies for dealing with formidable adversaries, and many other valuable tools. However, beyond her technical abilities, Romy had a developing personality that made her more than just a tool to Nolen - she was his friend. Therefore, one of Nolen's top priorities was to restore her to full strength.

As he entered the mysterious cave, the air grew heavy, and the weight of its history was palpable. The winding path ahead led to some ancient ruins, its walls adorned with designs and patterns eroded by time. Lit by luminescent green moss, it provided enough light to guide his way through the cavern's darkness.

Nolen couldn’t help but imagine this place in its heyday. He has always been passionate about history and ancient cultures, so he learned and taught them during his free time.

While Nolen was lost in thought, Romy's sensors picked up faint vibrations beneath the stone floor, alerting him of her findings that the ruins were not deserted.

“Nolen, we must tread carefully," Romy warned, projecting a three-dimensional map of the dungeon's initial chambers. 

"There are signs of movement below, but I can't identify the source. The minerals in the walls are blocking my sensors," Romy continued.

Nolen descended slowly into the cave's depths, acknowledging Romy's warning with a nod.

Nolen advanced with his Axe drawn in one hand and the sword in the other. They encountered the first trap, a floor covered in pressure-sensitive tiles. Romy's sensors analyzed the tiles' patterns, enabling Nolen to navigate them unscathed. As they moved deeper into the dungeon, they encountered more intricate traps, such as a hallway filled with swinging pendulum blades.

Romy's quick calculations and guidance ensured Nolen's survival. It was like enabling a cheat code or easy mode to avoid traps. Romy continued to guide him and check the path to see if it was safe.

After several hours of walking, he fought a humanoid stone machine, which he defeated quickly.

Romy analyzed the primitive machine, studying its composition and design.

“It seems to be some kind of golem of sort.”

"It must have been guarding this for a long time. Do you think we are alone now?" Nolen asked.

"We are alone. I swept the area; we should be safe."

"Okay then, let's keep going."

Nolen proceeded to walk deeper into the cave. He could see some writing on the wall and that it had drawings; after a moment of Romy scanning the writing, they moved along.

He then approached the drawings and started to look at them closer.

"I don't recognize this language," Nolen said.

"It is probably an ancient script, a remnant of this civilization from the past of this world," Romy answered.

"Have you seen this type of writing before?" Nolen asked.

"No, but using the different languages of Earth and some linguistic algorithms in my system, I can roughly guess what it says. Mind you, we don't have the data on languages in this world and don't have access to the universal almanac at the moment, so more or less, this won't be that accurate." Romy answered.

"Well, better than nothing; we can take it as a guide. We can figure out what to do next by decoding the writing."

Nolen continued to walk while looking around the cave, and Romy made sure to archive the writing and images in her memory.