Chapter 376: Entering The Vault
(Basement Level V, Post-Inspection Chamber, Seconds Later)
Leo stepped through the sliding door of the inspection chamber, now wearing the semi-transparent cotton gown that clung uncomfortably to his skin, as the cold air of the next room prickled across his chest and thighs.
The two violet-marked operatives followed close behind, their steps silent as ever, as they ushered him forward into a narrow sterile passage that curved slightly to the left.
At the end of this corridor was a steel-lined alcove housing a single metal stool, atop which rested a sealed crystal vial filled with an iridescent green liquid that shimmered faintly under the dim overhead lights.
"Drink it," one of the operatives instructed, his tone clipped but not unkind.
Leo stepped forward, lifted the vial, uncorked it, and without ceremony, tipped it into his mouth.
The taste was foul.... thick, acrid, and vaguely metallic, like rotting copper mixed with seaweed, as within seconds of swallowing, his body reacted violently.
His stomach lurched as bile surged up his throat, and he staggered to his knees beside the metal stool just in time to vomit onto the grated floor.
*Hurk—*
The first heave brought out a stream of clear liquid, followed by a second that dragged up thicker globs of translucent stomach acid, all of which hissed faintly as they hit the enchanted drain before slipping in glob after glob.
*Hurk—*
A third heave yielded nothing but a sharp pain in his ribs, as Leo coughed hoarsely and wiped his lips with the back of his wrist, his body trembling from the convulsion.
Yet when it passed, he stood back up, breathing heavily but steadier, his face pale but his eyes sharp.
’Oh thank the lord I did not go with the vomit plan, or I would have been exposed right here,’ he thought, feeling oddly satisfied by his decision to swallow the keychain 12 hours prior, as his backup plan, as undignified as it had been, had succeeded.
The two operatives observed his vomit closely, but once they found nothing of note, they glanced at each other, before motioning him forward once more.
They passed through a final security archway, its curved rune-etched frame pulsing a soft white as it scanned Leo’s body one last time.
When no alarm sounded, the final door unveiled itself, splitting down the middle with an airy hiss.
Beyond which lay the true passageway to the vault.
—--------
*Step*
*Step*
Walking down the narrow 100 feet corridor leading towards the vault door, Leo felt an odd pressure pressing down on him.
This passageway had no guards, however, it felt like it had a decoy wall.
As he felt a constant uneasiness that something lethal would spring out of the wall, the moment someone who wasn’t supposed to be here tried to be here.
However, it was an instinct he was never able to verify, for very soon, he reached the vault door.
The vault door was massive at about 40 feet tall and twenty five feet wide, and seemed to be made from a metal that Leo did not quite understand.
Its surface glowed faintly with golden sigils that constantly rearranged themselves like living scripture.
Its perimeter bore no keyhole, no panel, no code to open the vault, and only had a smooth metallic ring and three thin indentations that seemed to serve no obvious mechanical purpose at first glance.
"Wait–" One of the operatives said, as he pulled out the same blade-like token he had used earlier, though this time, he unsheathed a second one from his companion and slotted both simultaneously into the indentations flanking the main seal.
A soft *click* echoed.
Then the two of them pressed their palms onto a glyph panel that shimmered into view above the vault’s surface.
A low mechanical groan echoed through the walls, followed by a deeper, more primal sound—a guttural *HISSSSS*— as the pressure within the chamber shifted, sucking the air slightly inward before stabilizing.
The vault had de-pressurized, and its end suddenly popped out of the surrounding wall, as it automatically opened to about 15 degrees, just wide enough for a man to enter.
Once the vault opened, the two guards immediately stepped back in unison and turned their backs to the vault door, as they did not dare even peek at what was inside.
"You have thirty minutes to make a choice once you’re inside," said the one to his left.
"The air within will only last for thirty minutes," said the one to his right.
"After that, this gate will seal shut," the left continued.
"And you will be trapped inside with no way to breathe, no way to escape, and no one to save you," finished the right.
"So make your decision within the time limit, and return before your breath runs out," the left concluded while still facing away.
Leo gave a short nod.
"I understand," he said, his voice level.
Then, without hesitation, he stepped through the opening gate, crossing the threshold into the vault.
The air inside was cool, impossibly still, and smelled faintly of copper and ancient parchment.
*Thud*
The vault door slid shut behind him with an almost tender finality, and a glowing green panel with the word ’Open’ appeared on the back end of the door, as a countdown for 30:00 minutes began.
Leo assumed that tapping that ’Open’ sign would allow him to exit, as he clapped his hands and thanked the gods for having this place to himself, as at least, he had no physical guard present to keep watch over him.
’No observers, if there are no cameras either, I will be gucci to carry on with the heist plan’ he noted instantly, scanning the interior of the vault as his gaze swept across the floor, walls, and ceiling.
The space was vast, far more expansive than he had expected, like a hollowed-out dome carved into the underbelly of the Earth itself.
Tall shelves lined the outer edges, stacked high with relics, weapons, and metallic ingots sealed behind reinforced mana-glass.
Rows of illuminated pedestals filled the center of the room, each bearing a different artifact, suspended in gentle stasis fields.
Scrolls that glowed with runic chains.
Swords that shimmered with folded elemental layers.
Jewels that pulsed like sleeping hearts.
It was, without a doubt, the greatest display of magical abundance he had ever laid eyes upon.
And yet, Leo ignored all of it.
Because his eyes were not here to admire.
His hands were not here to take.
His mission was not to claim a prize but to complete the heist set-up he was here for, so he squinted and stepped forward cautiously as he scanned the walls for anything unusual such as cameras, floating mana eyes or sound detection runes, but no matter how deeply he peered, the room gave nothing away.
There seemed to be no mana artefacts embedded into the walls, no whisper of surveillance, no trace of a presence that could betray his next move.
But just to double check, he used [Absolute Vision] to perform a deep scan as well, and while the mana artefacts in the room glowed with insane mana energy, the actual walls came back as nothing but reinforced metal walls, with no hidden devices in them.
It was as if the black serpents, in their arrogance, that no-one could ever make it this far, did not bother to include that security feature.
And so, Leo exhaled slowly, rolled his shoulders, and got to work, for the timer on the wall was already down to 28:20.