Hero Scout

To either side of each was a ma.s.sive drop, and the platforms were only barely big enough for a small child. They moved in defined patterns, and with his enhanced perception, choosing the right moment to cross became easy.

What was not easy, however, was following through.

Kenji started to run, stalled, and slunk back behind the corner.

It was so scary; he could plunge to his death. Was treasure really worth all that?

The gold door glinted, the keyhole yearned to be reunited with its lover and Kenji was loathe to pull them apart. Fiddling with the jewelled key in his hands, Kenji secured it and took off towards the platforms.

If he was actually an elf that was fast as the wind, with instincts ingrained over countless years, there would have been no problem. If only a frightened human soul wasn"t the one in charge, things might have moved smoothly. Instead, Kenji slipped as he jumped on the first platform, and so was forced to rely solely on someone else"s instincts. Falling onto the second, Kenji rolled onto the third, to then fling himself onto the fourth and step off on the other side.

In a daze, it took him a few moments to realise he had survived at all. Peering down the darkness behind him, he could see no bottom. The pit just went on forever, and Kenji shivered to think what would have happened if he had not moved instinctually in that exact moment.
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A sword swung, the artificial guards returning to Kenji"s focus as he lithely rolled aside and jumped into a crouching position. One charged, and two others stomped fiercely amidst a floor covered in pressure plates.

Rolling past the guard, Kenji leapt along the path, having already memorised the pattern- needles fired.

"AHH!" Kenji screamed, running madly as needles flew behind him. Stepping on every d.a.m.n pressure plate in a row, Kenji outran the storm of needles, many hitting the artificial guards only to ping off their armour.

Kenji ducked, the artificial guard"s mace splintering the stone wall behind him.

The guards shifted and yet were forced to march in their stiff patterns to reach him.

Tenji meanwhile arrived at the last trap. A stone tablet atop a pedestal. In front of the setup were long lines in the floor, with the golden door just behind.

Apparently, the elf had seen this trap before. Magic runes would send wind magic saw blades ripping along the lines in the floor to rip through those who put the wrong code into the tablet.

And while the elf didn"t know any magic herself to help figure out the right code, she did know a trick to force it to deactivate. Following her knowledge, Kenji shifted to the boy knight, activated [Blessing-fire] and drove the flaming blade right down the tablet amidst a wild burst of rainbow coloured magic.

The three artificial guards had been about to club the brains out of Kenji before they too froze, becoming still as statues. Kenji sighed with relief, having to mop the sweat from his brow and pull back his flame-coloured hair. Heaving at his blade - it was stuck. Whatever magic had been in the stone had fused the steel with it, the whole blade now just stuck inside the stone tablet and the pedestal it had lain upon.

"Yeah, you rest easy buddy. You deserve it," Kenji left the sword behind, despite the weird ache he felt at doing so. Arthur"s childhood memories with the blade pulled at his heartstrings. It had been his fathers, the symbol of his household.

"d.a.m.nit, fine! I"ll come back for you somehow!" Kenji snapped and ran for the door.

Thrusting in the key, he turned it with a satisfying click. Yawning open, the huge golden door revealed a ma.s.sive room filled with wealth, treasure chests, and weaponry of all kinds.

The three G.o.ds of this kingdom were everywhere. Symbols of an eye, a heart and food plastered every cup and wall. Kenji first picked up a blue-steel dagger from a display case, then started putting the gold coins laying around in his pocket before he realised- what was he doing?

This was common grade loot. Here to buy time in case of theft for the guards to arrive.

The real loot would be deeper within.

Moving past the mounds of treasure it began to dawn on him.

This. could. not. be. real.

As much as he wanted it too, this much gold in a place like this would be absurd.

Removing the elf"s head, he activated the blessing of [Sight] then morphed into her. The illusion was peeled away to reveal a faint gas in the air. A creature covered in glinting gold prowled around Kenji, a gigantic butcher"s cleaver in hand, a purple tongue licking sharpened teeth clean.

Just in case, Kenji checked his pockets. He found only dirt, his precious gold gone.

Kenji sighed as the creature neared. Kenji turned around and ran.

Predictably, the thing gave chase. The ground shook as it charged, great gurgling laughter emanating from its golden maw as its cleaver shrieked through the air. Just fast enough, Kenji rolled through the door.

The thing came soon after, staring right into Kenji"s elvish eyes.

"You can see me, can you not, elf?" The monster roared, its voice no doubt having alerted half the underground of the break in. Kenji smiled brightly as he stepped back towards his blade, giving it a probing tug. Still stuck deep into the stone, it would not help him. Not yet.

The fool monster swung, and Kenji grinned as he jumped high. Like a skipping rope, the monster"s blade flew beneath him, smashing into the stone, the monster"s strength sending shards blowing free. A cloud of dust filled the trapped hallway, and shouting echoed along with the sounds of stamping feet.

When the monster could see again, it found Kenji had vanished, along with his sword.

Turning, the monster saw Kenji poke out his tongue as he pulled the vault door closed. Roaring in dismay it charged, only for the fire to wrap its body. Turning again, the monster found several of the red priests chanting in unison, summoning yet more fire to bind it.

"She is getting awAHHH!" The monster roared as the fire scorched its entire body.

***

Adrenaline pumped through Kenji as he hauled along his family sword, now coated in attached stone pieces. He grinned as he heard the monster"s roar, the priests had come just in time.

Still, Kenji had taken the key and left the door slightly ajar so he might escape. Yet with the priests there, that was a very unlikely eventuality.

Now to find what this Cathedral was hiding in order to require such defences.

At the empty treasure room"s other side was a great cushion. This was where the monster had slept, Kenji a.s.sumed. Thinking this was too easy - yes, having pulled the cushion aside Kenji discovered a trap-door.

Making sure to pull the bed over the trap door as he descended, Kenji couldn"t wait.

Whatever was down there, it was rare.

He could practically taste it.