“Their gear is really nice.”
Rosie squatted next to Shadow's headless corpse and reached down to pull the boots off her feet.
Then she took off her own waterlogged iron boots and slipped the new ones on to try them for size.
The shafts came up to just below her knees, and they fit perfectly.
She stood up and took a few steps; the soles gripped the ground firmly, incomparably better than her slick iron boots.
Most importantly, these boots were waterproof.
“Finally, I don't have to keep soaking in muddy water.”
Rosie felt as though her entire body had become lighter.
The dwarf wasn't idling either.
He squatted next to the hunter's corpse, rummaged through the leather pouch at his waist, pulled out a few vials of potion, and held them up to shake them.
“Look at this. They even brought Cat's Eye Potions. Drink it, and you can see in the dark.”
“No wonder they could move around so freely here,” Rosie replied.
“This stuff isn't cheap,” the dwarf tsked, tossing the vials directly onto the ground.
“A single vial of Cat's Eye Potion is worth at least five gold coins. Not just anyone can afford them.”
The dwarf followed Rosie's lead and began stripping the boots off a corpse, talking as he worked.
“By the way, why didn't you leave one alive to interrogate? Do you think they could have held out against a trick like last time?”
“No need,” Rosie said without looking up.
“They're just a scout squad. The main force is probably still behind them. Keeping them alive would only introduce variables. It's much simpler to just finish them off.”
“Doesn't that mean we don't have much time left?”
The dwarf slipped a leather boot onto his foot to test the size. The boots were too long for him, but he put them on anyway.
“This is a swamp. A larger force will actually find it harder to move around.”
Rosie said as she began removing her plate armor.
“Still, we do need to speed up. That woman Anna is probably arriving soon.”
“Why are you taking off your armor?” the dwarf asked, watching her unbuckle her breastplate and set it aside.
“The gear on these guys is top-tier wilderness survival equipment. It offers great adaptability and stealth in the wild. While plate armor has excellent defense, it's far too inconvenient in a swamp.”
Rosie removed her plate armor, then reached over to strip off Shadow's black tight-fitting leather top and leather pants.
The dwarf thought about it and found her reasoning sound, so he didn't say anything more.
He quickly took off his heavily damaged leather armor and changed into the dark leather coat he had stripped from the hunting squad's captain.
Rosie, carrying Shadow's clothes, walked to the other side of the room. In a few quick movements, she shed the gambeson she had worn for so long and changed into the black tight-fitting leather outfit.
The clothing hugged her body, soft, lightweight, and slightly elastic.
She moved her limbs around, highly satisfied.
As for the fact that the clothes came off a dead person, Rosie didn't care in the slightest.
After changing into her new clothes, she walked over to the corner, picked up one of the spherical bombs, and weighed it in her hand. “How do you use this thing?”
“It's very simple. Just rub the wrapped fuse against the casing, and once it sparks, you can throw it,” the dwarf said with a glance.
“So that's how it works.”
Rosie pocketed the bomb, then walked over to Gopher's corpse and untied the bulging pouch from his waist.
There were seven more spherical bombs inside.
If she hadn't killed him in a single strike, it would have been quite troublesome if he'd had the chance to throw a few of them.
She kept four and handed the other four to the dwarf.
“These things pack quite a punch. Keep them for self-defense.”
“They do pack a punch, but they're also dangerous. Quite a few gnomes blow themselves up with their own bombs every year.”
The dwarf said this, but he accepted the spherical bombs anyway.
Rosie also picked up the hunting captain's shortbow.
The bow looked unremarkable, but it felt solid in her hand. The curvature of the limbs was just right, offering an exceptionally comfortable grip.
She drew the bowstring, notched an arrow, pulled back, aimed at a protruding stone platform at the end of the corridor, and released.
Swoosh!
The arrow tore through the air, pinning itself precisely in the dead center of the stone platform.
“You know archery too?”
The dwarf's jaw dropped.
He had never once seen Rosie shoot a bow.
Rosie lowered the bow and said casually, “I know a bit.”
The dwarf clicked his tongue. “You call that knowing a bit?”
Rosie smiled without replying. She slung the shortbow across her back, strapped the quiver to her waist, and shouldered her backpack.
After a bit of organizing, the two looked entirely refreshed.
The dwarf wore a loose leather coat with the sleeves rolled up several times, and a pair of boots that were clearly too large for his height, making him look rather comical.
Rosie, on the other hand, was dressed in a full set of tight-fitting black leather. Paired with her silver-white short hair and blue eyes, she looked heroic and dashing.
“Are you abandoning your plate armor?” the dwarf asked, glancing at the plate armor left on the platform.
“I'll leave it here for now,” Rosie said. “This outfit is much more suited for this environment.”
“Alright. Shall we continue then?” the dwarf asked.
Rosie nodded. “Let's go.”
The two continued their search on the third floor.
The state of preservation on this floor was much better than the two below it.
They discovered quite a few things as they explored.
But these items were of little use to Rosie; after all, she was no historical researcher.
Nevertheless, some things caught the dwarf's attention.
They were blueprint scrolls locked inside a cabinet.
Rosie inspected the combination dial on the back of the cabinet.
She glanced at the number on the cabinet, then inputted a string of numbers using the same method as before.
The lock clicked open, and the cabinet door swung open.
She pulled out the contents and laid them on the adjacent platform.
The first batch consisted of three blueprint scrolls, neatly rolled up and tied with string, with their names labeled in Ancient Gnomish.
Design and Manufacture of Heavy Bomber Airships
Manufacturing Principles of the Cannon of Destruction
Design Concept of Terror Drones
The moment the dwarf laid eyes on these blueprints, his eyes lit up.
He carefully cradled the blueprints, found a clean platform, unrolled them, and clicked his tongue in wonder as he read.
“Good stuff... this is truly magnificent stuff...”
Rosie didn't disturb him, continuing to rummage through the cabinet.
Then, she pulled out a thin book. On the cover, written in slightly messy handwriting, was: My Struggle Diary.
“Huh? What's this doing in here?”
Rosie took out the diary, opened it, and began reading from the first entry:
“Imperial Calendar Year 955: I have become a researcher at the War Technology Experimental Center, primarily focusing on mechanical engineering weapons...”
“Imperial Calendar Year 956: The higher-ups decided to build a biological research base and testing ground here. Damn it! Those bug-handling bastards are actually sharing the same underground base with us...”
“Imperial Calendar Year 957: My superior had an accident during an experiment. I replaced him as a senior researcher...”
“Imperial Calendar Year 958: The Infinite Energy Project failed. The explosion took out the director and half the research staff involved in the experiment... I'm the director now!”
The handwriting in the diary had become more relaxed and expansive than before, radiating a sense of smug satisfaction.
“Imperial Calendar Year 960: Those bug-handlers messed up big time. The war weapons they created actually rebelled! Haha, serves them right...”
“Imperial Calendar Year 962: The Infinite Energy Project failed again. Every administrator in the technology center besides me was caught in the explosion...”
“Imperial Calendar Year 962: Through my unremitting efforts and struggle, I have finally become the head of the technology center...”
“Imperial Calendar Year 964: The Infinite Energy Project failed yet again. A radiation field has enveloped the entire underground base, but under my brilliant leadership, not a single person died...”
“Imperial Calendar Year 965: The radiation actually caused some creatures to mutate! Those bug-handlers actually succeeded... This is so unfair...”
“Imperial Calendar Year 966: The radiation is lethal to most organisms. There are barely any people left in the base, and I am about to die too. But in the end, I must leave behind the history of my struggles, to serve as an exemplary model for future generations to learn from...”
The diary ended there.
The final entries were far messier than the earlier ones, with some parts being completely illegible.
Rosie's finger paused on the last page. She felt a sudden chill creep up her spine.
Radiation?
The entire underground base was enveloped in radiation?
This explained why the creatures here were so bizarre; they were all products of radiation.
Which meant they were standing on a land contaminated by radiation for countless years, breathing its air, drinking its water, and eating its creatures.
And they themselves felt absolutely nothing.
Rosie looked at the dwarf, who was cradling the blueprints with a face full of excitement. She pondered for a moment, then spoke up: “We should leave this place immediately.”
The dwarf didn't even look up. “There's bound to be more good stuff here. What's the rush?”
“The entire ancient ruin contains an invisible toxin that is constantly eroding us,” Rosie said, her tone growing heavy.
Only then did the dwarf raise his head, scratching his scruffy stubble. “What kind of toxin is so powerful? Why don't I feel anything at all?”
“That is precisely what makes it so terrifying.” Rosie held up the diary. “This radiation toxin is invisible, colorless, and odorless. By the time you feel its effects, it'll already be too late.”
The dwarf fell silent for a moment, looking down at the blueprints in his hands. A clear look of struggle crossed his face.
Finally, he made up his mind with painful resolve. “How about we at least finish searching this place? There's only the last floor left.”
Rosie nodded. “Alright. Make it quick.”
“Okay.”
The dwarf carefully rolled the blueprints back up and packed them into his bag.
The two turned toward the depths of the corridor, their pace significantly faster than before.
Rate on N.U.
