Reisou fell silent for a moment, contemplating whether he should question the fact that 2B possessed an inventory.
In the end, he decided to let it go. Since he had never asked, it was only natural that she hadn't mentioned it.
Now that he knows she has an inventory, Reisou quickly realizes how convenient that is—especially with only ten slots remaining in his own.
"This sword... is very beautiful," Reisou said, admiring the white katana in her hands, its elegant design catching his attention.
"Thank you, Master. This is the Virtuous Contract, and it's very important to me," 2B said, her gaze becoming somewhat distant, prompting Reisou to refrain from asking any further questions.
Before they set off to explore the vast jungle ahead, Reisou pulled up his hood and instructed 2B to do the same.
She was wearing one of his dark blue hoodies, and despite him being 1.72 meters tall (5'7") while she stood at 1.60 meters tall (5'3") without her heels, it only felt a bit snug in the front.
After equipping his armor and drawing his new lance, Hoiefu den Goem, Reisou turned to 2B and asked if she had any armor.
2B simply shook her head, stating that she didn't need one for now, which left him feeling a bit uncertain.
The duo took a detour to avoid the Hunter encampment and ventured into the jungle. Reisou intended to keep their presence unnoticed until they could close the Gate.
Once they arrived, it didn't take long before they encountered a group of tall, red-skinned humanoid lizards.
Around ten of them marched together, armed with iron spear-axes and crude swords.
While hiding behind a few thick bushes, Reisou quickly devised a plan.
"It seems we've found a low-level kobold scout group," Reisou muttered to 2B. "Let's attack them toge—"
✫| Sum Fdah |✫
In the blink of an eye, 2B disappeared from Reisou's side and reappeared in the midst of the kobold group. She unsheathed her katana and swiftly decapitated two of them.
When the rest of the group noticed her presence, 2B vanished from their sight and unleashed another technique.
✫| Rerha Orthez |✫
Suddenly, the shadows of the kobolds twisted, and strange, hand-like shapes emerged, grasping at their oddly shaped feet as they tried to react. But before they could even resist, 2B dashed forward, cutting them down with ruthless efficiency in less than a minute.
Her movements were both precise and lethal, leaving Reisou momentarily stunned as he watched her dispatch the enemies with effortless efficiency.
As the final kobold collapsed, 2B gestured for Reisou to come out from his hiding spot. He emerged carefully from behind the bush, his eyes meeting hers with a gaze full of disbelief.
"You're pretty strong..." Reisou said meekly, his eyes drifting over the aftermath of her brutal display.
He was aware she was strong, but seeing her in action only confirmed it.
"My world is full of dangers as well, Master. Compared to the machines, these are much easier to cut," 2B explained, a hint of calm confidence in her voice as she remembered she had never fully revealed her true capabilities.
"Really? So those techniques come from your world too?" he asked, genuinely intrigued by the abilities 2B had just displayed.
"No," 2B answered. "I received them from... the Thing."
Reisou couldn't quite understand what 2B truly meant, and from the look in her eyes, she had no intention of explaining it.
Deciding not to press the issue, he focused on collecting the monster cores from the fallen creatures. Once he was done, he motioned for 2B to follow, and the two of them continued their journey deeper into the jungle.
On the way, Reisou checked his mission menu. To his disappointment, the monsters 2B had killed didn't count toward his progress. At the least, the monster cores he collected were accepted.
For an entire hour, Reisou and 2B wandered through the dense jungle, encountering several groups of kobold scouts patrolling the area. Occasionally, they also spotted a few red goblins lurking between the trees.
The monsters were defeated effortlessly. However, Reisou couldn't help feeling more and more frustrated.
2B kept charging ahead and wiping them out before he could even step in. At this rate, there was no way he'd be able to complete his objectives.
"2B, can you let me kill a few of them?" Reisou asked, shooting her a wry smile as he looked her way.
She finished cleaning the blood from her blade and glanced at him for a moment before giving a small nod.
Surprisingly, when they came across another group of kobolds, 2B stepped aside without saying a word, finally giving Reisou the chance to put his weapon to the test.
With precise movements, he drove his lance into a kobold's face, then swiftly spun it around, impaling another through the chest.
The last three kobolds tried to fight back, but with Enhancement activated, Reisou took them down with ease.
From behind, the white-haired android watched silently. Although 2B wasn't particularly skilled with polearms herself, she could tell that Reisou's movements were solid. Against monsters like these, he wasn't in any real danger.
A short while later, after repeatedly clashing with minor monsters, they spotted a cluster of fallen stone pillars in the distance.
The scattered ruins led to a massive, ancient stone structure, nearly swallowed by dense overgrown vegetation.
This seemed to be a lost temple, a rare structure that usually only appeared in high-level Gates.
Reisou couldn't help but feel suspicious about its presence, wondering why a temple had appeared inside a C-rank Gate.
Cautiously, he and 2B approached the fallen temple.
Nothing seemed unusual at first glance, but upon spotting a narrow opening near the entrance, Reisou came to a halt.
This was the temple's entrance, and Reisou carefully weighed whether it was worth the risk. After all, the potential rewards from exploring a lost temple weren't exactly small.
According to what he had learned in school, these ancient structures were often filled with valuable treasures, rare weapons, and high-quality monster cores. However, the cost of obtaining such treasures was often steep.
The chances of encountering elite-level monsters inside these places was extremely high.
Sensing his hesitation, 2B quietly stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder, her calm presence silently encouraging him to move forward.
"Let's go," With the determination of a cave explorer, Reisou squeezed through the narrow gap, crawling for what felt like an eternity until a faint light appeared at the other end.
As he reached the end of the passage, he caught a brief glimpse of a strange, square-shaped room illuminated by softly glowing orbs that floated in midair.
Reisou squeezed through the tight opening in the wall and finally stepped out, landing on the cold floor of the strange, unfamiliar room.
2B arrived soon after but got stuck, her "assets" making it impossible for her to squeeze through the gap.
Left with no other option, Reisou broke part of the wall, widening the opening just enough for her to slip through.
Their clothes were covered in dirt from the crawl, but neither of them minded. What really caught their attention was the massive stone door ahead, with strange, ancient writing etched above it.
Reisou couldn't decipher the text, and neither could 2B. Yet, as if guided by instinct, he stepped toward the door.
The massive stone door suddenly began to tremble, slowly creaking open on its own. Reisou instinctively stepped back, gripping his lance, while 2B moved in front of him, positioning herself for battle.
After a few moments, the door fully opened, revealing a dimly lit room. So far, there were no signs of monsters or threats, but neither of them lowered their guard.
"Master, follow me from behind. I'll take the lead," 2B said as she walked toward the door.
He stayed silent and followed her. As they stepped into the dark room, a strange, eerie sound began to play.
In that instant, the entire room was suddenly illuminated, revealing a colossal gray statue of a knight wielding a massive sword, with the emblem of a giant sun engraved on its chest.
Behind them, the door slammed shut with incredible speed, leaving almost no chance of escape. Then, the unknown sound began to soften, shifting from a macabre, wind-like noise to the gentle, soothing notes of a delicate piano.
"This better not be a boss music... " Reisou grumbled under his breath, staring warily at the towering statue.
Just as he suspected, the statue's eyes lit up, glowing bright as its whole body was wrapped in a blinding golden light.
2B took a step forward, but Reisou reached out and gently stopped her.
"Don't go yet," Reisou said, giving her hand a light squeeze. "Let's wait for it to make a move first."
She hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod and moved to stay by his side.
The knight statue glowed for an entire minute before it finally moved, raising its arm and driving the tip of its massive sword into the ground.
"PRAISE THE SUN!" he shouted, throwing both arms into the air in a dramatic pose.
After the shout, the room went completely silent. Reisou glanced at 2B, both of them just standing there, totally confused.