The Author's POV

"Let me have a look."

Moving towards the control system that overlooked the dampening system, I placed my palm on the holographic screen.

Right as my hand touched the hologram, a map of the entire building presented itself before me. Marked on it were a multitude of red dots that depicted the areas where the dampening devices were installed.

The range they covered was also displayed on it.

Scanning the holographic map before me, my brows knit tightly.

Placing my hand under my chin, I softly muttered, "Hmm… This is a lot more troublesome than I had expected."

Tapping one of the red dots marked on the map, a small window popped up in front of me.

On the window were a series of complicated numbers and words.

As I looked through the long, complex numbers and words displayed on the window, the chip inside of my head started processing the information in my mind.

But it was useless. Even with the chip inside of my head, I could barely understand what was happening.

The more I looked the greater the frown on my face became.

'…I should've expected this from the beginning. There's no way the dampening system wouldn't have some sort of defense mechanism installed.'

Getting into the place was the first hurdle, and the second hurdle was now deactivating the system, which, honestly, I knew very little about.

Massaging my forehead, I tried my best to make heads or tails of the data before me.

Turning my head, my eyes paused on Ultruk. He was lying on the ground, breathing heavily.

'…No, that won't do.'

I thought about asking him if he knew anything, but after remembering that orcs weren't the brightest of creatures, I promptly gave up.

"Here."

But just as my head was about to ache even more, Waylan arrived next to me and passed me a small, black-coloured rectangular object.

"What's this?" I asked in wonder as I took the device from Waylan's hands.

Feeling it in my hands, the black object was sized and shaped to resemble a USB device. It wasn't exactly a USB though, since it looked like a black metallic stick.

Flipping it around and seeing nothing particularly special about the stick, I lifted my head and looked up at Waylan.

"…What exactly is this supposed to do?" I repeated, sounding mildly curious.

With a weak smile, Waylan explained, "Before coming, Jomnuk gave me this. He seemed to have already known that you would have trouble figuring out how to disable the system."

"He did? Well…"

Turning to look at the window filled with numbers, I couldn't deny Waylan's words. Or Jomnuk's, for that matter.

"Although Jomnuk did say that you could've done it by yourself, he also added that by the time you'd be done, hours would've already passed… And so, before coming here, he told me to pass it to you."

"Good idea…"

For a moment, I thought that I was going to be spending the next couple of hours trying to figure out how to enter the system.

Fortunately, Jomnuk had great foresight. He had given Waylan the necessary equipment to help me disable the system.

Given that time was of the essence, it was nothing short of a life-saving grace.

Pointing at the holographic map in front of me, Waylan explained to me the uses of the stick.

"According to him, all you have to do is put this thing over there and it should automatically disable the system within the next couple of minutes."

my head repeatedly before

is. Just stick it in and let it do the

I'll do it

time, I inserted the USB stick-looking device inside of

Clink—

the socket, the panel flashed

[Database synchronisation]

0%________________100%

window, my eyes lit up

"It worked."

the side, "We would have been in

clear yet," I responded from the side, cooling

moved up to 2% progress, I solemnly said, "I'm sure that the elders have been made aware of

a tired look on his face, I could

"Oh, right."

suddenly occurred to me as I looked at Ultruk's

out a small bag and walked up

him on his broad shoulder to get his attention, I pushed the

help you recover a

"Huh?"

to face me, Ultruk briefly glanced at my face before

His deep voice echoed throughout

things I picked up in

place was none other than Immorra, but he didn't

I could possibly get from that place, there

on how precious they were because I could not ingest them, but they would hopefully be of

the orcs couldn't recover like we did with mana.

their aura at a much faster rate than us, but it still took

would have

is inside,

bag in my hand and

"——?!"

bag and saw what was inside of it,

changing facial expressions was so amusing I couldn't hold back

bag, his eyes darted between

How… No, where did

with slight excitement

and grabbed me by my shoulders before

did you get this stuff?!

was left powerless as

a…

life flash before my eyes

I tried to free myself from the grasp of his hands, they wouldn't budge an inch. It was as though Ultruk's hands were stuck on me like

starting to

stop. You're killing

Waylan spoke to him that Ultruk realised what

go of me, he scratched the back of his head and apologised, "Oh,

little surprised by the sincerity in the huge orc's tone. It felt

bag, Ultruk took out

at me and Waylan, Ultruk admired the fruit in his hand. As he looked at it, hints of nostalgia could

eat this everyday with my comrades and friends. It was a time where we basked in the sunshine, and enjoyed the

tone became even more apparent the more he talked. I had never seen him talk so

Waylan asked in surprise. Turning his

feel any mana

fruit is not something you

two, a subtle energy

was a familiar energy that

"Aura…"

"Correct."

his head, Ultruk took a bite of the fruit. With the fruit's juices