Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] Chapter 73: Chapter 68: Human Zoo II

Read chapter 73 of Aetherios System [Slow Build OP MC, Isekai LitRPG/Cultivation] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Chapter 68: Human Zoo II Chapter 68: Human Zoo II Everyone sat in relative silence in the prison-pit chamber. The ceiling dripped in places, stone slick with moss and glowing fungus. It wasn’t cold, exactly but it smelled like wet rock, mold, and kobold cooking grease. None of it improved anyone’s mood. Garret sat against one of the walls, he threw a bone across the chamber. It clattered and bounced off the opposite wall, landing near Devon’s boots. “That’s five times,” Devon muttered, not looking up from the small aether crystal that he was fiddling with. “If the next one hits me, I’m feeding you to the next intact glyph enchantment that I’m able to complete.” “Relax, tech-goblin,” Garret said, sliding his arms behind his head. “I’m keeping myself sharp. Practicing ricochet angles.” Allie sat nearby with her knees hugged to her chest, eyes flicking between them. “You’ve hit the wall at the same angle five times, and every time you mutter, ‘damn, just short.’ You're not learning anything.” Garret shrugged. “Practice is about consistency.” “Practice is about improvement ,” Devon snapped. “Consistently failing is still failing.” Peter chuckled softly from the edge of the pit, where he sat with his back against the sheer slope. “God, I missed group detention. Feels just like Catholic school, only with fewer nuns and more fungus.” “Speak for yourself,” said Kate from across the chamber. She stood against the wall opposite Peter and the slope, her arms crossed. “We’re unarmed, unsupervised, and half-starved. I’ve had better spa days.” “You’ve had spa days?” Lance asked, raising a brow. “I make time,” Kate replied dryly. “A real leader understands the importance of relaxation and recovery time.” “Sure,” Holly muttered, pacing nearby. “Spa day while Alex is probably dead, awesome.” That shut everyone up for a moment. Their eyes flickered between Holly, and each other. Everyone was stressed. They had been waiting in the same chamber for the past two days and have yet to hear anything about Alex’s fate. Even Tom-Tom said that the other kobolds didn’t tell him anything. Lance glanced at her. “He’s not dead.” “You don’t know that.” “He’s Alex.” Lance said it like it was supposed to mean something unshakeable. And somehow, it did. Tom-Tom was curled up near one of the torch sconces, his tail twitching irritably. “He’s not dead,” the kobold said matter-of-factly, chin resting on his knees. “If he were, the Black-Den would’ve screamed.” Holly turned to him, eyes stern, face set in grim resolution. “Explain.” Tom-Tom blinked. “When challenger dies in Den, it echoes. Magic remembers pain. Even the walls wail. It’s old magic. Angry magic.” “Sounds comforting,” Eric said from where he sat near the center of chamber, pocking at the smoldering fire. He hadn’t moved much since they were thrown in here.“But it makes sense. The magic of this place would react to something like that, no? The loss of a great man felt by the world?” “Glad someone else understands kobold esoteric metaphysics,” Devon mumbled. Oblivious to sarcasm, Tom-Tom beamed. “Thank you!” He clapped his hands and thumped his tail in excitement. Cole chuckled as the little lizard bumped in to him, as he sat nearby. Allie stood, brushing dirt from her pants. “Look, sitting around bickering’s not gonna be helping anything. If we want to get out of this, we need a plan. Not that we have anything to work with except...” she gestured at Devon, “whatever the hell that is.” Devon held up the little metal panel in his hands, the aether crystal he completed earlier now slotted into it. “Scavenged from the light sconces. Not much power, but I’ve got a pulse relay. If I can boost the power, maybe I can trigger a sympathetic reaction with the kobold rune-locks. Think of it like a glyph radio.” Everyone stared. Garret blinked. “I understood exactly none of that, but if it gets us out, I’ll kiss you on the mouth.” Devon turned slightly red. “No, no thank you.” “I didn’t say you could say no.” Allie