Sword Pop Culture LitRPG Chapter: 4

 

Chapter 4 - Stealing Judgment Day

 

The flashback continues with Hao Vee meticulously planning his clandestine infiltration into the forbidden facility within the Imperial Storehouse. Colgate and Diana were off duty, leaving Hao with the perfect opportunity to slip past their watchful eyes.

The facility was secured with multiple layers of sophisticated security measures, each designed to deter even the most skilled intruders. The first layer was a complex network of surveillance cameras, strategically positioned to cover every possible angle. Hao, using his Vibe Sense, detected the subtle vibrations emitted by the cameras, he used his Vibe Edge to temporarily hamper their circuitry, allowing him to carefully navigate through their blind spots.

Next came the pressure-sensitive floor tiles, engineered to trigger alarms upon the slightest disturbance. Hao, with his acute sense of touch and heightened awareness, quickly discovered the triggers within the seams of the tile floor and used his sword to sever their link with a precise slash. He later managed to distribute his weight evenly as he glided across the treacherous surface, leaving the alarm system none the wiser.

The third layer of security was a maze of infrared laser beams, crisscrossing the hallways in a seemingly impenetrable web. Hao relied on his Vibration Sense once again, feeling the faint hum of the lasers and expertly weaving his way through the deadly grid like an adroit bunny.

Upon reaching the entrance to the underground portion of the facility, Hao encountered an additional layer of security: biometric scanners, designed to permit access only to authorized personnel. If the wrong signal was received, a legion of swords would impale the intruder, turning them into a pin cushion. But Hao Vee was too smart to succumb to this ill fate. Utilizing his Blade Engineering skills, he managed to bypass the system by creating a makeshift device that mimicked the necessary biometric data, granting him access to the hidden depths of the facility.

While descending into the underground chamber, he was guided by the hidden structures his Vibe Sense had detected earlier. He had a strong feeling that an immaculate relic was concealed within the depths of the storehouse, and his curiosity propelled him further into the darkness.

At last, Hao stumbled upon a secret room, settled deep below the surface. The chamber was shrouded in mystery, its walls lined with ancient scriptures. Hao couldn't help but wonder what powerful secrets lay hidden within, waiting to be discovered by a worthy adventurer like himself.

He moved closer to the secret room, his fingers tracing the bas-relief inscriptions etched into the large, imposing door that stood between him and the chamber's hidden treasures. As he touched the carvings, his fingers danced across the surface, translating the raised characters into words he could understand. The text spoke of a powerful relic, a weapon of immense strength and danger, sealed away for the safety of all who dwelt within the realm of Crossblades. Hao's heart received a jolt as his anticipation swelled with each decoded symbol.

“This is the last piece of the puzzle.”

His keen mind quickly deciphered the code, afterwards, it revealed a hidden mechanism designed to unlock the door. He activated it, and with a heavy, grinding noise, the door began to creak open. As the gap widened, a rushing force of air slapped Hao's face, its chill grip sending shivers up and down his spine.

Contrary to the door's enormous external framework, the room beyond was surprisingly small. The chamber was dimly lit, the soft glow of luminescent crystals casting eerie shadows about the room. The space was sparsely decorated with a single pedestal standing proudly in the centre of the room. There was a mysterious object perched atop it; a very long one.

“Hmm, isn’t that…?”

Hao's body shiver in astonishment as he recognized the item on display. It was the X-Class weapon he had heard whispers about growing up, a sword of unparalleled power and beauty—Judgment Day.

“It can’t be..?” He was disbelieving of his own senses, but the shape as well as the sheath’s dimension was unmistakably the same as the various mimicries he had scanned before. . “Is it really that highly feared and renowned Judgment Day? It was hidden in the Imperial Storehouse all along?”

As a sword fanatic, he instantly understood the significance of his discovery. He recalled the dangerous lore that surrounded Judgment Day, tales of the great destruction it had once wrought and the dire consequences that befell those who dared to wield it without the proper qualifications.

“Can I touch it…?”

Hao hesitated, conflicted between the desire to claim such a magnificent weapon and the fear of the life-threatening consequences that might follow. He knew that no one had been able to unsheathe Judgment Day for thousands of years, its power lying dormant as it awaited a worthy wielder. Yet, the lure of such a powerful relic was too great, and his greed and thirst for power forced his hand.

“What the heck, I can’t un-see what I’ve seen and most definitely I can’t leave here without it.”

Steeling his resolve, Hao approached the pedestal, his fingers trembling as they reached for the sword. He was knowledgeable that stealing the priceless artefact would mark him as a criminal, but the chance to possess the legendary Judgment Day was an opportunity he couldn't let slip through his fingers.

With a final glance around the secret chamber, Hao seized the sword, its cold metal biting into his skin as he ascertained its length. It was approximately 5 feet long, coated in a swathed scabbard. He held his breath, waiting for the dire consequences that might follow his rash decision. But as he stood there, sword in hand, he felt an inexplicable connection to the weapon, a strange sense of harmony that suggested that perhaps, he was meant to find Judgment Day after all.

As the flashback came to an end, Colgate and Diana's feelings of betrayal and anger resurfaced, fuelling them to hunt down Hao Vee and recover the stolen sword. They couldn't believe they had been so naive to trust him, hence they vowed to make him pay for his deception, rather painfully.