Chapter 17 – Preparations

We returned to the hideout, grateful for the brief respite, the quiet normalcy of Arka and Luna’s home a stark contrast to the ever-present dangers of the forest. The soft blue light, the gentle hum of Arka’s systems, it all created a sense of peace, of safety, a temporary refuge from the Abyss.

The next morning, Luna was buzzing with energy, preparing for a hunting trip with Arka. She strapped a small pouch and a short spear to her waist, her small frame making her look more like she was preparing for a picnic than a hunt.

“Noah!” she chirped, her golden eyes sparkling. “Luna catch yummy food today! Arka help, too, right?”

“Bring back something with lots of meat,” I said, grinning.

“We’ll be back soon,” Arka said, her blue eyes meeting mine. “Please take care of the hideout.”

“Be careful,” Yuri said, her voice laced with concern. “Luna, you listen to Arka.”

“Okay, Yuri!”

They disappeared into the forest, Luna’s light footsteps echoing briefly, then fading into the dense undergrowth, Arka’s silent, watchful presence following close behind.

The hideout fell silent once more. I leaned against the wall, examining our tattered exploration suits.

“These things have seen better days,” I muttered, tugging at a rip in my sleeve.

“Tell me about it,” Yuri said, inspecting a large tear in the leg of her suit. She nonchalantly hiked up the fabric to get a better look, giving me a brief, unexpected glimpse of bare skin.
Could you be a little less… casual about that, Yuri?

“It’s a miracle we’ve made it this far without falling apart completely,” she continued, oblivious to my discomfort.

“Agreed.” I chuckled, opening the supply box Arka had provided. It had belonged to a previous explorer, one who hadn’t survived the seventh floor.
A sobering reminder of the dangers we faced.

“Time for some repairs,” I said, pulling out needles, thread made from some strong Abyssal fiber, and thin metal plates for reinforcing our armor.
Metal plates? Now this is interesting.

“You’re fixing mine first?” Yuri asked, a playful smile on her lips. “Such a gentleman.”

“Yours is worse,” I said, trying to ignore the way she was still casually displaying her bare leg. “Aren’t you cold?”

“I run hot,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “Besides, less fabric means more… ventilation.”

“Right.” I concentrated on stitching up the tear in her suit. “Remember that time on the fifth floor? When you almost got crushed by that boulder?”

“How could I forget?” she chuckled. “You saved my life. I’d be a pancake if it wasn’t for you.”

She sat beside me, watching me work.

“It’s amazing we’re still alive,” she murmured.

“We’ve been lucky,” I agreed. “And resourceful. Two artifacts already. Not bad.”

I finished stitching the tear and handed her the suit. “There. You can handle the finishing touches, right?”

“Oh, so now I get to do the grunt work?” She grinned. “Nice rhyme, though.”

“Just be glad you didn’t bring any of your old hip-hop albums down here,” I retorted.

We worked in companionable silence, mending our gear, sharing stories of our adventures, of the strange creatures we’d encountered, the treacherous landscapes we’d traversed, even memories of the world above, before the decline. It was good to talk, to laugh, to connect, a brief respite from the constant tension, the ever-present threat of the Abyss.

“At this rate, Noah,” Yuri said, holding up her newly repaired suit, “we’ll have completely new outfits by the time we reach the bottom.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice?”

We finished mending our suits, reinforcing them with the metal plates, sharpening our knives. Arka’s tools and materials were surprisingly effective, our gear feeling stronger, more resilient. It wasn’t much, but every little bit helped.

“Alright,” Yuri said, packing her gear away. “Repairs complete. What’s next on the agenda? Trap-making?”

“Let’s get dinner ready first,” I said. “Arka and Luna will be back soon.”

It felt… normal, almost domestic, sitting there in the warm glow of the blue light, mending our gear, preparing a meal. If it weren’t for the ever-present awareness of the Abyss, we could almost be… home.

But the peace wouldn’t last. We had to be ready.

We spent the next few hours constructing traps, following Arka’s designs, using materials gathered from the forest: strong, flexible vines, razor-sharp thorns, sturdy branches. These weren’t simple snares; these were engineered traps, designed to incapacitate, to delay, to give us a fighting chance against the creatures of the Abyss. We’d need them, especially if we decided to activate the central device.

“These are based on designs used by previous explorers,” Arka explained, showing us a series of holographic schematics. “Modified, of course, to utilize the unique properties of Abyssal materials.”

“These are awesome!” Luna exclaimed, examining a wicked-looking trap made of interwoven vines and sharpened thorns. “Catch bad things! Make them… ow!”

“Just be careful, Luna,” Yuri warned. “We don’t want to catch ourselves.”

“Catch us?” Luna tilted her head. “We… become food?”

“Exactly,” I said grimly. “Worst. Ending. Ever.”

I sat with Arka, examining the materials, impressed by their strength and resilience. The Abyssal fibers were incredibly strong, almost metallic in their tensile strength.

“These fibers are amazing,” I said, tugging at a thick vine. “We could probably tow a truck with this stuff.”

“The Abyss has its own… resources,” Arka said. “If they could be harvested safely… perhaps the world above wouldn’t have… declined.”

“I’m not sure it was just a lack of resources that led to the decline,” I said, thinking of the stories of greed, of conflict, of self-destruction.

“Even in the future,” Arka murmured, a hint of… sadness? …in her voice, “humans… repeat the same mistakes.”

“Like someone I know,”
Alice’s voice whispered in my mind.
“Then, and now.”

Shut up, Alice.

We worked efficiently, each of us taking on a different task. I shaped and sharpened wooden stakes, Yuri wove the strong Abyssal fibers into intricate nets and snares, Luna carefully arranged the thorns, her small hands surprisingly deft.

“Noah,” Yuri said, holding up a particularly thick branch, “isn’t this a bit… overkill?”

“Better to be safe than sorry,” I said. “Besides, stronger is better, right?”

“Right.”

“The placement is critical,” Arka said, adjusting the holographic schematics. “When the Resonance occurs, the creatures will be drawn to the central device. The traps must be positioned to… intercept them. Delay them.”

“How many do we need?” I asked.

“At least ten,” Arka replied, her voice precise, calculated. “Placed strategically along the main approach paths.”

“Luna make more!” Luna declared. “Ten! And… more than ten!”

“Save your energy, Luna,” Yuri said gently. “We need you at your best when the time comes.”

We worked until late afternoon, constructing and reinforcing the traps, preparing for the inevitable.

“Noah, look!” Luna cried, her face flushed with exertion, holding up a particularly menacing-looking trap. “Luna make lots! Make bad things… ow!”

“They’re excellent, Luna,” I said, ruffling her hair. “These will give us a fighting chance.”

“Our only chance,” Yuri said, wiping sweat from her brow. “Ugh, my hands are killing me.”

Arka surveyed our handiwork, nodding her approval.

“You’ve done well,” she said. “Now… we prepare for placement. The Resonance… it could occur at any time.”

Time for a well-deserved rest. We can test them tomorrow.
I was exhausted.

The next morning, we prepared for a trial run, setting one of the traps in a small clearing near the hideout. The plan was to lure a Spiny-Backed Lizard, a medium-sized creature common to this floor, into the trap and test its effectiveness.

“Our test subject today is the Spiny-Backed Lizard,” Arka said, projecting a holographic image of the creature. It was about three meters long, its back covered in thick, sharp spines, its movements slow, deliberate.
Ugly brute.

“They’re slow,” Arka continued, “but they can be surprisingly agile when provoked. Exercise caution.”

“Luna push button!” Luna exclaimed, eager to participate.

“No button, Luna,” I said gently.

We set the trap, carefully burying the pressure plate, connecting the vines and thorns to the trigger mechanism, placing a small pouch of Arka’s specially formulated lure at the center. The creatures of the Abyss were drawn to certain scents, and Arka’s lure was incredibly potent.
Yuri had taken a whiff of it when Arka first offered it, then looked disappointed when Arka explained that it had no effect on humans.

“Ready,” Yuri said, stepping back. “Just need a… volunteer.”

“The lure is working,” Yuri whispered, pointing to a group of small creatures gathering near the trap.

Then, a large shape emerged from the trees, its movements slow, deliberate, the sound of its heavy footsteps growing louder.

“Here it comes!” Luna whispered, her eyes shining with excitement.

We held our breath, watching as the Spiny-Backed Lizard lumbered towards the trap, drawn by the irresistible scent of the lure. It stopped just short of the trap, its head tilting, its many eyes scanning the clearing.

“Patience,” Arka whispered. “It must step on the pressure plate.”

I signaled to Yuri and Luna to stay hidden.

The lizard lowered its head, sniffing at the lure, then took a step forward, its massive claw landing squarely on the pressure plate.

The trap sprang to life, vines shooting out, wrapping around the lizard’s legs, its torso, its thick, spiny tail. Thorns embedded themselves in its flesh, and it roared in pain and surprise, thrashing wildly.

Perfect.

“It worked!” Yuri exclaimed.

“Wait,” I cautioned. “Let the vines secure it.”

The lizard struggled, its powerful muscles straining against the vines, but the Abyssal fibers held firm, the trap’s design effectively immobilizing its limbs.

“Now!” I shouted. “Luna, finish it!”

Luna darted forward, her spear flashing in the dim light, striking the lizard’s vulnerable underbelly, a swift, decisive blow. The creature thrashed for a few moments, then went still.

“We did it!” Yuri cheered, high-fiving Luna.

We dragged the carcass back to the hideout, examining the trap’s effectiveness, pleased with the results.

Arka inspected the remaining traps, nodding her approval.

“A successful trial,” she said. “These will be effective against most of the creatures on this floor.”

“Good,” Yuri said. “Now we just need to set them up.”

We’d been on the seventh floor longer than we’d anticipated. But it was time to move on. Time to face the Resonance, and the trials that lay beyond.