Chapter 210: ARIA

Glass bottles filled with glowing liquids lined shelves, their contents swirling and pulsing in an unsettling rhythm. Some looked eerily similar to the drinks they'd been served at the club.[Well,] Calista mused, [I think we've found where they brew that lovely Undercity moonshine. Remind me never to order the house special again.]

A figure emerged from the shadows, the same tattered cloak billowing around him. "Sit," he said, gesturing to a rickety chair with a smile that was far too warm for comfort. "We have much to discuss, Zafron."

Zafron tensed. "How do you know my name?"

The man chuckled, a sound like grinding gears. "Oh, I know many things. Please, sit. Make yourself comfortable."

When Zafron hesitated, the stranger sighed and lowered his hood. Zafron stumbled back, his eyes widening in shock.

Half of the man's face was a patchwork of metal and skin, wires and tubes disappearing beneath his flesh. A rhythmic thumping filled the air, too loud and irregular to be a normal heartbeat.

"Who... what are you?" Zafron whispered, unable to tear his gaze away from the grotesque sight.

The man's mismatched eyes – one human, one a glowing crystal orb – fixed on Zafron. "My name is Hector," he said calmly, as if his appearance was perfectly normal. "And I believe we have much to discuss about your future in the Undercity... and beyond."

[Oh goody,] Calista chimed in. [Looks like we've found the Undercity's one-stop-shop for nightmares and possible organ harvesting. Should I start planning your funeral now, my lord, or would you prefer to be turned into a fancy lamp?]

Zafron swallowed hard, his mind reeling. Somehow, he had a feeling that his adventure in the Undercity was only just beginning.

Hector chuckled, the sound a discordant mix of warmth and mechanical grinding. He took a step towards Zafron, his movements oddly fluid despite his patchwork appearance. With trembling hands - a stark contrast to his otherwise controlled demeanor - he reached out towards Zafron's face.

Instinct took over. Zafron shoved him back fiercely, leaping to his feet. Red slime coated his fist as he dropped into a fighting stance. "Who the hell are you?" he snarled, anger overpowering his initial shock.

Hector stumbled slightly, then righted himself. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, metal fingers grazing past the boundary of flesh and cybernetics. "As I said," he replied, his tone maddeningly calm, "my name is Hector."

"Wrong answer," Zafron growled. Without hesitation, he launched a slime ball directly at the man's face.

A metallic blur shot across the room, intercepting the projectile mid-flight. The spherical object clattered to the floor, then began to shift and reform. Zafron watched in disbelief as it reconstructed itself into a humanoid robot, easily matching Hector in height. Its arm reconfigured into a menacing cannon, trained squarely on Zafron's chest.

"What the actual fuck?" Zafron breathed, taking an involuntary step back. His eyes darted between Hector and the robot, mind reeling.

[Zafron,] Calista's voice cut through his thoughts, all traces of sarcasm gone. [I'm picking up massive energy readings from that thing. We need to find a way out. Now.]

Hector stepped forward, placing a hand on the robot's arm. "At ease, ARIA," he said, his tone softening as if addressing a favored pet. The robot's cannon arm lowered slightly, but remained aimed in Zafron's general direction.

"ARIA?" Zafron echoed, bewildered by the sudden shift in tension.

Hector's face lit up with an almost childlike glee. "Yes! Adaptive Robotic Intelligence Assistant," he explained, emphasizing each word with a flourish of his mismatched hands. "Quite clever, don't you think? I do love a good acronym."

Zafron stared at him, slack-jawed. "You're worried about clever names at a time like this?"

Hector's laugh was surprisingly melodious, despite the mechanical undertones. "My boy," he said, spreading his arms wide in a disarmingly charming gesture, "names have power. Especially down here." He winked - or at least, Zafron thought he did. It was hard to tell with the crystal eye. "Besides, isn't it more civilized to know what to call the thing that might blast you to atoms?"

[Oh great,] Calista chimed in, her sarcasm apparently rebooting. [He's the charming mad scientist type. Because that's exactly what we needed to round out our Undercity bingo card.]

Zafron remained tense, ready to dodge at a moment's notice. But he couldn't help feeling a twinge of curiosity beneath his fear. "Fine," he said cautiously. "You want to talk? Let's talk. Starting with why you lured me down here."

Hector's grin widened, revealing teeth that were just a touch too perfect. "Lured? My dear boy, I simply presented an opportunity. You chose to chase it." He gestured grandly around the cluttered laboratory. "Welcome to my humble workshop. I have a proposition for you, Zafron.

One that could change everything - for you, for the Undercity, and perhaps... for the world above."

Hector's mismatched eyes fixed on Zafron, a knowing glint in their depths. He raised a finger, pointing directly at Zafron's chest. "Your crystal, my boy. It's about to give out on you. And down here in the lower sector, where crystal purification is scarce? The air is just as toxic as the landing platform above the city."

Zafron's hand instinctively went to his mask. Hector reached out, his movements slow and deliberate. This time, Zafron didn't resist, curiosity overriding his caution.

With surprising gentleness, Hector unstrapped the crystal from Zafron's mask. He tossed it high into the air, a faint green glimmer in the dim light.

In a flash, ARIA's arm reconfigured. A blast of blue energy shot forth, shattering the crystal into glittering dust.

Zafron gulped audibly. 'Wait... I actually had the insane idea to take on that thing?!' he thought to himself. 'I didn't even see when the shot was fired! Maybe after surviving this ordeal, I'll have to resume my daily quest routine and boost my stats!'

[If we survive,] Calista chimed in. [Though I must say, getting vaporized by a trigger-happy robot would be a novel way to go.] seaʀᴄh thё Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Seemingly oblivious to Zafron's internal crisis, Hector turned away. He moved with an odd grace, his tattered cloak sweeping the floor as he limped towards a glass cabinet filled with an array of crystals.

Selecting one with careful consideration, he returned and held it out to Zafron.

"Will it work?" Zafron asked, eyeing the crystal warily. A thought struck him. "And why aren't you wearing a mask?"

Hector's reply was a simple wave of his metal fingers, a wry smile playing on his lips.

Zafron got the cue, but his mind was racing. 'He just keeps crystals in his cabinet and hands them out to strangers? There's a lot that isn't making sense... yet,'

[Oh, only about everything,] Calista snarked. [But hey, at least our possibly-homicidal host is generous with his life-saving crystals. That's a point in his favor, right?]

"Now then," Hector said, his voice carrying an air of anticipation, "shall we discuss that proposition I mentioned? I assure you, Zafron, it's quite the opportunity. One that could change your fortunes in ways you've never imagined."