Compared to the rest of the town, the interior of the mansion was immaculate; there were no aftermath of fire with paintings still hanging on the walls. Even lavish pottery and porcelain still remained on display atop wooden stands.
"This place is still in good condition. That's odd," Charlotte said, following in right behind him as she looked up at a painting of a serene mountainside.
"I was thinking that as well," Finn remarked.
Just down the hall to the left of the staircase, he could see Magnus and Jasper near what looked like the entrance to the basement. There was a huge hole in the corridor, with burned edges, clearly fit for the size of a burning ogre.
Finn and Charlotte caught up with the two down the hall, looking around at the rather spotless manor.
"You know, I'm wondering something," Magnus remarked, looking up at the ceiling. "That brute obviously didn't come through a door. I'm not seeing where it would've come into the manor from."
"Mm. You're right, mate. How the hell did that bloke get in here?" Jasper wondered.
"Let's not get too caught up on applying logic to this world. That being said...We still have to check down there," Finn pointed out, taking the first step that descended into the basement.
Something felt off about the manor, along with the town itself, aside from the clear tragedy it had suffered. The bottom of the steps led to another door, this time of wood with a circular seal that glowed red on its surface.
Magnus stepped past him on the steps, pressing his palm against the door as it didn't budge even an inch, "—Locked?"
"Nope, it's sealed," Finn pointed at the humming seal on the wood. "You won't be able to open it with force."
"Shit outta luck then, aren't we?" Jasper asked.
"Not entirely," Finn said, stepping closer to the door as he called upon his black-bladed dagger.
"What're you planning to do with that?" Magnus asked.
"Testing this out," Finn answered.
Bringing his blade close to the seal, he swiftly swiped it down, slashing across the magical mechanism.
Just like that, the seal dissolved after being slashed, leaving the door unguarded.
"Oh, that was simple," Jasper remarked.
"How'd you do that?" Charlotte asked, peeking around the assassin's shoulder.
He flipped his dagger around before dismissing it, "Never had the chance to test it before, but my weapon can cut through magic."
As he explained the method, it only took a gentle push of his hand to open the door to the ominous basement. A dark, stone underground was revealed, devoid of light with only shadows waiting ahead.
"...Why are we down here again?" Magnus asked in the face of the eerie basement.
"If this place is still a "floor" of the Tower, it'll be worth exploring it. There's probably loot stashed around," Finn presumed.
"You had me at "loot." Jasper said, marching right into the lightless basement. "On second thought, mate...I can't see a thing."
Charlotte took it upon herself to caress her sword before it swirled with embers, "I can handle that."
["Blazing Infusjon"]
Using it like a torch, the spellblade used her weapon to guide light into the dark area.
"Much better, cheers," Jasper said.
"What's that?" Jasper asked.
["Amulet of The Unburnt"]
"It's an enchanted necklace," Finn said as his system displayed the object, recognizing it.
"So, we really were meant to come down here and find this mess...What the hell?" Jasper remarked.
"I get the feeling this world has been toyed with just as ours have–turned into some sort of "dungeon" for us to ransack and exploit," Magnus theorized.
Finn stuffed the amulet into his pocket, making his way out of the grim basement, "I'd get used to it if I were you. I don't think whoever is up there is going to stop messing with us all anytime soon."
There was little to find in the remnants of the town beyond ashes and charred memories, bringing them to take their leave, once more moving onward towards the ever-distant structure.
Beyond the city walls awaited a road that led between twin mountains, looming with the grace of rain greeting the travelers. It was an hour straight of hiking through the same scenery until reaching the valley between the grand mountains, greeted by blooming flowers of golden petals.
"How much walking are we doing today?" Jasper asked, wincing a bit as he took another step.
Finn led the way, coming to a stop as he turned around, "I guess we can take a break."
"On that note, what shall we do about food?" Magnus presented what was all on their minds.
In the bounds of the First Order, the reliability of simply ransacking abandoned stores for canned goods was no longer an option. With a land far off from the conveniences of modern innovation, it was back to the basics: foraging and hunting.
"Alright, I guess right here is as good a place as any to camp out," Finn decided, finding the walls of the mountain providing a sense of security, with the abundance of trees further hiding their presence.
Charlotte drew her sword with an excited smile, "I can handle the campfire–I'll get the wood and start it up. Leave it to me."
"Sounds good," Finn said, giving her a quick thumbs-up.
It didn't take more than that affirmation to send the spellblade skipping over to the trees, ready to use her blade like that of a lumberjack.
Finn looked at the other two with a shrug of his shoulders, "We oughta look for some food, then."
"Sure thing–let's make it a competition, how 'bout it, mates?" Jasper offered.
"I truly wonder how you have this much energy at times like these," Magnus quietly remarked.
Jasper laughed, "Gotta keep the mood light, right? Anyway, let's just see who can bring back the most."
"I'm down," Finn accepted.
All that was left was the swede's agreement, who looked one moment from bursting a vessel before finally giving in, "Alright. Whatever–let's just focus on surviving, right?"
"'Course, mate," Jasper assured.
Before setting out, they made sure the spellblade knew the plan, not seeking to leave her aimless and alone.
"The smoke from the fire should rise high enough to guide us back, though I don't think we'll be going that far out anyway," Finn said, watching Charlotte chop away at a tree with swift, but deep slashes.
"Yeah! I'll get it made soon!" Charlotte assured, breaking a sweat amidst her lumberjacking.
The forest amidst the vale undoubtedly was inhabited by a variety of creatures, letting the men each take their own direction without straying too far to be helpless in case of the worst. Finn set out to the west section of the stretch of nature.
'Alright, I'd like to find some meat,' he decided.