章 9: Stealing Judgment Day

The memory reel spun, unspooling a tale of Hao Vee's cunning strategy and stealthy invasion into the off-limits facility within the Imperial Storehouse. The night was as quiet as a mouse, the usual hustle and bustle of the Storehouse had taken a nap. Colgate and Diana were off the clock, and the rest of the crew had hit the hay. The silence was a bit spooky, but for Hao, it was the perfect backdrop for his undercover operation. No one knew that he was there.

Standing tall before the daunting structure of the facility, Hao's mind was doing a final run-through of the plan. He was well aware of the risks, but the potential rewards were like a mountain compared to a molehill. So, he took a deep breath, steadying his nerves, and then he was off to the races.

Hao cricked his neck and said to himself for an added boost to his confidence, "I've got this."

The facility was more secure than a bank vault, it was protected with multiple layers of high-tech security measures. The first hurdle was a complex network of surveillance cameras.

Tightening his grip on Vibe Edge, Hao began using his Vibe Sense to identify the subtle vibrations emitted by the cameras. He could feel their mechanical gaze scanning the area while creating a rhythmic pattern with every movement.

'Hmm… camera on the left, three seconds... now!' Hao kicked off, unsheathing his Vibe Edge to send a pulse of energy that temporarily short-circuited the camera. 'Got it.' He swiftly moved past its blind spot.

With adrenaline still coursing through his veins, he told himself, 'I don't fancy doing this but I have to see what's lurking down there.'

Next up were the pressure-sensitive floor tiles. 'This one looks tricky.' Before moving rashly, Hao knelt down and lightly brushed his fingers over the tiles. 'This is…' He could feel the minute differences in the seams and the hidden triggers waiting to set off the alarm. "Not on my watch." Unsheathing his sword again, he directed the tip between the seams and then cut the link between the tiles and the alarm system.

Dash!

"Easy does it," Hao was spreading his weight evenly to avoid setting off the pressure sensors as he glided across the floor. Each step was well-choreographed and calculated.

The third hurdle was perhaps the most intimidating - a maze of infrared laser beams crisscrossing the hallways. To the untrained eye, it was an impenetrable web. But Hao was no amateur. His Vibe Sense picked up the faint frequencies of the lasers. Armed with this information, he weaved his way through the deadly grid, moving with the agility of a seasoned acrobat.

"Whew, that was a sweat breaker." He wiped the bead of sweat trickling down his forehead after he made it across the laser grid unscathed.

Soon, he reached the entrance to the underground portion of the facility. Here, he stood with a bit of nervousness. The final layer of security was the most formidable yet - biometric scanners. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the task ahead.

"Alright, this one might be a bit of a challenge, but it is one that I gladly accept." He turned to his invisible audience then explained, "You see, these biometric scanners are a bit tricky. They're designed to permit access only to authorized personnel, which obviously I'm not. They scan your unique biological characteristics, like your fingerprint or iris, and compare them to pre-recorded data. If it's a match, you're in. If not..."

Hao gave an ominous pause then continued, "Well, let's just say it's not pretty. The wrong signal triggers a deadly trap. Imagine a legion of swords springing from the walls, turning the intruder into a pin cushion. Not the best way to go, if you ask me. But I've got a trick up my sleeve. Using my Blade Engineering skills, I've created this little beauty." He held up a small device. "It's a Splint-Modulator, a device that mimics the necessary biometric data. It's not perfect, but it should do the trick."

With that, Hao placed the device on the scanner. He held his breath, waiting for the scanner to process the data. After what felt like an eternity, he heard the sweet sound of the door unlocking.

"And voila! We're in." Hao exclaimed with a sigh of relief escaping his lips.

Next, he stepped into the hidden depths of the facility. The real challenge was just beginning, but he had come too far to back down now.

As he descended 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.

"What's this…?"

At last, he 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 while 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.

"Wow." 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 with a chilling grip that sent shivers up and down his spine.

"Woah, it's cold inside." He expressed while trembling slightly.

Contrary to the door's enormous external framework, the room beyond was surprisingly small. The chamber possesses a soft glow of luminescent crystals that brightened 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 voice trailed off, plus he shivered as he recognized the item on display. It was the X-Class weapon he had heard whispers about growing up in his mother's study, a sword of unparalleled power and beauty—Judgment Day.

"It can't be..?" He was disbelieving of his own senses, but the shape, the scabbard's unique design 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?" His mouth was agape as he spewed these words.

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…?" He questioned himself while being hesitant and 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 was lying dormant all this time awaiting 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.