Plugged In: I got Isekai'd into a Sexbot (Now I Must Save The World)-Chapter 70: Death Beneath the Bramble

Sera pouts, arms crossed, her sword dragging lazily through the leaf-littered path. "It’s not fair," she mutters. "Ka’Lula’s too powerful."

Veena strolls beside her, chuckling softly. "Would you rather be the one elbow-deep in zombie guts?"

"Maybe," Sera grumbles. "At least then I wouldn’t feel useless."

Behind them, the forest groans with the eerie weight of undead magic. The thick fog curls around gnarled tree trunks like the breath of ancient ghosts. Penelo clings to Pip’s arm, peeking over his shoulder and yelping every time something twitches in the mist.

"Zombie!" she squeaks.

But nothing ever gets close. Not with Ka’Lula skipping ahead, humming happily, wings fluttering, as she spits torrents of fire that turn every shambling corpse into instant kindling.

"I’m helping!" she calls back cheerfully as another tree catches fire.

"Careful!" Veena barks. "You’ll light the whole forest up!"

Ka’Lula shrinks a little, her horns drooping. "Oops..."

Pip quickly raises a hand, twirling his fingers in the air. A wave of conjured water snakes from his palm and splashes across the singed treetops, dousing the flame. He beeps softly in Ka’Lula’s direction.

An admonishing but gentle chime.

"Thanks again, Pip," Ka’Lula says sheepishly, rubbing her neck. Then she leans into him with a mischievous smirk. "You’re always saving my butt."

Penelo growls, practically climbing up Pip’s opposite arm. "Well he saved my butt first!"

"You mean yesterday, or the day before that?" Veena snorts from up ahead.

Ka’Lula sticks out her tongue. Penelo responds by blowing a raspberry. Pip sighs and beeps in protest, like a tired father babysitting two dragons.

They eventually reach the base of the looming mountain. At first, it looks like any other jagged slope. But as they draw closer, the ground underfoot turns black, the air heavier, and surrounding the base is a wall of dense, thorny bramble.

Gnarled, twisting, and gleaming with a faint, sickly glow of unknown magic.

Sera strides up with her sword. "Let’s try cutting through."

Veena joins her, conjuring a blade of light and slashing. The bramble parts easily, but the moment the blade retracts, the thorns writhe and grow back, twice as thick.

"What in the gods..." Sera murmurs.

Ka’Lula steps forward and ignites a palm of flame. "Step back. I’ll clear it."

She takes a deep breath, and then breathes out a massive torrent of dragonfire.

The wall of thorns shrieks and blackens, but before it collapses, a surge of wind and steam knocks Ka’Lula off her feet. Pip stands with both arms raised, water magic swirling around him. The wall is only half-burned, and nearby trees are smoldering.

"Oops," Ka’Lula says again, blinking through the smoke. "My bad."

Penelo throws her hands up. "Are you trying to roast us or help?!"

"Sorry! Sorry!"

Pip extends a hand to help Ka’Lula up. She takes it and nuzzles against him again, smiling dreamily.

Penelo jumps in and latches herself around his other side, holding him tight. "I was gonna be nice, but she’s starting to annoy me."

Vuvi groans. "Enough. If we can’t blast through, we’ll have to circle the base."

The team trudges along the edge of the bramble barrier, stepping carefully over rotting vines and zombie limbs. Sera and Veena carve their way through the scattered undead that pop out like rotten popcorn.

After what feels like hours, Penelo calls out, waving. "Here! I found a path!"

The group rushes over to find a narrow trail winding through the bramble. It’s barely visible, like the forest itself tried to bury it.

"Finally," Vuvi mutters. "Watch your step."

The path leads to a dark opening nestled into the mountain’s side. A cave.

From the moment they see it, the air shifts. Black mist seeps from the entrance like breath. The trees nearest the cave are dead. Even the fog refuses to go near it.

Veena sniffs and immediately gags. "This magic... It smells like death. Thick, old, rotted. Whatever’s in there..." she shudders "...isn’t going to be friendly."

Vuvi folds her arms. "Great. Wonderful. We’re a pleasure service, not a monster-hunting guild."

She claps her hands once and turns to leave. "We tried. We tried. Let’s go back, pack up, maybe get lunch—"

Penelo grabs Pip by the arm and nods rapidly. "Yes, let’s definitely go! No creepy cave stuff, thanks."

But Ka’Lula’s eyes narrow. She sniffs again. "That smell... I know it."

Everyone turns to her.

"I smelt it before... back when I first turned into a dragon. But now it’s stronger."

Without another word, she bolts into the cave.

"Lula, wait—!" Veena and Sera both reach for her, but she’s gone.

Pip doesn’t hesitate. He dashes after her with a determined whistle.

The others stand frozen for a moment before Vuvi throws her hands in the air. "Of course. Why wouldn’t the horny dragon-girl sprint into the death cave?!"

Inside, the air is damp and pulsing with necrotic energy. The walls bleed shadows. The ground crunches with bone fragments.

Pip leads the way, glowing faintly like a golden torch.

Penelo clutches his arm. "I hate this. I hate this I hate this I hate this..."

"Quiet," Veena whispers. "We don’t know what’s down here."

Occasional zombies lurch from the walls. Sera’s blade cuts them down with surgical grace. Veena blasts another apart with violet flame.

They follow a trail of heat, Ka’Lula’s aura burns like a beacon. At last, the path opens into a massive underground chamber. Two towering wooden doors, charred and cracked, stand before them. Black magic oozes from the edges like a diseased heartbeat.

Veena presses her sleeve to her face. "This is it. Something’s behind that door."

Sera nods, setting her stance. "Ready."

Together, they shove the doors open. freēnovelkiss.com

A rush of cold air blasts over them. The chamber beyond is colossal. Pillars of stone, a cracked domed ceiling, and in the center, a throne made of bone.

Sitting upon it is a giant.

Or... what used to be one.

A skeletal figure, its bones stained black, its ribcage creaking with each breathless snore. Tattered robes hang from its frame. Its jaw occasionally clicks in its sleep.

Penelo’s jaw drops. Her throat gurgles with a rising scream, but Vuvi lunges and slaps her mouth shut.

"Quiet," she hisses.

Everyone holds their breath.

Silence.

And then—

Pip lets out a curious, melodic whistle.

The skeleton twitches.

Its head turns.

Its eye sockets blaze with necrotic fire as they creak open.

The dead giant stirs.

Its voice rumbles like stones grinding together. "Who... dares... wake me?"

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