Pixelate 4: Shining Star

Chapter 9: Pathetic

The group has completely finished emptying the sand out of their clothes.

Serena: "(relieved) Finally!"

Everyone checks their inventories to find themselves fully stocked on items.

Zack: "So uh... where is your next boss?"

Isabel: "It's north of town."

Edo: "(relieved) Good to know that I got my research right."

Tori: "We're heading out right?"

Caleb is kicking a stone on the ground.

Robert: "Yeah, just don't fall behind."

Anthony and Kyle are already a mile ahead.

Risa: "Welp, I just want to make this quick. Anime marathon with Roy."

William: "Of course."

Roy: "(blushing) Y-Yeah we made plans last week."

Andrea: "Hey, those two are going to fall into a pit or something if we stand around!"

The others try to catch up.

Meanwhile...

Austin: "(blankly) Time for a boost."

They're standing inside desert ruins, with a large bat hanging from the ceiling, unaware of the two in the room.

Aegis: "(blankly) We may no longer be compatible, but this one's code is."

The two dissolve into zeroes and ones and merge with the bat.

One hour later...

Cole: "Here we are."

The stand in front of the entrance to a set of ruins, leading down into the ground.

Kyle: "So we're able to use Bio-Link again."

Micheal realizes something.

Micheal: "Oh yeah, and Risa now has Yukiko to do it with since their fighting styles are a lot more similar!"

Asaka: "And my style seems to be closer to Caleb's twin crossbow style."

Anthony: "Didn't we already know that?"

Serena: "I had almost forgotten about that."

Kyle is heading down.

Kyle: "(in the distance) Want me to leave you behind?"

Risa and Roy head down.

Emily: "On our way!"

The others follow.

Edo: "Hey, do you guys want to head over to our Hope server tomorrow?"

William: "I don't mind checking it out."

Yukiko: "It's beautiful over there!"

Isabel: "Well I'd say that Caleb could use a little breather after today."

Caleb is staring at the floor.

Caleb: "(mumbling) I'll go."

Micheal: "Then you shouldn't disappoint!"

Zack: "We don't, that's our thing."

They explore the new ruins, looking at all sorts of programming languages and drawings for another hour.

One hour later...

Cole: "(scratching head) Where the hell is the boss?"

Anthony looks down one more hallway.