Chapter 7 : The Hidden Basement - Forgotten Weapons

As Avalon entered through the hole in the wall, he slid through a pipe and landed on a shelf, jolting slightly as he landed on his buttocks. He cautiously crawled forward and peered below, only to be met with an unexpected sight. It appeared to be a kitchen? To his surprise, Chad was frantically pressing the touchscreen of a peculiar machine with his tiny hands, salivating and grinning from ear to ear. Avalon carefully descended from the shelf, finding his footing on the cooking platform, before finally reaching the ground. Taking in his surroundings, he realized that he was standing in an expansive hall, divided into multiple rooms by transparent walls. Little did any of them realize that they had stumbled upon a hidden basement.

"Wow," Avalon exclaimed, his voice filled with amazement.

He turned his attention to Chad, who was still excitedly messing around with the machine.

"Chad! Where have you brought me, and what are you doing?" Avalon inquired.

*Clang!* Suddenly, the machine emitted a sound. The top section of the machine opened, revealing a plate with a parfait, two juice cans, and a steaming plate of Chicken Biryani. Avalon almost stumbled backward in shock.

"H-How did you do that?" he stammered.

"I don't know, I just touch the screen, and it gives me delicious food," Chad replied, his excitement unabated.

Chad then procured a chair, climbed onto it to reach the plate, and handed it to Avalon.

"Let's eat it first," Chad suggested eagerly.

"Okay," Avalon agreed.

They proceeded to the dining table in the kitchen and began savoring their meal. While eating, Avalon couldn't help but inquire, "Whose place is this?"

"No idea. I've never seen anyone here," Chad responded, his attention still focused on the food.

"And how did you find out about it?" Avalon inquired once more.

"After school, Michael and his friends were bullying me, so I ran and hid in a dustbin. That's when I found this food paradise."

"You really don't care about anything except food, huh?" Avalon remarked.

"Absolutely, and please, let's keep this place a secret," Chad pleaded, his attention still fixated on the food in front of him.

"Did you check the other rooms?" Avalon probed.

"Yeah, I checked some of them. They're rather.... Boring," Chad replied dismissively.

Once they finished their meal, Chad set the plate aside and began climbing back onto the platform, ready to depart.

"Wait, Chad!" Avalon called out, halting him in his tracks. "Let me explore the other rooms first."

"Alright, but we mustn't dally, or we'll be late," Chad urged.

They ventured forth to investigate the remaining areas of the basement. They discovered a bathroom, a bedroom, a living room, a library, and even a room filled with peculiar machines. Finally, they entered a dimly lit hall. However, as they cautiously stepped inside, the hall suddenly illuminated, revealing a breathtaking sight that left them awe-struck.

The walls were adorned with lifelike depictions of men in various martial poses against a pristine white backdrop. Two walls were adorned with an array of weapons, though none of them were of modern make. Swords, longswords, katanas, spears, knives, nunchucks, wooden staffs, batons, knuckles, shurikens, thin needles, bows and arrows, and countless others from bygone eras adorned the walls, casting an intimidating aura.

Overwhelmed and slightly fearful, both Avalon and Chad stood in awe of the scene in front of them.

"Avalon, I'm scared. Let's go back. We shouldn't be late," Chad pleaded, his voice tinged with fear.

Though Avalon's curiosity lingered, he agreed and turned back. However, before leaving, a white square button near the gate caught his attention. With a leap, he reached for it and pressed it.

*Click.* The button emitted a sound and retracted into the wall, revealing a small panel that projected a holographic diamond in the air. Suddenly, the diamond emitted a brilliant light and began scanning Avalon.