Al and Basri had finally arrived at an abandoned area on the outskirts of Makazhar City.
Basri, his body swaying from exhaustion, still took a moment to scan their surroundings carefully. Then he crouched, brushing his rough hand against the dusty ground until a faint glint of metal appeared beneath the dirt. He tried to lift it, but his trembling arms quickly betrayed his lack of strength.
Al stepped forward without hesitation.
"Let me handle it."
"My apologies, sir… I didn't mean to trouble you," Basri replied, panting softly.
Al focused for a second and tried lifting the metal plate using magic — yet, to his surprise, something strange repelled his spell. A faint backlash jolted through his arm, making him pause, eyes narrowing in mild shock.
Basri gave a weak, apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry, sir. But this thing… it carries a magic neutralizer. I'll explain it later, but for now, it's best if we open it manually."
