Only I Can Use a Gun in a World of Magic

The employee's lounge was in reality a long hallway with doors leading to what Aralynn presumed to be lounges, changing rooms, and storage. Amon led them down the hall, his eyes glowing red.

I wonder what skill that is he's using, Aralynn thought. Soon, as they approached a particular door, Amon signalled them to be quiet. He pointed to the plaque on the door: it read "Security" in common.

Amon tested the door. It was unlocked. "We're here," he whispered. "We don't know what's inside, so be ready for anything."

He silently twisted the doorknob and gently slid the door open. Miraculously, none of the hinges squeaked nor made a sound. The party silently peered inside. The lights were turned off and the room was separated further into smaller rooms, each labeled with places, such as west caverns, east caverns, entrance, dock, lower floors, etc. Most of them had their doors open with nothing in them. 

However, there was one door that was closed. It read main caverns & internal security. Amon gestured for Grango, who was closest to the door they had just come through, to close it. Grango closed the door, slowly and quietly, sealing the room in darkness. Amon once again slid this door open.

In the darkness of the room, Aralynn could make out maybe thirty mirrors mounted on the walls, each presumably linked up to an orb, displaying lit video feeds. A single guard laid back in a chair, yawning lightly. Amon motioned for the party to stay put as he silently snuck up to the guard. He inched closer and closer, then leapt forward, attempting to put the guard in a headlock. 

Unfortunately, the guard reacted in time. He managed to get his hands under Amon's arms, wrestling the demonkin aside. The human guard drew a dagger, glancing at Amon and the four others standing in the doorway. "Intruders," he realized. "Intruders!" he repeated, louder this time. "Intruders! Guards! Guards! Guards- mmph!"

He was abruptly cut off as Aralynn's claws found purchase, goring his side as she charged into the room. Aralynn had taken off her black gloves, revealing the talons that birdfolk had for hands; her next swipe, aimed at his neck, missed as the guard dodged out of the way. Aralynn's following swipe, aimed at his upper bicep, found more flesh and drew blood.

"There's five of us and one of you," Amon said, walking up behind Aralynn. His eyes shone red once more, and Aralynn could feel his voice resonate with a hint of a barbed threat.

Another skill, Aralynn thought. Once we get out of this, I'll really need to look into the system as a whole- maybe I'll ask Perona or Amon themselves.

"You seem smart," Amon menaced. "Stand down. Lay down the dagger, stay quiet, and we might spare your life."

Whatever Amon tried to do, his threat didn't seem to work. "Well, you said it yourself. I have a dagger. I like those odds." He eyed a singular red button on what appeared to be something of a magical security console below the mirrors. He edged slowly towards it, and following his gaze, Aralynn noticed as well.

"Don't let him touch that button," she cautioned. "It probably calls for guards- if they haven't been alerted already."

The human snarled. "Well, I've got nothing to lose!" He lunged for the button, slipping past Amon. He smashed his palm on the button, but before he could try to run, Hadarai clubbed him over the head with a chair, knocking him out cold.

"We're out of time," Hadarai said flatly. "If the guards didn't hear the screaming, they definitely got that. Forget stealth- trash the place and let's get the hell out."

He vaulted onto the table and drove his fist through a row of mirrors, sending shards crashing down like jagged crystal rain. Amon followed suit, shattering the treated glass panes with easy..

Aralynn swept her claws across the control panel, gouging through buttons and wiring. Sparks flew as components cracked and popped, a mess of broken mechanisms left in her wake.

Perona winced at the noise. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes," Aralynn growled back with a savage grin.

But the destruction came to a halt at the sound of boots thundering down the hallway- shouts growing louder behind the paper-thin walls.

No one had to say a word. The party bolted from the room just as a squad of automatons stormed into the lounge, blades drawn- halberds and steel gleaming in the lamplight.

"There they are!" the lead construct shouted, brandishing his sword and charging forwards. "After them!"

"Shit. Come on!" Perona barked, leading the party deeper into the employee lounge. Her eyes flashed pink as she scanned each door they passed. They reached the end of the hallway. It was at the base of a short staircase, where one singular door hung ajar.

Perona caught a glimpse through the crack and grinned. "Straight ahead!"

Luckily for them, the automatons' long polearms were restricted by the tighter corridor. As the party of adventurers slid down the stairs, Perona whipped out a bag from her rucksack, opening it by the drawstring and whisking the contents on the floor behind them as she fell into place next to Aralynn.

Small metal balls glinted in the light. Ball bearings? Aralynn thought.

Her suspicions were proven correct as the sound of clanking metal and groans of falling automatons sounded behind them. 

They burst through the door into what looked like a high-end restaurant.

It was packed.

The kind of place that catered to high rollers and suite guests, complete with an wide kitchen and a panoramic cavern wall that opened to a roaring underground waterfall. Chefs were in the middle of performance cooking, plating and flambéing with flourish.

Chaos hit instantly. Diners screamed and ducked as the party sprinted through the kitchen. When the automatons burst through the doorway behind them, scanning with glowing eyes, the restaurant went silent.

Dozens of hands pointed straight at them.

"Tsk." Aralynn clicked her tongue. Glancing around, the exit was all the way across the restaurant and looked as if it were locked. She grabbed a kitchen knife the size of a dagger off a nearby rack. The others followed suit.

"Looks like we've got a fight on our hands."