Jason stared at the untouched black surface, his breath hitching in the dry, subterranean air. The silence of the cavern was broken only by the frantic cooling fans of the overheated handheld drills.
[It's not stone] a calm, synthesized voice resonated from the command console Jason carried on his wrist. A blue holographic projection flickered to life, casting a ghostly glow over the frustrated faces of the soldiers. Crul's avatar, a rotating geometric lattice, hovered over the black obstruction.
[Correct, Commander] Crul stated. [You have encountered Cold Steel. It is a high-density, mana-reactive alloy designed specifically to withstand thermal and spiritual erosion. Your handheld units lack the coherent focal density to disrupt its molecular lattice.]
"So we're stuck?" Jenkins spat, wiping grease from his visor. "If this 'Cold Steel' is blocking the gates, we might as well go home."
