Kael and his two companions stood on the platform within the tunnel. The surroundings were unremarkable, save for two massive statues depicting lion-bodied, human-faced creatures. The carvings were intricate and lifelike.
Yet, none of this held their attention. Their eyes were fixed on the treasure chest before them.
"Damn!" Even Ethan couldn't help but curse, his eyes widening in disbelief. "This is real, right?"
Kael was momentarily stunned, but he nodded without hesitation. "No doubt about it."
Inside the chest were piles of gemstones!
"Frostshard Stones, Duskglow Stones, Emberfire Stones, Sunflare Stones, Holy Light Stones, Glimmerstones, Equilibrium Gems…" The dazzling radiance of these gems was so intense that it made Kael's eyes ache.
"These gems… we're rich!" Ethan gritted his teeth, his usually composed demeanor shaken. Even someone as level-headed as him couldn't remain indifferent—such was the staggering value of these treasures.
Frostshard Stones were water-attuned gems, Duskglow Stones were earth-attuned, while Emberfire Stones and Sunflare Stones were both fire-attuned. These elemental gems could aid cultivation in their respective disciplines. The others were mostly arcane gems with various magical applications.
Holy Light Stones were premium materials for crafting divine healing potions. Glimmerstones contained spatial energy, making them exceptionally rare and versatile. As for the Equilibrium Gems—Kael's Sacred Flame Scepter already had one embedded in its tip. These were truly priceless.
"So many…" This sudden windfall left Kael overwhelmed with satisfaction. Though Simon and Jessica's spatial rings had yielded little of use, this discovery more than made up for it!
Following the principle of "to each their own," the Frostshard Stones went to Amelia, who cultivated frost-imbued combat aura. The Duskglow Stones belonged to Ethan, who practiced earth-attuned combat aura. The remaining arcane gems? All Kael's!
Should he share with Ethan? No way—Ethan wasn't even a mage!
Without question, these arcane gems would be put to their fullest potential only in Kael's hands.
Ethan's gaze turned resentful, but Kael shamelessly ignored it.
"Greedy, cunning humans! Those three earlier were strong, yet they killed them without hesitation. Humans are terrifyingly brutal! Falling into the hands of such a ruthless guy… my life is so hard!"The Snowbear Beast whimpered internally, though it dared not voice its complaints aloud.
Of course, Ethan understood the principle of fair distribution—it was just that Kael's luck was too damn good.
"There's something beneath the gems!" Kael's eyes gleamed as he lifted the gemstones, spotting several spell scrolls and a handful of jade-green orbs in the chest.
"Spell scrolls!" Kael's excitement flared again.
"Why is everything yours…" Ethan couldn't help but sigh in despair.
Kael laughed heartily as he picked up the scrolls. So, this chest had contained spell scrolls—no wonder Simon and Jessica had used some earlier!
"So that's how it is." Kael examined the spell scrolls, feeling both satisfied and slightly regretful.
"These are also seventh-tier scrolls, but unfortunately, most are defensive. Seems like Simon and Jessica already used up the offensive ones earlier," Kael said with a hint of disappointment.
No wonder Simon and Jessica had resorted to such ruthless measures—there were enormous profits at stake here!
The chest contained four more spell scrolls, all seventh-tier and defensive in nature. While not as valuable as offensive spells, they were still incredibly precious—potentially life-saving in critical moments.
"Hurry, stash them in your spatial rings!"
Ethan and Amelia were momentarily stunned. The sheer wealth before them was beyond estimation.
Just the gemstones alone were worth a fortune.
A gem's value depended on its purity and size. For example, a standard Frostshard Stone on the market might cost around two thousand gold coins—not exorbitant, but most available gems were low-grade, riddled with impurities.
Yet, the ones here were each the size of an egg, flawlessly pure like crystal, without a single blemish!
Such gems contained immense energy, making them exceptionally effective for cultivation—especially in bridging the vast gap between the seventh and eighth tiers. With their aid, breaking through to the eighth tier would become significantly easier.
"A single gem here must be worth at least ten thousand gold coins. And there are… what, a hundred? Two hundred?" Even the usually composed Amelia couldn't help but be moved.
This was an astronomical fortune!
Cultivation wasn't just about talent—it was also about resources. With these gems, the trio's progress to the eighth tier would accelerate dramatically.
Fortunately, Kael's spatial ring was spacious enough. He rubbed the Mithril Ring he'd bought at auction for tens of thousands of gold coins—its capacity was more than sufficient.
Kael began frantically stuffing the gems into his ring, barely even looking as he swept them inside. His frenzied looting spurred Amelia and Ethan into action, and soon all three were scrambling to collect their share. The Snowbear Beast watched in silent horror: "These humans… utterly ruthless!"
"What are these green orbs?" Amelia, ever observant, noticed a layer of jade-green beads at the bottom of the chest. They emitted a faint cyan glow, each no larger than a fingernail. Unlike the gemstones, they didn't seem like precious minerals, puzzling her.
Kael let out a curious sound—his focus had been on the gems and scrolls, so he'd overlooked these beads.
"Not gems. These are seeds," Kael declared after picking one up and rolling it between his fingers.
As an expert in alchemy, Kael had some knowledge of botany. The beads pulsed with a vital energy—clearly not inert stones, but seeds of some plant species.
"But what kind of plant is this?" Kael didn't recognize it. However, the Snowbear Beast beside him suddenly yelped: "Seeds of the Sinbloom!"
"Sinbloom? So you know about them?" Kael's sharp gaze snapped toward the beast. The Snowbear immediately clamped its mouth shut, its large, watery eyes pleading pitifully.
"Talk." Kael's interest was piqued—these seeds clearly had a significant origin.
"T-they're seeds cultivated by the High Elves... The Sinbloom... They say this plant can survive in any environment, no matter how harsh, and possesses terrifying destructive power..." The Snowbear shrank under Kael's stare, stammering as it spoke.
"High Elf-cultivated seeds? Sinbloom?" Kael found the name ominous.
The High Elves—a race rumored to be extinct on the continent. Millennia ago, the elves had been the dominant power, but now they had vanished completely, surviving only in the tales of bards.
Could these relics be connected to the High Elves? Was this an elven ruin?
Several thoughts flashed through Kael's mind.
"Whatever. We'll take them first and figure it out later!" With a dismissive snort, Kael swiftly stashed the seeds into his spatial ring.
Ethan and Amelia didn't react—Ethan had no interest in the seeds, while Amelia didn't care. After all, she and Kael shared everything; whoever took them made no difference.
In the blink of an eye, the trio had emptied the chest completely, leaving it barren.
Satisfied with his haul—gems, scrolls, and now the Sinbloom seeds—Kael nodded in approval.
Then, the entire underground palace shook violently.
A deafening BOOM erupted, as if the world itself had exploded. The ground trembled uncontrollably, the very air vibrating with the force of the quake.
"What's happening?!" The trio immediately tensed. The tremors were so intense that even this pocket dimension seemed to sense the disturbance.
"What the hell is going on?" Kael steadied himself and glared at the Snowbear, hoping for answers.
"M-m-master… W-we're doomed! L-look at the statues—they're alive!" The beast was petrified, its eyes wide and unblinking as it stared ahead.
Kael looked up just in time to see stone fragments crumbling away. The two lion-bodied, human-faced statues on the platform—once lifelike carvings—were now moving, their fierce, savage gazes locking onto the trio.
The statues had truly come to life!