Chapter 323: Legacy (3) |
As Horus stepped through the gate of the 「Golden Treasury」, the first thing that greeted him was a long corridor.
Luminous stones were embedded in the walls and ceiling, illuminating the space, and everything, except for the white marble floor, was adorned with gold.
‘Wait, this isn’t just gold-colored. It’s… pure gold?’
Horus touched the wall, his eyes widening in surprise, and nodded slowly.
Now he understood why it was called the 「Golden Treasury」.
It was a straightforward and literal name.
‘Even for a Gold Dragon, this is… excessive.’
Horus sighed softly at the unimaginative and gaudy interior.
Even for a Gold Dragon, this much gold was…
…strangely appealing.
No, it wasn't just ‘nice’. A sense of satisfaction, a strange contentment, began to well up within him.
The metallic sheen of the gold, reflecting the light from the luminous stones, shimmered and sparkled.
It wasn’t just a simple gold plating. Intricate carvings adorned its surface, scattering the light in different directions, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.
How could he not be impressed by such magnificence…?
“No! Snap out of it!”
Slap!
Horus, who had been leisurely admiring the artwork on the walls, suddenly came to his senses and slapped himself on both cheeks.
He had been seduced.
This place was a perfect reflection of the Gold Dragons’ tastes!
‘Huu, let’s go.’
He shook off the lingering temptation and continued down the corridor, his eyes darting around like a child in a toy store.
‘Technically, gold isn’t that valuable compared to other treasures.’
Of course, gold was still highly valued in Auterica, as it was the basis of their monetary system, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy a dragon.
There were gems, magic metals, magic stones…
“…Hee hee, and this is all mine now?”
But the sheer quantity of gold… it was surprisingly satisfying.
Perhaps that was why Gold Dragons had a reputation for being relatively gentle and less greedy compared to other dragon clans.
‘It’s a plausible theory. But that’s not important right now.’
Horus, having satisfied his newfound greed, finally reached the end of the corridor.
He could have used magic to get here faster, but he had deliberately chosen to walk, taking his time to appreciate the scenery.
…And to indulge in his newfound appreciation for gold.
“Whoa…”
And the first thing he saw was a massive dragon statue, made mostly of gold.
It was even larger than Elder Dragon Shri Hartgen’s true form.
‘Is that the actual size of an Ancient Dragon… an Elder Dragon?’
The apex of the dragon species, their numbers few even during the dragons’ golden age.
He gasped softly, awestruck by its size, over a hundred meters long, a legendary being he had only heard stories about.
And he couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of awe for the previous Immortal Kings.
To think they had defeated such beings, even Ancient Dragons…
It was a truly impressive feat, worthy of the title ‘Continent’s Despair’.
‘And now, I’m also…’
Horus puffed out his chest slightly, feeling a surge of pride, then looked around, his gaze sweeping past the massive statue and the mountain of gold and jewels at its feet.
Massive gates, leading to various sections of the vault, surrounded the central chamber.
This wasn’t the entire treasury, just the lobby.
The gates probably led to different sections, categorized by type.
‘Which means… these are the… miscellaneous items.’
Was this what it felt like to be the heir to a massive fortune?
It was a breathtaking sight, a scene of unimaginable wealth.
‘Let’s go.’
There was no point in hesitating.
He confidently strode towards the nearest gate, eager to explore.
A young dragon’s treasure hunt had begun.
______________________
The 「Golden Treasury」, as vast as it was, contained a staggering amount of treasure, far too much to examine in a single visit.
So, his first exploration was just a preliminary survey, a quick overview of the vault's contents.
“Hmm, this is… underwhelming.”
Horus, having explored several sections, returned to the lobby and grumbled, standing before the last remaining gate.
The results of his initial exploration hadn't met his expectations.
He needed something that would be useful in combat, but there weren’t many such items among the remaining treasures.
‘There were some interesting things, though.’
Shri Hartgen had warned him that most of the valuable items had been used or lost during the wars.
Perhaps most of the magic tools currently circulating in the world originated from this vault.
‘And after the wars, the Gold Clan was on the verge of extinction, so they couldn’t retrieve them.’
Horus clicked his tongue, then opened the last gate and stepped inside.
He had been slightly disappointed, but the treasures he had found so far were still quite valuable.
The massive amount of gold would greatly benefit Hubert’s Trading Company, and the technology and knowledge contained within the rare magic tools would be invaluable for Howard’s crafting…
“Huh? This room…”
He stopped, his eyes widening in surprise.
The interior of this section was different from the others.
Unlike the previous areas, which had been lavishly decorated with gold and other precious metals, this room was dark and somber.
More precisely—.
‘The walls, ceiling, and floor are all covered in magic materials. Magic metals and ritual catalysts…’
And that wasn’t all.
He reached out and touched the wall, his brow furrowing slightly.
He could sense a powerful magic barrier covering the entire area.
‘…This is impressive. Almost on par with Hans. Did an Ancient Dragon create this?’
A high-level magic barrier, its complexity beyond his current understanding.
It was a powerful seal, suppressing and restricting those who didn’t meet certain conditions.
‘What’s inside…?’
He found out as soon as he entered the room.
A strange sense of familiarity, mixed with a chilling unease, washed over him as he saw the objects displayed within.
A dark, shimmering blade, as if forged from shadows.
A suit of armor, shaped like a demon, as if molten lava had solidified into its current form.
A blood-red gem, pulsing like a heart, covered in intricate veins.
A whip, writhing and twisting, its surface covered in sharp thorns.
Unusual and otherworldly artifacts, their origins easily discernible.
‘Right, I was wondering where these were.’
It was only natural for them to have trophies from their battles against the Immortal Kings.
And such dangerous artifacts couldn't be casually handled, so the Gold Dragons must have collected and sealed them away.
‘And dragons have been active even before the Immortal Kings.’
Even before the first Immortal King appeared a thousand years ago, there were those who attempted to summon demons and even Demon Kings from other dimensions.
Some of these artifacts must have been acquired and sealed during those incidents.
<Cursed Spear that Sings of the Abyss – Bazaria>
<Magic stone extracted from an Earl-level demon’s heart. Don’t know his name, eliminated him before he could introduce himself. Should have asked for his name first? – Pyratheod>
<Magic Sword (Durable and sharp. Causes wounds to fester.)>
<Helmet of Eight-Armed Forest, a high-ranking executive of the Second Immortal Army>
Small notes, presumably written by those who had collected them, were placed beneath each artifact.
The diverse handwriting and writing styles added to the experience, offering a glimpse into their personalities.
‘Eight-Armed Forest was the Dullahan King who served the Second Immortal King. He was one of the highest-ranking executives.’
Horus, his eyes sparkling with curiosity, continued his exploration, unfazed by the sinister auras emanating from the artifacts.
And as he neared the end of the room, he saw something else.
An object protected by an even more powerful seal.
“That’s…”
A single arm, wrapped in bandages, its skin completely obscured, impaled and secured by numerous metal spikes, rested on a pedestal covered in glowing magic circles.
‘…Impressive.’
He gulped, his eyes fixed on the severed arm.
It was just an arm, and yet, the power it contained was immense, enough to evoke a sense of danger even within Horus, who considered himself quite powerful now.
‘If it’s this strong even while sealed… It must have been incredibly powerful. What is it? At least Demon King level?’
His initial caution was quickly replaced by an overwhelming curiosity.
He cautiously approached the pedestal and quickly scanned the inscription beneath it.
<Right Arm of the 14th Demon King, L’rei’e>
“…A Demon King’s arm.”
He had suspected it, but… it was real.
He muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper, then stared at the sealed arm again.
It was completely wrapped in bandages, its original form obscured, held in place by chains and spikes, silent and motionless.
‘How long has it been here?’
The Immortal King was often compared to a Demon King, but they were different beings.
He had never heard of a Demon King appearing in Auterica after the first Immortal King’s arrival, so it must have been here for at least a thousand years.
‘Wait a minute.’
As he stared at the arm, something clicked.
He had seen that name before.
In the 『Item Purchase』 menu, where he had bought his Dragon Heart catalyst.
『Horn containing the essence of the 14th Demon King, L’rei’e (4,620,000)』
He quickly checked the Karma Shop, and there it was.
No wonder the name sounded familiar.
‘A Demon King’s horn. And its price has decreased.’
It had been over 5 million when he first saw it.
Unlike the 30 million item with the unreadable description, its price had seemed… attainable, so he had remembered it.
‘The demon world, and a Demon King…’
The demon world wasn't a separate dimension, but a subspace connected to Auterica, like the Spirit World or the abyss.
And after the first Immortal King’s rampage, most of the dark mages needed for summoning demons and Demon Kings had been absorbed into his forces, so it had become relatively quiet.
‘Well, I don’t need to worry about that now.’
Horus shrugged and turned his attention to the other artifacts displayed nearby.
He was interested in the demon world, but Ganghwange was his current priority.
‘I’ll think about it later.’
The artifacts near the Demon King’s arm seemed to be related to him.
<Essence of the 14th Demon King’s executive, the Succubus Queen>
His curious eyes scanned the items one by one.
____________________
“Huh?”
Siana, who had been enjoying her usual pastime of tormenting former Crown Prince Simon, suddenly stopped.
Her master, the Immortal King Hans, had appeared before her.
Wearing a perfectly normal human face.
“Siana.”
“Ah…? Y-yes, my King!”
She was momentarily flustered, then quickly prostrated herself.
But her eyes, hidden beneath her lowered head, were wide with disbelief, her pupils shaking uncontrollably.
“I have a question for you, Siana.”
“Command me.”
“How does this face look to you?”
“How… it looks…?”
Her body trembled at the unexpected question.
But she quickly regained her composure, her mind racing, and smoothly replied.
“It’s… perfect! I wouldn’t have recognized you if I wasn’t already bound to you! I apologize for my slow wit, my King.”
“Hmm.”
Hans nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.
Siana, a succubus, was the best in the Immortal Army when it came to infiltration and disguise.
She had infiltrated the Empire’s nobility, fooling even high-ranking clerics.
He was pleased with her confirmation and, after praising her, left the room.
And as he vanished in an instant,
Siana, left alone, closed her eyes tightly and pressed her forehead against the floor.
‘That handsome face! He’s become just another ordinary man!’
She lamented the loss of one of her few pleasures in this unwanted afterlife.