abcnovels
Chapter 218 (Part 2)
Chapter 218 (Part 2)
Chapter 218: The Treasure Vault of Elsorium (Part 2)
“Hold on. Aren’t you going to ask why I’m here?”
“Why… you’re here?”
“Didn’t you come to see the princess?”
The elders seemed genuinely baffled, waiting for his response with foolish looks on their faces.
Even the Princess gazed at him expectantly.
‘No need to disappoint the princess.’
Ryu Min smiled slightly as he responded.
“Of course, I was concerned about the princess’s safety. What knight wouldn’t worry after hearing that a fragile lady had been attacked?”
“Oh…”
The Princess’s face flushed red.
It seemed the princess, who liked such sweet words, had fallen for the compliment.
“Well, that’s part of the reason. But there’s also something else—something I wanted to confirm.”
“Something else…?”
“I heard that Elsorium holds a treasure vault, passed down through the generations of elves. Is that true?”
The elders flinched, their shoulders jerking in unison as their eyes darted around nervously.
They clearly knew something.
“Where… did you hear such information?”
“It doesn’t matter where I heard it. What’s important is why you’ve kept the existence of this treasure vault hidden from me.”
“W-we didn’t mean to hide anything! We never even considered such a thing!”
“Then you can show me the vault. Lead me to the treasures.”
The elders exchanged hesitant glances before reluctantly nodding.
—Where on earth did he hear about the treasure?
—The princess alone isn’t enough for him, is that it?
—He really is different from those lustful humans.
Their thoughts revealed their reluctance to hand over the treasures.
‘Well, it makes sense. The treasure vault contains the legacy of hundreds of years of elven history.’
Even a hero would find it difficult to part with such a vault. No matter the alliance, an outsider would always remain an outsider.
Sensing Ryu Min’s growing impatience, the elders, feeling pressured, began moving.
“A-all right. We’ll show you… this way.”
If not for his excellent reputation, merely mentioning the treasure wouldn’t have been enough to gain access.
They would’ve dismissed it as a rumor and refused outright.
‘It’s not like I can just break down the door myself. That’s how the system is set up.’
The vault was protected by a barrier that no attack could breach.
Even someone as powerful as Ryu Min couldn’t open it by force.
He knew this well, having tried in a previous round.
“Here we are.”
They arrived at a large stone chamber in the palace’s underground.
“Inside lies the history of Elsorium, accumulated over hundreds of years.”
“I’d like to see it.”
“Please, wait just a moment.”
The five elders gathered in front of the door and chanted a spell.
A ring of light, inscribed with bizarre characters, appeared on the stone door, spinning slowly.
Only when the elders combined their spells could the barrier be dispelled.
Grooooooan—
As the door opened on its own, a message appeared.
?Condition: Open the treasure vault door with the five elders.
[You have completed the sub-quest!]
[You may select three treasures as your reward.]
“Please, come inside.”
Following the elders, Ryu Min entered the vault.
The dazzling light of countless jewels and treasures illuminated the dark stone chamber.
‘Jewels, magic swords, magical armor, spellbooks, artifacts… an assortment of everything.’
As Ryu Min inspected the treasures with interest, one of the elders spoke cautiously.
“These are the treasures we’ve gathered over the past 500 years in Elsorium. Feel free to take whatever pleases you.”
“Does that mean I can take as many as I want?”
“W-well, yes, but given the historical value of these items, wouldn’t three be sufficient…?”
The elders, who were worried he might ask for more, sighed in relief when Ryu Min didn’t push further.
‘I don’t need more than three. They’ll suffice.’
Even if he wanted more, the system wouldn’t allow it.
“I’ll settle for three.”
“Thank you!”
Ryu Min picked his items with precision, as though he had already decided what to choose.
[You have chosen the Rune of One vs. Many.]
[You have chosen the Rune of Resistance.]
[You have chosen the Rune of Endurance.]
[You have selected all your rewards.]
After choosing the three runes, Ryu Min smiled at the elders.
“I’m done.”
“You’ve chosen the magic stones?”
“Oho, an excellent choice.”
The elders, who had been worried he might pick more expensive items, beamed with relief.
But they had no idea.
For a player, there was nothing more valuable than rune fragments.
Ryu Min used the rune fragments to engrave the runes onto his body.
[Rune of One vs. Many]
-Effect: Your stats increase in proportion to the number of enemies within a 100-meter radius. The effect applies to up to 100 enemies, with a maximum stat boost of 100%.
[Rune of Resistance]
-Effect: Increases resistance to status effects by 50%.
[Rune of Endurance]
-Effect: Increases resistance to elemental damage by 50%.
Ryu Min smiled with satisfaction after acquiring the three runes.
All of them were essential runes on his list.
‘With these, I’ve become even stronger.’
Though he was already plenty strong, he couldn’t afford to stop growing when who knows what enemies might appear next.
‘It’s like money—the more you have, the better. The same goes for strength.’
His business with the elves was now complete.
“I’ve seen all I need. Time to head out.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Ryu Min emerged from the underground chamber and returned to the surface, he activated his tracking skill while thinking of someone.
[Match found for name and face. Tracking target’s location.]
[Target ‘Russell Daniel’ located 4,395 meters away.]
[Follow the arrow in front of you to track the target.]
‘Let’s head to the dwarf village with Russell next.’
He needed to gather god-tier materials in advance while helping Russell grow.
“I must be off. I have other matters to attend to.”
“Already? You’re leaving so soon?”
“Yes. Thank you for the tea.”
Leaving behind the Princess, who was visibly disappointed, Ryu Min exited the palace.
‘Ascend.’
Flap—
Huge wings of darkness, over 10 meters wide, unfolded from his back, startling the princess and the elders who had come to see him off.
“I’ll see you again next time. Stay healthy, Princess.”
“…Y-you too, Black Scythe.”
Though the Princess shyly responded, Ryu Min was already soaring high in the sky.