Chapter 332: Closer...


    From the peak of the hill of golden treasure, a few gold coins rolled down, jingling as they bumped on the other precious fortunes. A coin rolled, reaching the floor with a clink, spinning, and finally bumping the foot of the youth standing beside the human-sized hill. Silver eyes blinked curiously.


    Moulin bent down to pick up the coin and assessed it with a tilted head. ''Shiny...''


    Without another thought, he dropped the coin on another pile and began to walk. For some reason, he feared that if he touched something for too long, he would trigger a trap or unleash the guardian beast protecting this horde of precious things. It was an absurd thought, but one can never be too careful. His main concern was finding a way out of this ce.


    "This ce..." Chn observed three giant vases draped with luxurious finery. Gems dangled at the ends of each tassel. The seer tore his eyes away. "If I''m not mistaken, this seems to be the storage room where all offerings were to be made to the God, Gdin."


    "A few pieces of these things would make a man live in luxury for a for decades." Moulin drew his brows together as his gaze drifted upwards and fixed his eyes on one of the sparkling peaks of the hills. "Has no one ever discovered this ce?"


    "Seeing that the treasury is almost filled to the brim, I believe no one has. The entrance seemed as if it had been sealed shut for decades." Chn walked over some rare animal skins, afraid of dirtying them.


    "Hm..." Moulin nodded, ncing at some fine-skinned nkets. His lips thinned, and he looked around the vast field of gold and gems.


    The youth eyed the walls for any openings or hidden things that could lead to opening one. He and Chn separated, deciding to expand their search. Moulin instructed Snow to apany Chn because he felt uneasy leaving the seer alone. He had to ensure his safety so that the man could return to meet his awakened father again.


    Moulin passed through hills of gold. He nearly tripped on an emerald orb that was carelessly ced on the ground before him. Reaching the walls, he began his search while carefully cautious not to trigger set up traps.


    After a few moments of touching around and searching for suspicious crevices, disappointment filled the young man''s face when he found nothing. Some stringed crystal beads were tangled around his foot during his attempt to leave the area. With a frustrated groan, he glowered at his foot and shook off the annoying thing. While walking, he persuaded himself to rx. Unfortunately, he was anything but rxed.


    Moulin took a deep breath and decided to look around again. He must have missed something. It was better, to be sure.


    "Okay..." Moulin said. He turned around and began his search again.


    Moulin wondered how many years did it take for this treasury to be filled. The vast area was simr to the size of the halls in Gan. This much gold and precious items would be enough to feed an entire continent. Well, if it was during the time before the Kron had gued the world. It was a pity that these things couldn''t be of use to the people. What they needed were food and drink, clothing, shelter, and, most of all, protection. The wild creatures roaming this world wouldn''t be defeated by these shiny goods.


    Clink!


    "Ah?"


    Moulin lowered his gaze and slightly drew his foot back. Below him, lying on the floor of gold coins, was a small wooden box. The horizontal split on its front was gilded with metal and on its center was no doubt the tiniest crystal within the whole treasury. Moulin raised his brows and bent his knees to pick it up.


    "..."


    He held it closer to his eyes, observing what seems to be the simplest thing he''s seen in the chamber. It didn''t have anyplex designs on the wood or the sp holding the tiny stone. Moulin tried to open it, but it seemed as if it was bounded by some sort of spell keeping tightly shut forever.


    "..."


    Moulin rolled his eyes. Of course, in an abnormal temple, there were always odd things. He should just ignore it.


    Just when he was about to put it down, a blurry of white whizzed past him, and the box within his fingers was gone. Moulin blinked, and his eyes narrowed.


    A little snow-white fox wagged his tail while blinking his endearing beady eyes. To Moulin''s surprise, the mischievous creature had a golden cor ne around his small neck, and pearls hung beneath the glistening strap. Each of Snow''s paws also had a golden band as well. Proudly staring at his master, Snow shook the wooden box within his mouth.


    Moulin''s eyes brows drew together. He stood up with a glower. "Snow...e here."


    "Ao!" Snow shook his head teasingly.


    "Snow, I saide here this instant. Take those off. You shouldn''t be touching those."


    "Ao!"


    Moulin eyed the little fox helplessly. This little brat!


    Chn''s panting figure approached them. The man had sweat dripping from his forehead. When he saw Snow, he sighed in relief. He gave Moulin an apologetic look. "I apologize, young master. I tried to stop him, but he was too quick..."


    Moulin shook his head and red at Snow. " It''s alright. This little one just needs a couple of smacks."


    "Ao?" Snow whined.


    Moulin turned to Chn, ignoring Snow. "Did you find anything?"


    "No, young master. It seems we''ve really arrived at a dead end."


    A sigh escaped the youth''s mouth. His eyes crinkled, and he revealed a half-hearted smile to the man beside him. "Let''s keep looking. We can''t give up. The others might be looking for us right now, so we must do our best."


    Chn''s eyes softened. "Yes, Of course, young master."


    This time Chn and Moulin looked for clues together. They waded through the golden pile and sparkling gems, analyzing the floor and the walls as much as they could, carefully touching odd marks on the walls. Unfortunately, they couldn''t find a single hint. Half an hour passed. Moulin, with a sigh, leaned against the column while anxiously sweeping his eyes throughout the area. Who the hell built this ce? Why doesn''t it show its exits? Surely, they had built a clear passage to leave this damn room. Internally, Moulin couldn''t help but curse.


    The longer they are in here, the more anxious he gets. His mind reeled to Hadrian, wanting to tug the string between them and call out to him. Moulin clenched his fists. He couldn''t just stand here and wait.


    Pulling himself together, the aphrodite took a deep breath, mentally pping himself and straightening his back. He removed himself from the pir and approached Chn, who was rubbing his chin while gazing at the odd symbols on the pirs.


    Moulin spoke and nced at the entrance of the chambers. "Perhaps, we should try to search within the tunnel."


    Chn took a moment to think before he replied. "Perhaps we should..."


    Deciding, the two men began to head towards the open doorway. Snow jumped into his master''s satchel. The men''s steps were harsh as they moved through the gold and gems. It was like trudging through snow or a flood. Only this time, it was sharp gems and blinding gold that surrounded their feet.


    Before they could take a step towards the entrance, Moulin paused.


    ''Closer...''


    The youth flinched. Muscles stiffening and fingertips trembling. The voice was now echoing, and it was louder as if the person speaking to him was within giant halls.


    Noticing Moulin''s abrupt pause, the seer stopped and turned. His eyes scrutinized the youth behind him in confusion. Then his eyebrows drew together in unease.


    "What is it that you hear?"


    Moulin blinked and looked at Chn in surprise. How did he know?


    "I know the look of someonemunicating with spirits. You have been behaving strangely since before we entered Gdin''s chamber."


    He knows about that too? Moulin wore a questionable look, but he didn''t push the matter even further. He only turned around to face the treasury behind them.


    "I wasn''tmunicating with them... I only heard it. It... was telling me toe closer. Now, it is saying the same thing to me once more."


    "Closer to where?"


    Moulin furrowed his brows. "Inside. I think it doesn''t want us to leave yet..."


    It could be leading them to something dangerous, or perhaps, it has good intentions. Moulin was very inclined to the former. Currently, he wasn''t feeling hopeful, and anything unusual would immediately make him cautious.


    "Perhaps, we could try doing what it says..." Chn suggested. "Because currently, our options are close to none."


    Moulin shed him a reluctant look. In the end, the youth sighed and nodded. "Fine..."


    Returning inside, the pair of maeruthans and a tiny little fox began walking within the Treasury. Snow jumped on a forest of coins stacked and forming a forest of towers. He yipped in excitement as he knocked the coins down. The noise bounced off the chamber walls, and Moulin scolded the yful creature before letting it run off.


    "Do you hear it again?"


    Moulin turned to Chn and nodded. "It says to go even closer." Judging from their path, the voice was leading them towards the end of the chamber.


    The objects in their way were getting clustered, mostly stacked on top of each other. It took a while for Moulin and Chn to push away the furniture and heavier things put in their way.


    It wasn''t long before they reached near the wall, and after pushing thest of the giant ceramic vases away, they stopped and stared with bated breaths.


    Moulin hadn''t paid much attention to the treasures within the chambers. He wasn''t interested in even a single coin. However, there was something about the object before him that intrigued him almost spiritually.


    Before their eyes, brimming with spiritual strength, an orb as giant as a ripe watermelon levitated above a simple white pedestal. The orb was of pure gold. Its smooth surface carried the vague reflection of the two maeruthans before it. And carved on its smooth, wless surface were texts of old elvennguage. The symbols were formed exquisitely. Every curve and stone held momentum and elegance.


    A strange pull lured Moulin closer. He then knew this was what the voice wanted him to find.


    "It''s this artifact..."


    Chn raised his brows in surprise before he shifted his gaze and stared at the object.


    Moulin could recognize the writings, but he couldn''t understand them. Thus, Chn, the seer who spent decades and studied years under Phaelona''s guidance, stepped forward to trante.


    The orb was rotating in an unpredictable direction as if floating in the air. Chn kept tilting his head and moving as he read. He squinted his eyes as he struggled to understand some of the broken words.


    "Death... is life. As... the Spirit... awakens, he... is reborn and... shall prevail..."


    Chn then withdrew with a curious look.


    Moulin questionably looked at the object. What does that mean-


    '' He-.. death!''


    '' Sav-... us!''


    ''-ercy! Mer-...''


    Suddenly, there were incoherent voices, mixed tones, and unfamiliar voices. They drowned Moulin''s mind. Endless screams and agonized wails! They were shouting, wing on his ears, banging within his head! An ache began to pierce his chest, and a whimper unconsciously escaped Moulin''s lips.