Chapter 157: The Vault (7)

The soft glow that bathed the chamber made everything feel serene. But before everything went down, there was one final thing that one needed to do.

"Vitalaira," I called, keeping my voice light.

[Hmm?] She turned to me, curiosity evident in her feline gaze.

"Climb up there," I said, pointing toward the chamber's walls, which stretched high above us.

[Why?] she asked, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

I simply smiled. "Just do it. Trust me."

She gave me a skeptical look but complied without further question. Her sleek form moved effortlessly as she scaled the walls with quick, agile paws, her movements feline and graceful. Within moments, she had ascended to a vantage point near the ceiling, her gaze sweeping over the chamber from above.

From her elevated position, I waited for her reaction, knowing what she was about to see would put the final piece of the puzzle into place.

The moment Vitaliara reached her vantage point high above the chamber, I watched her eyes widen slightly, her expression shifting into one of surprise. She looked down to the ground, her feline grace momentarily overshadowed by confusion.

[Huh?] she mumbled, her voice carrying just enough for me to catch.

I couldn't help but smile. "What do you see?" I asked, already knowing what had caught her attention.

She hesitated for a moment before responding, her tone laced with disbelief. [It says... 'Welcome, Player.']

I chuckled softly. "Exactly."

From her elevated position, she could now see the full layout of the chamber below—each core I had placed, every section of the illusion that had disappeared, all forming the perfect pattern that spelled out those words. It was the final flourish of Arlen Morrowind's puzzle.

I called down to Vitaliara, still smiling as she remained perched high above. "Come back down."

Without hesitation, she leaped from the wall, her sleek form landing gracefully on my shoulder, her paws barely making a sound. Her eyes were still wide, trying to piece together what she had just witnessed from above. I could sense her curiosity bubbling just beneath the surface.

"Get ready for the show," I said with a grin, my voice low.

She looked at me, her feline eyes narrowing. [Show? What are you planning?]

I ignored the question and faced forward, the words already forming on my tongue. "I am welcomed."

The moment the words left my lips, the entire space reacted.

RUMBLE!

The ground beneath us shuddered violently, as if some ancient force had been awakened. The air filled with a deep, resonating hum, and the walls began to move, sliding and shifting like pieces of a massive puzzle being realigned.

CRACK!

Tremors surged through the chamber, shaking the very foundation we stood on. It was as if the entire dungeon had come alive, responding to the activation of the final puzzle.

[What's happening?] Vitaliara's voice carried a rare note of alarm as she dug her claws into my shoulder for balance.

The walls groaned and rumbled, massive stone slabs sliding into place as though the entire room was being reshaped.

Vitalaira's claws dug into my shoulder, her balance threatened by the violent tremors. [What's happening?] she asked, her usual composure shaken.

I just smiled, letting the chaos around us unfold. "In this world, not everything is just about magic," I replied, my voice calm despite the quaking ground beneath us. "There are many things that can be achieved without the involvement of mana."

She looked at me, still bewildered, her feline instincts sensing the shift but not fully understanding. [What do you mean?]

"This place is a prime example of one of those things," I continued, gesturing toward the walls that continued to shift and slide as if part of some ancient, intricate mechanism. Sёarch* The Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The tremors grew louder, the grinding of stone against stone reverberating through the chamber. And then, with a final groan, the walls parted, revealing a hidden path behind them. The dust and debris settled as the convulsions stopped, leaving the newly opened passage gleaming with an eerie, faint light.

"There," I said, nodding toward the opening. "That's the true way forward."

The hidden passage gleamed with a soft, eerie light, revealing a smooth, spiraling staircase that descended deeper into the dungeon. The walls around it were lined with faintly glowing symbols, casting a dim but steady illumination that guided the way forward.

"Well, that's one way to welcome someone," I muttered to myself, glancing at Vitaliara perched on my shoulder. Her feline eyes darted around, still processing the transformation of the chamber, though she didn't say a word.

The path was clear, and there was no point in delaying any further.

I took the first step onto the staircase, feeling the smooth, cold surface beneath my boots as I began my descent. Each step echoed softly in the chamber, the weight of the dungeon's secrets pressing down on me as we descended deeper into the unknown.

"It's time," I said quietly, more to myself than to Vitaliara. "Time to collect what I came for."

The promise of the reward lay just ahead, waiting for me at the bottom of this spiral.

As I continued walking down the spiral staircase, Vitaliara's ears twitched, and she suddenly spoke up, her voice tinged with both curiosity and wariness. [I can feel it again. The strong energy we sensed when we first entered the dungeon. It's... stronger now.]

I nodded, my eyes fixed on the glowing path ahead. "That's because we're nearing the source," I replied calmly. "The energy we felt at the start was just a faint echo. Here, it's contained."

The air grew heavier with every step, the weight of the mana pressing down on us, thick and tangible. We reached the bottom of the staircase, and before us, a vast chamber opened up, revealing a sight that even I hadn't fully expected.

The space was massive, far larger than any of the previous rooms in the dungeon. The walls were lined with ancient runes, and at the center of the room was a raised platform, glowing with an intense, pulsating energy.

The sheer force radiating from the platform made the air hum.

Vitaliara leaped down from my shoulder, landing gracefully on the ground. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight, her usually composed expression giving way to astonishment.

[This…] she murmured, barely able to form the words as she gazed at the spectacle before us.

I smiled, my own eyes fixed on the platform ahead. "We've reached the heart of Morrowind's Vault."

Vitaliara's astonishment didn't wane as she continued to gaze at the energy radiating from the platform. Her eyes flickered with recognition, her voice filled with awe. [This... this is a Minor Fundamental Vein.]

I, of course, knew what a minor fundamental vein was. After all, this place was also explained in the novel directly from the male lead's eyes.

Though I still let her continue talking and still staring at the pulsating energy, Vitaliara continued. [It's an extremely rare type of Mana Vein. You'd be hard-pressed to find another like it in the world. The moment such veins are discovered, they're immediately claimed by humans or any other Awakened, drained for their power.]

She looked really impressed.

[The mana concentration in a place like this is far denser than normal areas. It allows anyone cultivating near it to accumulate energy much faster,] she explained, her voice filled with a sense of wonder. [It's not just the amount of mana either—the quality is higher, purer. Training or recovering here makes everything far more efficient. That's why these veins are so sought after.

They don't last long once found.]

I mean, it was no wonder that the energy felt so potent. The vein itself was amplifying everything around it, creating an atmosphere perfect for cultivation.

[But the most impressive thing here is the fact that someone was able to seal this place off for future newcomers.]

"Well, for an Archmage, this vein means nothing after all. So why not reserve it for the future generations?"

[Your humans are always interesting.]

I smiled at Vitaliara's comment, watching as the energy from the Minor Fundamental Vein swirled around us. "Humans can be complicated, but I suppose that's part of the fun, isn't it?" I said lightly, stepping closer to the glowing platform.

The vein's power was undeniable, but knowing it had been reserved for those who could solve the puzzle made it even more intriguing. Arlen Morrowind had created a test not just for strength but for insight, a reward for those who could understand the subtleties of his design.

"Still, to think something like this was left behind," I mused aloud. "The power alone could bring a lot of people to ruin if it fell into the wrong hands."

[Perhaps that's why it was hidden so well,] Vitaliara said, her eyes still glowing with amazement. [Only those who could see beyond the obvious would find it.]

"Exactly," I replied. "A perfect reward for the right mind."

I let my gaze linger on the platform for a moment longer, feeling the anticipation build.

Since it was the time to finally reach the 4-star realm.