Chapter 404

Chapter 404: Chapter 404

At the top of the Pyramid, moonlight had just risen above the horizon, streaming through the bedchamber’s narrow window and spilling across the stone floor.

Ragnuk lay sprawled across a large, velvet-covered bed. His mouth hung wide open as deafening snores thundered from his throat, making it impossible for the female goblin beside him to sleep.

He wore a nightgown encrusted with gold, silver, and jewels. How he managed to sleep comfortably in such a thing was a mystery.

Suddenly—

Bang!

The bedchamber door was violently thrown open from the outside.

Ragnuk’s snoring stopped abruptly.

His body jerked, and before his eyes had even opened, one hand instinctively slipped beneath his pillow. Hidden there was a razor-sharp dagger made of pure silver—the very weapon he had used to assassinate his foster father years ago.

"Your Majesty!"

A shrill voice rang out from the doorway, trembling with barely restrained urgency.

Ragnuk opened one eye and squinted in the direction of the voice.

A Goblin attendant knelt on one knee at the threshold, his head bowed and his body trembling slightly. His every movement radiated the nervous energy of someone who had something extremely important to report but feared being beheaded for delivering the news.

Ragnuk withdrew his hand from beneath the pillow and sat up. He yawned, rubbed his eyes, and stretched before leisurely climbing out of bed, his bare feet landing on the cold stone floor.

Walking over to a cabinet, he took out a bottle of wine, gripped it by the neck, and pulled the cork free with his teeth.

Pop!

The rich aroma of wine immediately filled the room.

He tilted his head back and gulped directly from the bottle. Amber liquid spilled from the corners of his mouth, trickled down his chin, and dripped onto his priceless nightgown.

Once he had finished drinking, Ragnuk slammed the bottle onto the table with a dull thud. Only then did he turn toward the attendant, who was still kneeling on the floor.

"Whatever you’re reporting had better be important. If you’re wasting my time, you’re dead."

The attendant began trembling even more violently.

"Your... Your Majesty..." he stammered. "Someone... Someone just broke into the vault and triggered the magic protecting it."

"What?!"

Ragnuk’s voice jumped an entire octave.

"Why are you only reporting something this important now?!"

He rushed into the sitting room and snatched up a crystal ball from the table. It was a magical tool he used to monitor the vault, allowing him to view every corner of it in real time.

The device had been extremely expensive to create, but when it came to protecting his assets, Ragnuk considered any price worthwhile.

Cradling the crystal ball in both hands, he poured magic into it. The sphere’s surface began to glow, with light spreading outward from its center.

And then—

Total chaos.

Nothing could be seen within the crystal ball. Its surface displayed nothing but a hazy gray blur, as though some unknown force were interfering with its surveillance magic.

"Cursed thief!"

Ragnuk roared and hurled the crystal ball onto the floor. It bounced twice before rolling into a corner, a crack spreading across its surface.

He turned and shouted at the kneeling attendant, "Quickly! Gather the guards! Seal the vault completely! Let that bastard die inside and make sure he never comes out again!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The attendant scrambled to his feet and fled the bedchamber. His hurried footsteps receded down the corridor, growing fainter until they disappeared entirely.

Ragnuk remained where he was, his chest heaving as he struggled to control his breathing. His fists clenched tightly enough for his knuckles to crack, his nails digging deep into his palms.

He paced back and forth across the bedchamber several times before finally stopping. Drawing a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.

"Someone, come here!"

Another attendant cautiously poked his head through the doorway.

"Dress me."

...

Meanwhile, on the seventh level beneath the Pyramid, deep within the vault, Lynn leisurely strolled among Ragnuk’s treasures after "lulling" the Welsh Green Dragon to sleep.

The vault was even larger, taller, and more cavernous than the hall outside. Its walls had been carved directly from solid rock and left unpolished, preserving their raw, rugged appearance.

Glowing gemstones embedded in the ceiling emitted a soft white light, illuminating the entire chamber as brightly as day. The floor was paved with highly polished slabs of black stone, their surfaces reflective enough to serve as mirrors.

Within this vast, otherwise empty space, the most striking features were the transparent display cases.

They stood in two orderly rows, one after another, stretching from the entrance to the far end of the chamber.

The cases were made from a transparent material Lynn had never encountered before. Beneath the gemstone lights, they gave off a faint blue sheen.

Each display case held a single item.

Some contained weapons, others armor, and still others various accessories.

Every item had been exquisitely crafted, and not one of them looked remotely cheap.

Lynn examined them as he walked, his gaze moving from one display case to the next, sweeping from the first to the last before circling back again.

As he continued forward, his attention suddenly settled on a sword.

Its blade was entirely silver-white, its polished edge reflecting a dazzling gleam. A massive ruby had been set into its hilt, sparkling brilliantly beneath the light.

The scabbard was made from black dragon hide and inlaid with silver runes that flowed slowly across its surface as though breathing.

The Sword of Gryffindor.

The genuine article.

"As expected."

Lynn shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

He looked away from the sword and continued deeper into the vault.

After taking a few more steps, he abruptly stopped again.

This time, it was not an object’s appearance that had drawn his attention, but the aura it emitted.

His heart skipped a beat, and his breathing quickened slightly.

Resting upon one of the display stands was an unusually shaped key.

It was not particularly large, measuring only about the length of an adult’s palm. Its material was completely unrecognizable. It was neither gold, silver, nor bronze, nor did it resemble any other metal Lynn had ever encountered.

He reached out and lifted the key from its stand.

The instant his fingers touched it, a faint tingling sensation, almost like an electric current, traveled through his fingertips.

Lynn raised the key to eye level and examined it from every angle. Its overall shape was regular, but slight asymmetries remained along its surface, likely traces left behind by whoever had forged it by hand.

This key was older than the city-state itself.

Just as Lynn was studying it—

Rumble!

A deafening boom came from the direction of the vault’s entrance.

Lynn turned his head.

The massive door, carved from a single block of stone, slammed shut. The runes covering it changed from flickering sporadically to flowing continuously.

Like living creatures, they slithered across the stone, intertwining and coiling around the doorframe until they formed an impenetrable net of light.

Lynn regarded the rune-sealed door and shook his head. Whoever believed such a thing could trap him was indulging in nothing more than wishful thinking.

"Ragnuk, I suggest you open this door, or you’ll regret it."

"Regret it?!"

A piercing shriek came from the other side.

"You’re the one who should regret this, you shameless thief!"

Lynn raised an eyebrow.

"Thief?" he repeated sarcastically. "You tried to deceive me with a fake sword while hiding the real one. Did you take me for a fool?"

He paused, his voice lowering slightly.

"I merely came to retrieve what rightfully belongs to me."

Silence fell outside the door for a moment.

Then—

"Bullshit!"

Ragnuk’s voice rose even higher.

"That is my vault! Those are my treasures! Everything inside belongs to me! What do you mean, ’what rightfully belongs to you’? What right do you have to take my—"

Lynn smiled.

"I hope you maintain that attitude."

Ignoring the furious goblin outside, Lynn lowered his gaze to the key in his hand.

He poked and prodded it with his wand, but aside from the faint glow it emitted in response, he discovered nothing else.

"Could it require an infusion of Ancient Magic?" Lynn murmured.

The power of Ancient Magic surged from deep within his body, flowing along his arm, through his fingers, and into the key.

Buzz—

A low hum emanated from it.

The key erupted with such brilliant light that Lynn was forced to close his eyes.

At that moment, his entire body became incredibly light, as though he were a feather swept away by the wind.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing somewhere he had never seen before.

The space was enormous, even larger than Ragnuk’s vault. It formed a vast circle at least several hundred meters in diameter.

At the center stood a circular platform.

The platform was not particularly tall, rising only three steps above the floor. Dense runes had been carved into every step, glowing faintly in the darkness as though breathing.

The top of the platform was flat, and a luminous orb floated above its center.

The countless points of light within it were silver-white.

They possessed exactly the same color and aura as the Ancient Magic he had sensed from the key.

Lynn’s breathing quickened.

He had searched far and wide for what he needed, only to stumble upon it when he least expected it.

Unable to contain his eagerness, Lynn moved toward the sphere of light.

He had only taken a single step when every hair on his body stood on end.

He instantly sprang backward.

A split second later, a massive morning star smashed into the spot where he had been standing.

Lynn looked around and saw stone statues charging toward him with almost frenzied speed.

He had no intention of wasting time on them.

Pointing his wand forward, he unleashed spells in rapid succession as though his magical power were inexhaustible.

Lightning, flames, water cannons, Exploding Charms, Blasting Curses, Severing Charms, Corrosion Curses, and countless other spells bombarded the chamber.

Combined with Lynn’s agile movements, the relentless barrage quickly reduced the stone statues to piles of rubble scattered across the floor.

With the guardians destroyed, Lynn rubbed his hands together excitedly and reached for the orb.

Buzz—!!!

A deep hum resonated from within the sphere.

The points of light inside began flowing faster. They converged from every direction toward the center, then radiated outward once more. The orb resembled a blazing heart, pulsing powerfully with each surge of light.

Its radiance grew brighter and brighter until cracks began spreading across its surface.

Boom—!!!

A tremendous surge of power erupted from the orb and flooded into Lynn’s body through his fingertips, palms, and arms.

He could feel that power coursing through every part of him.

Lynn closed his eyes and immersed himself in the transformation.

After an unknown amount of time, the points of light within the orb began to dwindle.

The instant the final sliver of light vanished—

Crack.

The orb shattered into countless tiny fragments. They slipped between Lynn’s fingers and fell toward the floor, transforming into wisps of green smoke before vanishing into the air.

Lynn withdrew his hand and stared at his palm.

There was nothing there.

Yet he could feel it.

That power had become deeply embedded within him.

Lynn slowly exhaled.

He flexed his fingers, clenched his fist, and then—

With a sharp flick, he raised his wand.

A bolt of lightning erupted from its tip.

The lightning burned even hotter than Fiendfyre, its temperature so extreme that the surrounding air visibly warped. It arced from Lynn’s wand and struck the floor, blasting open a crater several meters deep.

Lynn stared at the crater for a moment before sliding his wand back into his sleeve.

Just then—

A faint rustling sound came from behind him.

Lynn spun around.

A wall had appeared out of nowhere.

He had no idea when it had emerged. When he looked away from the orb’s remains, that part of the chamber had still been shrouded in darkness.

But now, a massive stone wall stood before him.

Several paintings hung upon it.

Each was enormous, measuring several meters in both height and width.

Lynn narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to make out their details.

The people depicted in the paintings wore robes of an unfamiliar, ancient style. Their expressions varied. Some were smiling, some appeared lost in thought, and others gazed into the distance.

None of them seemed capable of moving, perhaps because the paintings were so ancient that their enchantments had fallen into disrepair.

Lynn’s gaze traveled from the first painting to the last.

The final painting could move.

A figure was walking from the depths of the canvas toward the edge of the frame.

Then he stepped out of the painting.

He truly walked straight out of it.

First, one hand emerged from the frame, followed by his shoulder, torso, and finally his legs. Like someone rising from beneath the surface of the water, he transformed from a flat image into a three-dimensional figure.

The man clasped his hands behind his back and fixed his gaze on Lynn’s face.

Lynn calmly stared back.

The two regarded each other in silence for several seconds.

Then—

The old man smiled.

"Finally, the wait is over."

---

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