Published at 11th of September 2026 7:06 am

Chapter 2004: Something Unseen

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Beneath the royal crypt lay the secret vault.

Compared to the main vault Adam had already visited — and found completely ransacked — this one was far smaller and far more discreetly hidden.

The main vault had once housed the true wealth of the Valouis Kingdom. Treasures, precious gems, tax revenues, valuable artifacts, and even important national records had been stored there.

This place was different, however. The secret vault had been reserved for emergencies. It was the royal family’s private reserve, a hidden cache meant to sustain House d’Aubigny should the kingdom ever fall into crisis.

Unfortunately for the royal family, their entire bloodline had been eradicated before they could even reach the vault.

Fortunately for Adam, it now belonged to him.

Valerian ran circles around the small chamber, practically beaming with joy.

"Rich! Brother, we’re rich!"

Adam couldn’t help but smile at the little fellow’s excitement.

Despite being considered the smaller vault, the amount of wealth stored within was far greater than anything Adam had ever seen in his life — except the underground vault he had acquired after passing the Raven Inheritance, of course.

Along the left wall stood several shelves, each one lined with neatly arranged gold bars. Their dull gold sheen filled the chamber, reflecting the faint light in every direction.

On the right, more shelves held numerous chests. Some were filled with precious gems, while others contained necklaces, rings, crowns, and all manner of exquisite jewelry.

At the far end of the chamber were several more shelves. These contained books, stacks of papers, and various sealed documents. Adam’s gaze briefly swept across the immense wealth surrounding him.

But none of it held his attention for long.

It was the item placed at the very center of the secret vault that caught Adam’s eye.

It was a coffin.

Adam slowly approached it. Unlike the countless rusted chests and decaying objects scattered throughout the ancient castle, the coffin appeared almost untouched by time. It was beautiful.

The entire structure had been carved from a dark material resembling obsidian marble. Its polished surface was as black as the night sky, yet delicate white patterns ran across it in intricate designs. They twisted and intertwined along the sides and lid, resembling veins of pale moonlight trapped within the darkness.

Adam stepped before it. His senses swept through the coffin. The next moment, his eyes widened slightly. There was something inside. His expression gradually turned solemn.

Several powerful wards had been placed around the coffin, their presence concealed beneath the beautiful patterns carved into its surface. Even after more than two thousand years, they remained active.

Adam carefully began dismantling them. One by one, the invisible barriers disappeared. Only after making certain that every ward had been deactivated did Adam finally place his hands upon the lid.

He slowly pushed it, and with a loud creak, the heavy lid began to slide aside.

Inside the coffin was a corpse. Or rather, all that remained of one.

A skeletal frame lay silently within, its bones resting atop a thick bed of dust. But the corpse itself did not surprise Adam. No. He did not care about the corpse.

It was what the skeleton was wearing that caught his attention.

A set of Magus robes.

Adam’s eyes narrowed as he carefully examined them. Despite the passage of more than two thousand years, the robes remained almost completely intact. The fabric showed little sign of decay, and the intricate patterns woven across its surface were still clearly visible.

They were undoubtedly of excellent quality.

"At least Grade 2..."

Adam murmured. Yet that only made him all the more curious.

How had a set of Magus robes managed to survive the ravages of time? His gaze slowly lowered, his brows furrowing gradually. Then he understood the reason.

The corpse rested atop a thick layer of dust. At first glance, there appeared to be nothing unusual about it. But Adam knew better. He reached inside the coffin and grabbed a handful. The fine particles slipped slowly between his fingers as he scrutinized them.

"Mana crystals!"

Adam immediately understood what had happened. The dust had once been a vast quantity of mana crystals. Over the countless years, the robes must have continuously absorbed their energy, using it to sustain themselves and resist the passage of time.

More than two thousand years had passed. And the mana crystals had eventually been drained dry, leaving behind nothing but dust.

This was the first time he had come across mana crystals — or rather, their remains — in the Greater Universe. This was a precious commodity, and the Imperium’s Navigators strictly controlled their flow. At least, the mana crystals mined on human worlds were mostly monopolized for the Navigators’ use.

Pushing aside the economics of mana crystals, Adam focused on the Magus robe the corpse was wearing. Just from a simple glance, he could tell the quality was exceptional.

He reached out with a hand, but suddenly he paused when Valerian said something strange.

"Brother! Since you don’t have any storage artifact at the moment, let me hoard all the treasure. I mean, temporarily, of course."

The little guy was full of joy at the sight of so many gold bars, gems, and jewelry.

"Storage artifact?" Adam’s brows furrowed.

He recalled Valerian having something like that, but why couldn’t he put a finger on it?

"Myu?" Valerian tilted his head in puzzlement. "I mean this amulet, Brother."

He pressed his paw against the amethyst amulet around his neck. A clansman had gifted it to him a long time ago.

Adam shifted his attention to the amethyst pendant hanging from Valerian’s neck. The more attention he paid to it, the more confused he felt.

Wait, that’s right, he thought.

The dragon... I think his name was Endi? Yes, didn’t he give this amulet to Valerian when we went to that floating island in the spirit world?

Why did I forget about this?

I’ve been looking for a space-type storage artifact for all this time, and there’s been one right under my nose.

Suddenly, a cold feeling gripped Adam’s heart. His spirit abruptly warned him of something unseen. Now that he focused his full attention on Valerian’s pendant, it was like a curtain had parted in his mind, allowing him to glimpse, however faintly, at the mysteries hidden beyond.

Wait a minute, he thought in alarm.

The amulet is a storage artifact, yes. But isn’t it also supposed to protect Valerian from all kinds of harm?

I’m sure Valerian had said so in the past. Several times. In fact, it had protected him in the Great World War on many occasions.

So then... why didn’t it protect Valerian from the vampire?

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