Chapter 73
Just then, a strange voice echoed faintly in my ear.
It was hard to tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman, but one thing was clear—the speaker sounded extremely weak.
“Hmm… So, you can talk?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“…Am I the only one hearing this?”
[…I see. It looks like you are the leader among them.]
I glanced at the others, but no one seemed to have noticed. Apparently, only I could hear the voice—it must have been a kind of telepathy.
“My name is Ian Impera. I am the owner of the Endello Mine. Who are you?”
[…That name is unfamiliar. And that thing in your hand…]
Even with his eyes closed, the being inside the tank seemed to perceive the situation perfectly.
Looking around, I noticed a small glowing dot hovering above the water tank.
“So that’s how you’re seeing me, huh?”
I waved my hand toward the dot.
There was no verbal confirmation, but I could tell I was right. I spread my left hand wide so the being could see.
“You know what this is, don’t you?”
[…I do. Seeing you with that means… we failed, didn’t we?]
“That’s right.”
[The others… are they the same?]
“…Yeah. Every single one of them failed.”
[…]
The being went silent, as if in shock.
I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for it. After all, this was the equivalent of being told that the entire world you once knew had perished.
The truth was—the enemies we had faced so far weren’t golems.
They were shells of flesh and blood, walking without will or soul.
They were made of the same material as humans—muscle, bone, and blood—but lacked one essential element: a soul.
‘They were vessels—containers meant to hold souls.’
Long ago, there had been a cataclysm.
A disaster so great that even the ancients could not escape extinction. To prevent it, they devised countless measures.
They built colossal fortresses, created guardians to protect their kind—and the hidden treasure beneath Endello Mine was one of those measures.
In case they failed to stop the end, they planned to extract their souls and place them into the dormant shells sealed here.
The being in the tank was just one of those “vessels.”
But in the end, everything failed.
Not a single ancient survived. Their grand plan to preserve their souls also fell apart.
“You’re living thousands of years after your era ended.”
[…]
“And because of that, people like me ended up with this stuck in our hands.”
I shrugged, showing my left palm again. Still, the being said nothing.
[…I have a request.]
“A request?”
I tilted my head.
“Sorry, but if you’re asking for revenge or something, that’s impossible. I’ve got my own problems to deal with.”
[Heh… I’m not so far gone as to ask invaders for vengeance. I only want you to press a button for me.]
“A button?”
[The red one below.]
“…What’s it for?”
[…]
The being went silent again. I didn’t need an answer—I could already guess.
If the ancients’ plan to transfer their souls had failed, then this being’s purpose—to guard this place—was also complete.
[Please.]
It spoke again, as if reading my mind.
Feeling conflicted, I hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised my hand over the red button.
Click.
Brrrrr!
As soon as I pressed it, bubbles rose violently in the tank. The others jumped in surprise, but I stood still, watching.
[In return, I’ll leave behind “the tool.”]
“Thanks.”
[…No, thank you.]
With those final words, the being dissolved and vanished.
The liquid drained away, leaving the tank completely empty.
“What just happened?”
“…Nothing special. It’s fine.”
Click!
As the tanks emptied, the sound of gears turning echoed through the room.
At the bottom of one tank, a box appeared. That must’ve been the “tool” he mentioned.
‘Good. Finally found what I came for.’
Maybe it was because I had granted his last wish, but things had gone smoother than in the novel.
‘In the original story, the box was half-melted.’
According to the plot, it was supposed to be Count Venere who discovered this place, not me.
After sacrificing countless soldiers to shut down the defense system, he finally met the being in the tank.
The being made him a similar request, but the Count refused.
He forcibly pulled it out, tortured it for information, and killed it.
As a result, the “tool box” melted down, leaving behind only one mysterious elixir.
‘The Elixir of the Ancients.’
That was the treasure I had come for.
It had only been briefly mentioned in the novel—and was never actually used.
‘I don’t even know what else might be inside this box.’
Originally, the artifact should have been lost forever—but now, it was intact.
My heart began to race.
Click.
I lifted the box out of the tank.
The neat, square gray container was unblemished despite the passage of millennia. Clearly, it had been well protected.
“Oh…”
Everyone around me watched with bright, expectant eyes.
Well, of course—they’d all risked their lives fighting golems and exploring a forgotten ruin.
“Do you know what’s inside, my lord?”
“About half.”
“Half?”
“Let’s just open it and see.”
I pressed the button on the top. The lid opened with a soft hiss.
“…Hmm.”
Inside were only a few items:
A wand about the length of a forearm, two rings, and a single vial of violet liquid—the very elixir from the novel.
“The wand… is yours.”
Without hesitation, I handed it to Islynn. Her eyes widened.
“…Huh? For me?”
“Yeah. I only need this one thing.”
“B-but…”
“That wand will outperform the magic core you usually carry. It’s an artifact crafted by the ancients. The ones floating around today are just cheap imitations.”
“S-such a priceless item…”
“And this ring goes to Isbart. The other to Priana. Fair enough?”
“Wha—!”
They both froze, overwhelmed, as if I were casually handing out cabbages at the market.
‘Good thing there was more than just the elixir. I was wondering how I’d split one item between them.’
If the elixir had been the only prize, I’d planned to give them gold instead. This way, everyone got something—and I saved money.
“Thank you so much, my lord!”
“To receive relics of the ancients… I’m honored!”
At least they seemed satisfied.
“Um, forgive me, but… how do these rings actually work?”
Priana turned the ring over curiously. A blue gem was embedded in it, but otherwise, it looked plain.
Isbart also tilted her head, intrigued.
‘Right… activating relics can be tricky.’
I knew how, but gathering the right materials would be a pain—spread all across the continent.
“Just put it on and try using it like a normal artifact.”
“O-okay, my lord.”
Priana slid the ring onto her left pinky.
After a moment of concentration, the gem gleamed softly.
“Ohhh!”
‘So they were already activated.’
Apparently, the being who left the box behind had been kind enough to enable them.
A faint vibration filled the air as the ring’s power awakened.
Vwoom.
A translucent barrier formed around Priana, shaped like a small oval shield.
“A shield?”
“Seems so. Let’s call it… the Ring of Isis.”
“Oh! Named after the goddess of war? Perfect!”
Priana beamed like an excited child.
Isbart quickly followed her lead, activating her own ring.
“…Hmm?”
“How is it?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t feel any different…”
Then I noticed a small cut on her arm.
“Huh? What’s that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just a scratch.”
“No—look closer.”
As she brushed the blood away, smooth skin appeared underneath.
The wound was gone.
“A healing ability. Then this must be the Ring of Marcella—the god of healing.”
“W-wait! If it heals, then…!”
Isbart quickly removed her mask.
Where a long, ugly scar should have been, her skin was flawless.
“…Oh?”
My reaction made her lean over the tank to check her reflection.
Her unblemished face stared back at her through the glass.
“A-ah…”
Tears welled up in her eyes, streaming down her pale cheeks.
“Thank you! I can’t thank you enough for this blessing!”
“Well, looks like that mask won’t be necessary anymore.”
“N-no! I’ll still wear it. For the rest of my life.”
“Really?”
“Because… it’s a gift from you, my lord.”
“Suit yourself. Probably better to keep it on for now anyway.”
People might find it strange if her scar suddenly vanished overnight.
Isbart blushed and carefully put her mask back on.
“You know how to use that wand, right?”
“Yes, my lord. I’m a certified magic ranker.”
Islynn was already conjuring ice spears with it. The sharp, gleaming blades were far stronger than anything she’d made before.
Everyone seemed delighted with their new relics.
All that remained was mine—the Elixir of the Ancients, the one that was supposed to go to Count Venere.
“My lord, the Ring of Isis is more than enough of a gift, but… may I ask what relic you chose for yourself?”
“No.”
“Oh… understood. If you say so.”
Priana nodded obediently, though her gaze kept flickering toward the purple elixir.
“Curious?”
“…Honestly, yes. But if you’re keeping it secret, there must be a reason. So I’ll respect that.”
‘She’s not even being subtle about it.’
Still, Priana wasn’t the type to pry.
“It’s nothing special. Think of it like a medicine that gives you terrible stomach pain.”
“Painful… medicine?”
“Yeah. But depending on how you handle it, that pain can make you stronger—or weaker. Medicine’s only as good as the one who takes it.”
“I see… I’m afraid I’m no expert in alchemy.”
“Then just remember that much.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Everyone had received their share of relics.
Our work here in the ancient vault of Endello Mine was done. All that was left was to leave.
“My lord, what will you do with this place now?”
The massive underground chamber stretched far and wide. Leaving it open risked others finding it; keeping it was pointless.
But I wasn’t worried.
I led the group out of the vault without answering.
[Administrator… status: void… initiating closure protocol…]
Rumble… Rumble…
As soon as we stepped through the gates, a distorted mechanical noise filled the air, and the vault began to collapse.
In a few days, it would sink into the dragon veins below and vanish entirely.
‘All that’s left now is to drink this…’
I stared at the ancient elixir in my hand.
It was said to cause unbearable pain when consumed—but considering the power sealed within, that made sense.
‘I really hate pain…’
But there was no other choice.
The bitterest medicine is always the most effective.
If I wanted to grow stronger—
then this was the price I’d have to pay.
