The ornate gate, richly adorned and imposing, gradually swung open, allowing Sami and Yuri to step into a breathtaking chamber.
A golden light cascaded around them, revealing the dazzling wealth that lay within. This vast circular chamber was a testament to opulence, adorned with a sea of gold, gleaming jewels, and otherworldly riches.
Towering stone statues, depicting knights in armor, were positioned on either side, hands cupped to hold the sealing above them.
Their expressions mirrored the disbelief and awe that washed over them. After a harrowing and perilous journey, one fraught with dangers and uncertainties, they had reached their ultimate destination—the treasure chamber.
Yuri's eyes shimmered like molten gold as they roamed over the mountains of wealth that stretched out before her, each glittering coin and precious gem more enticing than the last. Her voice quivered in a mixture of disbelief and elation, her lips curving into a radiant smile.
"We did it," she murmured, her voice a mix of wonder and exuberance. She repeated the phrase, each utterance growing louder and more joyous. "We did it!"
Without hesitation, she dove headfirst into a mound of gleaming gold, the sound of her laughter filling the chamber. She reveled in her newfound riches, her joy contagious.
Sami, more cautious, tried to interrupt her, her voice carrying a note of concern.
She warned of potential traps, but Yuri was impervious to such warnings, lost in the intoxication of her triumph. She swam through the gold as if it were the ocean, her laughter echoing off the chamber walls.
Sami sighed, a blend of disappointment and understanding crossing her features. "Get in on this, you slowpoke," Yuri exclaimed playfully, tossing handfuls of gold coins into the air like a cascade of gleaming confetti.
Resigned but not yet fully at ease, Sami joined the revelry, her senses alert for any hint of danger.
As she moved through the chamber, her eyes danced from one magnificent detail to the next.
The statues, carved with unparalleled artistry and precision, had been polished to a gleaming luster, their grandeur surpassed only by the wealth surrounding them.
Sami's gaze fell upon the pile of gold behind her, which suddenly stirred. Before she could react, Yuri burst forth, clad in sumptuous jewelry and lavish attire, the treasure chamber's ultimate queen.
Sami's instincts tingled, but Yuri's embrace was swift. "Can you believe this?" Yuri exclaimed, a mixture of disbelief and exhilaration in her voice. "Not even in my wildest dreams did I think this place was holding so much treasure!"
"Me neither," Sami replied, still cautious and slightly tense. Her eyes flickered to their surroundings, scrutinizing the room for any hidden threats.
"Would you relax a little, and turn that frown upside down," Yuri coaxed with a playful grin. She placed a golden crown upon Sami's head, and with a flourish, Yuri played out a theatrical scene. "My queen!"
In spite of herself, Sami's lips curved into a small smile, the heartwarming display of affection breaking through her protective shell.
"There you go," Yuri continued. "Now, let's plan out what we're going to spend all these riches on." She couldn't contain her excitement. "With this much gold and jewelry, there must be millions of combs worth."
"We could buy a lifetime supply of Sheigyu beef, we could finally afford that battle armor for Shelby, we could even go on that week-long trip to the hot springs you're always talking about."
"Just imagine, days filled with soaking our bodies in hot water, and gourmet food, and then nights filled with pleasure and lust." -Yuri said, her finger moving up and down Sami's chest.
As Yuri enthusiastically recounted all the pleasures their newfound wealth could bring, her words grew more daring and seductive. Sami's face flushed, steam nearly billowing from her ears as she visualized what Yuri hinted at.
However, amidst her titillating fantasies, Sami's thoughts veered back to the memory of Yuri's relentless coughing. She refocused on their goal, her voice firm and determined.
"No, no, no, we can't get distracted. We're here for one thing and one thing only."
"We're going to do all those things, and more I promise you that, but first we need to find that remedy," Sami stated, removing the golden crown from her head as she headed toward the chamber's center.
In the middle of the room stood a grand circular staircase, reaching upward to unknown heights. Perched atop the staircase was an enormous sarcophagus, its pure gold surface embellished with thousands of sparkling diamonds that radiated like a star-studded night sky.
"Wow," Yuri gasped, joining Sami in approaching the grand spectacle.
Yet Sami's hand stopped Yuri, halting her progress. Yuri's confusion was evident, her curiosity palpable.
"What's going on? Did you see something?" Yuri inquired, her brows furrowed.
With a discerning eye, Sami scrutinized the circular patterns etched into the floor.
Her intuition was unmistakable. "It's a trap, and judging by the design of this room, it might be the most tedious one of them all."
"Once we cross those circles on the ground, it's likely our doom, along with this entire chamber," Sami explained. She was resolute in her judgment, her experience as a seasoned mercenary giving weight to her words.
"So," Yuri teased, inching closer to the edge of one of the circles, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You're saying that something exciting might happen if we step into these circles?"
Sami issued a stern warning, her voice firm and unwavering. "Don't even think about it. Do you hear me?" She regarded Yuri with a stern look, a silent plea for caution.
With a deliberate pause, Yuri's playful expression shifted to one of feigned innocence. She began to sway one leg toward the circle as if testing Sami's resolve.
"Yuri," Sami reprimanded her, her voice laced with disapproval, and a fleeting hint of amusement. Yuri might be a whirlwind of chaos, but her antics never failed to lighten the atmosphere.
A sudden change overcame Sami as she left the sarcophagus behind and made her way back downstairs. She turned her attention to the chamber's gigantic knight statues. She meticulously inspected each of them, knocking on their stone forms and listening to the resonant sounds that echoed.
The dull thuds of iron on stone filled the room, and Yuri, growing increasingly bored, fought back a yawn.
Sami continued her systematic examination until she suddenly paused, her eyes gleaming with triumph. A mischievous grin played on her lips, and with a triumphant tone, she declared, "Got you!"
In a swift and practiced motion, she struck the base of the gigantic statue with her gauntleted fist. The supposed stone shattered with a shower of debris, revealing the hidden chamber that lay behind it.
"You were right!" Yuri exclaimed, her surprise evident in her voice. She admired Sami's ingenuity.
"Shall we?" Sami offered a hand to Yuri, who took it without hesitation. With a shared sense of adventure and discovery, they embarked on the next leg of their exhilarating journey.
The chamber before them, in stark contrast to the opulent treasure chamber outside, was a much smaller and dustier room. It had the appearance of a long-forgotten study, with walls lined with meters upon meters of aged books and scrolls, tattered maps, and ancient documents.
The atmosphere here was peculiar, an enigmatic air that seemed to emanate from a massive, eerie crystal. No, not a crystal but a large piece of pristine amber that dominated the room's backside, enclosing what was unmistakably the body of a long-deceased king.
It held a strange, timeless quality. The tomb had to be hundreds if not thousands of years old, a relic from an era when the Primemortal divine ones walked the land. Yet, the giant king's body stood there, unmarred by the passage of time, a haunting testament to an ancient, long-gone era.
Yuri was captivated, her gaze fixed upon this baffling anomaly. The mysterious amber confounded her, and she found herself pondering its enigmatic properties.
Observing the chamber, Yuri noted a distinct difference in the material of the walls compared to the treasury outside.
It was as if the walls here were composed of a sturdier substance, one capable of withstanding the weight of thousands of tons of rubble, or falling rocks. The realization struck her that it was indeed fortunate she had heeded Sami's warning and refrained from stepping into the mysterious circle at the plateau above.
"That could have been messy," she reflected, an amused and relieved smile dancing on her lips.
With deliberate, measured steps, Yuri moved through the dusty chamber, trailing her fingers along the dusty bookshelves.
Eventually, she plucked one book from a shelf, selecting it at random. Its title, "The Primemortal Devine Ones. What were they really, and why did we decide to make them our Gods," did little to capture her interest.
"Booring," she declared with a bored sigh, swiftly closing the book. The prospect of reading was not her favored pastime, to say the least.
Her eyes flicked back to where Sami was stationed, engrossed in the exploration of a wooden box containing mysterious blue potions. Yuri exhaled, her interest waning.
However, a strange whisper, haunting and mysterious, slipped into her ears, evoking an immediate reaction.
Yuri swiveled in the direction from which the whisper seemed to have come. Yet, there was no one there—only the faint rustle of a breeze or the whisper of time against the weathered walls.
Puzzled, she scrutinized her surroundings, turning in a slow circle. She questioned her own sanity, wondering if the whisper had been a figment of her imagination.
She briefly considered dismissing it, turning her gaze away, before the whisper returned, faint but unmistakable.
She halted abruptly, bewildered, and uttered in hushed tones, "Am I going mad now as well?"
Contemplating the source of the whispers, Yuri's gaze settled on the far-right corner of the chamber, where a glass window shielded a collection of remarkable items—an armory of resplendent suits of armor and weapons crafted from rare materials. The contents were nothing short of extraordinary.
Broadswords, greatswords, estocs, flamberges, scimitars, patas, shotels, kukris, claymores, short swords, sword breakers…
Of course, swords weren't the only weapons here.
There were one-handed axes, two-handed axes, one-handed bludgeons, javelins, bows, crossbows…
Just these types alone were almost uncountable. In addition, there were many unrealistic weapons here that stretched the definition of actually being called weapons. Those were the kind that could not possibly be sheathed, or which were more decorative than useful. And, these weapons were in the majority.
Almost none of them were made of anything as ordinary as mere steel.
There was a sword with a blade of green crystal, a pure-white sword with gold inlays and engravings, a black sword with purple runes along its body, and even a bow that seemed to have been strung with water.
Then there were other weapons that looked dangerous even at a glance.
There was a two-handed axe whose blade constantly dripped fresh blood. Tormented faces appeared and vanished on the black metal of a gigantic mace. There was a lance that resembled human hands clasping each other.
And then there were many more weapons like these, in amounts which defied easy counting.
One could guess that most of them were Sacred Relics, but the exact power each of them had was a mystery. One might be able to guess at the purpose of a sword whose blade flickered like a flame, but it was impossible to know the abilities of a sword whose blade looked like a whip and which wriggled like a centipede.
Yet, it was a single object locked behind a thick wall of amber that drew her attention. A rapier of stunning beauty, its slender blade, and rose-petal-shaped guard were nothing short of exquisite. It was its design that perplexed her the most.
As she approached the sword, the whispers crescendoed, a cacophony of unintelligible voices that swirled in her mind, clouding her judgment. A peculiar sensation enveloped her, a strange union of warmth and cold, enticing and disorienting.
In her entranced state, she reached out and touched the wall of amber encasing the sword. Her movements were instinctual, as if driven by an unseen force.
Her thoughts were fragmented, her awareness clouded.
An abrupt shattering sound jolted her from her trance—a glass bottle hurled against a wall, shattering into shards. A second crash, this one the violent destruction of a table, followed close behind. Sami, it seemed, was the source of the commotion.
Sami's cry reverberated through the chamber like a thunderous storm, laced with pure, unadulterated rage.
"Divine ones damn it!" Her voice roared with anger, the air around her trembling in response.
"Sami…?" Yuri asked, bewildered, her confusion palpable in the quiver of her voice.
She struggled to grasp the whirlwind of emotions surging around her.
But Sami's fury knew no restraint. Her voice seethed with venom, her anger at its apex. "This is all your doing! Damn you, you son of a bitch!" Sami's Claymore leaped from the ground, fury and vengeance blazing in her eyes as she advanced toward the preserved body of the king.
With each step she took, her anger intensified, like a rising tempest.
Her sword cleaved through the air with every ounce of her might, each swing a testament to her unbridled rage. No finesse, no technique—only an overpowering surge of wrath.
Yuri raced toward her, her steps swift, desperate to understand the source of Sami's fury. Sami's wrath resonated in the repeated cries of, "Damn you! Damn you! Damn you!" Her attacks grew weaker, but the torment etched on her face deepened, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
"Why? Why, you son of a bitch?" Sami's voice cracked, the turmoil within her palpable. "WHY?" she bellowed, her demand echoing through the study.
Before her sword could land the next strike on the pristine amber, it was halted.
Yuri wrapped her arms around Sami from behind, her embrace firm, her voice pleading. "I don't know what's going on, but please stop," Yuri implored, attempting to soothe the tempest within Sami. "Please," she begged.
Sami's sword slipped from her grasp, clattering to the unforgiving ground.
"I'm sorry…" Sami's voice trembled with sorrow. "I'm sorry," she repeated, her voice a whisper, tears now streaming down her cheeks.
"It's my fault…" Sami admitted, the weight of her grief bearing down on her. "I'm sorry," she repeated, the word heavy with self-blame.
Yuri, still bewildered by the abrupt emotional torrent, implored, "What's going on? What are you talking about?"
Yuri released her hold on Sami, who crumpled to her knees, her tears growing stronger as she relinquished the facade of strength she had clung to.
Sami's tears flowed freely as she pulled a small glass potion from her side—the same potion she had contemplated earlier, catching Yuri's gaze.
"It's… Nothing more… Than… purified Healing Elixir…" Sami's voice quivered as she removed the lid and poured the contents onto the ground.
The pure crystal blue of the elixir darkened to a profound azure, affirming her words.
"I failed you…" Sami lamented, her despair engulfing her. "All this time wasted, and this entire expedition... It was for nothing…"
Her anguish was uncontainable. "It was all for nothing!" Sami screamed, her despair punctuated by heart-wrenching sobs. "...What?" Yuri asked, her confusion deepening.
"Don't you get it? There is no remedy here said to heal any illness in the world... There is nothing here but worthless junk..."
"All I ended up doing was wasting more of your precious time," Sami confessed, her self-criticism unbearable. "I'm so dumb! I should have known it sounded too good to be true…"
"I'm sorry for being so stupid and dumb…" Sami's voice trembled, weighed down by regret.
But just as she began to spiral further into self-pity, a fierce slap across her face abruptly halted her.
Stunned, Sami gazed up, locking eyes with Yuri, whose expression teetered between anger and disapproval, her own tears welling up.
Yuri was irate—an emotion Sami rarely witnessed—and now it was directed at her.
"Don't you dare say something so stupid and insulting ever again!" Yuri's voice was firm, her face etched with indignation.
"You didn't waste my time. You didn't ruin anything and you're certainly not stupid," Yuri's words were charged with emotion. "How could you even think such a thing?" Her voice quivered, a poignant blend of anger and grief.
"You didn't waste my time… You made it unforgettable!" Yuri declared with conviction.
"Sami, you showed me places and sights I'd never seen before," she continued, her tone softening. "You taught me things I never knew…"
She drew closer to Sami, her words brimming with affection and sincerity. "And you gave me the greatest gift in the world: your time, your love, and you." Yuri locked eyes with Sami, her feelings unmasked.
Sami was left speechless, overwhelmed by Yuri's emotional outpouring.
"I don't want you to cry for me…" Yuri began, her voice gentle as she wiped away Sami's tears.
"I want you to smile and laugh with me," she whispered, her hands caressing Sami's face.
As Yuri helped Sami clear away her tears, Sami spoke with heartfelt honesty, and her words tumbled forth. "I love you so much," she confessed, her gaze locked onto Yuri's.
A soft smile crept across Yuri's face as she met Sami's gaze. She responded with equal sincerity. "I love you too…" she said, but before she could finish her sentence, the chamber was violently destroyed. A massive hand, made out of golden coins and jewels, burst through the chamber's walls, hurling Yuri across the outer chamber. All that remained was a unmoving, bloodied form in her place.