The elderly man's voice is deep and intimidating, "This is not a book you ought to be reading, young man."
Von was shocked by the elderly man's abrupt entrance. He didn't know when or how the elderly man stopped making any noises; not even his footstep could be heard.
Normally Von as a person who trained his body to the fullest potential of being a normal human. His senses can be said to be enhanced, sound like footstep can be easily hear when someone is approaching him.
'This Gramps is not simple,' Von thought, wondering if the old man was a master.
Von apologizes profusely, saying, "I'm sorry Sir Liam, I just got intrigued about the book content." He doesn't need to come up with some pathetic justifications; the correct thing to do in this situation is to be honest.
"Okay, it's partly my fault for bringing this book here anyhow, and did I not warn you to stop calling me by my name? Calling me Grandpa will do," the elderly guy groaned.
The elderly started to make his way along the shelves where the stacks of books were kept. The books were arranged and classified by size.
Von muttered under his breath, "But I don't want to call you that."
"Alright, Elder Liam."
The elderly man gave him a cross-eyed stare. 'He's just a kid, calm down,' He said to himself while he gritted his teeth.
"You're really a stubborn one, no? I can't even change your mind, but any way, let's head to the second floor. I have something to say to you, " The elderly uttered it in a serious tone.
Von was observing the surroundings while doing so. This is because he never once step foot at the second floor, which seemed to have a mystery on it.
While on their way, Von asks a question he wants to know about the book.
"Elder Liam, can you tell me what that book is for?" Is the content there true? " Von inquired, wanting to know more about the book, which he couldn't understand if it was true or just mere fiction.
"It is not the right time for you to know about that ancient history. You're so weak to even be burdened with such knowledge." Elder Liam said this in a low voice, but enough for Von to hear the fear in his voice.
After they reach their destination, Elder Liam seemed to be searching for something in the corner of the room.
The second floor is not very different from the first floor, which is filled with antiques. The only distinction is that the antiques here are more grand and ancient looking.
Von sees a large display case through which he can view different kinds of jewelry. Necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, and even a crown are lying there, attracting the attention of those who see them.
Von is now very curious about the true identity of the old man. How can an ordinary old man have these collections, which could even rival the jewelry used by the royalties in the central region of the Pluton Continent?
The jewelries must be very expensive. Von can see the soft surface of the stones and he can feel a very holy aura around them.
"Is this an artifact?, " Von asked incredulously.
Even though he didn't have an artifact, he did read about them in the books available in the Dark Organization Market.
He also saw some intermediate being realms having an artifact, but if we compare the quality of those artifacts to the artifacts in front of Von, The artifact of the intermediate being can be described as trash.
An artifact is an object that is made by the rare individuals who have dual talents, the fire talent, which is elemental in type, and mental spirit, which is a unique type of talent.
In the whole Pluton Continent, there are only a handful of people who are born with this rare dual talent. They are mostly born into well-known families because the individual who attains the power of a Supreme Being human has a unique trait that can be used to pass on their dual talents to the next generation.
Those individuals who were producing artifacts were called Runesmiths.
It is not easy to become a Runesmith. Having dual talents is only one of the qualifications to become one.
As a Runesmith, they need to be knowledgeable. They need to memorize thousands of books about methods of smithing, the introduction of core materials, know how to write runes and master the techniques of runesmithing.
It may sound ridiculous to other people when they hear about this, but thanks to the unique talent they have, which is Mental Spirit, Their brain capacity and activity were greatly enhanced, which means their memorization and comprehension skills are extraordinary.
"Is there something you take a liking to?" Elder Liam appears in Von's back while he is inspecting the jewelry in the display case.
Von looked at the old man. Elder Liam appeared to be caring for a small rectangular box in his hand. The length of the box is 6 inches, with a width of 3 inches.
Von hurriedly inquired, "Are the jewels in here artifacts?"
Elder Liam smiles and says, "Yes, in fact, these artifacts are in Supreme Grade. If you wish, I may gift you. It will be my birthday present to you." Von was led to believe that it had a deeper significance.
'Can I even use it? From what I know, only Supreme Humans were eligible to use the artifacts' Von thought, wondering if his knowledge were lacking to comprehend the old man's meaningful gaze.
It is said that to activate the artifacts, they require energy power from the energy core to supply them, so no normal human being can use it.
He gazed at Elder Liam with a bewildered expression on his face.
Von said, "Elder Liam, I don't have an energy core. I can't utilize it, even though I want it." He stares at the elderly man, hoping that he will say something important to rescue Von from his perplexed position.
"I knew the moment I set eyes on you that you are normal with a dreadful fate, so why do you think I don't know that you lack an energy core?" Elder Liam said, he stop and place the rectangular shape box at the top of the display case before continuing to speak.
"This Artifact runs by absorbing the energy power held inside the jewelries, so a normal human being may use it. The Runesmith makes it possible by inscribing a particular rune in the artifacts. However, to answer your doubt, the Supreme Artifact is usable even without having an energy core"
When the elderly man stated those words, Von's expression brightened. He looks longingly at the treasures that are on exhibit in it as it makes his pulse beat faster.
He puts both of his hands at the top of the glass display case, and as soon as they are there, Von feels a chill spread across his palm. He came to the conclusion that the material used for this seemed extraordinary.
Von looked at the jewelry, which seemed to pair up with the antiques, from pairs of necklaces, rings, and bracelets, with the glistening king-size crown being the only remaining object in the center.
First, Von makes an effort to calm down. He can't decide quickly without knowing how to use the artifacts.
Elder Liam asked, drawing Von's attention to the necklace item, "Do you have anything that piques your curiosity, hm? If not, if I were you, I would choose the necklace on the right side." The silver necklace was the one the old man was referring to.
"Does that artifact have a distinctive quality, such as objects that can make me a Supreme Human or instantaneously heal my wounds?" Von questioned.
Von was ridiculed by the old man, who believed Von was too stupid to ever imagine such an unbelievable idea.
"What are you saying? "Do you really think highly of me?" Elder Liam opened the display case and took the silver necklace artifact.
'If I had that kind of artifacts, I wouldn't be stuck here, hiding like a rat,' he thought to himself.
"Here, this Artifact will greatly assist you in significantly increasing your will power and endurance; you will require it soon..."
The old man handed the silver chain necklace to Von, ignoring the ugly expression on his face.
The necklace has a silver chain with a unique pendant that slides to it, as well as a black ring with an ancient-looking text on it.
Von reluctantly accepts the necklace while muttering something barely audible, 'What's the point of forcing me to choose, you old Gramp?'
While Von is lamenting the fact that he has lost a lot. He can't see the old man's happy expression.
'Do you really think I'll give you my precious babies?' I'm just showing off,' Elder Liam laughs in his head, seeming to enjoy mocking Von. It's because the old man rarely sees Von's ugly expression.
"Anyway, let's get on to the important stuff." The atmosphere changed from relaxing to dreadful.
"Von, you're going to die soon."
Boom!
Von's mind seemed to stop working, and his expression stiffened as he looked at the serious expression of the old man, who did not appear to be joking.