The cubical room was large enough to fit the two coffins and had enough space left over to let whatever or whoever had been inside rest in peace. And, aside from the two coffins and the sconce Ackster had taken the torch from, the room was empty. The tiled floor, walls, and ceiling were bare except for the fifteen-pointed star on the wall straight ahead.
Ackster went up to the star imprinted on the wall with a faded grass-green color. It felt like it shimmered slightly in the torch's light.
While Ackster wasn't sure if it really glimmered, the star and its color were confirmation that his guess was right. The room he was in was a room in the Alchemaze.
He hadn't expected that his first stop in the Alchemaze would be a tomb. But the Alchemaze was much too large, expansive, and varied for him to be able to predict what he would encounter. That was even if he decided to look for one of the entrances that popped up in the future.
There was just no predicting the Alchemaze as the greatest remnant of a past cycle.
Although there were many ruins and remnants of previous Calamitous Cycles, many of which had yet to be fully explored or uncovered, it's an indisputable fact that the Alchemaze was the greatest. That was also why Ackster wasn't unduly shocked at finding a part of it below the ant nest, even if it was surprising.
After all, the Alchemaze had entrances all over the world. Many scholars and fans of the original story were even convinced that the Alchemaze was like a second, slightly smaller world existing within Millmeria, like a second surface below the world's crust. Of course, since it was impossible to find the Alchemaze just by digging deep into the ground, many also thought it was hidden in a pocket dimension that sustained itself on the world's core or something along those lines.
In short, no one truly knew the full extent of the Alchemaze, only that it was the greatest remnant and that it came from a cycle so far in the past that the Alchemaze was the only one left. Records uncovered from the Alchemaze also revealed that the cycle it came from had been one of if not the longest and most prosperous cycles in the history of Millmeria, at least in the known history.
And the Alchemaze was the life's work of that cycle's strongest and greatest person, who was simply referred to as the Alchemist, hence the name.
It was unclear what the Alchemist's goal in creating a second world in the form of a labyrinth had been or if the Alchemist had been that Cycle's Hero. It was also unknown what kind of Calamity had destroyed a civilization advanced enough to give birth to the Alchemist. But what people knew was that the Alchemaze held answers and treasures to untold questions.
So, any entrance to it was worth more than a mortal fortune. Well, if any finders would have any alternatives, no one would sell it. After all, the Alchemaze was worth more than simple wealth.
However, entering and exploring the Alchemaze was one thing that was moderately close to impossible. And actually finding anything of value within, finding anything within, really, was as close to zero percent possible as it could get.
And that was if one was even strong enough to explore the Alchemaze.
Although many things had deteriorated and turned to dust, the Alchemaze's magic wasn't totally defunct. In fact, in some places, it was still vividly alive and in charge of maintaining, repairing, and expanding the Alchemaze. It was just that things such as treasures, journals, and decorations, which could tell the present society about the Alchemist's world, weren't included in that maintenance.
So, the things of value might not be intact while the Alchemaze itself and all its defensive measures were in good enough shape to fend off intruders. And since the Alchemist, one of the historically strongest people, had made the Alchemaze and all its defenses, few adventurers could withstand the traps and defenses of the Alchemaze.
Even if one might be killed just for knowing the whereabouts of a location to the Alchemaze, it might still be better to take the risk and sell the information to the highest bidder instead of foolishly and stubbornly hoping to get a lucky break and finding a life-changing treasure inside the Alchemaze.
However, Ackster didn't have any intentions of doing that. If possible, he would like to monopolize the entrance, at least as long as it really is one.
The Alchemaze and all its defensive measures and treasures would be a great training ground for Ackster, especially if he found one of the special regions.
However, he didn't know how to get through the tomb to enter the Alchemaze. He didn't have an endless supply of food. And he really needed to get started on his mana training soon.
Although entering the Alchemaze was an alluring option, Ackster felt that it wasn't in his best interests at the moment. Even if he might find something better than the Sea God Manual, considering the Alchemist might have been greater than even the Sea God, it was too much of a risk.
He could choose to try and get something that might not even exist by exploring a labyrinth spanning the entire world. Or he could almost certainly get his hands on something that should be good enough to help him defeat The Hero. Ackster might be desperate. But he wasn't desperate enough to take such an unnecessary risk.
The best thing for him to do would be to quickly find the Sea God Manual, go on a quick trip, and gather people that could help him stop The Hero, including Karandiel, find a trainer that could help him get started, and then hide out in the Alchemaze for a couple of years to hone his mana and techniques.
But if Ackster could leave the ant nest of his own volition, he would have already done so.