Eddie, puzzled by the golden bell's purpose and why it dropped, realized its potential value and swiftly picked it up. The bell felt slightly heavy in his hand, brimming with energy and a mysterious power.
This prompted Eddie to use his insightful ability, which had been significantly enhanced after his recent experiences.
After a period of intense concentration, the essence of the golden bell gradually became clear to Eddie. This revelation was like a moment of enlightenment, broadening his mental horizon and filling him with a sense of liberation and exhilaration.
It was as if he had been suffocating and suddenly found fresh air, the feeling was indescribably refreshing.
Upon opening his eyes, Eddie noticed that his perception had sharpened remarkably. He could now easily detect subtle biological signals and energy fluctuations that were previously invisible to him.
His Bronze Grimoire materialized, and upon checking, he discovered that his insightful ability had upgraded from level one to level two.
Eddie realized that this upgrade had enhanced his ability significantly, possibly awakening a special skill, although he was not yet sure what it was.
To his surprise, when he looked at the blank pages of his Bronze Grimoire, the nature of the mysterious golden bell was revealed through the text on the page.
The bell was described as a "Golden Level, Light-attribute beast ornament with a three-fold cursed seal, rated one star in the golden category."
This information about the golden bell, although slightly different from his initial perception, was a significant discovery, providing Eddie with a clearer understanding of the bell's true nature and potential value.
After discerning the bell's attributes, Eddie wondered if the Bronze Grimoire's limitations prevented it from displaying all the bell's features.
He decided to give the golden bell to Little Wenli, the snake demon girl. She tinkled it a few times, seemingly unimpressed by its plain nature and returned it to Eddie.
Pondering whether Little Wenli expected a higher-level treasure, Eddie sweated at the thought.
He knew how tough it was to obtain such items in the Heaven-Reaching Tower, given its challenging bosses and numerous monsters.
Seeing Little Wenli's disinterest, Eddie thought of hanging the bell on the Bronze Colossus Shadow's neck, which might suit her better.
As soon as the Bronze Colossus Shadow took the bell, it shone brightly and transformed into a shower of light that healed her battered body.
Eddie realized then that the bell possessed a powerful healing effect. Even the weak and nearly lifeless Grey Howl Wolf stood up, looking a bit stronger but still frail.
Grey Howl Wolf, fueled by a vengeful spirit, pounced on the remains of the giant serpent, tearing and devouring it with a grudge. Eddie chuckled at its pettiness, which seemed no better than his own spiteful nature.
Feeling it was time to check the right side of the hall, Eddie remembered the unclaimed 'Blinding Stone.'
Though he hadn't had the chance to search for it during the battle with the Chimera, he couldn't miss the opportunity now. As for the Silence Scepter, it had crumbled into useless fragments after its energy was depleted.
In the right hall, guarded by a group of tougher Sheephead Warriors, the battle was swiftly won with the help of the Bronze Colossus Shadow and Little Wenli.
To Eddie's surprise, no riddles were required here; the Blinding Stone hovered conspicuously above an energy cauldron, easy to spot and retrieve.
"Could this be a trap?" Eddie wondered, his experiences in the Heaven-Reaching Tower making him suspicious of the ease with which he found the Blinding Stone.
He carefully searched the hall and found a few broken skeletal remains, rusted weapons, some arrowheads, and a distorted silver ring. The ring, devoid of any energy, was discarded in disappointment.
His attention then shifted to the energy cauldron, which had an inscription: "A gold coin is required for storing or retrieving items." Eddie scoffed at this, seeing it as a ploy to exploit the wealthy.
But then, an idea struck him. "What if a powerful family member stores a supreme artifact here for a lower-ranked family member to use later?" he thought excitedly.
Despite his initial reservations, Eddie decided to test the cauldron. He deposited a gold coin and watched as a sealed letter emerged, looking freshly written with ink still wet and fingerprints evident on it.
Disappointed at not finding any artifacts, he continued to insert coins, only to retrieve more letters, some parchments, a wedding ring, a dagger, and finally an unhatched beast egg.
After spending fifteen gold coins with no sign of any artifact, Eddie felt a sting of regret. The letters, mostly wills, held little interest for him, containing mundane requests for their families and nothing intriguing. His experiment with the cauldron, while costly, offered no significant reward or discovery.
Among the letters, one caught Eddie's attention, its bold claim reminiscent of a grand treasure hunt: "Desire my treasure? It's yours for the taking. Find anything in the Death Valley, and it will drive the world mad with envy!" Eddie couldn't help but exclaim, "What is this, a message from a legendary pirate like Gol D. Roger?"
The letter was accompanied by a sheepskin map and a five-star-rated, precious beast egg, lending some credibility to its audacious claim. Although Eddie had only been in the Dragon-Teng Continent for a few months, he was well aware of Death Valley, also known as the 'Graveyard of the Strong'. Even six-level masters dreaded this place. Could there really be a hidden treasure in Death Valley?
Imagining a treasure trove filled with gold, precious artifacts, and mythical items guarded by a lonely dragoness, Eddie's heart raced with excitement and anticipation.