The paths covering the entire caves of slumber were precisely carved. Athena, being a man of the sword himself, was astonished by the precision of the sword cuts engraved by the person who had built this tunnel type caverns with their hands.
The entire hallway leading towards the storage room of the group was filled with glowing stones. These stones were rare enough that even the berserk pavilion had very limited amounts attached inside of it.
'Aren't you curious about why my statue was present there and who I am…?' Black with a voice filled with dejection and his face puffed up with almost crying eyes.
'Even though I am curious many things related to you, I know when the time comes, you will answer all my questions yourself.' Athena responded with his kindness in his eyes, as if he knew what Black was going through.
'HEHE, you really are good with your words, aren't you Athena.' With a gentle smile allover his face, Black elated by the response of Athena.
After cluelessly following the path guided by the glow stones, Athena, along with Black, arrived at the entrance of the so-called storage, Ganondorf had mentioned. The pathway, right ahead of the storage room, was wide enough to accompany at least fifty demons inside.
The door of this storage was made out of an unknown metal. It was as wide as Athena himself.
'That right there, is dark metal.' Black, astonished by the amount of pure dark metal used for the entrance of a storage room, addressed Athena.
'Dark metal, the second strongest metal found in the entirety of demonic realm, was used to construct a door for a storage room?' With eyes full of awe, Athena rejoiced realizing as to what other treasures might be present inside this room with its door built out of pure dark metal.
At the center of the huge gate, was a circular pattern. According to Athena, it was a place where the key to open the gate would have been placed. The pattern, strangely was similar to the ring Ganondorf handed to Athena before vanishing inside of.
Athena, with curiosity all over his face, quickly took out the ring from his finger, and mounted it inside the hollow pattern on the gate.
As soon as Athena placed the ring inside the hollow pattern, a mysterious light surrounded the ring, and the word Ganondorf echoed through the entire hallway.
After the eco left the hallway, the door making a noise similar to a golem's arrival, made a huge shockwave, due to which the entire cave shook a bit and a few rocks started dropping from the little creaks present on top of the door.
The door opened. Athena, after the door had opened itself completely, tried to snatch the ring back from it, but as if the ring had been stuck inside that door for ages, did not move even an inch. Athena realizing that the ring might come out after he leaves the storage room with what he wanted, decide to enter the storage room.
*SPARKLE**SPARKLE*
Athena and Black stood at the threshold of the storage room, awestruck by the sight that greeted them. The air inside was thick with a heady mixture of ancient magic and the metallic tang of countless weapons. The room seemed to shimmer with a faint, ethereal glow, emanating from the myriad of treasures that lay within.
As Athena's eyes adjusted to the dim light, he noticed rows upon rows of shelves lining the walls, each laden with items that whispered tales of battles fought and victories won. Swords of various shapes and sizes gleamed in the ambient light, some adorned with runes that pulsed softly with power.
Aside the awe catching sword, across the hallway staffs, each crafted from wood that seemed to retain a whisper of life, and staves adorned with gemstones that sparkled with untold arcane potential were placed each enough to bring war among the nobilities of the demon realm.
As Athena and Black cautiously ventured deeper into the room, their footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor, they encountered artifacts that seemed to defy the very laws of nature.
A suit of Armor, forged from an alloy that shifted and rippled like liquid metal, stood testament to the ingenuity of its creator. Beside it lay a shield adorned with a crest that glowed faintly with protective magic, hinting at its ability to ward off even the deadliest of blows.
These masterpieces were rare, or if truth be told, the craftsman of this level were never really seen in the demonic realm except the 3 great craftsmen that were exclusive craftsman of the royalty. The God Slaying Sword of Asmodeus was one of the few treasures.
'Athena, this is beyond anything I have seen in my entirety of life.' Black, mesmerized by the number of treasures this room had, responded with his face full of disbelief.
After rampaging through the entire treasury, Athena realized something. The number of treasures laying around were like a sweet poison. It meant that the amount of risk Athena will have to face on his supposed journey this time, was unimaginable to any amount of risk he had ever faced until now. His eyes filled with excitement were now eyes void of any emotions. Black realized what Athena was perceiving. Black himself did not wish for Athena to go through this atrocious path, but it was his destiny that tied Athena with this dreadful misery.
'Athena, the path you must take was predetermined the moment you were born into this world. How you choose to live it, is up to you.' Black remarked with eyes full of love and care.
Athena's face lit up with an unseen smile. It was the first time in a long time when someone had confronted him from falling into misery. After getting his thoughts together, Athena entered the second chamber inside the storage room.
The air crackled with energy, and the room seemed to pulse with a rhythmic hum, as if the very essence of combat and mysticism resonated within its walls.
Before them stretched an expansive chamber lined with ancient scrolls and tomes, each meticulously labelled and arranged. Shelves reached high into the vaulted ceiling, laden with volumes that promised untold knowledge of sword techniques, martial arts forms, and arcane rituals.
The air inside the chamber was heavy, filled with scent of aged parchment and the faint aroma of incense that lingered from ages past. It was like a hell made especially for warriors.
Athena's eyes widened in awe as he scanned the shelves, his fingers itching with anticipation. Here, laid bare before him, were the accumulated teachings of centuries—secrets of battle and mastery that had been passed down through generations of warriors and mystics. He reached out tentatively, running his hand along the spine of a weathered tome that bore the crest of an ancient order.
"This is... incredible," Athena breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Black, look at this. These are not just techniques; they're legacies."
Black, standing beside him, nodded solemnly, his gaze fixed on a scroll illuminated by a soft, otherworldly glow. "Indeed, Athena. These are the arts that shaped civilizations, the skills that turned battles, and the magic that defied comprehension. We stand on the threshold of greatness."
After wandering around the entire chamber, Athena, with his eyes full of excitement, with heart rate increasing every second, stood across the door at the end of the second chamber. As soon as Athena stepped forward to open the door that emitted an unknown energy, the door opened itself, as if sensing someone's arrival.