The ancient treasury is hidden among the mountains, its ruins overgrown with vines. The walls, built of massive stones and metal, are covered in countless scars, each one a mark left by time. From these marks, all that humanity can read is the word "desolation."
The history of this ancient ruin dates back to the distant Gondor Empire period. Its heavy and imposing architectural style is unfamiliar to the people of Ansu today. In Highwell's memory, when the northern expeditionary army first discovered it, the ruin was already abandoned. Even then, it didn't appear to be much younger than it does now.
Highwell, Rebecca, Amber, and Sir Byron entered the mountain through the largest archway. The flickering light from their torches cast uncertain shadows along the corridors, reminiscent of the "soul corridor" that leads to the realm of the dead in legend. Amber complained in dissatisfaction, "I should have brought your Aunt Hedy with us. What's the point of having you here, you can't even cast a light spell? Are you even a mage?"
Rebecca flushed with embarrassment. "Fireball... fireballs can also light the way..."
Her tone was so weak that it lacked any convincing power.
Sir Byron walked not far behind Highwell. As he looked at the ancient stone walls, now covered in indentations whose original purpose was lost to time, he couldn't help but recall his mercenary days. "How many years has this ruin been abandoned?" he asked.
"I don't know..." Highwell shook his head. "When we first discovered it, it was already a ruin. The more knowledgeable members of our team said this was a relic from the 'Starfire Era'—a period during the later years of the Gondor Empire when magical technology experienced great development. At that time, the massive magic well, the 'Deep Blue Well,' was successfully activated. The empire experienced a wave of expansion, building many fortresses and research facilities on the borders, hoping to find other magical foci like the 'Deep Blue Well.' But eventually, all those facilities were abandoned."
Rebecca seemed astonished. "Did they really find no magical foci?"
"No," Highwell answered as he recalled the history in his mind. "They couldn't find anything like the Deep Blue Well. The Deep Blue Well was located at the heart of the continent, and its energy output was unimaginable. It could supply enough energy to run the Mage Towers across all of Ansu for an entire month. Later, some scholars speculated that the explosion of the Deep Blue Well in 1739 might have been the cause of the magic tide. Though the explosion didn't destroy the entire empire, it tore open a rift in the elemental plane, and the imbalance of elemental forces triggered the magic tide the following year."
Rebecca, a mage herself, could understand just how incredible that ancient magic well must have been. "The Gondor Empire was so powerful back then..."
"Exactly," Highwell continued. "In the eyes of the Gondor people, most of the magical foci they found were not worth considering. After finding a few mid-sized foci, they gave up on exploring more distant regions. Many fortresses and research facilities were abandoned, and this place was likely one of those. It was probably some kind of multi-purpose facility."
Amber suddenly became anxious. "Wait... you don't think there are uncontrolled ancient magical monsters or traps here, do you?"
Highwell gave Amber a sideways glance. "You, who dared to dig up other people's ancestral graves, are now afraid of these ancient facilities that have been abandoned for over a thousand years?"
"That's different! Even if a corpse jumps out of a tomb, it's just a person. But if something jumps out of one of these ancient facilities, who knows what it could be? I've heard that some ancient places even contain sealed creatures or magical golems created by mad sorcerers..." Amber protested nervously.
Highwell rubbed his forehead, frustrated. "Where did you pick up all this nonsense? The rumors from the Dark Mountains, the stories about ancient facilities—where did you learn all these wrong ideas?"
Amber thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled mysteriously. "Well, let me tell you... I'm actually the chosen of the Night Goddess. Sometimes, when I pray too deeply, she gives me visions. She taught me all of this..."
Before anyone could respond, Rebecca casually tossed a small fireball, about the size of her thumb, at Amber. Amber was caught off guard and immediately got covered in soot. She screamed, "What the hell! You can't just throw fireballs like that! It's dangerous!"
Rebecca shrugged. "Looks like she's not really the goddess's chosen one."
Highwell, tired of the banter, focused on what was ahead. The ancient door was now in front of them.
At the end of the corridor stood a massive, heavy door made of purple-black metal. It had the typical Gondor "Starfire Era" style—thick, solid, and stable. The surface was adorned with abstract carvings depicting soldiers and city walls.
Amber wiped the soot off her face and looked at the door with bright eyes. "This... it's made from a single block of purple steel, isn't it?!"
"That's right. But if you even scrape off a single piece, I'll have Rebecca turn it into fireballs and throw them in your face," Highwell said, tapping Amber on the head with the hilt of his sword. "So keep your bold ideas to yourself and wait for your pay. That's the long-term plan."
Amber turned her head and muttered softly, "So stingy..."
Highwell heard her, but he didn't respond. Instead, he took a step back, pulled out the crucial "key" from his coat.
The platinum disc, an artifact from seven hundred years ago.
Rebecca looked worried. "After so many years, do you think it still works?"
Highwell smiled confidently. "This is Gondor technology. As long as the main structure hasn't collapsed, the main gate will never fail."
Just as he finished speaking, the intricate patterns on the platinum disc began to glow, one by one. At the same time, the carvings on the massive metal door shimmered with light.
As the light spread across the door, a mechanical grinding sound came from deep within the door and the walls. The ground beneath them slightly trembled, and the great door slowly began to open.
Highwell and Rebecca's group were well-prepared. As the door opened, they quickly covered their mouths and noses and moved to the sides. At the same time, Highwell activated one of the knight's basic skills, "Breath Protection," which created a faint, almost invisible barrier around everyone. This ability was similar to the mage's basic spell, "Breeze Shield."
Although it could only provide very limited defense, it was effective in maintaining a clean air environment. In places like ancient ruins, this skill could protect the user from harmful gases. There were no toxic gas traps in this ruin, but in a sealed space that had been shut for seven hundred years, it was possible that gas had accumulated. Having an extra layer of protection was always wise.
Several minutes later, Highwell dismissed the protective barrier. He nodded to the others and stepped forward, with Sir Byron following close behind. Amber hesitated for a moment but then gave up on the idea of cutting off a piece of metal from the door while no one was looking, because the purple steel was too tough, and her dagger couldn't even make a scratch.
On the inside of the door was a vast rectangular hall. Large closed doors were visible in all four directions. The ancient treasures were directly stacked within this hall.
The sealed environment of the hall, along with the runes set up throughout the room, ensured that the items inside were oxidized and corroded at the slowest possible rate. Many of them were still in excellent condition to this day.
Piles of metal ingots, various colored crystals, swords, armor, and in the center of the room, several large chests, each taller than a person.
Highwell moved forward, wedging his Explorer's Sword into a crack in one of the chests, and with a forceful pull, the chest opened with a creak.
Inside one chest were gleaming gold and silver coins, while the other chests contained neatly stacked, pale purple crystals—military-grade crystals that had been carved and charged with energy.
The coins were not the most valuable items here; it was the crystals that were the true treasure.
The ancient Gondor Empire had dominated the continent with its advanced magical technology. The magic derived from the Deep Blue Well provided the empire's mages with nearly limitless energy. Even the most mediocre mages could achieve technical feats under such conditions.
This allowed the Gondor Empire to accomplish something that the four modern kingdoms would consider almost impossible: the mass production of "extraordinary armaments."
Ordinary swords, shields, and armor were not enchanted. Even if they were extremely sturdy or sharp, they were still mundane equipment. Only enchanted gear, infused with extraordinary power, could be considered "extraordinary armaments."
In modern Ansu, enchanted weapons and armor are issued only to military officers, and even then, it's not guaranteed.
But in Gondor's time, every soldier was issued an enchanted longsword with a "Sharpness" spell and a standard-issue crystal.
These small, thumb-sized crystals were pre-charged with basic spells like "Shield" and "Explosion," with automatic activation. The crystals could identify friend from foe. Even soldiers with no magical ability could activate the shield if attacked, and once the shield depleted, the crystal would heat up, flash, and issue a warning. If thrown, the crystal would explode once it reached a safe distance from the wearer and any nearby friendly units. In Highwell's view, this was an incredibly advanced form of weaponry.
Had it not been for the urgency of the situation back then, the explorers would never have left behind such valuable equipment. The team took everything they could carry, leaving behind these crystals as the only thing they couldn't bring.
Highwell reached out and picked up one of the crystals, gently rubbing it in his hand.
Perhaps this was a way to allow ordinary people to access magic, but it was a path that couldn't be followed. Only by activating the Deep Blue Well could such things be produced without worrying about the cost. With the Deep Blue Well destroyed, these ancient crystals were now becoming increasingly rare.
But at least for now, these crystals would serve as the cornerstone for stabilizing the territory.