Silvan moved swiftly through the forest. He hadn't expected to meet another Dungeon Lord, let alone someone from Earth who adapted so quickly.
"They are here too, somewhere in this world." Just thinking that he would be able to meet them again and tell them he wasn't a coward—who stayed behind only to create golems and let others sacrifice themselves—made his chest tighten.
"We are here, I think," YunYun spoke, making Silvan come out of his thoughts.
He gazed at the surroundings before checking the map. Silvan looked up. In front of them was a stiff cliff of a hill that he had failed to notice because of the huge trees.
"This was the place that's marked on the map."
"How would I know? You're the one who gave me that map." Silvan scoffed and got closer to the area, activating his Vein Eyes.
[Vein Eyes (Lv.1): Gazes at the circulating Qi that is being used and modified.]
Silvan's eyes scanned the area. It wasn't obvious, but there was a faint concentration of Qi gathering toward the base of the cliff.
He took a step closer, gazing at the stiff hill before noticing where the Qi was leaking.
"This is it."
Silvan got closer and bent down in front of a boulder-sized rock and pushed it away with some force, revealing a narrow opening just behind it.
The space beyond wasn't much—a small chamber. Scattered rocks lined the ground, but the main feature was unmistakable. A Qi Pool.
It wasn't large, just a small basin of water shimmering faintly, its surface pulsing with pure, concentrated Qi mist.
Silvan backed away and asked YunYun what needed to be done. YunYun understood and opened his mouth before slowly starting to gather fire. The fire circled in front of his mouth for a second before entering the narrow entrance inside.
Silvan watched carefully, his Vein Eyes active, scanning for any signs of movement or reaction from within. Last time, a bunch of monsters came out. He wondered what it would be this time. But a second passed as he scanned, the light from the fire also disappearing.
There was nothing. No shrieks.
Silence.
YunYun exhaled, a bit of smoke escaping his nostrils. "Nothing."
Silvan frowned. YunYun, seeing him, responded, "Maybe the monsters just never found it."
"Also, it's rare to find an unguarded one. But it's not impossible for that to happen."
Silvan nodded. He crouched, stepping through the narrow entrance and into the small chamber beyond.
The space wasn't much—just a small cavern. The walls were rough but stable, the ground uneven with scattered rocks and mineral deposits, and also a broken sword of black laying near a rock, making it seem like someone had plunged it down into the rock, breaking it into pieces.
At the center, the Qi Pool pulsed faintly, mist rising slowly.
Silvan approached the basin of shimmering water, crouching by the edge. He dipped his fingers in. Right away, he could sense it. The Qi within this water was extremely pure, even better than his Verdant Heart Pool.
YunYun, without hesitation, dived straight into the Qi Pool, his small body splashing as he disappeared beneath the shimmering water.
Silvan blinked, taking a step back. An Abyss Dragon… swimming?
For a second, he just stood there, watching the tiny dragon glide effortlessly through the water, his tail swaying behind him like a fish. It was oddly graceful.
Silvan crossed his arms, still processing what he was looking at. "I wonder how others would have reacted if they saw this."
Abyss Dragons weren't seen as mere beasts but as terrors of many villages and kingdoms.
"Sigh… are you really an Abyss Dragon?"
YunYun resurfaced, shaking his head with an annoyed snort. "You wouldn't understand. Qi Pools like this feel incredible to creatures. The energy is dense but light at the same time. And I wasn't one! You made me one!"
Then, without another word, he dove back under, disappearing beneath the glowing, misty water.
Silvan sighed. "Right. Should've known you'd treat this like a bath."
YunYun, who had been swimming lazily a moment ago, suddenly stopped moving. He tilted his head, his wings twitched, and then he dived deeper.
"Umm?"
Seconds passed. Too many.
Just as he was about to call out, YunYun burst from the water in a splash, claws gripping something—a strange, circular, purple-colored orb.
"I'm rich!"
Silvan's eyes locked onto the purple orb in YunYun's claws. It pulsated faintly, giving off a steady flow.
He immediately activated his Vein Eyes, scanning the object.
A dense concentration of Qi radiated from it, but something about the flow felt… unnatural.
"What is that?"
YunYun looked at him before hiding it behind his back, shaking his head. "I won't give it to you, bastard. This is mine!"
"Give it here. I'm your master!" Silvan said, extending his hand.
YunYun clutched it tighter, tail wrapping around the orb protectively. "No way! This is mine! I found it, I claimed it, it's cultivation law—"
Silvan scoffed. "Cultivation law? You're not a cultivator anymore. Tell me what that thing is first."
"No! I found it, touched it. It's mine. But I will tell you what it's used for."
Silvan nodded. "Yes, tell me then."
YunYun looked at him before hiding it even more. "I know this trick! You'll take it away after knowing what it is!"
Silvan sighed. "Fine, I won't take it. It's yours. Now tell me what it is."
YunYun still didn't believe him, but seeing Silvan just looking at him, he started speaking.
"Oh, you have no idea how valuable this is."
He dramatically held it up, the purple glow pulsing in his claws, as if it was a scarce item.
"This…" he took a deep breath, "is a Vault Orb!"
Silvan frowned. "...And?"
YunYun's eyes widened in exaggerated disbelief. "And?! AND?! You dense bastard, do you not know what that means?!"
Silvan stared blankly. "If I did, I wouldn't be asking."
"This gives direct access to the Vault of Asher! The very owners of the world we are currently standing on!"
"The Ancient Families. The Vault of Asher!"