CHAPTER 30: TREASURES

The location of the first treasure of fate was in another town several hours away from the Church of Light, and even with Marlon running at full sprint, it would take him at least two hours to get there.

At that moment, the sky was beginning to lose its dark hue as the morning light started to take over.

On the streets, the rampaging monsters had grown weaker — their movements became staggeringly slow, and their growls painfully low. In their current state, an average adult would be able to defeat them.

As morning approached further, their strength continued to fade until the morning sun finally appeared in the sky, and they all reverted back to their human forms.

The streets, bright with the morning glow, were filled with unclothed people lying unconscious on the ground.

After some time, they began to wake up one after another, their faces twisting with pain and anger as they regained consciousness.

"Damn the Dark King!" one man shouted, clenching his fists tightly and punching the ground.

"When is this torment going to end?! I sent my wife and daughter away so I wouldn’t hurt them in my monster form!" another cried out in frustration.

"Please, Goddess of Light, help us get rid of the Dark King!" a woman screamed, her voice breaking in despair.

Some wept while others cursed the name of the Dark King, their voices filled with hatred, grief, and helplessness.

Though the situation was supernatural, they had grown used to it over time. They all knew the truth that when night came, they turned into bloodthirsty, mindless monsters, and when day returned, they became so weak they could barely handle even the simplest tasks.

Among them, only a few still had their families by their side, while the others lived in loneliness, unable to take care of themselves.

Marlon and Lunar walked quietly through the streets, listening to the cries and complaints of the people. Lunar had a sad look on her beautiful face, pitying the ones suffering around her.

Marlon simply strolled beside her, calm as always. To him, this world wasn’t real — just another part of the fiction created by the system as his breakthrough trial. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a faint pang of pity for these people who couldn’t control their own destinies.

As they continued walking — which had been Lunar’s idea — she stopped several times to heal a few injured strangers.

While she healed them, Marlon studied the map in his hand.

"We’re only a few minutes away from the location of the first treasure," he muttered under his breath.

Since Lunar couldn’t speak, it was hard to ask her about certain things, like the nature of the treasure’s location or what kind of creatures might be there when they arrived.

Still, though he would have liked someone to talk to, he didn’t mind her company, especially since her healing powers could be useful in his fight against the dark king.

When Lunar finished healing the last injured person, they continued onward at a steady pace.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a quiet, deserted area where a splendid pool shimmered in the light, surrounded by colorful flowers and butterflies fluttering above them.

This was the location of the first treasure — the Pool of Lorixa.

It looked ordinary but clear, and with the beautiful scenery around it, it appeared calm and safe.

Still, Marlon couldn’t help but wonder why such a beautiful place was deserted. There were no footprints, no signs of people, nothing to suggest anyone had been here for a long time.

His first thought was that Darklings might be nearby, preventing people from coming close.

He scanned the bushes and trees around the pool, but there were no signs of movement, not even a rustle.

"Weird," he thought to himself, then turned to Lunar and said softly, "Please, look away for a moment."

Lunar smiled faintly and turned her head to the side.

Marlon took off his armor and the clothes beneath it, leaving only his underpants. He stored the map in his inventory, then stepped forward and dove into the pool.

The water was both cool and warm as it touched his skin. The feeling was pleasant, almost soothing, but he knew better than to relax in a place like this — a place that could easily be filled with lurking Darklings.

He took a deep breath and dove deeper, kicking his legs with the smooth, practiced motion he had mastered back on Earth.

As he swam downward, the scenery began to change gradually. The pool transformed into a stunning, ethereal underwater garden that looked like something straight out of a fantasy movie.

At the bottom — or rather, on the glowing floor of the garden — rested a small treasure chest that gleamed faintly.

"That must be where the first treasure is," Marlon thought as he swam faster toward it.

When he reached it, he placed his hand on the chest, and instantly his hand began to glow even brighter than the chest itself.

The chest creaked open, and inside lay an ordinary-looking brown leather bracelet.

"The treasure is... just a bracelet?" Marlon frowned slightly.

Still, he reached out and grabbed it, and then—

[ You’ve found one of the three treasures of fate: Bracelet of Divine Vitality ]

[ Bracelet of Divine Vitality: Increases max health points by x10 and doubles recovery speed ]

[ Note: The three treasures of fate must be found to unlock their full effects ]

[ Treasures: 1/3 ]

Seeing the descriptions, he finally understood why it was in such a plain-looking state. Apparently, he needed to find the others to unlock its true appearance and effect.

"That’s great," he thought as he stored it in his inventory and began swimming toward the surface.

However, when his head popped up, he was greeted by an unexpected scene.

Strange humanoid creatures with black, sturdy skin and reptilian heads stood around the pond, their menacing eyes fixed on him.

There were about a hundred of them.

Lunar had been captured by two of them who held her hostage as they glared at him.

"Darklings..." he muttered as he swam faster toward the shore.

He arrived at the shore and climbed out immediately, glaring coldly at the Darklings.

SHRIEK!

A small group of them charged at him at once, waving their claws ferociously.

"They’re pretty slow and weak. I thought they’d be stronger, considering how much the people of this world fear them," Marlon scoffed, watching their sluggish movements.

He sprinted forward before they could reach him, and in less than a minute, twelve of them were on the ground, dead.

[ You’ve slain a Darkling... EXP +0 ]

[ Drain activated. You’ve obtained 20 HP ]

Marlon noticed that he didn’t gain any experience points from the kills, but he was glad to see his Aether and Health Points recover with each one.

The remaining Darklings, seeing how easily their comrades were killed, shrieked loudly and charged again without hesitation. But they were taken care of in less than five minutes.

Only the two who held Lunar were left. They stepped backward cautiously, shrieking to warn him not to move. Their claws hovered close to her neck, threatening to kill her if he made a move.

Marlon scoffed.

He moved in an instant and appeared before they could even injure her.

He caught their hands.

"Move back," he said to Lunar with a slight nod.

She quickly stepped aside as Marlon began to beat the two Darklings mercilessly.

He slammed them against the ground repeatedly, using their bodies like clubs as their cries of pain echoed across the pond.

Lunar stood aside and watched as he tossed the Darklings around like rag dolls. Her eyes shone with awe. She had never seen anyone display such strength in her life, and she believed that with such power — and the help of the three treasures of fate — he might truly be able to defeat the Dark King.

After killing the Darklings, Marlon turned and found Lunar looking at him from the direction of the pool.

Only then did he realize he was wearing only his underwear and so was Lunar.

She quickly turned away, an embarrassed smile spreading across her face, giving him the chance to change.

Marlon put his clothes on, then told her about what he had found. After that, the two of them proceeded toward the next town, which was only two hours away at Marlon’s running speed.

=======

[ You’ve found the second treasure of fate: Weapon of Blessed Attack ]

[ Weapon of Blessed Attack: A weapon of your choice is granted. Once activated, it increases your attack power by 200%. ]

[ Please select your weapon. ]

Standing beside Lunar at the deepest part of a lonely cave, Marlon stared at the glowing message that appeared after he found the chest containing the treasure of fate buried ten feet below.

It had taken him several minutes of hard digging with a sharp rock he found lying around inside the cave to unearth the chest, and now he was presented with the option to choose a weapon of his choice.

Marlon wasn’t a weapon user; all his available skills relied on his fists and his fists alone.

Thankfully, he knew of a weapon that would fit perfectly with his power.

"Gauntlet."

[ Your choice has been made ]

[ Presenting weapon ]

Out of thin air, a pair of gauntlets made of hardened black leather appeared. Just like the bracelet, they looked ordinary, but Marlon knew their true potential would be revealed when he had successfully gathered the entire collection.

He turned to Lunar.

"We’ve found the second one," he said with a smile.

Lunar smiled back and nodded, joy and relief shining on her beautiful face.

"We should find a place to eat and rest outside the cave, you’ve worked hard," Marlon said.

There was still enough time to find the last treasure and face the Dark King. Lunar hadn’t eaten since their journey began at night, and it was almost nighttime again.

Although he wasn’t hungry himself, he wanted her to eat something.

Lunar waved her hands and made signs that he easily understood, telling him she wasn’t hungry and that they should continue the journey.

Marlon simply smiled. He had already decided to get her something once they were out. He needed her to be in good condition for their coming encounter with the Dark King and his legion.

..

Hey guys.

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