He tests the weight of the blade, letting the faint resonance of the weapon hum against his skin. The air around it vibrates like a living thing—pure Tier 6 craftsmanship, ancient and refined.

Kyra whistles softly. "Good choice. That thing looks like it could cut through steel like butter."

Bragg nods approvingly, arms crossed. "Can't argue with that one. What about your second pick?"

Alix's gaze sweeps across the pedestal. His eyes linger briefly on the halberd, but then slide toward the gauntlet—the one pulsing with dull red veins of magma-light. He reaches out, his expression a mix of calm and calculated curiosity. When his fingers brush its surface, a faint warmth spreads through his hand, like the weapon itself recognizes him.

He lifts it, testing the balance. The air ripples faintly, and the glow under the gauntlet's surface flares once before dimming again.

"This one," Alix says simply, turning it over.

Bragg grins wide. "Hah! You've got taste, I'll give you that. Alright, everyone else, we start sorting. No fighting over scraps—plenty to go around."

Kyra smirks. "Since when are you the noble type, Bragg?"

"Since we just struck gold," he replies, laughing. "Even I can afford to be generous today."

Verrin kneels beside a pile of relics, eyes scanning every gleam and glimmer. "Half of these are still in good condition… formation-linked items, energy nodes, ancient alloys."

Mave is already elbow-deep in a pile of weapons, muttering under his breath as he lifts a strange spear that hums faintly with wind energy. "Tier 5? Not bad, not bad at all!"

Kyra bends to pick up a crystalline dagger, sharp enough to reflect her grin. "This one's mine."

Bragg waves her off. "Fine, fine, take it. Just make sure it doesn't stab me in my sleep."

Kyra smirks. "No promises."

While the others argue lightly over their picks, Alix quietly examines his two chosen weapons. Inside, he's calm—utterly unshaken. Tier 6 weapons hold no real value to him anymore, he have thousands of them in his inventory. But acting thrilled keeps their trust.

It doesn't take long for them to strip the chamber clean. Between Verrin's precision and Bragg's enthusiasm, they move fast—stacking, sorting, and storing everything into their enchanted pouches. The sound of clinking metal and the faint hum of absorbed mana fills the vast space.

Kyra wipes a line of dust off her cheek, exhaling. "That's the last of it."

Bragg pats his pouch proudly, the grin never leaving his face. "Hah! Never thought I'd see the day I'd fill this thing to the brim."

Mave whistles, shaking his head. "Tier 5 weapons, rare alloys, mana crystals… we're going home as legends."

Verrin, who's been cataloging quietly, finally speaks. "We've taken everything of value. All that's left are the gold coins and mana stones, at least forty thousand high-grade mana stones. It's… absurd."

Bragg lets out a long, satisfied breath. "Then that settles it. We split everything evenly. No complaints, no second thoughts."

Everyone nods, still riding the high of discovery. The once-dark chamber feels warmer now, the air thick with quiet triumph.

Bragg claps his hands together, the sound echoing off the chamber walls. "Alright! Now for the last haul—the gold and the mana stones." He turns to face the others, grin wide. "We'll split both evenly, same as before. Fair's fair."

But before anyone moves, Alix speaks. "No," he says calmly, his tone even but firm. "I'll take the gold coins. You all can split the mana stones."

The room goes quiet for a moment. The torchlight flickers across their faces—surprise, confusion, and then dawning excitement.

Kyra blinks. "You're serious? You want the gold over mana stones?" She tilts her head, genuinely puzzled. "That's a first."

Bragg scratches his beard, uncertain. "You sure about that, friend? Mana stones are worth ten times more than gold coins—especially high-grade ones."

Alix nods once. "I'm sure. I have no use for mana stones right now."

Verrin adjusts his glasses, studying Alix's expression for a moment. When he sees no hint of jest or hidden motive, he chuckles softly. "Well, I won't argue with that. Easier for us."

Mave grins wide, almost giddy. "You're the first man I've met who prefers shiny coins over power stones. But hey, I'll take it!"

Kyra smirks and folds her arms. "Guess we won't complain. You can have all that gold. We'll take the glowing rocks."

Bragg laughs, slapping Alix on the shoulder. "Hah! You're either crazy or the most generous man in this world. Fine by me. We'll split the mana stones four ways—Alix gets his mountain of gold."

They move quickly, dividing the glowing clusters among themselves. Verrin's meticulous hands count and sort; Mave's laughter echoes as he scoops armfuls of crystals into his pouch; Kyra weighs each one with a thief's practiced eye. Bragg oversees, satisfied, his grin never leaving.

Meanwhile, Alix stands beside the heap of gold coins. The piles gleam faintly in the light, dull yet beautiful—over twenty million pieces at least. To the others, it's less than the value of a single Tier 5 stone. To Alix, it's more important than any mana stones.

As the last pouch snaps shut, Bragg claps his hands again. "Alright! That's everything. No one got cheated, no one died. I call that a win!"

Kyra smirks. "And a miracle."

Mave laughs. "With this haul, I'm retiring for a month straight!"

Verrin just nods, quietly pleased. "A month? Try a year."

Alix says nothing, just gives a faint, approving smile as he waves his hand subtly. In a blink, every chest of gold vanishes into his inventory. The others barely notice—their attention still fixed on their glowing mana stones.

While everyone is still laughing and packing away their spoils, the air in the chamber suddenly shifts. The warmth of triumph drains away, replaced by a slow, creeping chill.

A faint hum echoes from the center of the room—low, resonant, and growing deeper by the second. Dust begins to swirl, drawn into a twisting column of gray light that forms above the cracked stone floor.

Bragg stops mid-laugh. "Uh… what the hell is that?"

Kyra immediately grips her dagger, eyes narrowing. "Don't tell me the place's collapsing."

"No," Verrin says sharply, stepping forward, gaze fixed on the forming shape. "Don't move. Don't do anything. That's not a creature—it's a will. A remnant left behind by the owner of this place."

The others tense, but hold their ground as the silhouette solidifies.

From the swirl of dust and light emerges the translucent image of an old monster—part humanoid, part beast. Its body is hunched with age, its long horns cracked, and its gnarled hand clutches a crooked staff made of dark stone. Even as a phantom, its presence radiates a suffocating power.

Bragg's grin fades, replaced by unease. He shifts his stance, hand twitching near his weapon. "Damn… you call that just a will? I feel like my spine's about to snap from the pressure."

Kyra grits her teeth, sweat beading on her brow. "Gods, this thing's thousands of years old, and it still feels alive."

The old monster's eyes—two dim embers of blue fire—sweep slowly across the chamber, as though looking through time itself. Its voice rumbles like stone grinding against stone.

"...Someone… finally opened this place."

The echo of its words vibrates through their bones.

It tilts its head slightly, gaze falling on Alix, though it doesn't seem to see him directly. "I do not know if you are alone… or if you came as a group. But it matters little."

Its tone grows clearer, carrying an odd mixture of pride and melancholy. "To reach this place means you possess skill. Patience. Strength. Those who have entered before you… failed to open this path. You have not."

Bragg swallows, muttering under his breath, "Thanks, but can we skip the ghost speech part?"

Kyra elbows him hard. "Shut up, Bragg."

The old monster raises his staff slightly, and the faint pulse of energy ripples through the chamber, making the room trembles. "The treasures you have taken… are but half of what I possessed."

Mave blinks, clutching his newly filled pouch tighter. "Half? You're telling me this is just the warm-up?"

The old monster continues. "The rest lies sealed… beyond three trials. Complete them, and you will earn my full inheritance—and what remains of my true treasure."

The old form flickering slightly as its energy wanes. "The trials will be, wisdom, resolve, and strength. Fail any one of them… and you shall remain here forever, as dust among the forgotten."

The old figure lowers its staff, the glow around it dimming. "Prepare yourselves. The path ahead will open when your hearts are steady. The unworthy will not survive."

The phantom's light begins to unravel, scattering like ash in the wind.