Chapter 323
Chapter 323
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 323
Chapter Title: Legacy (3)
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[Legacy (3)]
Right after Horus stepped through the doors of the "Golden Vault," the first thing to greet him was a long corridor.
Luminescent stones embedded along both walls and the ceiling emitted a steady glow, illuminating a space where everything except the white marble floor was lavishly adorned in gold.
'No, this isn't just gold plating, is it? They've literally covered everything in pure gold.'
He reached out curiously to touch the wall, then slowly nodded.
Now he understood why this place was called the "Golden Vault."
It was straightforward, honest naming—no frills, no exaggeration.
'Even for a gold dragon, isn't this a bit too on-the-nose...?'
Horus let out a small sigh at the stereotypical, utterly bland interior.
Even for a gold dragon, covering everything in gold like this felt excessive the more he looked at it...
'...Maybe it's not so bad after all?'
For some reason, it was starting to grow on him.
No, more than that—a strange sense of satisfaction began to creep up on him.
The metallic sheen of the gold sparkled beautifully under the light from the luminescent stones placed throughout the passage.
It wasn't just plated on flatly; intricate engravings covered the surfaces, scattering light in dazzling patterns that delighted the eyes from every angle.
How could anyone not marvel at such a magnificent sight...?
"Hah! Snap out of it!"
Slap!
Horus, who had been leisurely admiring the artwork on the walls, jolted back to his senses and smacked both his cheeks.
He realized it clearly now.
This was a place that perfectly reflected gold dragon tastes—one hundred percent!
'Whew, let's get moving.'
Shaking off the instinctive temptation, he hurried across the corridor.
Glancing around incessantly, like a kid passing a toy store.
'Gold isn't even that valuable compared to other treasures, if you think about it.'
Of course, in this world of Aouterica, where the gold standard reigned, gold held high value overall. But for a dragon, it fell a bit short of true satisfaction.
There were all sorts of gems, magic metals, and mana stones in this world, after all.
"...Heh heh heh, and now it's all mine?"
Yet feeling this level of satisfaction from gold alone—what an incredible cost-performance ratio!
Maybe that was why gold dragons had a reputation for being milder and less greedy than other kin.
'That's a pretty solid hypothesis. Not that it matters right now.'
Having indulged his newfound craving to the fullest, Horus finally reached the cavern at the end of the corridor.
He could have used magic to get there faster, but since it was his first visit, he'd taken the scenic route on foot.
...Though a bit of personal ulterior motive was mixed in.
"Whoa—."
The first thing he saw there was a colossal dragon statue—mostly made of gold, and enormous beyond belief.
Far larger than Elder Dragon Shurihartgen's true form, which he'd seen recently.
'Is that the real size of an Ancient Dragon... an elder wyrm?'
The pinnacle of dragonkind, even in their golden age when they thrived, their numbers had been few.
Over a hundred meters at a glance—this legendary majesty left him gasping in awe despite himself.
And with it came renewed admiration for the previous Immortal Kings.
There must have been several such ancient dragons back then, yet even they had all fallen, unable to overcome those rulers.
A truly overwhelming record, worthy of the title "Continent's Despair."
'Now that's me, too.'
Feeling a swell of pride, Horus's gaze swept past the massive statue and the mountains of gold and jewels at its feet, taking in the surroundings.
Towering doors pierced the cavern walls in every direction.
This meant the cavern was merely a lobby—the vault extended far beyond.
Those doors likely led to sections sorted by some criteria.
'Which means everything here is the ambiguous stuff that didn't fit neatly anywhere.'
Is this what it feels like to inherit a mega-conglomerate?
He was certain no more beautiful sight existed in the world.
'Alright, time to dive in.'
Why hesitate now?
Horus strode boldly toward the first section in sight.
Thus began a treasure-hunting adventure for the wide-eyed young boy.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The "Golden Vault" was so vast that the treasures it held were innumerable—inspecting them all would take an eternity, no matter how much time one had.
So his first foray had been limited to a rough survey of what lay inside...
"Hmm, this is tricky."
After passing through several sections and returning to the lobby, Horus grumbled before the final door.
The results of this initial expedition were disappointing, falling short of his high hopes.
He needed something—anything—that could aid him in battle, but few such treasures remained.
'There were plenty of curiosities, though.'
Come to think of it, Shurihartgen had mentioned that at the start.
Most useful items had been deployed in the war, destroyed or lost, leaving little behind.
The famed magic artifacts circulating in the world might well have originated from here.
'By the war's end, dragons were nearly extinct, so no chance to reclaim them.'
Smacking his lips lightly, Horus opened the final door and stepped inside.
His expectations had been sky-high, leading to some letdown, but the haul was still impressive.
This immense wealth would massively boost merchant Hubert's conquest of the continental markets, and the rare magic artifacts' tech and arcane engineering knowledge would greatly aid dwarf Howard's crafting...
"Huh? This room..."
Absorbed in such thoughts as he entered, Horus suddenly froze.
This section's decor was strikingly original, unlike the others.
While the rest blended gold with various precious metals in opulent displays, this one exuded a dark, subdued atmosphere.
More precisely—
'The walls, ceiling, and floor are all covered in magic materials. Magic metals mixed with ritual catalysts.'
And that wasn't all.
As he approached the wall and brushed it lightly, he frowned slightly.
He sensed powerful magic woven throughout the entire section where his hand touched.
'...Impressive. This level might even rival Hans's work. Did an Ancient Dragon set it up personally?'
An advanced magical barrier beyond even his current ability to gauge.
A seal that crushed anyone failing specific conditions, pressing down on the whole space.
'What could be in here to warrant this...?'
The answer came as soon as he ventured deeper.
Amid an ominous unease came an inexplicable familiarity.
A pitch-black magic sword, wavering like it was forged from shadows.
Armor sculpted to resemble a demon from molten lava.
A dark red gem pulsing like a heart, veined thickly with blood vessels.
A whip writhing on its own, covered in sharp thorns.
Bizarre items whose origins were obvious at a glance—all gathered here.
'Of course. No wonder there was nothing like this.'
If they'd been utterly overwhelmed on the battlefield, maybe not—but they'd held their own somewhat, so war trophies on this side made sense.
And ones too dangerous to handle casually would naturally be segregated like this by the gold dragons.
'Plus, dragons were active long before the war.'
Even a thousand years ago, when the first Immortal King arose, there were those summoning demons from the demon realm or trying to bring down a Demon King—shady plots everywhere.
Some items here were likely seized and sealed during such crackdowns.
[Curse-Wrought Spear of the Abyss—Bazaria]
[Magic stone from a count-level demon's heart. Processed it before hearing the name, so no clue who. Should've offed it after? -Piratod was here]
[Magic Sword (Tough and sharp. Wounds fester.)]
[Helmet of Paljarim, high officer in the Second Immortal King's army]
Beneath each display sat notes, likely left by whoever deposited them.
Inconsistent phrasing revealed their personalities.
It made grasping the items' origins fun, turning viewing into an engaging tour.
'Paljarim was a Dullahan King under the Second Immortal King, killed in battle. Single-digit rank, I think.'
Unlike the sinister aura, the boy Horus scurried about eagerly, eyes alight with curiosity.
Delighted by these unexpected finds, he continued his tour.
Near the end, he encountered something under exceptionally tight security.
"That’s..."
Atop a pedestal densely inscribed with glowing magic circles.
A single arm, bound in silver chains consecrated by high priests' holy power, pinned immobile by sharp metal spikes.
'...Impressive.'
Staring at it, he unconsciously swallowed hard.
Just one arm, yet the power emanating from it was extraordinary.
Merely facing it stirred crisis instincts in Horus, who now boasted considerable strength.
'Sealed like this and still this strong... The original must've been no ordinary thing. What is it? At least Demon King level?'
As he pondered, his wariness receded, overwhelmed by surging curiosity.
Glancing around slyly, Horus crept to the pedestal and checked the inscription below.
[Right Arm of the 14th Demon King Reraye]
"...Guh, a real Demon King's arm."
He'd half-suspected, but it was true.
Sniffing deeply, he muttered blankly, then fixed his gaze back on the sealed arm.
Bandages wrapped it so thickly the original skin was invisible, held silent by chains and spikes.
'How long has this been here?'
Immortal Kings were equated with Demon Kings now, but they were distinct.
No Demon King had descended since the first Immortal King—no record in a thousand years, at least.
'Wait, come to think of it.'
Staring at it, a memory surfaced.
The "Item Purchase" section where he'd bought his dragon heart catalyst.
He'd definitely seen that name there.
[Horn Containing the Essence of the 14th Demon King Reraye (4,620,000)]
Checking the Karma Shop confirmed it—the item was listed.
No wonder the name rang a bell.
'Demon King's horn. Price dropped.'
It had been over five million when he first saw it.
Unlike the vaguely named thirty-million one, this price felt promising, so it stuck.
'Demon realm, Demon King...'
The demon realm wasn't a fully separate dimension but an adjunct one like the spirit realm or abyss, attached to Aouterica.
And since the first Immortal King's rise, most warlocks needed for descent had been absorbed by Immortal King followers, quieting things down lately.
'Eh, no need to worry about it then.'
Shrugging off the thought, Horus turned to the nearby displays.
He wasn't uninterested in the demon realm, but the outer realms took priority now.
'Later, think about it later.'
Around the Demon King's arm were related items.
[Essence of the 14th Demon King's Subordinate, Succubus Queen]
With curious eyes, he lightly skipped from one to the next.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ah?"
Siana, in the midst of tormenting former Crown Prince Simon as usual to vent her stress, froze unwittingly.
Her master, Immortal King Hans, had appeared right before her.
Wearing the face of a stern middle-aged man.
"Siana."
"Ah...? Y-Yes! You called for me, my King?!"
Startled by the summons, she swiftly prostrated as always.
But her downcast eyes were wide with disbelief, pupils shaking wildly.
"I have one question for you, Siana."
"Ask anything, my lord."
"What do you think of this face?"
"Th-This face...?"
Her body jolted at the unexpected question.
But only for a moment—she desperately racked her brain, grasping the situation, and smoothly continued.
"Ah! It's perfect! If I weren't bound to you, I wouldn't have recognized you at all! I sincerely apologize for my dullness in not grasping your intent immediately."
"Mm."
Hans nodded with a satisfied smile at her answer.
Siana the succubus boasted the Immortal Army's top infiltration and disguise skills.
Even high priests hadn't detected her posing as an imperial noble.
Validated by such an expert, he praised her and departed contentedly.
And the instant he vanished in a blink—
Left alone prostrated on the floor, Siana squeezed her eyes shut and slammed her forehead to the ground.
'Aaaah! That handsome face! It's gone, turned into some generic guy!'
She lamented the loss of one of her few joys in this unwanted conscripted life.