Chapter 682 Treasures
Under the pitch-black sky in Faraluo, on a vast expanse of wilderness, the evening wind was bleak, and the low shrubs swayed slightly in the breeze. Dark clouds were gathering in the sky, obscuring the waning moon.
In the dim moonlight, a tall ancient castle stood alone on this uninhabited wilderness. The castle, with its walls, watchtowers, and main tower, perfectly embodied the style of the late Bourbon period of Faraluo. It was well-preserved, giving off an aura that made it seem like a massive artifact on display.
At this late hour, the castle was brightly lit inside, with lights from various sources illuminating the entire structure as if those within had not rested all night. On the rooftops of the main building and towers, numerous sculptures were placed. These sculptures were not typical heroic warriors or plump women; instead, they were monstrous figures with fangs bared, fierce faces, and wings spread wide.
Inside the main building of the vast castle, there was a grand and luxurious audience hall. Various silks adorned the edges of the hall, and three enormous chandeliers hung from the ceiling, each adorned with countless crystals. Elaborate antique furnishings decorated the corners, and lifelike portraits hung on the walls. Armor stood by the walls, silently guarding, much like the black monster statues outside, which were also placed around the ceiling’s edge, crouching atop stone pillars, silently watching the scene below.
At the rear of the hall, a high throne with steps was placed. On the throne, sat a somewhat aged figure.
This was a man in his fifties. He wore a grayish-brown robe characteristic of ancient Faraluo nobility, with intricate gold embroidery from the late Bourbon period. His collar was adorned with a white scarf, and he wore a flat noble hat. His hair and beard were silver but neatly arranged, with white hair coiled like a judge’s wig. His face, with few wrinkles, had eyes slightly narrowed, gazing ahead.
At the spot where the old man’s gaze fell, on the floor of the hall, three figures knelt. They were the three chalk officers of the Dark Gold Society in Faraluo: Henri, Dock, and Craven. Having completed their mission, they knelt respectfully before their master, reporting the results.
“Mr. Frederico, we have obtained the item. Although we failed to catch the thief, we managed to secure the target.”
Henri, kneeling on the ground, addressed the old man named Frederico respectfully, while simultaneously taking out an object from his clothes and holding it out. It was an irregular golden object.
Frederico, sitting on the throne, silently scrutinized the golden object in Henri’s hand for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the three kneeling figures. In a slightly stern tone, he slowly spoke.
“Together, the three of you couldn’t catch one person?”
“I’m very sorry, sir. The thief K’s abilities are quite strange and slippery. We’ve never seen anything like it. The three of us have tried our best to control her movements, but without success. Eventually, we resorted to some extreme measures and buried her.”
Dock, standing next to Henri, responded to Frederico. After hearing his subordinate’s words, Frederico pondered for a moment and spoke again.
“Strange abilities… Indeed, the thief K must have many secrets. I want detailed reports about her abilities later. For now, give me that thing.”
“Yes.” Responding to Frederico, Henri stood up and walked forward, presenting the irregular golden object. After Frederico took the golden base from Henri’s hand, Henri slowly retreated to his original position and knelt down again, while Frederico began to carefully examine the golden base.
“Excellent craftsmanship… This is cast using the stamping method, clearly the work of a top craftsman from the First Dynasty. Similar to the crystals of the Light of Maria, this appears to be gold, but in reality, it is a special metal extremely similar to gold… The First Dynasty could create such things, perhaps with the help of the ‘Stone’ power of that era.”
As he examined the golden base, Frederico murmured softly. As a high-ranking member of the Dark Gold Society and a Red Tier “Stone” Extraordinary Being, he clearly possessed powerful appraisal skills. At this moment, he was using all his knowledge to authenticate the genuine nature of the golden base. After looking at it for five or six minutes, he found no flaws.
The golden base was authentic, and Henri and the others had truly found the thief K’s hideout, eliminated her, and successfully retrieved the target prize.
After confirming this, Frederico nodded slightly and raised his head to look at the three subordinates still kneeling before him.
“Move aside.”
After hearing Frederico’s command, Henri and the others stood up and moved to the sides of the hall. Then, Frederico waved his hand, and a strange fluctuation of energy caused the entire hall to subtly vibrate. A rumbling sound echoed through the space.
Amidst these subtle vibrations, the floor of the hall began to split apart, revealing a hidden space beneath. Then, dazzling light emanated from this space, casting its glow across the hall.
This light came from the objects within the hidden space—piles of gold coins, silver coins, various jewels, and exquisite utensils. The room was filled with precious metals and gems, refracting light into sparkling glimmers, increasing the hall’s opulence several times over. This hidden space was a treasury, a vault brimming with treasures!
After opening his underground treasure chamber, Frederico waved his hand again, and a small copper box embedded with a large gem automatically flew toward him. After receiving the box, Frederico immediately opened it to reveal four large, crystal-clear rhomboid crystals.
Frederico took out the crystals and attempted to fit them onto the golden base. After a short while, he had secured all the crystals. He then began studying the golden base with the embedded crystals, and after a brief examination, his expression changed.
“No… This is…”
Before Frederico could finish his sentence, a sudden change occurred. For some reason, all the windows in the hall burst simultaneously with a loud noise. Two small cylindrical objects suddenly flew in from outside, and upon impact, they exploded, releasing a dazzling beam of light.
The intense brightness instantly filled the hall, momentarily blinding everyone inside. Amidst the dazzling light, a ghostly figure entered the hall through the shattered window, flying swiftly toward Frederico without touching the ground.
Although blinded by the light and feeling no vibrations, Frederico immediately sensed the danger approaching him. At this critical moment, he rapidly manipulated the elemental forces within him, creating a powerful gust of wind centered on himself, radiating outward in all directions. The strong wind dispersed the intense light, gradually fading away. Henri and the others, regaining their vision, saw a figure being struck and thrown into the air, flipping twice before landing steadily on the ground.
Wearing a top hat and mask, dressed in a cloak, this figure was familiar to Henri and his group. Upon seeing him, they stood up and exclaimed in unison.
“The thief K?!”
“How is this possible? Weren’t you already dead?!”
“How did you find your way here?!”
In the stunned gazes of the Dark Gold Society trio, the thief slowly stood up, facing the three members of the Dark Gold Society and Frederico still seated on the main throne. Adjusting his hat, he smiled and spoke.
“I apologize for disappointing our guests. It was my mistake as a performer, but as a magician, I still need to perform for more audiences and cannot d*e carelessly in any place.”
The thief politely said this. Sitting in his seat, Frederico’s eyes narrowed slightly, and then he spoke in a tone devoid of emotion.
“You are… the so-called thief K?”
“Yes, Mr. Frederico. As a junior, I sincerely greet you.” The thief bowed slightly as he spoke. Hearing this, Frederico sneered and said.
“Hmph, junior? What kind of junior are you to me?”
“Naturally, a junior in the art of thievery. In a sense, aren’t we both engaged in the same profession? You usually steal from museums and collectors, whereas I can steal entire nations. You are far above me in terms of level, aren’t you, Mr. Bourbon, the last prime minister of Bourbon?”
The thief continued smiling and spoke to Frederico. After hearing this, Frederico’s expression turned serious, and he coldly ordered.
“Flippant talk… Take him down.”
No sooner had Frederico spoken than the impatient Dark Gold Society trio immediately donned hard, dark gray shells, spread their wings, drew their weapons, and charged swiftly at the thief K. Thus, after a period of ceasefire, they clashed once more.
This melee was almost identical to the previous one. The three used various methods to attack the thief directly, but she easily deflected and dodged them. The thief continued to move nimbly through countless dangers without being harmed.
Realizing that conventional attacks would not work, the Dark Gold Society trio began coordinating their efforts after the battle started. Seeing the opportune moment when the thief leaped and dodged, Craven pulled out a sigil and slapped it on the ground, causing the earth in front of them to soften and become like a swamp. When the thief landed, she sank into the ground, half her body submerged.
Seeing the opportunity, the other two gargoyle-like figures in mid-air launched their attacks. They sprayed flames at the thief trapped on the ground, engulfing her in a blazing inferno.
Watching the battle, Frederico felt certain of victory. But just as he thought the thief K was merely a fast and skilled thief, he sensed something unusual behind him.
A shadow—a nearly invisible one—darted out from behind Frederico, rushing toward the object he held. Seeing this, Frederico’s pupils dilated, and he unleashed another storm of gusts, stronger than before. This storm not only scattered the items around him but also completely destroyed the throne he was sitting on.
Amidst the powerful impact, a figure was knocked back from behind Frederico. The thief, with her light frame, spun in the air and landed back on the ground. Seeing the thief about to land, Frederico, who had lost his chair and stood up, threw a fireball at her. The thief magician, just steadying herself, waved her cloak, transforming it into a shower of flowers. Instantly, countless colorful petals drifted down from the hall’s ceiling, settling on the ground.
Looking at the falling petals and the thief magician amidst the floral rain, and seeing Frederico’s stern expression as he stood up, he finally understood why his subordinates had said the thief’s abilities were strange. She had approached him from behind without him noticing, which was incredible.
However, despite the thief’s strange abilities and swift actions, she had not succeeded in stealing anything from him. Therefore, her strength seemed relatively limited. With caution, dealing with her should not be too difficult… This was Frederico’s current thought. Just as this idea flashed through his mind, the thief spoke again from afar.
“Oh my, you reacted quickly. Indeed, as expected of a senior, your adaptability is impressive. If someone else were here, I might have succeeded completely.”
Amidst the floral rain, the thief magician muttered as she slowly extended her hand. On her pristine glove, lay a large, crystal-clear gem.
Upon seeing the gem, Frederico’s eyes widened. Looking at his own hand, he realized that one of the crystals was missing from the counterfeit golden base. Originally, there were four crystals, but now only three remained.
She still managed to succeed!
Seeing this, Frederico felt a heavy concern. Although she hadn’t stolen everything, this proved that if he remained in this state, he might not even be able to protect himself, let alone capture her. The thief K’s performance had made Frederico realize that relying solely on his subordinates might not be enough to deal with the thief.
“Vile thief… you won’t get anything else from me…”
Frederico muttered, then began removing the remaining three crystals from the counterfeit golden base, and his skin turned black and gray.
Simultaneously, Frederico’s body began to rapidly expand. As his body grew taller, his face became increasingly grotesque. Sharp claws, horns, and wings pierced through the thick skin, extending outward.
“Everything here belongs to me! Look at these… all my wealth. You won’t take a single piece tonight!”
In Frederico’s thunderous declaration, the treasure vault beneath the hall began to stir. Countless gold and silver coins, along with jewels, floated up as if drawn by an invisible force. They quickly flew toward the expanding Frederico, pouring into his mouth. The three remaining crystals, along with other jewels, flew into his open mouth and were sucked into his body.
As these countless treasures were swallowed by Frederico, his body began to undergo various transformations. Golden or silver metallic lusters appeared on his originally dark gray, stone-like skin. Gems similar to those embedded in his sturdy stony skin grew out from his wings and other exposed areas.
