Arthur’s boots clicked softly on the stone floor as he walked deeper into the treasury.
Around him, the squad was busy carrying piles of crates filled with gold, gems, and jewels while archaeologists rushed from one artifact to another like bees drawn to blooming flowers, their voices filled with excitent.
Arthur didn’t pay any attention to any of them as he just walked deeper into the hall.
Just then, the space in front of him opened to a chamber; the dazzling display of coins and jewels began to thin out.
He slowed his steps, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the scene in front of him.
At the far end of the chamber is a high marble platform, and on it is an imposing throne.
Arthur stopped in his tracks.
This throne was quite big. Carved from pristine white marble streaked with veins of gold, it glead like glass under the dim light, flawless and symtrical.
Precious gems adorned its headboard and armrests, each stone catching glimrs of light with quiet brilliance.
And in front of the throne is a heavy table made of matching marble, ornately designed, and on top of it are four objects: a crown, a staff, a sword, and finally a massive book bound in dark leather.
Arthur’s gaze was imdiately drawn to the crown.
His breath hitched as his throat moved, swallowing hard.
The crown is exquisitely made, a golden circlet woven with intricate bands, every curve precise and every gem perfectly aligned.
But what sent chills down his spine wasn’t its beauty; it was the familiarity.
This was the crown he had seen earlier when he solved the puzzle, the sa symbol, an impossible likeness that rattled him to his core.
His heartbeat pounded wildly in his chest as he stood rooted to the spot for what felt like an eternity, losing his composure.
He slowly ca back to his senses as he took in a few deep breaths to calm himself down.
He stepped forward and walked towards the table. Standing in front of the white marble table, he reached out his slightly trembling fingers and lifted the crown up.
It was quite heavy, and the weight surprised him, feeling cold against his palm.
He turned it over thoughtfully and carefully examined it up close with scrutinizing eyes; unease settled all over him the more he looked at the crown.
"This thing shouldn’t exist in this place," he muttered under his breath.
This crown has an uncanny resemblance to one he had seen before, and he is sure that this crown and its design are not recorded in any of Panterra’s history.
He realized that Emperor Vaerion VII might have huge hidden secrets never docunted anywhere.
"Who were you really, Vaerion?" Arthur whispered softly to himself.
Just then, sothing slipped from beneath the crown, a folded piece of paper falling gracefully to the ground.
Arthur blinked for a mont. Crouching down, he picked up the folded paper.
He quickly unfolded it, and the content in the paper imdiately surprised him; he saw that this paper depicted a map.
He was really surprised, "Another map, huh?!"
He glanced between the ornate crown and the imposing throne before returning his gaze to the map.
A faint smile appeared on his lips as cold light flashed in his eyes.
"Emperor Vaerion VII... just what were you hiding?" he mused aloud.
Suddenly, a shout shattered the silence. "Is that... the Azurian Crown?!"
Arthur imdiately turned around to see Professor Adrian and the group of archaeologists standing behind, their mouths agape in disbelief and shock.
Without hesitation, Arthur slid the map into his pocket. With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the crown toward them.
"Here. Knock yourselves out," he said nonchalantly.
"Be careful!" Adrian yelled as he lunged forward, catching the crown in his arms as if catching a fragile newborn.
Dust rose into the air as he wiped it frantically, relief washing over him as anger appeared on his face.
"You...! You have no respect for history! Do you even realize what this is?!"
Kaelen chid in sharply from behind him. "Reckless!"
Dr. Ren adjusted his glasses, a frown deepening on his face. "This is beyond priceless! It must be treated with the utmost care."
The others imdiately chid in, hands akimbo as they scolded him.
Arthur stood there silently amidst their uproar as he looked at the bunch of old n and won pointing their fingers at him; he simply shook his head with a smile on his lips.
"Looks like that sa crown symbol from the puzzle chamber," Dr. Ren muttered after a mont’s contemplation while tracing along its band.
"Yes," Adrian affird firmly as he held it aloft for all to see. "This... this is indeed the real crown of Emperor Vaerion VII, the true Azurian Crown."
Marta Sorel gasped suddenly, pointing with trembling fingers toward another relic nearby. "Look! The throne! Just like in those old manuscripts!"
Their heads snapped around in unison; excitent surged through them like children spotting candy at a playground.
"Yes! It’s exactly how it was described!" Kaelen exclaid joyfully.
"And look at that staff!" Josef Brandt shouted enthusiastically but nearly tripped over himself in excitent. "That must be the Staff of Dominion!"
"Wait... wait! The book!" Afrain gasped suddenly, pushing up his glasses with shaking hands as color drained from his face. "Is that... could it be... the Azurian Codex?"
The words silenced everyone in the hall as they all looked at the book with shock.
Their eyes locked onto the massive leather-bound to resting on the marble table before them.
Adrian’s hands trembled as he reached forward, brushing away the dust on the book.
He inhaled sharply and opened it with delicate care; the crack of stiff leather echoed softly in the hushed room.
"This is it," he breathed, his voice cracking with emotion. "The Azurian Codex. All of their history, their records, their truths... it’s all here."
Excitent surged through the group as they crowded around him, faces flushed and eyes wide with disbelief.
"We’ve struck gold... true gold!" Clara exclaid, her smile beaming like sunshine on a winter day.
"More than gold!" Lukas chid in, his voice quivering with exhilaration. "This is history itself!"
The noise rose in a symphony of overlapping shouts, gasps, and laughter.
The archaeologists were bursting with joy, like schoolchildren on a long-awaited holiday morning, eyes sparkling brighter than any treasure surrounding them.
Their ruckus drew the attention of Ethan and the others as they appeared at the hall’s edge, rifles slung casually over their shoulders.
They halted abruptly, staring at the gaggle of scholars squealing over an ancient book.
Ethan blinked in disbelief; his lips twitched into an amused smirk. "What the hell did we just walk into?"
Gunner grunted beside him. "Looks like a kindergarten field trip."
Arthur observed them for a mont longer before turning away with a faint curve to his lips, a hint of amusent playing across his face.
Suddenly, a soft vibration buzzed in his pocket.
He pulled out his silver watch; instantly, a projection appeared as Evolon materialized before him, its void-blue eyes locking onto Arthur’s gaze.
"Patriarch," Evolon intoned smoothly. "Transport units are two minutes from arrival. Reinforcents at the mountain’s base have neutralized Ravik’s remaining n and sealed off the periter."
Arthur narrowed his eyes thoughtfully but nodded once in acknowledgnt. "Good."
He lowered the watch and turned sharply toward Gunner and the squad as he instructed.
"The transports will arrive in two minutes. Prepare everything."
"Yes, Patriarch!" ca the unified response from the squad.
In an instant, the squad dispersed, tightening security asures as they made the final preparations.
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