Not even an entire day would be enough to explore the vast museum that held artifacts from all places in the world. Throughout the years, the British museum had collected all sorts of items and carefully categorized them thanks to the painstaking job of the many scholars, archaeologists, historians and curators. Before the arrival, it was a learning place ant to showcase the different cultures to the next generations which would have turned the museum into a truly sacred place for soone like Uriel. But now, all the artifacts ca with a price tag.
That said, Uriel was not disappointed in the least because he didn't have the ti to spare for such petty feelings. His jaw beca slack in front of the first ever kaleidoscope, dieval weapons that had changed the course of history and many objects that once belonged to important people.
Jon tried to keep his cool at first acting as if he was showing things to a kid, but in just a few minutes he was just as excited as Uriel running from place to place, only taking the ti to read the placards when the artifact in question was too obscure for them. Unwittingly, this started so sort of implicit competition in which they tried to show off their knowledge.
Needless to say, Uriel's opponent was none but the world's most renowned archaeologist which should have made things unfair, but Uriel went as far as activating Dash in order to win so extra ti to ponder about the artifacts to be identified.
"This is absolutely an African mask." Uriel declared.
"That is like saying it cos from this planet, you need to be more specific." Jon rebuked.
"Sure, it cos from the west region. I can't tell the tribe, though."
"That is because you're just a kid, let see," Jon leaned closer to inspect the mask, only to be left mystified by the artifact. They both pondered for a few seconds before looking at the placard that read 'Masai tribal mask used in religious ceremonies' causing them to click their tongues at the sa ti while shaking their heads as they reached the sa conclusion.
"It's a fake." They said in unison and the words spread around causing a conjoined gasp that ca from everywhere at the sa ti. Only then did they notice they weren't alone in the museum and that many people walked the halls dressed in fine clothes and looked at them as if they were loose animals.
"You dare break into my museum while it's closed to public and run rampant causing a fuss, only to then accuse of selling a fake!?" A man furiously accused from behind accompanied by the two holy rank hunter guards that failed to protect the entrance.
Both Jon and Uriel froze on the spot for a mont. For an archaeologist to be scolded in a museum was akin to a professor getting scolded on the college campus, and in front of people no less. They could argue all they wanted, but if they were denied entrance due to their blunder their loss would be insurmountable.
"It really is fake, though." Uriel was the first to speak as he turned.
"You!" Saint Germain said in an accusing tone.
"You!" Uriel pointed at Ponce de Leon with his finger.
"You!" Jon joined in the outrage, only to fall back into his casual self and continue. "you know each other?"
"This man taught to fish and then gifted sothing precious."
"If you're alive, then I'm sure you got rid of him." Saint Germain who had given Uriel the crystal dagger to Uriel so he could kill Water warlock said in a suspicious tone.
"Sure, he's not going to be a problem anymore." Uriel's statent seed to have lifted a heavy backpack from Saint Germain's shoulders as he heaved a sigh of relief.
"Then, you have my most sincere gratitude," He said performing a small bow. "For many years I have been waiting for the day the naless horrors ca to find . As long as that guy was alive, my days on this earth were limited. Now I can finally rest." Saint Germain then explained that after he visited Chichén Itzá he not only beca a hunter, but also beca eternally young.
It may have seed like the blessing everyone sought after, but just because he didn't age it didn't an he was immortal in the full aning of the word as he could still be killed. That alone would have been fine, as his power level would leave him at the holy rank no less. The problem was that after he bailed from the trials in Chichén Itzá he had the haunting feeling that the naless were after him.
This only worsened when soone released them from their stone prisons and Saint Germain beca aware that his days were counted which in turn forced him to co out of his retirent and resu his exploration to seek for a weapon capable enough to kill them. However, after many attempts it beca clear to him that the naless could not be killed by any ans and the only solution was to kill the creature they served.
"It's just that simple, with a single use weapon like that I could have killed one of the naless and then the other would have hunted forever..."
"That would not have worked either. The naless had both a physical form and a spiritual form and they needed to be killed at the sa ti." Uriel explained.
"So, you also killed them?"
"With help from the outside, yes," Uriel explained, then asked. "does this an you won't hold our past behavior against us?"
"Of course, if the two best archaeologists in the world say this artifact is a fake, then it's fake. I'll put it where it belongs." Saint Germain grabbed the mask from the showcase then tossed it into a nearby garbage bin.
To say the onlookers were shocked would be an understatent, though it lasted for a short period as soon they raced towards the garbage bin to grab the mask. Despite their neat appearances and gala dresses that gave them enough confidence to look down on the hunters, they had no qualms on swarming the garbage bin like piranhas with the vain hope of getting an artifact for free.
"What brings you here? I don't think you ca all the way here just to help get rid of cheap replicas." Asked Saint Germain.
"Actually, we're looking for sothing special."
"If it's weapons you're after, these are all but trinkets. Sure, they may work for an ascended hunter, but for you two, you would need to follow to the vault where the more interesting stuff is kept."
"Stuff..." Jon snarled.
"It's not that either, we're looking for items that relate directly with mythology. Particularly, anything that has the na of a god inscribed."
"That... well... follow ." Saint Germain gestured at them while making a strange expression in his face. He led them through the hallways towards a restricted area for personnel only, then further into a warehouse where artifacts waited to be identified. Thanks to the Mapple corporation exploration efforts, the flow of artifacts world wide had been accelerated and there were thousands upon thousands of artifacts clogging the line.
Uriel mused at the sight, but his ti for that was limited as Saint Germain then led them to the basent though instead of entering the well protected vault, he opened a seemingly ordinary door that connected with a dungeon as confird by Uriel when he felt the familiar sensation of crossing through a thin mbrane. It was the kind of experience that no matter how many tis he went through, it still caused him to feel uneasy.
Right before crossing the veil, Saint Germain stopped in his tracks and waved at them as he couldn't enter.
"Now this is where the real museum begins." Jon stuttered as he saw all kinds of marvels and treasures unknown to any civilization he ever saw.
From hover bikes made of exotic materials, to complex looking machinery, there was even a perfect replica of the antikythera only this one was not just complete but also working. Instead of a history related depiction beneath the artifact, it just had the specs.
"A quantum computer!" Both Jon and Uriel exclaid as they inwardly thought the exact sa thing.
"dusa would love this." Uriel sighed.
"She would," Jon nodded for a mont, then ca up with the idea of buying it. "do you know what currency is this?" Asked Jon at the sight of an unfamiliar sign after a number that seed unreasonably low.
"If it's credits I'll buy a few of them." Uriel chuckled, his amusent short lived as a woman dressed in a history accurate Greek attire walked towards them with a pleasant smile.
"It's dracma," She declared then introduced herself. "I am Tyche and this is my domain."
"I think I have a few coins, but I didn't bring them." Jon whispered to Uriel.
"I don't have any." Uriel shrugged already thinking on several ways to liberate the items without paying for them.
"Any type of currency will do, I can convert them for you." The woman smiled, rather than seductive she looked at the two n in front of her with predatory eyes.
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