âAs Iâve said, when the time comes, it will show itself in front of Milord,â Mimir insisted.
Kim Jin-Woo shot back, âI wonât waste my breath. Answer my question.â Mimir said nothing, veins bulging out of his temples, but Kim Jin-Woo wasnât interested in the sort of answer he had given. He asked more directly, âHave I seen the Eternal Treasury before?â
Mimir stayed silent and refused to answer. Before the overwhelming presence of the Highlord, he looked as if his veins might pop at any moment, but he continued to persevere. However, that too didnât last long. Eventually, blood streaked down from his nostrils, and he finally replied with a groan, âUrgh⌠Yes.â
Was the Highlord trying to end the conversation now? Mimir knew that wasnât the case, but he still held on to that glimmer of hope.
âThen, is the Black Merchantsâ stronghold the Eternal Treasury?â Kim Jin-Woo asked, practically making a mockery of Mimirâs expectations. It was almost as if he had been playing around with Mimir before suddenly striking his heart.
The imp was unable to answer, his eyes widening. However, he wasnât able to contain his bewilderment, and his eyes darted around wildly.
âSo I was right,â Kim Jin-Woo remarked.
Mimir didnât provide an answer, but Kim Jin-Woo didnât need to hear it from the imp himself. In such a situation, where he was pressuring the imp enough to prevent him from lying, failure to deny it was the same as admission.
âMimir, the Eternal Treasure Keeper.â Kim Jin-Woo laughed coldly as he called on the bowing imp.
Mimir, unable to bear his gaze for a moment, replied with a look of resignation, âPlease speak.â
Kim Jin-Woo simply said, âI wish to see my Eternal Treasury.â
***
In the end, Kim Jin-Woo wasnât able to see the Treasury. He was still unworthy of it.
âPlease reclaim all the legacies of the One-Eyed Lord. Thatâs the only way to unlock the Eternal Treasury,â Mimir explained.
âLegacy?â Kim Jin-Woo asked.
âYouâve inherited the Mystical Spear and the True Name, but you have yet to inherit the Lordâs Castle, so Milord is still unqualified to open the doors to the Treasury.â Mimir had been sparing with his words until then, but he seemed to have been caught up in Kim Jin-Wooâs momentum and ended up revealing everything.
âThe One-Eyed Lordâs Castle, huhâŚâ Kim Jin-Woo mused.
The power and glory of the Ancient Lords had been scattered across the divided Underworld, but their castles remained in the deepest realms of the Underworld, which meant that in order to open the Eternal Treasury, he had to go into the Deep Floors.
âGuess itâll have to wait,â he concluded.
He was dying to find out what treasures were in the Treasury. But for now, there was no way of doing so. In order to receive the last part of the inheritance, there were many obstacles he had to overcome.
There were the Counts who were aiming for the Ancient Powers, and the Dukes after that. Only after defeating them all could Kim Jin-Woo finally reach the deepest parts of the Underworld. But right now, even dealing with the unknown Dukeâs invasion on the 9th Floor was enough trouble on his hands.
âEven so, I would never have imagined that the entire Black Merchant stronghold would be the Eternal Treasury itself,â Dominique suddenly said, jolting Kim Jin-Woo out of his own thoughts. She asked, âHow many treasures do you think the One-Eyed Lord possessed?â
Kim Jin-Woo had been told that the space used by the Black Merchants as the auction house had been full of treasures in the past, so he couldnât even fathom how great the One-Eyed Lordâs glory must have been back then.
However, he was more interested in the Treasury itself than the treasures that would have filled it. He said, âNo, whatâs even more amazing is that the space itself doesnât even exist in reality.â
It was no wonder that the Usurper and the greedy Nobles had left the delicious prey known as the Black Merchants alone, as their stronghold was somewhere one could not simply walk into. The Eternal Treasury, the home of the Black Merchants, was like a pocket world that couldnât be accessed without traveling through a spatial portal.
âI donât know what Mimir is thinking, and that worries me,â Dominique said. She was concerned that Mimir, who had still yet to fully be honest with them, still held too much power. As they didnât even know how much Hero-Grade escort mercenaries he had in addition to their near-impenetrable stronghold, she repeatedly advised Kim Jin-Woo to be wary of him.
âLeave it for now. After all, when the time comes, everything will return to its origin,â Kim Jin-Woo said.
He hadnât yet taken on the full legacy of the One-Eyed Lord. For the time being, there was no reason to stop Mimir from gathering intel across the Underworld under the guise of the Black Merchants. Just like the Usurper, Kim Jin-Woo hoped for Mimir to work a little harder. And if Mimir did indeed have other plans in mind, he had a solution for that as well.
Like a leaf hanging from the tip of a humble branch, the unusual looking weapon he wielded might have looked shabby at first glance, but it was a formidable weapon that was currently in his possession. The howling Mystical Spear, Gungnir, was the key to open the One-Eyed Lordâs Castle, which meant it was the only key that could open the Eternal Treasury.
âIâll be away for a while, so take care of matters here,â Kim Jin-Woo said.
âPlease take care,â Dominique replied, clasping her hands together and bowing her head.
Kim Jin-Woo struck the ground with Gungnir and said, âPortal.â
***
The portal led Kim Jin-Woo to the Black Merchantsâ stronghold. Even though he was certain that there had just been a fierce battle there, he saw that the facilities were undamaged. As such, he went in search of Mimir.
âIs there something else you would like to say?â Mimir asked. Although he was no longer being actively pressured by Kim Jin-Woo, he was still very much wary of his presence, trembling as he looked nervously at the Highlord.
âCome to think of it, even if I canât open the doors to it right now, I want to at least take a look,â Kim Jin-Woo said.
Mimir sighed and turned around, saying resignedly, âIâll guide you.â
Kim Jin-Woo revealed a smile of satisfaction as he followed behind Mimir. He passed through the same hallway he had entered several times while participating in the auction; after walking a while longer, he saw a huge door. He gasped at the size of the door, which was several times larger than the stone gate he had seen during his meeting with the Dragon Emperor, Agryptus. He asked, âIs this it?â
Instead of answering, Mimir pressed himself against the wall and started to feel around. After some time, the door opened with an unpleasant roar, revealing a wide open space as large as the door itself.
âThis is to store all the junk. The true Eternal Treasury is further inside.â Despite Mimir saying that they were random junk, the items stored on the shelves that lined all the walls were by no means insignificant at all. They were a dizzying array of precious swords, armors and shields that shone with auspicious lightâitems Kim Jin-Woo hadnât seen even at the auction.
If they had been put up for auction, he was certain that these precious treasures would be snatched up by the participants. However, Mimir didnât give any explanation for those treasures, only stating that he truly wasnât interested in them. Instead, he urged Kim Jin-Woo, âOver here.â
Kim Jin-Woo, who had been subconsciously looking at the treasures on the shelves, reluctantly pulled himself away. After they continued walking for a while, they stopped in front of a shabby-looking door that didnât seem to match the overall flashiness of the Treasury.
âBeyond this gate is the door to the Eternal Treasury,â Mimir explained.
âSo I finally get to see it,â Kim Jin-Woo said. He walked past Mimir, but just as he was about to grab the doorknob, Mimir grabbed him by the waist with a plump hand.
âBefore that, thereâs one thing you have to keep in mind,â Mimir said ominously. Kim Jin-Woo turned to face him as he continued, âThe inside is a completely different space from anywhere else. Even though theyâre all the Eternal Treasury, the one inside here is the true one.â
âAnd that means?â Kim Jin-Woo asked.
âNo matter what happens beyond these doors, please keep your composure and remain on guard. If thereâs even a slight opening, the Eternal Treasury will attempt to devour Milord whole,â Mimir cautioned.
âDevour me?â
âThose who were blinded by greed and touched the treasures when they were undeserving ended up being prisoners, wandering through the Prison of Eternity. Please keep my words in mind.â
Kim Jin-Woo had had no intention of entering the Treasury only to look from the entrance, but the warning seemed far too excessive. However, Mimir looked much too serious for Kim Jin-Woo to ignore him, and he eventually accepted the advice, saying, âIâll be mindful.â
âThen please be careful,â Mimir said.
Kim Jin-Woo readied himself once again and pulled on the shabby wooden door.
Creaaaak.
Darkness rushed out of the door with an unbearable noise. Kim Jin-Woo shivered as the darkness enveloped his body, and slowly made his way through the door, one step at a time.
Crash.
Whether it was Mimir who had closed the old door, or whether it had closed by itself, it slammed shut with a heavy thud. Complete darkness filled the space around him. In that world where light had disappeared from existence, the Eternal Treasury revealed itself.
âAhâŚâ Kim Jin-Woo exclaimed softly.
A soft purple light flashed in the distance. A red light penetrated through it, and the two repeatedly entangled and unraveled like an intricate weave of threads.
It was as if a microcosm of the universe were repeatedly expanding and compressing in front of his eyes. The door leading to the Eternal Treasury was so mysterious that it was like entering another reality.
Soon, Kim Jin-Woo found himself standing in front of the swirling lights. He exclaimed, âSo this is the Eternal Treasury!â
Was this how a traveler who had finally found an oasis in the middle of the desert would feel?
He already knew he couldnât step inside the real Treasury because of Mimirâs warning, but as he stood right in front of it, he couldnât help but feel disappointed at his inability to do so. His whole body trembled at the deep sense of loss.
The dazzling flashes of light flickered in front of Kim Jin-Woo as if to seduce him. He stared blankly at it for a moment before subconsciously finding himself stepping forward while stretching his hand out, as if to grasp the swirling rays of light.
Just as it almost seemed within his grasp, he was suddenly jolted awake.
âThose who were blinded by greed and touched the treasures when they were undeserving ended up being prisoners, wandering through the Prison of Eternity. Please keep my words in mind.â
Mimirâs warning belatedly came to his mind. He quickly stepped backward and out of the passageway.
âKuaaaaaaa!â
Only then did he hear a blood-curdling scream echoing through space. Apparently, he had been enchanted by the light emitted by the passageway and lost his mind for a moment. The terrible temptation that could invade even the strong spirit of a Highlord gave him goosebumps. He muttered, âHow are they all one and the sameâŚâ
The Eternal Treasury was screaming in anguish, perhaps because it had been unable to eat its master.
[The Power of Greed has succeeded in resisting the Temptations of Eternity.]
[You almost ended up being sucked into the Eternal Treasury and damned to wander through the eons. However, the Power of Greed is an insidious power that steals and covets everything. Unless you crave and long for an item yourself, there is no room for anything else to overwhelm that terrible obsession.]
Once he came to his senses, he found that the landscape around him had completely changed. The darkness no longer seemed still, and the light from the passageway no longer seemed mysterious. It was just dark and gloomy.
Thud.
While Kim Jin-Woo stared into the distance, the passageway grunted as if it were nauseated before throwing something up.