Lord of the Truth

Clang! Clang!

The engraved anchor spikes embedded in the ground suddenly flared to life, radiating an intense golden glow. Like veins of power awakening from a long slumber, a complex network of glowing runes began to pulse and shift, weaving a mesmerizing dance of symbols and patterns across the floor.

Then, all at once, the runes converged, forming the unmistakable shape of a colossal sword forged entirely of pure, blinding light.

A blade of unparalleled brilliance.

The air crackled with electricity as the giant luminous sword hovered in place for a mere instant—before violently descending upon the treasury's gate!

BAAAAAAAAAAAM!

—

A deep, guttural hum reverberated through the entire underground chamber.

Ooooooooommmmm—

The treasury's massive gate did not shatter outright. Instead, it shimmered with a faint violet radiance, revealing an intricate network of defensive seals and barriers hidden beneath its surface.

The ancient wards groaned, twisting and shifting in response to the attack. Their power—centuries in the making—reacted instinctively, trying to mitigate the devastating impact.

However…

This was not just an ordinary strike.

This was a technique designed with meticulous precision—a formation constructed after months of intensive study into the vault's defenses.

And against such a perfectly tailored assault, the treasury's resistance was short-lived.

Crack! Crack!

Splintering fractures crawled across the glowing runes.

Old Donal's breath hitched in his throat as he watched the seals break apart, one by one, revealing the vulnerable core mechanisms of the gate beneath them.

This was the moment.

With eyes flashing, the elderly array master pointed toward the gate and shouted at the top of his lungs,

"NOW! The defensive seals are at their weakest— PUSH WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!!"

"Hmph! Let's see if your luck holds up today!" Before anyone else could react, Peon moved first.

With a booming burst of speed, he shot forward like a stormwind, his figure blurring into a streak of motion as he slammed his full power against the vault's gate.

BAAAAAAM!

A shockwave rippled outward.

"Assist His Highness!!"

A chorus of battle cries erupted from the surrounding warriors.

In a flash, multiple Martial Emperors launched themselves toward the gate, their combined strength colliding against the immense structure.

Each of them pushed with every ounce of force, determination, and raw energy they could muster as if their very lives depended on this moment.

Krrrrrrr—

And then, in that instant—

Peon felt it. A shift. A subtle but undeniable movement beneath his palms.

His breath hitched. Just for a moment. And then—

A faint, golden-violet radiance seeped from the cracks.

"Haha! We did it, It's opening!!"

Old Donal collapsed onto the ground, gasping in utter disbelief.

His hands trembled as they clutched at his forehead.

"HEAAAAAVE!!"

Fueled by this newfound hope, Peon refused to waste a single second.

With a roar, he tapped into the depths of his mastery over the Law of Wind, summoning an overwhelming torrent of gale-force energy that surged through his body.

KRAAAAAAAAAK!!

—

BOOOOOOM!

At long last, the treasury's immovable gate was breached.

But before Peon could even steady himself, he felt his balance slip.

With nothing left to anchor him, he stumbled forward— tumbling headfirst into the darkness beyond.

"Ouch! Ouch!!"

Momentum carried him downward.

He rolled uncontrollably, flipping and twisting as he plunged deeper into the unknown space.

It was only after several chaotic somersaults that he finally regained control, utilizing his wind manipulation to stabilize himself midair, *woosh*

Yet—

As soon as he caught himself, his mind was flooded with a single, pressing thought: "Why… does it feel like I just fell off a cliff?!"

This… didn't make sense.

Before opening the vault, they had excavated the entire perimeter, ensuring that the treasury was a sealed structure—a rectangular chamber, no larger than a child's playing field.

So why did the space beyond the gate feel so… vast?

But before he could even ponder the answer, his initial shock was replaced by something far greater.

Because the moment his eyes adjusted to the view before him,

His heart stopped, "Heavens…"

What he saw defied all logic.

The treasury's interior… It was not a mere chamber. It was like a small world!

From where he stood, it felt as if he had just stepped onto the edge of a massive city wall, looking out into a vast, unfathomable expanse.

The sheer scale of it all was mind-boggling.

It should have been impossible.

And yet—

Despite being deep underground, there was no lack of light, he could see everything clearly because the treasures contained within were radiant enough to illuminate the entire space as if it were broad daylight.

If he had to describe what lay before him in mere words…

It could only be:

Mountains of gleaming metals.

Rivers of pure energy essence.

Stars, scattered like gems across this small city.

But it wasn't just raw materials.

There were piles upon piles of strange, ancient devices—artifacts whose purpose was unclear, yet whose craftsmanship was unmistakable.

And at the very heart of the treasury, one object stood out above all else.

A towering three-shackled construct, forged from an unknown alloy, its massive chains lined with brutal, razor-sharp barbs.

"This…?!" Peon's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

Everywhere he turned, he saw something new.

Something foreign.

Something that looks immensely valuable.

The vastness of this place…

The unimaginable depth of wealth stored here…

It was beyond anything he had ever conceived.

Without a doubt—

This treasury…

Was far, far larger in size than even the Imperial Palace and Grand Military Arena combined.

"Ooooh! Ooooh!!"

Old Donal rushed forward, his eyes widening to their very limits as he stepped into the treasury. The other Rune Masters and Divine Blacksmiths followed behind him, their mouths hanging open in pure disbelief. For a moment, none of them could even find the words to speak.

"Spatial Path Runes… Those are definitely Spatial Path inscriptions!!"

Old Donal muttered in awe, his trembling hand pointing toward the towering ceiling above them.

"What?!"

Hearing that, Peon instinctively looked up.

Though he was never particularly interested in such things, he immediately recognized the runes—similar to those he had seen before on spatial rings and space portals.

"The treasury was reinforced with Spatial runes to expand its internal space?"

His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

"Incredible. That explains what we're seeing right now."

But the moment those words left his mouth, Peon felt like he was about to swallow his own tongue.

No… That might explain the exaggerated size of the treasury.

But it did not explain everything inside it.

The sheer scale of wealth before him was staggering—beyond anything he had ever imagined.

Among all the riches that surrounded him, the only things that didn't catch Peon's attention were the Energy Pearls.

After a quick glance, he estimated that there were no more than a thousand or two stored here.

The rivers of liquid essence flowing through the vault were certainly eye-catching, but…

For those who had traveled to Greenland, where scattered lakes of pure energy essence were commonplace, these would barely be considered remarkable.

But everything else other than that…

This place undoubtedly lived up to its title as the treasury of an empire that ruled over nine planets for ten thousand years.

In terms of sheer raw resources and rare metals, this one treasury alone rivaled the combined wealth of the True Beginning Empire's vaults!

Piles of celestial metals, stacks of soul-infused minerals, and entire mountains of energy stones stretched as far as the eye could see.

Countless ancient artifacts and mechanical constructs were neatly arranged on elevated platforms—some radiating ethereal energy, while others hummed with dormant, boundless power.

...Not being able to participate in the final battle had been a sore point for Peon. It had left both him and his brother, Theo, desperate for details—asking for every little piece of information about what had happened, every word spoken, every event that unfolded.

According to what Pythor said, the Overlord would take 95% of everything he plundered.

Then… what Peon was looking at right now…

Was it just the remaining 5% from looting nine planets?!

No. Not even 5%.

Pythor had to use a portion of these resources to build his fleets, fund his armies, and sustain his golden age of conquest.

So what was this, then? 1% of what the Great Serpent Empire had plundered over ten thousand years?!

HOW?!

As Peon's mind drifted deeper into thought, a joyful cry snapped him back to reality.

"Hahaha! We did it!" One of the Rune Masters burst out laughing, his face brimming with excitement.

"My ranking points will double from this! Ahhh~ I hope the rest of the treasuries have the same kind of defenses—then we can open them all just as easily, without further study!"

..!!

Peon's eyes widened in shock.

That's right… There were five different treasuries on this planet.

This was only one of them. The realization sent a shiver down his spine.

If this treasury alone was already this enormous, then… Just how vast were the remaining four? And more importantly… Where did all of this come from?

"No… Something is wrong."

Peon's gaze turned distant as he let his eyes wander across the endless expanse of the treasury—an expanse so vast he couldn't even see the other end of it. "It's impossible… This can't just be the result of 1% of the resources from nine planets."

His throat went dry.

"This treasury alone could fund every single one of Caesar's ambitious plans for the next several centuries!"

"Your Highness, what are your orders?" A Martial Emperor floated beside him, bowing in earnest.

Peon remained silent for a long moment.

His gaze swept across the vault one last time, his mind struggling to piece everything together. Then, finally, he turned away.

"Inform the Lady of the Headquarters to come and begin the cataloging and redistribution process."

"Also—notify Her Highness, Zara that the treasury contains devices and artifacts we've never seen before. Have her send a team to examine them.

As for us… We're moving on to open the rest of the treasuries."