Chapter 76

Volume 4

Chapter 1. The Treasury of Olympus (1)

Inside the treasury, countless treasures and riches formed a mountain.

Things that shone beautifully, almost blinding to the eye.

Even a single gem was so transparent that the opposite side could be seen through it. The magic power contained within was no joke.

At least A++ rank gems.

If these were processed into artifacts or used to complete a spell, they would possess value that would last for ages.

Each one was a heavenly treasure that could not be exchanged for a thousand pieces of gold, and they constantly tempted human greed.

Just as Yenu was about to step towards them,

"Ah, by the way."

Yenu turned his gaze to Hermes, whose voice was laced with amusement.

"Do you have any desire to possess these?"

Hermes pointed to the items he held, laughing playfully.

The cap that reads the will of the heavens, the Pétase.

The winged sandals, the Talaria.

The staff entwined with two snakes, the Caduceus.

All of these symbolized the god Hermes.

"Though it might seem like I’m gilding my own face, these are quite good. If you choose one of these, I am willing to recognize you as an Apostle. What do you think?"

If this were to be known outside, everyone would be shocked.

On Earth, gods were more of a conceptual existence. But in the Tower, gods were ‘real entities’ that could exert some physical influence.

Naturally, the power of the gods was overwhelmingly strong, and there were countless religions and temples that worshiped them.

One of the eight major clans, the ‘Demon Army,’ was a typical religious group that worshiped such a god.

And the one standing at the pinnacle of such a religious group was an Apostle.

Apostle (Apostle).

They were the first disciples of the gods and the agents who carried out the will of the gods. They were also avatars (化身, Avatar) who received a portion of the god’s essence.

Naturally, the few Apostles that existed always showed unparalleled prowess within the Tower.

They were comparable to Lords (Lord) who wielded immense influence with numerous followers, or to Superhumans (超人) who transcended human limits through enlightenment and became a one-man army.

To be offered the position of an Apostle?

Especially Hermes, one of the twelve Olympian gods.

Naturally, he was one of the more renowned gods.

Becoming an Apostle of such a god would undoubtedly be a tremendous benefit, meaning one would gain outstanding power and authority.

Moreover, the look in Hermes’ eyes as he gazed at Yenu was warm.

Pure curiosity.

He was also a god who protected travelers and practitioners, and he wanted to watch Yenu’s progress from close by.

The Pétase, Talaria, and Caduceus, when used properly, could be as good as the Aegis.

If the position of Apostle and Epic Artifacts were added,

'It wouldn’t be insufficient to rival Zeus’s Astraepus.'

But Yenu shook his head calmly once again.

"I’m sorry."

Yenu’s thoughts remained unchanged.

'I must not be bound by anything.'

Hermes laughed, as if he had expected this.

"Yes. You have your own path to walk."

Yenu wanted to ask what he meant by that, but Hermes gestured for him to go inside.

In the end, Yenu stepped into the treasury.

Instantly, voices seemed to come from all around.

"Take me, please."

"How about me? Don’t I look tempting?"

"You need me, don’t you?"

"You’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you let me go."

These were the thoughts sent by the Ego (Ego) contained within the artifacts.

Though they had gained self-awareness, they were frustrated at having to rot in a place where time itself was unknown.

Their voices were as sweet and bitter as those of devils.

But Yenu walked inside with his Dragon Eye fully open.

[Emotion failed.]

[Emotion failed.]

...

[Emotion succeeded.]

[The skill proficiency of ‘Dragon Eye’ has increased.]

[‘Dragon Eye’ has been enhanced. It is now possible to perceive more of the hidden aspects and truths of the world.]

A flood of information came pouring in. The stories and secrets contained within each artifact were revealed.

Most of them were marked as ‘Emotion impossible,’ but seeing these things increased his proficiency at a considerable speed.

After a while, Yenu opened several doors.

The deeper he went, the better the artifacts in the rooms became.

Eventually, he reached the last room.

The room where the weapons of the twelve Olympian gods rested.

Creak!

He opened the door lightly and stepped in. Instantly, a majestic aura enveloped Yenu and then disappeared.

Along the walls hung armors and weapons, and below them were beautiful frescoes depicting the feats of the gods.

Just looking at them made one’s breath catch.

They were things that could turn all the treasures seen outside into third-rate, low-quality items in an instant.

Yenu attempted to appraise them.

Thanks to the significant increase in the proficiency of his Dragon Eye on the way here, he succeeded in reading the information after a few failures.

[Apollo’s Sun Bow]

Category: ???

Rank: ???

Description: The bow used by Apollo, the god of music and divination. It carries the flames of the sun and burns away all evil.

[Hephaestus’s Flame Hammer]

Category: ???

Rank: ???

Description: The hammer used by Hephaestus, the god of fire and blacksmiths. Flames rise with each strike, and artifacts made with it boast excellent performance.

[Poseidon’s Trident]

Category: ???

Rank: ???

Description: The trident used by Poseidon, the god of the sea. It contains the power to cause tsunamis.

Perhaps because they were artifacts named after gods,

The category and rank were all marked with question marks, and only a little of the description could be seen.

Still, he could instinctively tell.

Each one was an absolute weapon. They all possessed powers that made one’s eyes widen.

Especially, as a beginner in alchemy, Yenu was slightly interested in the Flame Hammer.

But his interest was immediately erased when he saw the next item.

[Athena’s Aegis]

Category: ???

Rank: ???

Description: An absolute defensive shield made of nine petals. It protects the user from most attacks, and the Gorgon’s head embedded in the center paralyzes and petrifies the opponent.

‘I found it.’

Yenu gently stroked the Aegis with his hand.

Hum, hum-

The Aegis trembled as if it were happy to see him.

Despite its name as a shield, it looked like a very thin plate.

But upon closer inspection, it was made up of nine layers, and a unique pattern was drawn in the center.

This was probably the Gorgon’s head that petrified anyone who met its gaze.

[You have chosen the Aegis. Do you want to obtain this as a reward?]

A small message appeared.

Yenu was about to accept as planned, but he glanced around for a moment.

'But where are Zeus’s weapons?'

Despite being the room of the principal gods, Zeus’s weapons were the only ones missing.

'While there are some rankers who possess the weapons of the twelve Olympian gods, none of them have Zeus’s weapon.'

In fact, Yenu secretly preferred Astraepus to the Aegis.

As someone who mainly used quick mobility and agility to employ hit-and-run tactics, a nine-layered shield that would be cumbersome to carry was less appealing than Astraepus, which could summon lightning to instantly kill the enemy.

Of course, if Astraepus was too large to carry, he would have to reconsider, but he wanted to check it out at least once.

Right at that moment.

Hum, hum-

Yenu felt his inner pocket trembling and took out the pocket watch.

Tick, tick, the hour hand rotated quickly and then stopped at a point.

11 o'clock.

The deepest part of the armory.

Yenu’s eyes widened slightly, and then he approached the wall as indicated by the hour hand.

There was a fresco there.

A god, who looked like Zeus, was enveloped in golden lightning and was about to throw a spear at a dark figure hidden in the black clouds high above.

It was so dynamic that the people in the fresco seemed about to leap out.

But Yenu didn’t notice any of this. He had noticed a fine crack in the fresco.

It was a door.

'Here.'

Yenu pushed the fresco with all his might.

Grinding, the stone door opened to the side, just like when the treasury’s iron door opened.

The inside was about ten square meters, but it was filled with frescoes depicting the great myths of Zeus, from the floor to the walls and ceiling.

It was also filled with weapons that were even more majestic than those of the other principal gods.

Yenu knew where he was.

'Zeus’s room!'

Yenu crossed the room as if in a trance and began to ascend the altar in the center.

On either side, bronze lamps burned with a yellow flame, and in the middle, a statue of Zeus sat with his eyes closed.

And on his lap.

A spear, about three meters long, lay there, looking as if it were made of poured gold.

Lightning crackled along its surface, creating a grand spectacle.

There was no need to appraise it to know what it was.

'Astraepus.'

The lightning that Zeus had used in mythology to subdue his father Cronus and the Titan gods was right here.

'This is it. I don’t need anything else.'

His instinctive sense told him.

It had to be this.

Aegis? Talaria? Flame Hammer?

None of them mattered.

Even if all the weapons of the twelve Olympian gods were placed outside, or if all the treasures of Olympus were given to him, they would not compare to this.

Astraepus was that great.

And he could understand why such a great artifact had never appeared in the Tower for thousands of years.

It had been hidden away so securely, how could anyone find it?

Yenu wouldn’t have found it without the help of the pocket watch.

'But how did the watch find Zeus’s room?'

Yenu was lost in thought as he looked at the pocket watch.

Initially, his younger brother had included various functions, including a diary, and while understanding these, Yenu had learned alchemy to fix the watch.

But Yenu still couldn’t figure out what secret the pocket watch held.

But he soon gathered his thoughts.

The secret of the pocket watch would be revealed as the proficiency of the Dragon Eye increased.

And it was more important to possess the luck that the pocket watch had brought him.

'I will possess it.'

Yenu extended his right hand towards Astraepus.

At that moment.

Zing-

As his fingertips touched Astraepus, the black bracelet on his right wrist suddenly began to tremble.

Crack-

Astraepus shattered into pieces.

Just like the key of Zeus that disappeared when the treasury door opened.

The fine particles scattered into the air.

"…!"

A completely unexpected situation.

Yenu’s face hardened.

'Astraepus shattered?'

Zeus’s weapon?

'What happens now?'

As various thoughts crossed his mind,

Swish, swish, swish!

The yellow particles of Astraepus, which had scattered, swirled and gathered towards the black bracelet.

Whoosh-

The black bracelet shone more brilliantly than ever, as if it could encompass the entire world in darkness.

And.

Swish, swish!

Clank, clank!

The scattered particles of Astraepus gathered and connected to the black bracelet, extending like a coiled snake up his arm.

It formed a black iron chain, wrapping around his entire right arm from his wrist to his shoulder.

Zing-

And it resonated once more, emitting a clear bell sound.

The new form of Astraepus, now a black iron chain, was firmly connected to the black bracelet as if they had always been one.

At that moment,

Yenu remembered what Hermes had said.

'You have your own path to walk.'