Chapter 446 - 358: Rotten Wood, Bronze, Gold (2)

Chapter 446: Chapter 358: Rotten Wood, Bronze, Gold (2)

’It’s rare to see Hill looking so disheveled,’ Zelir thought.

Hill’s gaze swept around the room. Spotting her squad members, she walked straight over.

She pulled up a chair and sat down beside Zelir.

"We were just discussing when to go back to the ruins, and here you are..."

"Let’s not talk about that right now."

Hill immediately swept the remaining honey-glazed ribs on the table in front of herself.

She even speared the remaining half of the steak from Zelir’s plate and began to wolf it all down.

’She looks starving...’

Marcus waved a waiter over and ordered another platter of grilled meats and a salad.

"What... have you been up to?" Zelir asked, looking at her with a hint of suspicion.

"Gathering... intel..."

Hill mumbled, her mouth full of food.

"For the past two days, I’ve been running between the ruins’ main hall and the Adventurer’s Association. I’ve even been to the Assassin’s Guild several times..."

’So she was working on something important!’

The four squad members perked up, ready to hear what Hill had to say.

"So? What did you find out about the third floor of the ruins?"

"A lot. A whole lot..."

Hill stuffed more grilled meat into her mouth, speaking as she ate.

"Over the past few days, a large number of Adventurers have poured into the third floor of the ruins."

"Just like we saw before, it’s fraught with danger. There are traps everywhere."

Hill recounted the rumors she had heard.

"The most Basic ones are Beast Traps and floor spikes that shoot up from the ground."

"There are also hidden mechanisms that shoot poison-tipped darts from cracks in the walls, and some Magic traps that can spray acidic mist or jets of Flame."

"I heard that yesterday, a five-person squad accidentally triggered a falling rock trap. Except for one fast Assassin, the other four were crushed into meat patties."

"There are countless other tragic stories about the traps..."

"And then?" Zelir asked, his curiosity piqued.

Hill was eating too fast and seemed to choke a little.

Zelir considerately poured her a full glass of raspberry juice, handed it to her, and helped pat her back to clear her airway.

Hill took a few big gulps, GULP, GULP, before she could breathe properly again.

"Besides the traps, the overall structure of the third floor is pretty much what we expected."

"It’s like a huge, ancient labyrinth buried deep underground."

"The interior is entirely made up of all sorts of intricate corridors, hidden staircases, and secret rooms. You hardly encounter any Demons along the way."

"No Demons? Then isn’t the place completely useless?"

Gray thought for a moment, his brow furrowing.

"No Demons to get loot from and so many traps... Who in their right mind would go in there looking for trouble?"

"No..."

Hill slowly shook her head and said seriously.

"The third floor of the ruins has a very special mechanism... Treasure Chests!"

"Treasure Chests?"

Those two tempting words instantly piqued the group’s interest.

"Yes."

Hill said with certainty, "The third floor of the ruins has a lot of Treasure Chests."

Just then, the waiter brought the garden salad and grilled meat platter that Marcus had ordered.

Zelir took them without a second thought.

He placed the grilled meat platter in front of Hill and then began to mix the salad for her, prompting her to continue.

"In the corners of the third-floor ruins, many Treasure Chests lie hidden. As long as you can find them, you can get all sorts of items after opening them."

"What do the Treasure Chests look like?" Gray’s eyes were shining.

He was very interested in this.

"According to the intel I’ve gathered over the past few days, there are differences between the chests."

Hill gestured to indicate their size.

"They’re roughly divided into three types: Rotten Wood Treasure Chests, Bronze Treasure Chests, and Golden Treasure Chests."

"Golden Treasure Chests?"

Zelir was a little shocked. "Made of gold?"

’Wouldn’t the chest itself be more valuable than what’s inside?’

"No... its exterior is just a brilliant golden color, so it’s called a Golden Treasure Chest. The shell is still just an ordinary shell."

Hill said, "But the things inside Golden Treasure Chests are indeed the best."

"I asked a lot of people and did a little survey."

"The items found in Golden Treasure Chests include, but are not limited to..."

"Refined Weapons forged by masters, Enchanted Equipment processed with powerful techniques, high-purity Magic Crystals, various precious Demon Cores, rare Magic Plants... People have even found Magic Potions and Magic Scrolls."

"Whoa..." the other four members of the squad exclaimed in amazement.

"The Bronze Treasure Chests and Rotten Wood Treasure Chests are a bit less impressive..."

"The items you get are similar to the ones I mentioned, but the quality isn’t as good, so they naturally sell for a lower price."

"Also, the Bronze and Rotten Wood chests have a chance of being empty. Only Golden Treasure Chests are guaranteed to have something inside."

"You might find Rotten Wood and Bronze Treasure Chests along the corridors of the third floor, but the Golden Treasure Chests are all kept in individual, separate rooms."

"You can only open them after entering the room and defeating the guardian Demon inside."

"So Golden Treasure Chests also come with free guardian Demon materials?" Gray grew even more excited.

"The third floor of the ruins has only been open for five days, but several Adventurer Squads have already gotten good stuff from Golden Treasure Chests."

"Just yesterday, a squad opened a Golden Treasure Chest and found a Refined Tower Shield with a Flame Resistance Enchantment!"

"Another squad found a Level Four Scroll inside one, inscribed with some kind of Magic, and sold it for several hundred Gold Coins."

"This is even better than the second floor of the ruins."

After listening, Valles couldn’t help but add, "All sorts of Treasure Chests to open."

"I can’t wait!" Gray declared loudly.

"The third floor of the ruins is even more mysterious than we imagined..." Zelir mused.

"Don’t get carried away. Such rich rewards naturally mean it comes with significant danger."

Hill added.

"If an ordinary Adventurer Squad dares to wander around in there, they won’t even need other people to take them out. The inescapable traps alone would ensure it’s a one-way trip."

"The death rate on the third floor is also the highest."

"Right now, weaker teams just mess around on the first floor, killing some Demons or looking for Magic Plants.

"Slightly stronger ones go to the second floor to farm for gear. The Plate Armor from the Decaying Knight is still very tempting."

"The ones who are strong *and* have an Assassin to lead the way go to the third floor to open Treasure Chests."

"And as it happens, our team has the strongest Assassin of all!" Zelir chimed in, playing along.

"Hmph..."

Hill tilted her chin slightly, but she couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from curling up.

"Don’t worry. For this expedition, I’ve prepared plenty of trap-detection devices. Just follow my lead."

After understanding the intelligence Hill had brought back, everyone’s desire for adventure was thoroughly stoked.

Even the outer areas of the third floor had so many Treasure Chests.

So, how many rewards would be waiting for them at the final treasure location marked on the map?

Marcus looked around at the group and announced loudly.

"Alright. We’ll rest well tonight, and tomorrow we head out—back to the ruins!"

「...」

「The next morning.」

Sunlight streamed through the windowpane, spilling onto the desktop.

After a night of high-quality sleep, Zelir opened his eyes.

A notification popped up on his data panel.

Spirit: 298 → 300

Intelligence: 255 → 257

’Heart Sleep is working wonders again...’

Get up, Shallow Meditation, wash up, open the window for some fresh air!

He went through the routine smoothly, bringing his mind and body to their optimal state.

’Time to go open some chests on the third floor of the ruins today!’

He put on his Magic Robe, with his Longsword on his left hip and Night Peace on his right.

After confirming that his Storage Pouch was fully stocked with supplies, Zelir went downstairs.

The other members of the squad were already waiting in the main hall.

Marcus had even woken up extra early to go to Pet Beast Street and lead back the five Land Birds they had grown familiar with.

"What the hell is that?" Valles frowned, watching Gray wrap a Red Ribbon around his wrist.

"My Lucky color! It’s to boost my luck."

Gray said, full of vigor.

"The third floor has Treasure Chests, right? When we find one, let me open it. I’ll definitely get something good!"

’You might as well be wearing red underwear,’ Zelir thought.

’Then again, Gray probably would...’

Even at the last ball at Bev’s house, Gray had chosen a wine-red formal suit.