Chapter 86: Hidden Treasures

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Hidden Treasures

Killian waited several seconds for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting before moving farther into the room.

It was immediately obvious that this wasn’t ordinary commercial storage.

Several paintings rested vertically inside specialized racks along one wall, each carefully separated and protected. Antique objects occupied shelves throughout the room, while decorative vessels, carved wooden boxes, small sculptures, and other historical pieces sat protected behind glass.

Killian slowly surveyed the collection.

Private storage, perhaps.

It made sense.

A business dealing in millions of dollars worth of precious metals and gemstones already possessed extensive security, reinforced entrances, surveillance systems, and a commercial vault. Wealthy clients could easily have used the building to store other valuable possessions.

The warmth surrounding Killian’s ring intensified.

’Spiritual artifact detected.’

His attention shifted toward one of the paintings.

It wasn’t particularly large.

Mountains disappeared beneath layers of painted mist while a narrow river wound through the valley below. The colors had faded slightly with age, but nothing about the painting immediately struck Killian as extraordinary.

He studied it carefully.

’That painting?’

’Confirmed.’

Killian approached it.

’What does it do?’

’Unknown.’

His expression flattened.

Of course.

’Then why do I need it?’

’Collection is recommended.’

Killian stared at the painting.

Ziki could be remarkably unhelpful when it wanted to be.

’That wasn’t an answer.’

’Collection is recommended.’

Killian almost sighed.

There was clearly no point arguing.

He glanced toward the doorway.

Nobody was there.

Erik and Ben were checking the room next door, while Penelope and Kai had continued several meters farther down the corridor.

Killian approached the painting and placed his fingers against its frame.

With a thought, he sent it into the storage space connected to his ring.

The painting disappeared instantly.

Killian stared at the empty space where it had been.

For some reason, Penelope immediately came to mind.

He had watched her do essentially the same thing throughout the jewelry store.

A touch, and something disappeared into her space.

The similarity had never occurred to him before.

Then again, why would it have?

Penelope had only awakened her ability yesterday morning.

Until then, Killian hadn’t even known abilities like hers could exist.

His gaze lowered toward the ring on his finger.

His own space wasn’t an awakened ability. It belonged to the ring, something connected to Ziki and the circumstances surrounding his rebirth.

Still, the basic function was remarkably similar.

He could store something and retrieve it whenever he wished.

So could Penelope.

Killian thought back to yesterday morning.

Everyone had been preparing to evacuate their homes after awakening their abilities. Penelope had begun using her newly awakened space almost immediately, placing whatever they decided to bring with them inside.

Among those things had been food.

Perishable food.

He had noticed at the time that Penelope appeared completely unconcerned about storing fresh and frozen items, but he hadn’t questioned it.

Why would he have?

They had all awakened impossible abilities only hours earlier.

Erik could control ice and lightning.

Kai could summon fire.

Ben could manipulate earth.

Killian himself could manipulate atoms.

A space that preserved food hardly seemed like the strangest thing happening in his life.

Now, however, he found himself curious.

’Ziki.’

’Yes, Host?’

Killian glanced toward the empty space where the painting had been.

’Does time pass inside the ring’s storage space?’

There was a brief pause.

’The storage space exists independently from the external world’s natural passage of time.’

Killian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

’Meaning?’

’Items placed within the storage space remain in the state in which they entered until removed.’

Killian became quiet.

So food wouldn’t spoil.

Anything placed inside would remain exactly as it was.

Just like Penelope’s space appeared to do.

Interesting.

’Additional spiritual artifact detected.’

Killian’s thoughts immediately returned to the room.

Apparently, Ziki had no interest in allowing him to contemplate the matter any further.

His attention shifted toward an antique goblet resting inside one of the glass cases.

Killian approached it.

The case was unlocked.

He lifted the goblet carefully and examined it.

The metal had darkened with age, while intricate engravings covered its surface. Nothing about the object gave any indication that it possessed whatever Ziki referred to as spiritual energy.

To Killian, it simply looked old.

’Spiritual artifact confirmed.’

’What does this one do?’

’Unknown.’

Killian stared at the goblet.

’Do you know what any of these things do?’

’Insufficient information.’

Somehow, that was even worse.

Killian sent the goblet into his ring.

The warmth surrounding his finger remained.

He slowly looked around.

There were more.

He could feel faint reactions coming from several directions.

Another painting appeared to be one.

Possibly a decorative object resting near the back.

There might have been something inside one of the closed display cases as well.

Killian considered collecting them.

Ziki immediately encouraged the thought.

’Additional spiritual artifacts remain. Collection is recommended.’

’No.’

Silence.

Killian almost imagined Ziki was offended.

He had no idea what the artifacts did.

Standing around secretly collecting every old object in the room while dozens, possibly hundreds, of zombies gathered outside would be foolish.

They had come here for a specific reason.

Get the gold.

Collect whatever else could be useful.

Leave.

They could always return if necessary.

More importantly, this discovery had given Killian a far better idea.

If a private storage room beneath a jewelry store contained multiple objects carrying spiritual energy, then what about a museum?

His gaze moved across the remaining collection.

Historical paintings.

Ancient weapons.

Ceremonial objects.

Religious artifacts.

Jewelry recovered from archaeological sites.

Objects created by civilizations that had disappeared hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

Museums contained entire collections of things whose original purposes were sometimes still debated.

If spiritual energy had existed before humanity understood what it was, museums could unknowingly be filled with artifacts like these.

Dozens.

Perhaps hundreds.

Killian filed the thought away.

He would visit one eventually.

Not tonight.

Tonight had already become dangerous enough.

"Killian?"

Penelope’s voice came from the corridor.

He turned.

She appeared in the doorway and glanced around the room.

"Did you find anything?"

"Paintings and antiques."

Penelope looked past him.

Her gaze traveled across the carefully stored artwork, the antique vessels, and the decorative objects.

Whatever curiosity she initially felt disappeared almost immediately.

"No gold?"

Killian stared at her for a moment.

"No."

Penelope nodded.

Apparently, that was all she needed to know.

"Then Erik found something better."

She turned toward the corridor.

"He thinks he found a way into the vault."

Penelope disappeared almost immediately.

Killian remained where he was.

He looked toward the doorway where she had vanished.

Then toward the empty space where the painting had been.

His gaze finally lowered to his ring.

Interesting.

That was all he allowed himself to think about it.

They had possessed their awakened abilities for barely more than a day. Killian didn’t understand the full capabilities of his own atom manipulation yet, much less the rules governing someone else’s ability.

There could be countless types of spatial abilities.

Perhaps preserving objects was completely normal.

Perhaps every storage space worked that way.

He had no frame of reference to determine otherwise.

For now, the similarity between Penelope’s ability and his ring was simply something worth remembering.

Nothing more.

Killian stepped back into the corridor.

Erik was standing several meters away with an access card in one hand while examining another security panel. Ben stood beside him, and Kai was already leaning over Erik’s shoulder as though staring at the device would somehow make the vault open faster.

Penelope stood directly in front of the massive steel door.

Waiting.

Impatiently.

Killian approached the group.

Kai glanced at Penelope.

"You know staring at it won’t make it open."

"You don’t know that."

"I feel reasonably confident."

"Try being more optimistic."

"About your ability to intimidate a vault?"

"Exactly."

Ben laughed.

Erik ignored all of them as he swiped the access card.

A small light flashed red.

Penelope’s expression fell.

Kai immediately pointed at the door.

"It appears the vault is immune to intimidation."

Penelope glared at him.

"You’re becoming annoying."

"Becoming?"

Ben coughed suspiciously into his hand.

Kai slowly turned toward him.

"Whose side are you on?"

Ben immediately straightened.

"Survival’s."

"Smart answer," Killian said.

Ben smiled.

Erik tried the card again.

The light flashed red.

He frowned.

"The card gives us basement access, but not the vault."

Penelope crossed her arms.

"So we came all the way down here for a locked door?"

Oddy’s horrified voice immediately erupted inside her mind.

’NO.’

Penelope almost winced.

’I’m aware.’

’THE TREASURE.’

’I know.’

’Host must open the door.’

Penelope stared at the enormous steel vault.

’How?’

Oddy became silent.

Penelope waited.

Nothing.

’Any brilliant ideas?’

More silence.

Penelope narrowed her eyes.

’That’s what I thought.’

Erik crouched beside the security panel and examined it more carefully.

"There may be another way."

Kai looked at the vault.

"Please tell me that other way doesn’t involve us carrying explosives."

"We don’t have explosives."

"That wasn’t the reassuring part of my sentence."

Killian’s gaze moved over the vault door.

They had survived the streets.

Fought their way through dozens of infected.

Risked their lives for the keys to the building.

And somewhere behind several inches of reinforced steel sat enough gold to potentially fund their survival for years.

Penelope placed both hands on her hips.

"We’re opening that vault."

Killian looked at her.

The determination on her face was almost impressive.

Almost.

Kai sighed.

"There she goes again."

Penelope looked at him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Kai shook his head.

"Getting really good at knowing when to mind my business."