Chapter 99: The aroni

Chapter 99: Chapter 99: The aroni

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The cavern remained silent after their answer.

Tolu and Kenny stood within the glowing circle, neither certain whether they had actually passed.

Then the voice spoke.

"You have answered."

The light beneath their feet slowly faded.

"Your answers were not identical."

Tolu glanced at Kenny.

"But they did not need to be."

The symbol on the ground disappeared completely.

"You understood what you were being asked."

A low rumble passed through the cavern.

"Therefore, you have passed the second test."

A small section of stone opened beside the underground stream.

Two objects emerged from within.

The first was a small, dark crystal.

It was roughly the size of a man’s thumb, black at first glance but filled with thin green veins that seemed to move whenever Tolu looked at them.

The second was a small jade bottle.

Kenny immediately recognized it.

"The rewards?"

The voice answered.

"Your rewards."

The crystal floated toward Tolu.

He reached out.

The moment his fingers touched it, an intense wave of earth energy passed through his body.

Tolu’s eyes widened.

He could feel the density of the earth energy inside the crystal.

"This is..."

"An Earth Core Fragment."

Tolu stared at it.

"It contains no technique."

The voice continued.

"Instead, it will strengthen your connection to earth. Your control will become more precise. Your consumption of energy when manipulating earth will decrease. Your perception of minerals and the structure of the earth will improve."

Tolu closed his fingers around the crystal.

It was not an immediate breakthrough.

It did not suddenly make him several stages stronger.

But he could feel that its effects would remain with him.

It would become part of his foundation.

Kenny looked at the jade bottle.

"And mine?"

The bottle floated toward him.

"Spirit Tempering Potion."

Kenny caught it carefully.

"This will strengthen your mental endurance. Your mind will recover faster from exhaustion, and your ability to maintain concentration under pressure will improve."

Kenny looked at the bottle.

"That explains the test."

The voice did not answer.

Tolu looked toward the darkness ahead.

"You said these are our first rewards."

"Yes."

The cavern trembled again.

A section of the wall opened.

Beyond it was darkness.

Not ordinary darkness.

The space beyond was enormous.

Tolu could sense something ancient on the other side.

"Before you proceed to the final test, you should know where you stand."

The voice became quieter.

"This space was created by a being of the Aróni."

Kenny frowned.

"Aróni?"

"Yes."

The voice continued.

"The Aróni is a small forest spirit. One arm. One leg. A strange appearance to those unfamiliar with their kind."

A faint image appeared in the air.

A tiny humanoid creature stood among enormous trees.

It had only one arm and one leg, yet its posture carried a strange dignity.

"The Aróni possesses knowledge of herbs and medicine beyond most human scholars."

The image changed.

Plants appeared around it.

Some glowed.

Some were poisonous.

Others pulsed with energy.

"It understands the medicinal properties of plants. Their magical properties. Their interactions. Their uses."

Kenny stared at the image.

"So the Aróni built this place?"

"One of them did."

The image slowly faded.

"The Aróni who created this space was approaching the end of its life."

Tolu’s expression changed.

"Then why build a trial?"

"Because knowledge and treasures mean little when there is no one left to inherit them."

The voice echoed through the cavern.

"The Aróni could not take everything with it."

"So it created this place."

"Those of the younger generations who discovered it would be tested."

"Those who passed would be rewarded."

Tolu looked toward the enormous treasury beyond the opening.

"So everything inside..."

"Was left for those who came after."

The voice paused.

"Now you will face the final test."

The darkness beyond the opening suddenly lit up.

Tolu and Kenny stepped forward.

They entered a massive treasury.

Rows of treasures stretched farther than either of them could see.

Plants preserved inside crystal containers.

Strange minerals.

Bones and teeth from unknown creatures.

Seeds.

Roots.

Crystals.

Metal ingots.

Weapons.

Medicine.

Artifacts.

Tolu’s breathing slowed.

For the first time since entering the space, he truly understood how old it was.

Some of these things might not exist anywhere else anymore.

The voice spoke.

"The final test is not a challenge."

A circle of light appeared beneath Tolu.

Another appeared beneath Kenny.

"I will examine your affinity."

The circles brightened.

"Your bloodline."

A faint pressure passed through their bodies.

"Your age."

The pressure disappeared.

"Your potential."

Tolu felt something scan through him.

It wasn’t painful.

It was simply thorough.

The same happened to Kenny.

Then the voice spoke again.

"Based upon what I find, you will each select two gifts from the treasury."

Tolu looked around.

"Anything?"

"Anything you are capable of receiving."

Kenny’s eyes widened.

They began walking.

Treasures appeared before them one after another.

Some were clearly too powerful.

Others were unsuitable.

Some looked valuable but produced no reaction in either of them.

Then Tolu stopped.

His eyes locked onto something.

A small tree stood inside a transparent crystal enclosure.

It wasn’t large.

Its trunk was pale and smooth, with branches covered in soft green leaves.

Yet the moment Tolu saw it, his earth affinity reacted.

He could feel life within it.

Not ordinary life.

Something deeper.

"That."

The voice paused.

"You have chosen the Solace Tree."

Tolu stared at it.

"What does it do?"

"Among other things, its presence can calm the mind, ease spiritual exhaustion, and improve the environment in which it grows."

Tolu didn’t hesitate.

"I want it."

The treasury responded.

The crystal enclosure surrounding the tree dissolved.

The Solace Tree disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared inside a storage space prepared for it.

Tolu then continued searching.

Something else caught his attention.

Five small pieces of metal rested inside a black wooden box.

Each piece was shaped like a short cylindrical rod.

The metal was dark silver with faint blue lines running through it.

Tolu picked one up.

It was heavier than it looked.

"What is this?"

"Atelewo."

The voice continued.

"Each piece weighs thirty grams."

Tolu examined it carefully.

"It can be used as the core of a weapon."

"More precisely, it can be used as the core of a hammer."

Tolu’s eyes sharpened.

He immediately understood why he wanted it.

A future hammer.

One built around a material far superior to anything he could currently afford.

"I’ll take all five."

The five Atelewo vanished from the treasury.

Kenny continued searching.

He eventually stopped before a massive fang.

It was nearly the length of his forearm.

Its surface was pale grey, but thin blue lines ran through it like veins.

Kenny reached toward it.

The instant his fingers came close, a gentle current of air moved around his hand.

His eyes widened.

"The fang of a Stormfang Beast."

The voice explained.

"Though the creature from which it came has long since disappeared, the fang retains a powerful wind affinity."

Kenny looked at its shape.

"It could become a dagger."

"Yes."

Kenny smiled.

"Then I’ll take it."

The fang disappeared.

Kenny continued searching.

Eventually, he found a round object resting inside a shallow golden dish.

It was a pale blue pearl.

Unlike the other treasures, it seemed to have a tiny current of wind constantly circling inside it.

Kenny approached.

The air around him stirred.

"Stormheart Pearl."

The voice spoke.

"Condensed wind energy."

Kenny stared.

"What can it be used for?"

"It can strengthen a wind-aspected weapon."

A pause.

"It can also be used as a formation core, refined into certain artifacts, or sold to someone capable of making use of it."

Kenny’s eyes narrowed.

The last possibility caught his attention.

But he eventually smiled.

"I’ll take it."

The pearl disappeared.

The treasury became quiet again.

Two treasures each.

The Aróni’s voice returned.

"You have received your rewards."

The enormous treasury began fading.

"But remember."

Tolu looked up.

"These treasures are not your true reward."

Kenny frowned.

"Then what is?"

The voice gave no answer.

Instead, the cavern shook.

A massive doorway appeared before them.

Beyond it was a darkness deeper than anything they had encountered so far.

"The final test begins now."

The glowing symbol beneath their feet suddenly brightened.

For a moment, Tolu and Kenny could see nothing but white.

Then the light vanished.

Tolu blinked.

The ancient chamber was gone.

He found himself standing on soft grass.

He froze.

The familiar scent of damp earth filled his nose. A cool breeze brushed against his face, carrying the smell of trees and wild plants.

Kenny appeared beside him a moment later.

They both looked around.

The dark cavern was gone.

The strange stone chamber was gone.

They were standing beneath the open sky once again.

Tolu slowly turned.

Tall trees stretched across the landscape, their leaves moving gently in the wind. The grass was darker than it had been on the first floor, and the air carried noticeably more energy.

Kenny stared at the surroundings.

"...We’re back."

Tolu looked toward the stone archway behind them.

There was no sign of the ancient passage they had used before.

Only the familiar path leading deeper into the dungeon.

Kenny let out a long breath.

"The second floor."

Tolu nodded.

They had returned to exactly where they had been before falling into the cavern.

Tolu looked down at his hands.

The Earth Core Fragment was still there.

He turned toward Kenny.

"And your potion?"

Kenny touched the jade bottle secured inside his clothing.

"Still here."

Tolu glanced around again.

Everything looked normal.

Almost too normal.

If not for the rewards in their possession, it would have been easy to believe the entire experience had never happened.

The ancient creature.

The trials.

The treasury.

The Aróni.

All of it had disappeared without leaving even a trace.

Kenny rubbed the back of his neck.

"So... did we actually leave this place?"

Tolu looked toward the deeper part of the dungeon.

"I think so."

"You think?"

Tolu shrugged.

"We were gone for a while. But from here, it looks like nothing happened."

Kenny looked at him.

"You’re taking this surprisingly well."

"I’ve had a strange day."

Kenny laughed quietly.

"That might be the understatement of the year."

Tolu smiled faintly before looking toward the forest.

The dungeon was still around them.

The creatures were still somewhere deeper within it.

The resources they had come here to gather were still waiting.

And somewhere beneath all of that was the ancient space they had just left behind.

Tolu tightened his grip around the Earth Core Fragment.

Whatever the Aróni had intended for future generations, they had been allowed to inherit a small piece of it.

But for now, there was something else they needed to do.

They needed to finish their expedition.

Kenny adjusted his sword.

"So... back to searching for resources?"

Tolu nodded.

"Back to searching."

The two of them started walking deeper into the second floor.