[First Person POV]
When the rift opened, I was the first to step out, my hands casually tucked into the pockets of my hoodie. My footsteps echoed on the stone floor. Behind me, Yumi emerged, her long hair cascading down her back. Finally, Elysia appeared, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear and confusion. Her frantic gaze darted around, desperately trying to make sense of the situation.
We found ourselves in a vast hall adorned with an impressive collection of weapons and armor. Gleaming swords with razor-sharp blades stood alongside massive shields encrusted with sparkling gemstones. Full suits of armor, ranging from simple leather breastplates to imposing metal plate armor, were meticulously arranged on mannequins.
"So, this is the Association's weapon workshop? Pretty impressive…" I commented in a detached tone, letting my gaze wander over the walls.
The decor, both intimidating and fascinating, was enhanced by the light reflecting off the polished blades, giving them an almost supernatural glow. The gemstones embedded in the handles gleamed brilliantly, catching every ray of light. Despite the enchanting beauty of this arsenal, none of it truly piqued my interest.
With a nonchalant stride, I ventured into the warehouse, deliberately ignoring my companions. My eyes quickly assessed the power of each weapon they landed on. I discovered formidable instruments of death and destruction. Yet, I pressed forward, guided by an intuition.
At the far end of the hall, I came face-to-face with a pile of iridescent gemstones. Skeptical, I furrowed my brow. Something was off. A sudden thought flashed through my mind.
"Elysia!" I called out without taking my eyes off the stones.
"Y-Yes! I'm coming!" she replied, startled, her voice betraying her nervousness.
I turned my head toward her and saw her hurrying toward me, Yumi close behind. Once by my side, I asked, "Tell me, what exactly are these stones?"
Elysia's gaze fell on the gems I was pointing at. Her eyes widened in shock, and she stood speechless for a moment before stammering, "Th-These… These are mithril and adamantine… Two of the rarest and most precious materials in existence!" Her voice trembled with barely contained excitement. "They're so rare that only seven weapons in total have ever been forged from these stones… And to think there's such a quantity here…"
Her envious gaze didn't leave the stones. I could almost see the gears turning in her mind, imagining the potential of these materials.
"I see," I nodded, my suspicions confirmed. "But why do you look so surprised?"
"It's just… I never thought there could be so much in one place. It's unheard of! But then again, coming from the Association, nothing should surprise me anymore…" Elysia replied, a hint of bitterness in her voice.
I observed her silently, her face reflecting a complex mix of emotions. I could easily have given her some of these stones, but what was the point? In just a few days, her fate would be sealed. Refusing to waste more time, I pulled a dimensional pouch from my pocket and began methodically collecting the stones.
"W-What… What are you doing?" Elysia exclaimed, stunned by my actions.
"Taking everything," I replied curtly, focused on my task.
While Elysia and I spoke, Yumi, as if drawn by an invisible force, walked past us with purpose. For the first time since our arrival, she spoke, "Tell me, Elysia, how long has this building been standing?"
Elysia took a moment to respond, searching her memory. "I don't remember exactly, but I think it dates back to…"
Her sentence trailed off, her face suddenly drained of color. Swallowing hard, she turned to me, a glint of anxiety in her eyes. "Just out of curiosity… What exactly are we doing here?" she asked, her voice trembling with palpable unease.
Ignoring her question, I stuffed the last of the stones into my pouch and headed in the direction Yumi had taken, with Elysia trailing behind. We found Yumi standing before a massive reinforced door, resembling a bank vault.
"The energy emanating from behind this door is incredibly dense… It's seeping through despite the thick protective barrier," Yumi remarked, her fingers brushing the energy field enveloping the vault's surface.
"It must be something dangerous to require a barrier of this magnitude," I commented, frowning.
Activating my Byakugan, I scanned the other side of the door. What I saw brought a smile to my lips. Adrenaline began coursing through my veins, my heart quickening with anticipation.
"And now? What do we do?" Elysia whispered, her voice barely audible, beginning to grasp why we were here.
"We go in, obviously," I replied, stepping toward the door.
With a confident gesture, I placed my hand on the energy barrier. Despite its apparent fragility, it offered surprising resistance. No matter. Focusing my energy, I drove my fingers into the field, which shattered with a deafening crackle. I paused, all my senses on high alert.
"They'll be here soon," I warned, tearing the door from its hinges with a fluid motion.
At that moment, a dark, oppressive wave of energy flooded the room, overwhelming us with its malevolent force. Instinctively, I erected a shield of my own power around Elysia, protecting her from the corrosive aura. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw her pale face, beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she trembled, paralyzed by the dark force. Without delay, I crossed the threshold.
Inside the vault, resting on a large cushion that occupied the entire space, were three thick plates and a dozen smaller ones, all identical in shape and pitch black. At their center, pulsating with an unhealthy glow, lay a massive core, larger than a basketball. It resembled magical stones but exuded a unique aura. This was the Heart of Belthegus, the source of the sinister energy that seemed to engulf me with every step I took toward it.
"Very well, I accept your challenge. But we'll settle this later," I murmured to myself, a predatory smile on my lips.
Without wasting a second, I seized the plates imbued with the dark energy—likely the scales of Belthegus—and stored them carefully. Once done, I turned my attention to the Heart, studying it thoughtfully for a brief moment. Then, with a swift motion, I grabbed it. Immediately, its sinister energy coiled around my wrist like a snake around its prey. Satisfied, I slipped it into my dimensional pouch with the rest of my loot. The moment it vanished, the oppressive energy saturating the air dissipated, as if it had never existed.
"They'll be here any minute," Yumi said cheerfully, clearly amused by the situation.
Elysia looked at us in turn, utterly lost, silently begging for answers. Just then, the door exploded with a deafening crash, sending debris and clouds of dust billowing through the room. Elysia jumped violently before fixing me with a panicked stare.
"No need to linger. I'm done here," I declared, approaching her.
With a quick motion, I knocked her out with a sharp blow to the back of her neck. Her body went limp, and I caught her before she hit the ground. Meanwhile, Yumi had already opened a new dimensional passage, concealed to ensure no one could see us. Eager to leave, I stepped through without looking back, Yumi close behind. The next moment, the rift closed, leaving no trace of our passage.
---
[Third Person POV]
The dust slowly began to settle in the back room of the Association's weapon workshop. President Smith and Steeven hurriedly pushed through the debris and smoke, their footsteps echoing with urgency on the stone floor. Their faces were taut with worry and anger as they rushed forward.
When they finally reached the vault at the back of the hall, they stopped dead, stunned by the scene before them. The heavy vault door, supposedly indestructible, lay torn from its hinges, twisted and deformed as if a superhuman force had ripped it apart. Shards of the magical barrier that had protected the entrance still glimmered faintly on the ground before fading away.
But the most shocking sight was inside the vault itself. Where the Heart of Belthegus, the Association's most precious and dangerous relic, should have been, there was only an empty space. The cushions and displays that held the plates were in disarray, stripped of their contents. A deafening silence reigned, the dark, oppressive energy that usually emanated from the Heart having vanished without a trace.
President Smith clenched his fists, his face turning red with rage. His eyes frantically scanned the room, as if expecting the stolen items to reappear suddenly. The veins in his neck pulsed dangerously.
"How is this possible?!" he roared, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "This vault was supposed to be impregnable! No one should be able to break through those protections!"
Beside him, Steeven remained silent, his analytical mind working overtime to comprehend what had happened. His sharp eyes examined every detail, searching for clues. The ease with which the vault had been breached left him baffled.
Steeven slowly approached the gaping entrance of the vault, carefully avoiding the debris. He crouched, running his fingers over the jagged edges of the metal. The damage appeared to have been caused by incredible brute force rather than magic.
"Mr. President," he began calmly, "it seems our security system was completely bypassed. Whoever did this possesses power beyond our current understanding."
He stood, brushing off his jacket with precise movements. His mind continued to race, trying to piece together the puzzle.
"The Heart of Belthegus and the scales that accompany it represent immense and corrupt power. In the wrong hands, it could have catastrophic consequences," he continued gravely. "We must recover them at all costs."
President Smith froze, slowly turning toward Steeven. His eyes blazed with barely contained fury.
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