{Early Morning, Nearby Barbatos Estate Ruins}
Early morning, huh?
The sky was brighter, warmer than I expected. Not bad, just something I had to get used to.
Different from the human world, though not bad.
"Just how much have you all changed over the years," I asked, trying my best to stay in character. "It's like a different world."
"Five hundred years may only be a fraction of our lifespan, but it is not a short time, Faiser," came the reply through the earpiece. It was possible through magic, not satellites or towers. "You will be experiencing many more unique things."
I definitely would. Even something as simple as an earpiece fascinated me. Magic was truly lovely.
Is it possible to learn to craft something like this, system?
[If you acquire the skill of Magic Engineering, then it is possible.]
Over the past few days, I figured out how to talk to the system. It didn't reply to small talk or normal conversations. But if it was a question—especially about getting stronger, improving my skills, or getting out of trouble—the system answered.
"Have you located the place?" Serafall's voice came through the earpiece. "It might be difficult, as the entire place is in ruins."
"It's alright," I said, looking at the map in my hand. "I'm close."
I only had a few meters left to reach the Barbatos mansion, and I could already see the ruins.
The surroundings have changed a lot, but the direction was the same as in my memories.
"Then I'll be going off now," she said. "But don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."
"Alright."
She was nice, though I couldn't understand why. She and the other Satans seemed awfully caring toward me. It didn't feel like just goodwill, but something else.
Maybe guilt? Maybe my parents' death had something to do with it.
Whatever the case, I had something else to focus on right now. And I was standing right in front of it.
"Just how am I supposed to find the treasury in this state?"
The mansion was nothing more than broken slabs, rubble, and stone bricks. The fabrics were gone, the metals corroded into dust, and anything of value was missing.
Even the Barbatos symbol was barely visible on half-standing pillars or fallen stones.
One would expect some grand considering we were Grand Dukes. But the sigil was just an infinity symbol with a strike through it.
Anyhow, the issue was finding the treasury. And since the main family treasury was something managed by only the lord of the pillar, I had no idea about where it could be.
[Key to Barbatos Treasury: Unlocks the Treasury hidden at the Barbatos Manor]
I get that it's hidden, but are we sure the treasury survived? The mansion didn't, so my hope is low.
Then again, the system wouldn't just give me a useless reward… would it?
Annoyingly enough, even in ruins, the mansion was massive. It took forever just to cover the four directions, and all I found during my search were random Barbatos sigils carved on broken slabs.
So where could the treasury be?
I leaned against the broken pillars, trying to think of a solution. I checked for hidden underground entrances, but found nothing.
Surely I won't have to return empty-handed, right?
As I waited, something clicked.
"Who is able to access a treasury?"
Usually, the Lord of the pillar, right? And despite the official title still being an heir, I should have Lord rights since my father died.
Additionally, alongside having the key to the treasury, you need the blood of the house to open it.
Which means…
I immediately walked toward the center of the mansion, giving myself the perfect spot to cover the area.
And cover it with what?
Simple.
My demonic power.
I let it seep out of my body, leaking slowly in a controlled manner. Not destructive, but steady, coating the place with it.
For a low-class devil, controlling their demonic power like this might be difficult. But for a ultimate-class devil, it was as easy as breathing.
Within seconds, the place was filled with my demonic energy—my Barbatos essence. I stood still, calm, waiting for an answer.
My energy was water, and the place was a pond. All I had to do was wait for a ripple.
It took time. Quite a while. But eventually, something did respond.
Like a pebble dropped in water, I felt the ripples. As they returned to me, I moved toward the source.
It was a weak presence, but enough to let me know something was there.
When the energy started fading, I had no choice but to blink to the location, keeping my eyes closed and following the source.
It turned out to be one of the broken slabs with the Barbatos symbol on it.
"I guess… it wouldn't be a hidden treasury if it wasn't hidden, would it?"
The seemingly unimportant sigil, scattered all over these ruins, was apparently the treasury—or at least the entrance to it.
I applied my Barbatos energy to it, and it responded immediately, glowing purple in true Barbatos fashion.
That's when the key appeared in my hand. Purple, like everything else tied to Barbatos.
I don't know what I expected, but as the key neared the sigil, it cracked open into a keyhole.
Definitely the world of magic.
"Let's see what treasure awaits me."
Without a second thought, I shoved the key into the hole and twisted.
And guess what?
Magic.
The space around me cracked, twisted, and swirled. My head spun as everything shifted.
No… space itself had contorted. I was seeing firsthand the true capability of the Barbatos pillar.
It didn't just teleport me.
It manipulated space. It dragged me into a pocket dimension. A ridiculous concept—bending the world itself to take me somewhere that probably didn't even exist here.
The sky above was nothing but swirling, twisting colors. And it wasn't just the sky—everywhere I looked was the same distortion, except the floor.
The floor was covered in Barbatos sigils, each tile etched with the mark.
"How… did they even manage to achieve this?"
I hadn't asked the system, but it still answered.
[The Barbatos bloodline is capable of manipulating space. Teleportation is only a fraction of its ability.]
I expected as much. Teleportation always involves manipulating space. I just didn't expect Barbatos to be capable of something like this.
Snapping out of my awe, I felt my heart pounding violently. My throat went dry as I swallowed hard.
Because the floor wasn't just marked with sigils.
It was covered in other things. Many other things.
Maybe too many things.
"Just… how rich was this pillar?"
Gold. Diamonds. Rubies. Sapphires. Every gemstone you could imagine. Every kind of metal used to craft jewelry and ornaments.
Piled high. Flooding the place. Forming mountains of wealth.
Metals, gemstones, jewelry. There was nothing else, just wealth—raw wealth. If this were the human world, selling the gold alone would have made me the richest man alive.
But it wasn't just gold, gems, or jewelry.
There was something else. I couldn't describe it exactly, but I could feel the space in different directions shift, like each area was cut off from the others.
"Don't tell me…"
I didn't waste a second. Sure, I would come back for the gold and gems, but maybe there was something more. No—there definitely was something more.
I tried to blink, but it didn't work.
Why?
[You cannot blink to the same spot.]
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Didn't matter. If I had to walk, I would.
Walking through piles of gold and gems was annoying, but I managed to reach the space that felt different. And I had already figured out what the creator of this place wanted. So, without hesitation, I released my Barbatos energy—and the space shifted again.
The surroundings looked the same, but I felt like I had moved. The floor confirmed it.
Now, there were pots, lined in neat rows and columns. It didn't take a genius to guess what this place was.
Alongside the pots were chests, which I opened without hesitation. If I died because of a chest, then I deserved it.
Inside were dried leaves, stems, nails, eyeballs, and all sorts of strange parts.
I knew what this was.
Opening a few more chests confirmed it—potions. The pots were filled with them, and the chests were packed with magical ingredients. Enough to last me a lifetime, maybe more. Enough to start a small production line.
And if I wasn't wrong, I already knew what the next spaces might hold.
I didn't waste any time. I hopped to the next one, released my energy, and teleported.
This time, I arrived in an armory.
Weapons filled the room—axes, swords, bows, maces, and more. Suits of armor too, crafted from rare metals and adorned with jewels. To the side were fabrics—rare, ancient, and expensive.
It was incredible. Many of the weapons and armor even radiated magical essence.
I laughed. It was going to take me forever to explore everything here.
Maybe I'd pick a weapon later, but for now my bracelet was enough. If I learned swordsmanship from Kiba, I might come back for a good blade. As for armor, I still didn't know what kind I needed, so I'd take my time.
Leaving the armory, I teleported again.
This place was different.
It looked like a memorial hall, a museum filled with art, crafts, old weapons sealed in glass, and more.
I had to take a closer look. Each display came with a description.
The armor of the original Lucifer—it said it still held traces of his energy. The trident of Leviathan was there too, along with a few other treasures. No artifacts from Asmodeus or Beelzebub though; one pillar alone couldn't hoard all the treasures of the old days.
There were stranger things too, like dragon scales from creatures I didn't even know existed. The Wawel Dragon, for example—I hadn't even heard of it until now.
But this room had things that were more memories than usable pieces. They could surely be sold for insane amounts, but I'd be stupid to do that.
Maybe they could be used as future bargaining chips, but definitely not something to sell.
Finally, I decided to head south, and I could already guess what was waiting there. Books, tomes, and anything literary.
So I wasn't surprised when I was greeted by shelves of books.
I hurried to search for anything relevant, skimming through sections that might be useful. That's when I found books on the Barbatos lineage, mentioning my father Faustus Barbatos, his father Abeliel Barbatos, and Falkner Barbatos. Apparently, I was the fourth generation of Barbatos. Not a very long chain, but considering the first Bael, Zekram Bael, was still alive… the Barbatos pillar might have a much longer line of generations.
What made me happier, though, were the books on potions. They included artwork showing the colors of the potions, the bottles they were stored in, and their properties. That meant I finally had a way to figure out the potions back in the potion room. Even better, the books explained how to recreate them and how to grow or acquire the ingredients.
The best part was finding methods to multiply existing plants, how to plant them, and even how to pollinate them.
This meant I could grow more rare herbs, and that was huge.
There were also sections on the history of the underworld, records I needed to go through.
"The current leaders might have twisted some of the world's history, right?"
After all, winners write history. This might be my best chance to see something closer to the truth. And even if it was biased, I could always check for contradictions with the history I already knew.
Of course, there were also books on weapons, magic, equipment, and countless other things.
I might have just found the way to spend my next few months—or maybe even years.
Keeping the books in their place, I decided to leave for the Valefar treasury. After all, I had ownership and the keys to both pillars.
But as I turned a corner, I found something interesting.
A small shelf, enclosed in glass, with only one book inside.
Strangely enough, I felt a connection to it. Like it was calling me.
I walked up, opened the glass, and took the book in my hand.
It was oozing with demonic energy.
"Is it cursed?"
That didn't sit right with me. But then, why would a cursed book be kept here without any warnings?
I could feel that it was bound. Not with anything complicated—just a simple seal. Anyone with matching demonic energy could open it. And of course, that energy was Barbatos power.
Well… only one way to find out.
Without a shred of fear, I poured my demonic power into it.
And like a good book, it opened.
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{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters. }