Under the watchful eyes of Vittoria, Aldric and the shadow assassin solemnly swore an oath, pledging upon their very lives that they would never intentionally harm each other or betray one another's secrets.
In this world where true gods genuinely existed, such an oath carried real weight. Even though neither Aldric nor the assassin were devout followers of any deity, their vows still bore divine power.
Breaking a sacred oath came with a price. Depending on the wording and the sincerity of one's vow, the consequences might not manifest immediately—but they would, sooner or later, come due.
For those who swore upon their lives, like Aldric and the shadow assassin, the punishment often came in the form of an untimely death somewhere down the road.
But then again, the path of a Transcendent was already fraught with peril. Death could strike at any turn, so who could really say whether one's demise was divine retribution or mere misfortune?
For a non-believer like Colin, the distinction hardly mattered. Besides, what better choice did he have right now?
After a long and tense ordeal, the most exciting part finally arrived—the treasure opening ceremony.
Once the shadow assassin had weakly whispered the activation password, Aldric finally opened [Leomund's Secret Treasure Chamber] for the first time.
The moment he tipped the spatial pouch over, a flood of wealth poured forth, countless gold coins, gleaming ingots, scattered jewelry, and radiant gemstones cascaded across the floor, filling the small room within moments. Even the weapons and equipment Antoine had once stashed here for safekeeping were buried beneath the glittering mountain of treasure.
Who needed quest rewards when robbery was so much faster?
The female warrior let out a triumphant laugh, scooping up a double handful of gold coins and squeezing them into a misshapen golden lump before tossing it back to the ground.
"Fantastic, Aldric! All of this is ours! I could do missions like this every day and never get tired of it!"
Even Colin, the shadow assassin lying on the table, began to breathe faster at the sight. After all, wealth had always been his goal—the very reason he had schemed, fought, and risked everything. Yet now, after all his efforts, he could only watch someone else enjoy the fruits of his labor. His expression twisted in complex emotion.
Aldric quickly motioned for the warrior to quiet down. The last thing he wanted was to deepen the dwarf Gloin's misunderstanding of him. The way that dwarf had been looking at him lately—with eyes full of reverent awe was already awkward enough.
"All right, Vittoria, stop mutilating our gold like that," Aldric sighed, crouching to pick out a few small, valuable ornaments from the pile. "You're devaluing our fortune by at least three silver coins every time you do that. Let's separate the equipment first and see what's actually useful."
After a while of sorting through the dazzling pile, their harvest was tallied: 7,731 gold coins, an uncounted heap of silver, and 104 gold bars, each weighing about thirty ounces.
Even Aldric's own heart was pounding now. He wasn't immune to the sight of so much wealth.
He'd once thought his elven gemstones traded for roughly eight hundred gold coins had made him rich. But those coins were tucked away in a magic pouch that nullified both weight and size, so he'd never felt their true magnitude. Now, surrounded by literal mountains of gold, the impact was overwhelming.
Still, as a player, Aldric knew the real excitement lay not in the money but in what came next—the loot.
…
[Silent Shadow]
A mysterious hooded robe of unknown origin.
This pitch-black garment bears no ornamentation whatsoever, yet its simplicity exudes a quiet menace. It had spent a long time languishing in some nouveau riche noble's vault. When touched, it feels as smooth as the finest silk. Experts, however, would recognize the material immediately—it's woven with the hide and feathers of a night owl, a rare and valuable magical creature.
Usage Requirements: Minimum Perception 14
Materials: Enchanted Leather, Enchanted Feathers, Alchemic Silk
Craftsmanship: Unknown
Defense: Average
Traits:
Magic Resistance (Minor): Reduces a portion of spell damage when struck by magic.
Darkness: Allows the user to cast the spell "Darkness" twice per day.
Silent Shadow: When the hood is drawn, the wearer's footsteps and sounds vanish completely… but at the cost of their sight.
"Your enemies can't hear you, and you can't see them. Perfectly fair, isn't it?"
The robe was a masterpiece, a black garment edged with faint silver embroidery, flowing like liquid night as Aldric held it up. Its very texture seemed to shimmer faintly in the dim light, whispering of its extraordinary nature.
Yet, despite its beauty, the enchantments were peculiar. For some reason, it reminded Aldric of that witch he had once encountered—perhaps because she, too, always wore a hood.
The female warrior gave it a single glance before losing interest and waved it off.
"You take that one," she said, tossing it to Aldric without a second thought.
Ignoring the assassin's envious stare, Aldric carefully stored the robe back into [Leomund's Secret Treasure Chamber].
…
[Tiamat's Helm of the Wargod]
A replica of the legendary Tiamat Wargod Helm.
Rumors of the real helm's reappearance surface every few years, but they always turn out to be fakes. This particular replica, however, is one of the finest ever made—its appearance nearly identical, and its enchantments mimicking those of the original.
Usage Requirements: Strength 12, Constitution 15
Materials: Adamantine (trace), Steel, Leather
Craftsmanship: Excellent
Defense: High
Traits:
Head Protection: Grants immunity to critical head injuries.
Burning Rage: Enhances Berserk-type abilities, but worsens their backlash.
"Berserkers die to their own fury. Not even Tiamat can save them."
Vittoria weighed the horned helm in her hands, grinning in satisfaction. Without hesitation, she put it on and turned toward the assassin on the table, giving him a deliberately provocative look through the eye slits.
Colin's face turned pale. His intestines twisted with regret.
The moment he saw the witcher's black robe earlier, he had known he'd made a terrible mistake. Though he'd been coerced into this deal, the terms he'd offered—those ridiculous terms now haunted him. He almost forgot that he was still half-dead and lying helplessly on the table.
And yet, his humiliation was far from over.
…
[Nahl's Flame Greatsword]
A greatsword once wielded by the famed Gothic sword saint, Richard Nahl.
Among nobles and royal guards, swords of this type were often prized as symbols of luxury rather than weapons of war. But this blade was no mere decoration, it was forged from meteorite iron, granting it unmatched strength. Richard Nahl carved an illustrious legacy with this sword.
Usage Requirements: Strength 13, Constitution 13
Materials: Meteorite Iron
Craftsmanship: Exceptional
Defense: High
Traits:
Cleave: Delivers additional damage when performing a slashing attack.
Parry: Can be used to block attacks as if wielding a metal shield.
Flame: When swung with sufficient speed, the blade ignites, dealing fire damage.
"Not flashy enough? Fine, let's add some special effects."
…
This was the very sword Aldric had used earlier to threaten the shadow assassin. Including the hilt, it measured a full 170 centimeters in length. The grip and blade were both unusually long, the guard elegantly designed, and the edges near the base unsharpened—clearly a two-handed weapon. Its serrated design gave it devastating cutting power, especially against armored foes.
Aldric gripped it tightly, and with a smooth, practiced motion, swung downward. The blade sliced through the air like a shooting star. For a fleeting moment, faint fire danced along its edge, leaving a burning trail in its wake.
He had no idea who this "Richard Nahl" had been, but one thing was certain—this was a fine weapon. A bit extravagant, perhaps, but more than worthy as a temporary replacement until he could craft a proper witcher blade of Valyrian steel.
The female warrior whistled lewdly beside him, clearly impressed.
Aldric ignored her.
He had found his new sword.
(End of Chapter)