They moved fast, heading to the chest first. She remembered the two unfortunate students earlier and set up her defenses—triple-layer rune pulse shields and a Cloud Dome with a small viewing slit.
Maxius, squashed in her arms within the shield, squeaked indignantly.
She pressed three fingers together and cast a Quick-Breaking Rune. The lock snapped open. There was no trap. They exited the shields.
"I wonder what's inside?" Maxius asked no one in particular as he used his wings to blade slice through the air and cut the lid of the chest just in case of traps.
When there was no reaction, Fan Yumei looked inside the chest. Inside lay large piles of pale green crystals, yellow-and-black gloves with arm guards, and a thin, slick chestplate with scrolls underneath.
"Mhm, there isn't much… but these could be useful," she murmured, pocketing them without inspecting too deeply, moving on to the other platforms.
"Hey, give me the green crystals! I promise I won't eat anything else and will help you find more treasure!" Old Thief got real active sensing the rich Qi energy but was ignored.
"Let's go to the next one."
They reached the platform with the alloy ball.
"Woah, that looks like a grade obsidian alloy ball!" Fan Yumei ran right up to it, touching it as it hummed with cool energy.
"Can we make new gear with this?" Maxius asked curiously as he tried to mark the alloy with his talons, but nothing happened—no marks or reactions. The ball didn't pulse or send an attack back.
Sensing a threat, Fan Yumei grabbed Maxius and dodged to the side, away from the attack area.
"Boom!" debris flew everywhere as the spot they had been standing on formed a crater from the piece breaking off and falling into the abyss below.
"Holy shitstoppers!" Fan Yumei and Maxius were in shock at the damage.
"I'm definitely taking that. What is that thing?! It's definitely a good find. Though for future reference—no attacking or scratching it either." She hopped up, excited. This world was definitely something else!
But a problem came up. When she tried to put it away, it wouldn't enter her spaces or sanctuary. She had to carry it around. It was quite heavy but not for Fan Yumei, who was weight-trained.
"He Ho he Ho he Ho," Maxius and she took steady steps carrying the basketball-sized alloy to the last platform.
"Hey brat, why aren't you using your hover cart to carry that thing?" Old Thief felt he was really given to an idiot who loved working hard stupidly.
Fan Yumei ".…." Clearly, she'd forgotten. Silently she pulled it out, set the alloy on the cart, and pretended nothing happened as she walked confidently, head held high, hover cart in tow.
The bracelet snorted but kept silent.
Finally reaching the last platform, their eyes gleamed with delight. Beneath a collapsed arch of bushes and thickets were large clusters of 5-7 star-grade herbs shimmering.
"Woo, look, we struck rich!" Maxius flew in a circle around Fan Yumei, chirping excitedly.
"Haha, remember, what you pick is your cut, but leave a few for the research facility missions we accepted. Go on and do your harvesting," she told Maxius, nodding and giving him the green light.
"Definitely." He chirped happily, taking flight to begin digging.
Fan Yumei, not wanting to be outdone, rolled up her sleeves, pulled out a shovel, and started harvesting and storing herbs and soil samples into her dimensional sanctuary, happy with the stock so far. Twenty-eight minutes later, she stood, dusted herself off, stretched, and rubbed her sore lower back from squatting too long. She looked around, then turned her attention to the palladium nearby.
She headed toward the palladium stairs after packing up her digging tools.
Old Thief shook impatiently, disliking her attention on that thing. It tugged her arm back the opposite way, sensing danger coming from the palladium. It felt it before—it was impossible as everything was lost in that place, even those things. Tsk. Annoying brat doesn't even know what's good for her.
"I'll be right back in a bit. I'm gonna check out what's up with the palladium," Fan Yumei hollered as she made her way up the stairs.
Maxius busied himself unearthing star herbs and replied distractedly, not looking up. "Okay, I'm right here if you need me, Master. Be safe."
"Hey human brat, don't go that way. There's something dangerous over there!" Old Thief kicked up a fuss, trying to talk sense into her. The bracelet tugged and complained.
"Oof, hey chill out you damn cheap rusted thing. I'll really throw you out into the black abyss below," she threatened, slapping the greedy fellow now suddenly playing possum again.
She ignored it and continued walking up the stairs toward the palladium. She sensed whatever was up here calling her. But it kept at it more harshly this time.
Tsk coward. She scuffed at it, continuing her ascent.
At the top, she found some odd devices and trinkets: a sleek watch-like device—no screen, just a small circular center that looked like a click lock. Next to it were what could be weird purple and red contacts with white star-like specs in a see-through long rectangular piece, soft and flexible like cloth. The last item was a transparent flickering chip with spiky edges.
Fan Yumei picked up the palladium items and headed back down the stairs toward Maxius. When she tried to put them in Old Thief, it rejected her and locked its space.
"Oh?"
She tried again, with the same result.
"What's the problem? You want to rebel, huh?" she hissed at the band.
Maxius came over to see.
"Is the old rusted thief up to no good again?"
"He won't let me put these in," she replied, eyeing the bracelet.
"Hmm, I vote we throw it out. All it does is eat our hard-earned resources and Federation coins." Maxius ranted as he turned back to finish collecting herbs. Damn thief wasting his and Master's time.
Poor Old Thief wiped imaginary sweat, wishing it had eyes to weep tears over the grievances it almost suffered—and actually suffered. Though it felt lucky and unlucky at the same time. How did this little girl luck out finding a live Familiar magical beast—the little ancestor—and almost feed him to it! Woo woo.
Seeing it still unresponsive, Fan Yumei smiled extra sweetly. A fire rune appeared instantly. Old Thief shook but still refused to let the items enter.
Never in its 7,000 years of existence had it suffered so much in the hands of a child.
Old Thief's voice crackled, biting yet oddly protective.
"Damn brat's got no chill. But… I guess even idiots like her sometimes surprise an old rusted relic."
His tone softened for a fraction, barely noticeable, like a grumpy mentor admitting care through thinly veiled sarcasm.
After minutes of back and forth with the cheap metal artifact, she gave up. Even her sanctuary flat-out refused and ignored her now.
"Sign."
Old Thief did not feel sorry for her. Hmm, see if I care if the little ancestor eats the kid.
"Hey, wake up old rusted metal." Tapping and shaking the obsidian band, Fan Yumei felt the silence meant it was definitely up to no good.
The bracelet continued playing dead, ignoring her. Damn brat! I won't tell her those "artifacts" she's holding aren't relics but magical beasts.