The second thing is the treasure's popularity, which is simply staggering. Nearly 200,000 people know the legend of this treasure, a testament to its fame. And the treasure information listed below is even more outrageous.
Then, through the information on hand supplemented by Elena and Jason, nearly all of it is already known. Expanding on this, the intelligence provided by the system is almost enough to deliver the treasure directly into Ed's hands.
Ed was once again convinced that the main purpose of future treasure hunts would be information gathering. He would have to add a new hobby, reading, to his must-do list. As long as you know enough, any treasure is almost within reach.
But this is Vault No. 5, one of the nine minor vaults. It wasn't the goal of Andre and his team's expedition, merely a minor bonus. Maybe I can try to pocket it completely without anyone knowing? Thinking this, Ed smiled slightly and couldn't help but shift his gaze to the blue light. But this was an unknown magical treasure without any information, meaning it wasn't his goal, so he looked at the last entry.
[ THAAD'S TWELVE TREASURE HOUSES—NO. 3
Difficulty: Toucher (One Spiral)
Popularity: 183.73k
Treasure Information: Thaad lost his fertility due to personal reasons when he was young. He knew clearly that none of his offspring would be his own, but to see all his women's true characters, he never told anyone about it until his end. Therefore, he never intended to leave his wealth to his descendants. Driven by his adventurous spirit and love of treasure hunting, he divided his treasure into twelve parts and buried them in different places.
Vault No. 3: One of the three major vaults, containing a variety of treasures and several magical items. This treasure house has trials, and two keys are needed to open both the trials and the gate. The palm disc is stored in Vault No. 1, and the insect disc is stored in Vault No. 5. ]
Ed stared at the map with a frown. The difficulty was "Toucher (One Spiral)."
"Toucher" obviously referred to those who possessed extraordinary power, having awakened their magical energy with the help of a treasure.
The suffix "(One Spiral)" referred to a specific level of strength. After touching a treasure, a human's magical pathways open, activating the dormant mana within the body. But this is only an introduction. Although the mana becomes active, it is limited and insufficient in total amount.
At this stage, one must learn to control the mana and guide it through the meridians to open others. Upon completely opening the first meridian, a closed loop forms within the body. This is called a Spiral.
Combined with the information below, "trials" meant there would be battles before reaching the treasure, a very common security measure. After all, who wouldn't protect their wealth, especially when it was hidden with the clear purpose of challenging others?
His main concern now was the keys for the trial and the gate. Vault No. 1 had already been opened by Andre's team, and they had obtained the treasure inside. As Andre said, they had gotten the key, that should be the palm disc. In other words, they didn't actually know the full information about Vault No. 3.
Until now, they likely believed they only needed one key to become rich. They would only get the real shock upon arrival, realizing they would have to return empty-handed. That would be the scenario if Andre hadn't dragged Ed into the group, Ed, who already knew through his cheat that they needed the insect disc as well.
So this meant they needed to open Vault No. 5. Sigh, and here I was thinking of emptying it out alone and living rich. It seems the Stone Mother didn't want to see me succeed early and spend the rest of my life lazily in Raila's arms. What a mess.
Sighing helplessly, Ed returned to the main topic. After thinking for a while, he couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly. To open the great Treasure House No. 3, Andre's team had only gathered half the requirements. If he could provide them with this crucial information, it would definitely be a major contribution.
Correspondingly, they were completely unaware of Vault No. 5 itself. Now, he just needed to provide the complete information about Vault No. 5, along with Vault No. 3's location. The sum of the two would be enough to meet their requirements and earn him a spot to touch a Treasure, truly entering the extraordinary world.
Thinking of this, Ed couldn't help but feel a little excited, but he quickly calmed himself down.
Don't rush. Be patient. You have to proceed step by step and release information bit by bit. Otherwise, it would easily arouse suspicion. After all, it's barely been ten minutes since I saw the information.
If I dig out such valuable intelligence out of thin air, my end wouldn't be good. Although Andre was introduced by the crazy priest Pakchi, whose credibility is also in doubt, I don't understand him enough. Who knows what darkness is hidden beneath his grumpy personality?
No abnormalities must be exposed. I still have to prove myself, pretend to be a genuine talent with a keen eye for treasure hunting and a different way of thinking. Only then will I not attract too much attention, and even if I do, it can be covered under the title of "genius."
Thinking this, Ed's mind gradually became clear, and he started brainstorming his next course of action.
Jason and Elena watched as Ed stared at the map in deep thought, occasionally picking up documents to cross-check information. Elena placed her hands on the table to support her head, shaking it left and right out of boredom.
"Jason, could it be that he's found some information we don't know?" She whispered beside him.
Hearing Elena, Jason also supported his head with one hand, scratching the hair by his ear with his fingers, clear annoyance on his face.
"It's possible. Although I've only spent a short time with him and only worked with him by accident last time, this guy is indeed very sharp."
At this point, Jason couldn't help but think he could have easily been discovered by Ed while hiding. After getting the manor map, Ed was also keen enough to spot the discrepancies between the drawing and the actual layout, thus finding Zippy's hidden secret room.
Elena had also heard Jason talk about the details of that treasure hunt and couldn't help growing curious.
Could this new guy really have discovered something? She thought, peeking at his face, trying to see through his mind.
However, what Ed was thinking at this moment was completely unrelated to their speculations, and if they knew, there was a high chance he might get beaten.
How can I reasonably know the location of Vault No. 3? I need solid proof; otherwise, there's a 90% chance they won't believe me. And if they do, it'll be even bigger trouble when I have to explain how I know, Ed now thought about how to make himself aware of the situation in a reasonable, unobtrusive way, speaking to himself while rubbing his forehead.
He looked at the map and documents for a few more minutes, and finally, a plan gradually emerged in his mind.
Having finished his thoughts, Ed looked up. He noticed the two were staring at him intently, but their eyes were lifeless, obviously, they were in a daze. God knows what's going through their minds.
He reached out and lightly knocked his fist on the table, jolting them both awake.
Elena came back to her senses and smiled awkwardly, an expression she quickly discarded. Her red eyes were full of curiosity as she stared at Ed and asked, "So? Do you understand the situation now?"
"I understand, but I have no new ideas."
Hearing Ed's answer, Elena nodded, not disappointed because this was normal. Otherwise, they would have cleared this vault long ago.
"So, what should we do now?" Ed asked casually, looking at the two.
Hearing this, Jason stood up and stretched weakly, though clear excitement was visible in his eyes.