The chamber was vast—far larger than it appeared from the entrance. Don's flame illuminated stone walls covered in intricate carvings. Not decorative patterns, but dense, complex writing that covered every surface.
The script was ancient—flowing curves and sharp angles interweaving in patterns that seemed to shift when Don looked at them directly. The language was nothing he recognized.
But his Auto-Translate feature activated immediately.
[AUTO-TRANSLATE: ANALYZING UNKNOWN SCRIPT...]
[LANGUAGE IDENTIFIED: ANCIENT VALDRIAN (ROYAL DIALECT)]
[TRANSLATING...]
The carvings began to glow faintly, and their meaning flooded Don's mind.
"Let only those of human blood pass this threshold. Let only those who remember our kingdom enter these halls. Let the blood of our enemies turn to ash at our doorstep."
More text, carved above the entrance he'd just passed through:
"By royal decree and sacred oath, this sanctuary shall remain sealed until the kingdom's true heirs return. No creature of darkness. No servant of the destroyer. No corrupted being shall walk these halls."
And along the walls, repeating in different scripts and languages:
"Human blood opens. Human will commands. Human heart protects."
Don's enhanced Intelligence of 270 processed the implications immediately.
This wasn't just a vault. It was a magically sealed sanctuary designed to allow only humans inside. The runes on the door hadn't just been locks—they'd been tests.
The goblins who'd found this place could never have entered. Not because they lacked strength, but because the magic itself rejected them. Only human blood could pass the threshold. Only human essence could interact with the protections.
And Don—despite consuming goblin Generals, despite his essence layers being mixed with poison and fire and corruption—was still fundamentally human at his core.
That's why the door opened.
[How... convenient, little seed. The kingdom's final defenses, and you just happen to pass their test. Lucky? Or destiny~?]
Don ignored Madness's whisper and walked deeper into the chamber, reading the glowing text as he moved.
More inscriptions revealed themselves:
"To whoever finds this sanctuary—if you are human, if you carry our blood or our will, then hear this: The kingdom has fallen. The goblins came from within, betrayal opened our gates, and we died screaming. But we prepared for this. Everything we valued, everything we knew, everything that could help reclaim our land—it is HERE. Use it. Avenge us. Destroy the monsters that took our home."
Signed at the bottom in elaborate script:
"King Aldric Valdris III, in the final days before the end."
Don stood before the inscription for a long moment. King Aldric. The man whose memories Don had witnessed. Who'd watched his daughter eaten alive. Who'd died of a broken heart before the final blow fell.
He'd prepared this place knowing he wouldn't survive to use it.
[Touching, isn't it? The dead king's final gift. And it's ALL yours now~]
Don continued exploring, the glowing inscriptions guiding him like a map.
The air was stale but not foul. Magic had preserved everything—temperature controlled, moisture removed, decay prevented. Whatever the royal family had sealed here remained exactly as it had been 200 years ago.
Section One: The Armory.
Weapons covered an entire wall. Swords, spears, axes, bows—all mounted on display racks with small plaques beneath. Above them, carved into the stone:
"Arms of our greatest warriors. May they serve the next generation as they served ours."
Don approached the nearest sword and scanned it.
[ANALYZING ITEM...]
[KNIGHT'S BLADE]
[GRADE: C-RANK]
[PROPERTIES: +40 STR, +20 AGI, Self-sharpening]
[SELL VALUE: 2,500 KP]
Good quality, but nothing exceptional. Don moved to the next.
[DUELING RAPIER]
[GRADE: C-RANK]
[PROPERTIES: +30 DEX, +25 AGI, Armor piercing]
[SELL VALUE: 2,800 KP]
Better, but still not worth his time. His Executioner's Edge blades were superior to any C-Rank weapon.
Don continued scanning, finding dozens of C-Rank and a handful of B-Rank weapons. All impressive by normal standards. All inadequate for someone of his level.
Until he reached the center of the armory wall.
A single sword hung there, larger than the others, positioned with obvious reverence. The blade was four feet of silver-white steel that seemed to glow faintly with inner light. The crossguard was shaped like angel wings. The pommel held a perfect diamond the size of Don's thumb.
Inscriptions covered the wall around it:
"Valdris's Oath. The King's Blade. Forged in righteousness, baptized in holy fire. Passed from father to son for twelve generations. May it serve the kingdom's true heir when all seems lost."
Below, in smaller script:
"WARNING: This blade accepts only those with sufficient strength and righteous intent. The unworthy will be burned."
Don scanned it.
[ANALYZING ITEM...]
[VALDRIS'S OATH]
[GRADE: S-RANK]
[WEIGHT: 8 KG]
[PROPERTIES:]
• Damage: Extreme (Physical + Holy)
• +500 Strength (when wielded)
• +300 Agility (when wielded)
• Self-repairing (regenerates from damage)
• Holy Flame: Blade ignites with white fire (burns evil/corrupted beings)
• Demon Slayer: +200% damage vs dark creatures
• King's Authority: Wielder gains command aura (allies +20% stats in 50m radius)
• Indestructible: Cannot be destroyed by normal means
• Requirement: 200+ Strength to wield effectively
• Requirement: Must pass soul purity test
[CANNOT BE SOLD - LEGENDARY ARTIFACT]
[NOTE: This weapon is soul-bound to the Valdris Royal Line OR those the blade deems worthy]
Don stared at the numbers. Five hundred Strength. Three hundred Agility. If he could wield this...
His current Strength was 285. With the sword, it would become 785.
That was more power than Kragg had possessed. Enough to crack mountains. Enough to fight the Sovereign directly.
Don reached for the handle.
The moment his fingers touched the grip, light exploded through the chamber. Blinding white radiance that forced him to squint despite his enhanced vision.
[WARNING: ARTIFACT TESTING WIELDER]
[ANALYZING...]
[BLOODLINE: NONE DETECTED - NOT ROYAL LINE]
[SOUL PURITY: ANALYZING...]
Don felt the blade probing him. Not physically—something deeper. The weapon was examining his essence, searching through his layers of power, reading his intent.
It found poison from Vex. Violence from Kragg. Fire from Morgash. Madness corruption spreading like silver threads. Abyss taint seeping through cracks. Source power trying to purify everything.
And beneath all of it—buried but present—a core of humanity. Suppressed by Emotion Suppression. Hidden by his Supreme Foundation. Protected by his Iron Will.
But still there.
The blade also found something else.
Purpose.
Don wasn't here for glory or power. He was here to execute. To destroy the goblins who'd massacred this kingdom. To eliminate the Sovereign who wore a crown made from King Aldric's skull.
To avenge the dead.
The blade read that intent and judged it.
[SOUL PURITY: INSUFFICIENT FOR ROYAL STANDARD]
[CORRUPTION DETECTED: MODERATE]
[HUMANITY REMAINING: 71%]
[BUT...]
[INTENT: ALIGNED WITH KINGDOM'S VENGEANCE]
[PURPOSE: PURE - EXECUTION OF KINGDOM'S ENEMIES]
[STRENGTH: SUFFICIENT]
[WILL: ABSOLUTE]
[DETERMINATION: UNBREAKABLE]
[VALDRIS'S OATH: MAKES EXCEPTION]
[NEW MASTER RECOGNIZED - TEMPORARY BOND]
[WIELDER DEEMED: WORTHY EXECUTIONER]
[NOTE: Bond may become permanent if wielder completes vengeance]
The light faded. Don opened his eyes fully and found himself holding the sword.
The weight was perfect despite being eight kilograms. The balance was flawless. The blade felt like an extension of his arm—natural, inevitable, right.
And the power—
[STAT MODIFICATION ACTIVE]
[STRENGTH: 285 → 785]
[AGILITY: 287 → 587]
Don's muscles didn't visibly change, but he could feel them transforming. His physical structure reinforcing itself to handle the enhanced stats. His tendons becoming denser. His bones hardening.
He swung the blade experimentally at empty air.
The motion created a shockwave. Wind pressure exploded outward, cracking the stone floor where it hit.
Don turned toward the nearest wall—solid stone, two meters thick—and swung properly.
The blade carved through rock like it was warm butter. The cut was perfect. Clean. Effortless.
Three meters of ancient stone fell away in a single massive block, crashing to the floor with a BOOM that echoed through the chamber.
Don stared at the devastation.
785 Strength.
He could probably punch through castle walls with his bare hands at this level. Could fight Skarr directly and win through raw power. Could match the Sovereign's monstrous force.
[Oh my, little seed. You're not just STRONG anymore. You're a walking CATASTROPHE. That's Stage 3 level power in Stage 2 hands~]
Don activated the Holy Flame.
White fire erupted along the blade—not burning him, but radiating outward with intense heat. The flames felt pure. Cleansing. The opposite of everything he'd absorbed from the Generals.
[HOLY FLAME: ACTIVE]
[MANA COST: 50/MINUTE]
[EFFECT: +200% DAMAGE VS CORRUPTED/DARK ENTITIES]
The fire responded to his will, intensifying or dimming based on his intent. When focused, it burned white-hot enough to vaporize steel. When controlled, it provided warm illumination without consuming anything.
Don dismissed the flames and secured Valdris's Oath to his back. The blade adjusted automatically—the scabbard shrinking to fit his size despite the sword's length, the weight becoming negligible when not actively wielded.
[A holy weapon, little seed. How IRONIC. You—covered in corruption and madness—wielding the kingdom's most sacred blade. I wonder what the dead king would think~]
"He'd think," Don said quietly, "that vengeance doesn't care about purity."
He moved to the next section.
Section Two: The Treasury.
Chests lined the walls—dozens of them, each marked with inventory lists carved into the stone above.
"Gold: 50,000 coins. Gems: 2,000 assorted. Artifacts: Various. Emergency funds for rebuilding should the kingdom survive."
Don opened the first chest and found it filled with gold coins bearing the Valdris royal seal. Useless in the Abyss, but potentially valuable if converted through the System.
He scanned a handful.
[ROYAL GOLD COINS ×50,000]
[SELL VALUE: 25,000 KP (BULK)]
Twenty-five thousand Kill Points for the entire treasury's gold. Combined with his current balance of 30,070 KP, that would give him 55,070 KP total.
Significant purchasing power.