Aurelion straightened his posture after the last echo of battle faded from the chamber. The air still smelled faintly of dust, old mana, and something metallic—remnants of a place that had swallowed countless lives before them.
"Alright," he said, exhaling. "Let's search properly this time."
They spread out.
It didn't take long.
Behind a half-collapsed stone wall, the chamber opened into a wide vault. Piles of gold coins reflected the dim light like a frozen sea. Old chests lay scattered around, some broken, others still sealed. Weapons rested on racks long abandoned, their blades dulled by time—but not all of them.
For a brief moment, even Iris went quiet.
"…Jackpot," she muttered, eyes gleaming.
Aurelion stepped forward first. He knelt down, grabbed a handful of gold—
—and watched it crumble into fine dust between his fingers.
"…What?"
He frowned, grabbed another handful.
The same thing happened.
The gold vanished as if it had never existed.
Aurelion froze.
He stood up slowly, his gaze snapping toward Iris.
"Iris," he said flatly. "Did you do something?"
She was crouched a few meters away, inspecting equipment with far more interest than the gold. When she heard him, she looked up, genuinely confused.
"Huh? Do what?"
Then she noticed his expression—and instinctively hid her hand behind her back.
"…Oi. Don't look at me like that. I didn't take your stuff."
Aurelion's eyes narrowed.
That was when he noticed it.
A ring.
Simple in design, but clean. Too clean. Mana flowed around it faintly, steady and refined.
"…That ring," Aurelion said. "That wasn't there before."
Iris stiffened.
"It's nothing," she said quickly. "Just… better than gold, you know? Practical stuff."
She turned away, clearly avoiding the topic.
Aurelion didn't push—for now.
Instead, he turned to Elayne.
She stood near a weapon rack, holding a sword. Unlike the others, this blade hadn't rusted. It was light, balanced, and its edge caught the light faintly.
"This one," Elayne said, testing its weight. "It's good. Surprisingly good."
Aurelion walked over, curiosity overriding his frustration.
"Let me see."
Before touching it, he activated Value Sight.
The result made his breath hitch slightly.
High-quality craftsmanship.Mana conductivity: stable.Condition: aged, but intact.
"…It's real," he murmured.
He reached out.
The sword didn't vanish.
Aurelion blinked.
He tightened his grip.
Still there.
"…So the gold disappears," he muttered, "but this doesn't."
Elayne tilted her head. "Maybe you're cursed?"
Iris burst out laughing.
"Obviously," she said. "Serves you right for grabbing shiny things first."
Aurelion ignored her, but his mind raced.
Gold vanishes only when I touch it.Equipment remains.Iris can take items freely.Elayne can too.
"…Tch."
He stepped back, frustration creeping in.
"Forget it," he said. "We don't need gold that badly anyway."
Elayne nodded. "Agreed. We've earned enough already."
As they turned to leave the vault, Aurelion suddenly felt it.
A tightness in his chest.
Not pain—but pressure. Subtle. Heavy. Like something invisible pressing against his existence.
He staggered for half a step.
"…?"
It vanished as quickly as it came.
Aurelion clenched his fist.
That wasn't normal.
He said nothing.
They left the chamber together, unaware that something unseen had taken notice of him the moment the gold turned to dust.