Chapter 65: Treasure Hunting [2]
Once upon a time, I used to be obsessed with adventure games.
Those classic adventure games where you’d wander through vast worlds, solve puzzles, and uncover hidden treasures. For me, the real fun wasn’t just in fighting monsters or collecting loot—it was in figuring things out.
You know, the kind of puzzles where you tilt a painting and a secret passage opens behind it, or when pressing the right stone on the wall reveals a hidden room.
But looking around this place... there was none of that.
No intricate carvings hinting at a mechanism, no suspicious symbols or glowing runes. Just cold, empty stone walls and silence.
And that grand staircase in front of us? Yeah, way too obvious. Definitely a trap or a dead end.
Which meant there was only one place left to check.
The floor.
I stomped my foot lightly against it.
Thud.
A dull, solid sound echoed through the hall. The floor was firm—almost unnaturally so. Even after what seemed like centuries, it still held strong.
"Figures," I muttered. "Of course it wouldn’t be that easy."
Still, I wasn’t giving up yet.
’Maybe there’s a hollow spot somewhere,’ I thought.
Trying to imitate those confident treasure hunters from old movies, I stomped again—this time a little harder.
Thud!
"...Ah, my knee hurts," I groaned quietly, rubbing my leg. So much for looking cool.
Berno gave me a puzzled look. "What are you doing?"
"Science," I said flatly.
He blinked. "...What?"
Ignoring him, I summoned the Dream Orb and shaped it into a long stick—something sturdy enough to use as a probe. Then, I started tapping along the ground as I walked.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Berno sighed, muttering something about how I’d finally lost it, but I kept going.
Then—
Tok.
I froze.
That sound. It was subtle, but distinctly different. Hollow.
I crouched down, tapping the same spot again.
Tok. Tok.
A grin spread across my face. "Found it."
Berno leaned closer, his curiosity piqued. "What is it?"
"There’s space underneath," I said, excitement creeping into my voice. "Something’s hidden here."
For a moment, I just stared at the floor, my heart thudding in sync with the faint echoes of the chamber.
’Should I... just go for it?’
I hesitated, my hand tightening around the Dream Orb. The rational part of my brain told me to be careful—to test it, to think.
Breaking the floor would definitely count as property damage.
And yeah, that could cause some problems later. Maybe even an official complaint or a fine from the academy.
But honestly? That wasn’t what mattered right now.
What mattered was the possibility—however slim—that something was hidden beneath this place. Something unknown.
Whether it turned out to be a precious treasure or just a pile of rocks and dust didn’t matter to me.
’Isn’t it better to try and regret it later than to regret not trying at all?’
After a brief moment of weighing the risks, I came to the conclusion that there was nothing to lose.
"Berno."
"Yes, young master?" he replied, glancing at me curiously.
"Right here. Where I’m standing—break the floor."
"...Pardon?"
Berno blinked at me, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and confusion.
"You’re joking, right?"
"Nope." I looked him straight in the eye. "I’m completely serious."
He stared at me for a few seconds, waiting for a hint of a smile or a laugh. But when none came, his shoulders tensed.
"Why would you want to break a perfectly fine floor?" he asked, his voice careful, like someone trying to confirm they’d heard correctly.
"I have a feeling," I said simply.
"...A feeling," he repeated, his tone flat. "And what kind of feeling would that be, exactly?"
"The kind that smells like treasure."
"...What?"
I could tell how ridiculous it sounded, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t backing down now. The more I looked at that spot, the more certain I became.
There was something down there.
Berno sighed heavily, running a hand down his face. "You and your instincts again... Fine."
He drew his sword, the steel gleaming faintly under the light of the magical orbs.
"Are you really sure about this?" he asked, giving me one last chance to change my mind.
"Just do it," I said, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.
My heart was pounding in my chest—part nerves, part thrill.
’So this is what adventure feels like.’
I could already imagine the hidden room below, the glow of ancient relics, the rush of discovery.
Berno took his stance, magic gathering around his sword like a faint blue flame.
Then—
CRASH!
The blade came down with a roar, and the floor exploded in a cloud of dust and debris.
The ground trembled beneath our feet, sending vibrations up my legs. For a moment, I couldn’t see anything through the thick haze.
When the dust finally settled, Berno was standing with his back to me, sword still in hand.
And in front of him—
A massive hole gaped in the floor, dark and deep, as if the earth itself had been split open.
"...Looks like you were right," Berno muttered, lowering his sword.
I took a step forward, peering into the darkness below.
A slow grin spread across my face.
"I told you," I said quietly, eyes glinting. "I could smell it."
Just as I expected, there was a massive hole in the center of the chamber—so wide it looked like the earth itself had been swallowed from within.
A faint draft blew out from it, cold and damp, carrying with it the smell of soil and something ancient.
When I leaned closer, all I could see was pure darkness. No flicker of light reached the bottom. It wasn’t just dark—it was the kind of darkness that seemed alive, thick enough to swallow sound.
I crouched and picked up a fragment of broken stone from the shattered floor. The edges were jagged, as if something had torn through the ground rather than carved it.
"Let’s see how deep this goes," I muttered.
With a flick of my wrist, I dropped the stone into the hole.
Clack.
The sound came after a short delay—barely half a second, maybe less—but it was enough to confirm there was solid ground somewhere far below.
As I straightened up, my gaze met Berno’s. His expression instantly tensed, eyes wide with alarm.
"No," he said sharply, voice edged with panic. "Don’t even think about it. It’s too dangerous."
He must’ve realized what was going through my mind.
"We don’t know what’s down there," he pressed, his tone firm now. "It could be a trap, or worse. We should report this first."
He wasn’t wrong. Every word made sense. But my curiosity—no, my dopamine-starved brain—was already buzzing. The thrill of the unknown tugged at me like gravity itself.
I gave him a crooked grin. "What do you mean, ’no’?"
Berno blinked. "...Young master?"
Before he could stop me, I stepped forward, my boot brushing the edge of the hole. The air below felt colder, heavier—like it was waiting for me.
And then, without another word, I let myself fall.
The world tilted.
Wind rushed past my ears in a roaring whisper, and Berno’s startled shout faded quickly behind me as I was swallowed whole by the abyss.