Wizard: Starting from the Skill Tree-Chapter 449: The Treasury Opens

The closer he got to the surface, the more cautious Duke became.

His spiritual power, like delicate tendrils, first penetrated the last few meters of soil, carefully sensing the conditions on the ground.

The sound of the wind brushing against the ruins, the faint footsteps of the patrol in the distance...

After confirming that there were no other strange energy fluctuations or prying gazes around, Duke began to slowly move upwards.

He controlled the surrounding earth elements, causing the soil and rubble above his head to part silently like the surface of water, forming an unobtrusive hole just big enough for one person to pass through.

When he poked his head out from the ground, he saw the desolate ruins as far as the eye could see. Vivian was facing away from him, seemingly strolling casually, but her sharp gaze was scanning the distant wilderness and the direction leading into the city.

Like emerging from water, Duke silently rose completely out of the small hole.

In the instant he left the ground, the soil and rubble around the opening immediately started to flow, and in the blink of an eye, returned to their original state, showing no signs of being excavated, leaving only natural weathering marks.

He lightly stepped on the solid ground, brushing off the nearly nonexistent dust on his robe.

By now Duke had long stopped concealing his presence, and naturally Vivian sensed him.

When she saw Duke standing there unharmed, a look of relief flashed in her eyes,

but she quickly regained her usual composure, only slightly quickening her pace as she walked over.

"How was it? Did you encounter any danger?" she asked using spiritual power, her gaze swiftly scanning Duke to confirm he wasn’t injured.

"No, it went smoothly." Duke nodded, a faint, uncontainable gleam in his eyes, letting Vivian realize that he must have made some gains on this journey, and they were definitely not ordinary.

"Don’t tell me, just keep it to yourself," Vivian quickly said after realizing Duke had gained something.

She knew very well that if Duke had obtained some kind of precious treasure, it was best not to let anyone know, including herself.

Because in the Wizard community, there are too many ways to gather intelligence. To keep a secret, the best way is to keep it to oneself.

Duke understood Vivian’s meaning and nodded without saying what exactly he had obtained.

The World Tree Seed was indeed of great significance, so it was always wise to be cautious.

"Two patrols went by during the period, and I fobbed them off with the excuse of checking for potential hazards in the city wall structure. They seem to still be struggling with the main gate over there, without much progress," Vivian recounted the situation earlier.

"Let’s leave here," Duke said, "We’ll talk after returning to the base."

Vivian nodded in agreement, and the two, in tacit understanding, didn’t linger any longer. As if completing an ordinary patrol task, they led the somewhat dazed slave creature patrol team that had been staying a little distance away, and began to walk, not too fast, towards the temporary base of the Seventh Squad along the same route they had taken.

On the surface, they looked no different from other Wizard teams performing tasks in the city.

No one knew what had just transpired underground.

Everyone’s attention was concentrated at the entrance of the underground vault, not noticing this remote corner.

The temporary base of the Seventh Squad was nothing more than a relatively large mansion, showing that the previous residents were also of considerable wealth or status.

No sooner did they return here than they received news from the north side of the city, that the door to the underground vault had been successfully opened.

But that had nothing to do with Duke and the others, for after the underground vault was opened, its ownership had long been controlled by the upper echelons of the Thorn Holy Tower, and they would at most share some benefits with others.

Duke and his group of Little Wizards had no chance to get involved in the distribution of benefits within.

...

The atmosphere at the Ash City North District plaza had reached a fevered pitch.

The Sea Heart Iron giant gate that had blocked everyone’s path was fully opened, like the jaws of a beast, revealing the endless depth beyond, exuding a cold glow and ancient aura.

Most of the runes on the door were dim, but the material itself still emitted a palpable heft.

The cold air, tinged with a slight hint of rust and dust, mixed with the metallic tang unique to Sea Heart Iron, rushed over.

The Wizards who took the first step inside instinctively squinted their eyes, adjusting to the darker light inside compared to the outside world.

A hard sensation traveled up from underfoot; it was still a Sea Heart Iron crafted floor, polished relatively smooth, yet covered with an extremely fine layer of dust accumulated over untold years.

The space beyond the door was larger than imagined, with a massive passageway wide enough to allow ten fully armored Knights to walk abreast, descending at a gentle slope, disappearing into the darkness at the edge of vision.

The soaring walls on either side of the passage were similarly cast in whole from Sea Heart Iron, etched with enormous, ancient-style murals depicting scenes of Ash City’s ancestors pioneering, performing rituals, and battling various hideous demons.

Embedded between the murals were illumination channels, now devoid of power, and at the end of the passage, there stood another large door.

This particular door had no prohibitions, requiring only a bit of effort to push it open.

After the heavy Sea Heart Iron door was completely pushed open, the first thing that wafted into the nose was a mix of old metal, dry leather, faint herbs, and an indescribable peculiar scent.

Before the eye was an immensely grand hall.

The dome of the hall was high, supported by thick Sea Heart Iron columns, and the smooth wall surfaces shimmered with an equally dark blue metallic sheen.

The space here was clearly treated with advanced spatial expansion, its vastness far exceeding external estimates of the fortress’s scale on the surface.

But what quickened one’s heartbeat was the sight within the hall.

In the area near the entrance, row upon row of gigantic shelves also crafted from Sea Heart Iron were neatly stacked, categorized, and piled with various supplies.

There were roughly refined Magic Metal bars, and jars tightly wrapped in demon paper, still exuding a rich life force, containing rare herbs.

There was even a dedicated area displaying standard enchanted armor and weapons; although their craftsmanship seemed ancient, they were well preserved, with stable energy fluctuations.

As for the gold coins, they were countless, piled like mountains.

There were even several piles of black metal coins, discovered upon investigation to be cast from some kind of unknown Magic Metal.

Everywhere in the hall, all sorts of supplies were piled up, of every conceivable type.

This was merely the entrance hall, and at the end of the hall, stood an even heavier door, similarly covered in complex runes.

This door apparently led to deeper parts of the vault, emanating distinct energy fluctuations.