With anticipation buzzing in my veins, I carefully opened the medium-sized box, slowly this time.
Inside, nestled among a bed of old, tattered fabric and divided into four distinct sections, lay a collection of small trinkets. I reached in and picked up one—a simple bronze ring adorned with faint inscriptions. As I revolved it around my hand, it seemed rather common, albeit a bit rough in craftsmanship. The carvings were well done, but the ring itself had a rugged finish.
There were ten of them inside.
Absentmindedly, I slipped it onto my finger, forgetting that this could be a death ring or something. A warm sensation spread through my hand, and I felt a gentle calming effect wash over me, easing the tension in my muscles.
"Oh. This thing is kinda magical. Of course."
This might have been a mistake, putting on random jewelry when I already knew some of them were magical—I glanced at the amulet around my neck—wasn’t exactly smart.
However...
It couldn’t be all that bad, right? Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be lying here in this very normal-looking box, would it?
I looked around.
Yes, yes, it would, actually, but I simply couldn't stress about it.
"Let's just keep going."
Next, I noticed multiple small brooches, all shaped like flowers. When I pinned one to my dirty shirt, I observed a subtle enhancement in my awareness—colors appeared more vibrant, and sounds a touch clearer, as if my senses were gently heightened.
"Oh, this one is nice too."
The third item was a tiny brass compass, no bigger than my palm. Its needle spun slowly before settling, not pointing north, but toward something unseen. I had no idea what it was supposed to do, so I put it back after a while.
The last thing inside was a monocle, this one adorned in gold. I put it against my eye and looked around, but nothing happened.
Bummer.
Curiously, there was only one of each of these last two items in the box.
"Pretty nice, all things considered."
This would be great for us, provided Myrra approved their use. She must know better than me when it comes to magical items, after all. Taking the trinkets off, I deposited them back in the box and moved on. There were still plenty of boxes to open, but I had seen enough. This one right here, I took a small one, would be the last one.
Opening the final box, I found an assortment of pellets, mostly in two colors: green and white. They were neatly separated, but, as usual, I had no clue what they were. I’d just come back here with Myrra later, I thought.
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"Okay, finally," I said, glancing at the wall full of interesting weapons.
The first thing that got my attention was a huge battle axe, mainly bronze in color, with a handle lighter in color. The thing was impressively huge, so much so that it must be decorative.
"Well, considering the size of the spiders out there..." a chill crept up my spine. Maybe I was taking this way too lightly. Myrra was still dying up there, and I was trapped in an invisible dome of energy surrounded by huge monsters and abominations. Better to take this seriously.
Beneath the massive axe were smaller ones: double-bladed, single-bladed, tomahawks, and throwing axes. Some of these seemed more manageable to wield.
Moving on, there were blades of all types, though none as large as the axe. Most resembled Roman swords, crafted from either bronze or a dull, greyish metal that looked like iron but seemed slightly different—possibly an alloy of some kind. Beneath the swords were daggers and knives of various sizes, including smaller ones resembling throwing knives. Some even looked like kunai.
On the right wall, there were bows—both long and short. Several quivers filled with arrows leaned against the walls. I had, in fact, learned the basics of using a simple bow, but I wasn’t confident I could rely on it if the situation got serious. Besides, the ones I trained with were quite different from these. Out of curiosity, I picked up an arrow and examined it. The shaft was wooden, but the tip was definitely iron this time—not the gray alloy I’d seen on some of the blades and smaller axes.
There were also shields. Some were so enormous, I couldn’t help but wonder who could wield such a thing. I compared one to the massive axe in the center. Did giants exist in this world?
Hopefully not.
Most of the shields were circular, made from iron or simpler materials. There were smaller ones resembling gladiator shields and even tiny ones that looked like bucklers.
In the corner of the room, a few spears leaned against the wall. A spear might be easier to use, but it didn’t seem like the best choice here. They looked heavy and would probably limit my mobility too much.
My primary strategy was to run, after all.
No, scratch that. My primary strategy was to hide, actually.
Anyway, I turned my attention to the armor. Some of the stands were missing pieces, but that didn’t matter much. A few were made of treated leather, while others resembled chainmail. Only one set was made of real, heavy metal plates, and it was the only one with a helmet. There were five armor stands in total.
"Wait..."
The leather armor even had... boots. Yes, boots.
No more walking around in socks! My feet were already covered in cuts and blisters, and the risk of infection was probably through the roof. I’d doused them in alcohol once or twice back in 01, but that was about it.
Sitting down, I slipped on the leather boots. They weren’t exactly comfortable, but I figured I’d break them in soon enough.
Surely.
Getting back up, I returned to the wall and grabbed a dagger. I picked a simple iron one—nothing fancy, just practical. Sliding it into my pocket, I took another glance around the room. It was definitely messier than when I first entered, but not to an extreme degree.
"So, food, check. Weapons, check. Magical artifacts, check. Potions, check."
Satisfied, I exited the room and headed toward the place with the cores. Myrra definitely needed another one. The only issue was her broadcasting our location to every monster around us when she absorbed a core. Would that cause trouble even inside the dome? I had no idea.
Crossing the open area and still maintaining distance from the metal pillar in the center, I finally reached my destination.
"Whoa."
The sight was breathtaking. Shelves upon shelves of orbs lined the walls, some reaching so high that I strained my neck just trying to glimpse the top. I decided to focus on the ones within easy reach, neatly arranged in displays on the ground.
Approaching the nearest display, I saw the cores inside glowing faintly, each radiating a different color. Some were a familiar gray, like those from the giant spiders, but there was a vibrant array of other hues: purple, black, brown, green, and dark blue.
Beneath each orb was a small plaque, bearing inscriptions.
Inscriptions that, fortunately, I could read.