Chapter 37 - Towards the vault

The previously grim and serious situation shifted drastically in tone with Admiral Augustus's sudden, almost comedic appearance. The gaping hole through layers upon layers of ceiling allowed a shaft of light to seep into the room from above. Adam and Thaddeus were left speechless, caught off guard by the surreal moment—how had they found them so conveniently? But there was no time for questions, as the old man swiftly approached the two young men and grabbed them firmly, hoisting them like sacks of grain before either could react.

“Up we go!”

“W-wait, wait!”

The Admiral immediately exclaimed, completely ignoring Thaddeus's desperate pleas to stop, and with a mighty leap, propelled them upwards like a rocket through the same series of holes he'd descended from. Judging by the distance, they soared the equivalent of no less than seven stories high.

Once at the top, Augustus landed gently and carefully set the two boys down, while his legs were quite literally smoking.

"Ah, my old bones aren't what they used to be. Look at that, overheating from something as simple as a little jump."

Adam quickly stood up, and he noticed that the old man’s words were quite literal. Through small holes in the legs of his pants, steam and light smoke were escaping, clear signs of a machine overheating. However, that wasn’t what caught his attention the most. When he turned to look around, he saw the rest of his team gathered there, although many of them appeared just as he remembered.

A quick glance showed that everyone, including Mr. Sebastian, had small to moderate injuries scattered across their bodies. They weren't life-threatening, but they were definitely noticeable—especially Drake, whose abdomen was wrapped in a makeshift bandage that looked like it had been fashioned from a poorly cut strip of fabric. Meanwhile, Kazue had scrapes all over her face and exposed knees, and the bottom half of her shirt was completely torn, making it obvious where Drake’s hasty bandage had come from.

It came as a surprise to Adam. Although he didn’t know exactly how much time had passed since he and Thaddeus had been trapped in the darkness, it was clear that the others had faced their own struggles, even with the Admiral by their side. He was about to ask what had happened when, without warning, the entire group rushed toward him, their faces filled with worry.

“Are you okay?!”

“Are you wounded?! Did something hurt?!”

“Young Adam, are you feeling okay?”

Kazue, Drake, and Sebastian spoke in turn, approaching Adam with worried expressions and showing genuine concern for his well-being. This shook Adam more than he’d expected, as it’s natural to care about someone you know, but their concern was honestly overwhelming for someone they barely knew, nonetheless, it reminded him of a childhood memory—when he’d attempted something reckless, like climbing a precarious stack of boxes and chairs to reach something he couldn’t even remember. He’d fallen hard, and his father had rushed to him with that same look of genuine concern, not anger or frustration, despite being someone who rarely showed affection beyond a few approving words.

Adam took a moment to react, shaking off the brief disorientation he had experienced. He explained that he was fine, that fortunately, they hadn’t fallen too violently, and that they had found themselves in a hidden chamber filled with disciples and a stone emitting energy similar to the curses used by the Armada. However, just as he was about to consult someone who might know more about the situation, Mr. Li, realized that both he and Nikolai were not nearby. The latter had stayed behind, watching with his arms crossed, while Li had passed by to assist Thaddeus and then had started talking with him.

"Let me see if I understood you correctly. After falling from who knows how many meters, you ended up in a room with a fragment of one of those cursed stones and you were blindly navigating through a sort of labyrinth to find them all so you could absorb some of their power?"

Kazue exclaimed, as confused as she was excited to have the opportunity to say something like that unironically.

“Eh… Yes, basically, it seems the stones and their energy had something to do with completing the Subplot”

Adam said, grateful and relieved that they had broadly understood everything he had mentioned, even if it meant omitting the immense suffering he had endured for a while and how Thaddeus had treated him at first.

"But are you sure you're okay? I mean, those stones you mentioned literally have the names of the seven deadly sins. Aren't they going to affect you negatively?"

Drake's words reflected what he and his two companions were all thinking: no matter how bizarre that place was, with its variety of abilities and objects, nothing good could come from something with such a clearly negative connotation. However, Adam tried to calm them down, explaining that, as had happened when they faced the Armada’s curses, these stones merely provided him with various bonuses. These buffs were still active in his body despite their effects having diminished considerably after moving so far from the area where they had been bestowed.

"It's not something I like to think about, but it's most likely due to my condition as a demi-lich, which is probably why those disciples didn't attack me."

It was at that precise moment, after those words, that Adam's mind finally grasped something crucial, something he had completely ignored during his time below because he had been struggling with his own mind... Why had the disciples also ignored Thaddeus? The girl and the blonde jumped as they saw Adam's eyes widen and he turned to fix his gaze on the young scientist.

“Wow! … It’s everything okay?”

Adam didn’t answer at first… How could he have been so blind? How had he not questioned something so obvious? Even when his mind was being controlled or something similar, how had he never wondered why Thaddeus was overlooked by beings that were described as highly aggressive towards any living creature? Damn it, he felt like he had almost all the pieces to understand what was happening, but he couldn’t find the necessary connection to complete the puzzle.

Resigned, the young man knew that the situation wouldn’t advance further without more information. Although he hesitated at first, he decided it was best to share every relevant detail with the others. He proceeded to explain everything Thaddeus had told him, including his motivations, the plan he had devised, and how the power of the ‘Seven Lights’ was connected to achieving their goal.

As he explained, Adam noticed the different reactions from the three listening to him: Drake with a stoic expression and paying attention to every detail; Kazue, almost bouncing with excitement after each word; and Sebastian, smiling nervously, having lost track of the conversation some time ago.

"I can't fully trust what Thaddeus says, but luckily it seems we have a small contingency plan."

The boy said, proceeding to explain everything about the new skill he had obtained precisely due to the power he had been absorbing from the stones, which nearly caused Kazue to faint from excitement.

“What do you mean we can’t go back down?!”

Suddenly, Thaddeus's voice interrupted, as he was in a brief argument with the Admiral.

"As I’ve already told you, I can't allow you to return to that place. Not only is it dangerous and would make it very difficult for me to fulfill my orders to protect you, but it’s also not on the path we need to take."

Augustus said calmly, shaking his head and crossing his arms to indicate that he wouldn’t be moving from that spot.

"Moreover, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t take you down without my implants being functional again. I pushed them too hard to cushion my fall and to get you out of there; these old limbs aren’t up for this kind of strain anymore... Anyway, why would you want to go back down?"

Thaddeus shut his mouth at the old soldier’s last question, knowing that the last thing he needed was to reveal what truly happened down there. Any excuse he could come up with would only make him seem more suspicious.

"Nothing, I’m sorry. You’re right. It’s just that I would have liked to continue investigating."

Said the young scientist, exchanging a cold glance with Li, who also sighed and prepared to rejoin his group. Shortly afterward, they finally decided to get back on track.

It was a few quiet minutes, during which Adam took advantage to ask what had happened and why they were so injured. Drake and Kazue then began to explain how everything had unfolded.

"The truth is, we didn’t know what to do when you two fell into the abyss. When Admiral Augustus returned to us, he nearly jumped through the hole to go after you, but Mr. Li barely managed to stop him, saying it wouldn’t help and that it was better to come up with a different way to find you. We spent quite a while doing that until the Admiral said something rather odd."

Drake said, only to be interrupted by the girl, who jumped into the conversation eager to participate.

"Yes, he said he felt a sort of shift in the environment, as if something beneath us had lost intensity and part of it had started to move... Oh, wait."

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It was then that they realized. That moment must have been when Adam started absorbing the power from each of the fragments. Although it was strange that the old man had been able to sense something like that, when they asked Drake about it, he simply shrugged and replied flatly that he had no idea.

"He only told us it was a 'gut feeling.' We kept exploring until we finally reached the place where it seemed you two were. However, along the way, we passed through many rooms with all kinds of guards. Since the Admiral had to focus a lot to sense them, we had to fend for ourselves. But it’s nothing major—just some scratches. Besides, Kazue here is incredibly effective against those armored skeletons."

Kazue reacted with a faux blush at the compliment, though she knew it was true and felt quite proud of it.

"Oh, you~ Everyone played their part, even Li was quite pleased with Mr. Sebastian’s performance, or rather Falk, wasn’t you? Wasn’t you?"

Kazue said, puffing out her cheeks and speaking pompously to the small mechanical bird nearby, which began to chirp with pride as if it understood it was being praised.

"But still… I’m sorry you ended up with that cut, Drake. Does it truly not hurt?"

This also caught Adam’s attention. He was told that at one point, Drake had to push Kazue out of the way during an attack by a Trapper that had sneaked in unnoticed. Drake received a cut on his abdomen, which they had no way to properly treat except with an improvised bandage made from part of Kazue’s shirt.

"Like I said, it’s nothing. I’m just glad they didn’t get to you."

Drake said with a smile, flexing his arms to show that he was perfectly fine, even though his side still had fresh reddish stains indicating that his wound had not yet fully closed.

"Besides, it gave me a few extra points. Everything good ends well after all."

Adam raised an eyebrow, curious and not quite understanding what Drake had meant by that.

"How do you know you got points for that?"

“What do you mean? It shows when you get a few extra points”

Drake's companions puzzled looks showed him that they were genuinely unaware of what he was talking about.

“What?”

“What?”

“What?!”

The three were completely baffled, and the blond seemed unable to organize his thoughts to explain what he meant clearly. Fortunately, Sebastian, who had been nearby and catching bits of their conversation, was able to piece together the situation and comment on it.

"Sorry, I think I understand what you're talking about. I believe that young Drake is referring to that gray window that sometimes appears above him. Am I right?"

“Yes, exactly! Thank you”

Adam and Kazue exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of how to respond since neither had ever experienced such a thing. Drake then explained that on a couple of occasions during their time in the scenario, a small box similar to a text bubble had appeared above him, displaying a short message followed by a notification that he had earned extra points. This revelation baffled everyone, and Kazue puffed out her cheeks, showing clear signs of jealousy, though not in a resentful way.

"There are clearly many things we still don't know about this place. I suggest that once this is over, we regroup and discuss everything we've learned. Also..."

But Adam's words were cut short by a loud screech, a sound to which the others had already grown accustomed, indicating another ambush by the Citadel's automatons. With the Admiral back in action, defending themselves wasn't difficult, and Adam was able to help this time due to his boosted stats. He managed to dodge any approaching enemies and even assisted Mr. Sebastian in moving to safety while the others cleared out the undead guards.

It was truly fortunate that, so far, they had only encountered Sentinels, Trappers, and low-ranking Disciples—enemies that they could manage due to the artifacts they possessed, even when faced in large numbers. Adam wasn't sure if this was a coincidence or not, but, having witnessed the existence of higher-ranking and more powerful guards, he knew it was only a matter of time before they would come across something worse. However, it seemed illogical to worry about something for which he had no information at all.

Several more minutes passed as they proceeded confidently through various hallways and rooms, following the directions indicated at the beginning by the red arrow. They had to deal with several squads of enemies along the way and even encountered a new type of undead soldier that resembled a gigantic scorpion. Fortunately, it was destroyed almost immediately by Admiral Augustus, who did so without breaking a sweat and then posed with his defined muscles alongside Kazue as if it were a game.

Finally, after perhaps an hour of walking, the group arrived at a massive gate with one of its columns destroyed and a rather ominous darkness within.

"Well, here it is—the entrance to where we needed to go... It's pretty underwhelming if you ask me."

Li said, standing at the entrance and peering inside only to see that it was actually an empty room with nothing but a barely visible rusty pedestal at the far end.

“‘No, this is the right place... It’s the entrance”

Thaddeus suddenly said, unable to hide his excitement. He quickly entered the room but stopped to instruct that only Adam should accompany him inside while the others waited outside until they could ‘open the entrance.’ The Admiral initially refused, but he was convinced to stay outside because the room was completely empty, and it would be more efficient to guard the entrance against any potential attacks while the scientist worked. Meanwhile, Drake and Kazue were more inclined to protest leaving them alone, especially after what Thaddeus had said about the young Volta, however, Adam spoke up to calm them.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine, there won’t be any risk, right?”

“Yeah, we shouldn’t have any problem.”

Thaddeus replied. Adam noted this, but seeing that the [Sinful Covenant] skill did not react at all, it seemed that he was telling the truth. Thus, there was no other option but to enter together.

Once inside, both approached the rusted pedestal and examined it for a moment.

“So? What now?”

Adam said as the scientist continued to wonder and touch every part of the strange structure.

"I have an idea, based on what little we know about this place. As I mentioned, the oldest song about this place suggests it reflects humanity's darkest desires... Try placing the book I gave you on top, it might react now that it has regained some of its power."

The boy did as instructed, pulling the Ancient Dark Tome from under his arm and placing it on the pedestal... but nothing happened. Somewhat disappointed, they were just about to consider another approach when the ground beneath them suddenly trembled violently, nearly knocking them off balance. To their disbelief, seven stone pillars emerged from the ground before them, each marked with a distinct symbol, and, additionally, eight stone tablets rose from the floor, resembling buttons. Then, everything fell silent.

Several seconds passed without anyone moving—neither the two inside the room nor those watching from outside. But nothing else happened. Thaddeus took advantage of the stillness to approach one of the pillars, examining the strange symbol engraved on it more closely. Adam was about to do the same when something unusual echoed inside his mind.

⌠Now ■■■ … You ■■■… Touch ■■■ … It ■■■⌡

Immediately, as if guided by a mysterious force and without control over his own body, Adam moved toward the tome again and placed both hands on it. He felt as though the very breath was being pulled from his lungs as several system windows began appearing in front of him.

⌠Notice: Part of the ‘Depraved Power of Wrath’ has left your body⌡ ⌠Notice: Some of your stats have returned to normal⌡

And with that, the symbol on one of the pillars began to glow with a brilliant crimson light, while one of the eight buttons pressed itself and vanished. This surprised everyone, especially Thaddeus, who couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He quickly returned to Adam’s side to get a closer look.

⌠Notice: Part of the ‘Depraved Power of Sloth’ has left your body⌡ ⌠Notice: Some of your stats have returned to normal⌡

Immediately after that, the second pillar followed, with the same process repeating: the symbol on one of the pillars glowed the color associated with its stone, and another button lowered. The room was filled with sounds resembling gears turning and locks shifting each time it happened. The same sequence occurred with the following pillars—Greed, Lust, Gluttony, and Pride—all lowering Adam’s stats in the process. Interestingly, Adam hadn’t moved an inch throughout it all—not because he didn’t want to, but because something was unconsciously preventing him from doing so.

“Only one left, the one that we missed”

Thaddeus spoke up, noticing that only one pillar remained to be illuminated and two buttons left to press. But before Adam could respond, a new window appeared before his eyes.

⌠Notice: You lack the energy of the ‘Depraved Power of Envy’, you are unable to activate the proper mechanism to open the hidden vault.⌡ ⌠Hint: You must guess the correct order in which the buttons should be pressed to unlock the vault door. If you don’t pick an order or make a mistake, the corresponding defenses will be activated.⌡ ⌠Current correct buttons: 6 of 8⌡

Well, that was quite straightforward, it seemed that the last fragment wouldn't be necessary after all. All that was left was to choose one of the two buttons and proceed, so Adam conveyed the message to Thaddeus, his hands still gripping the pedestal and the book firmly.

After a brief deliberation, they made their choice. Even though it was a 50/50 chance, they had noticed a certain pattern in the sequence of the first five, so the most logical option was to follow it. Sure enough, Adam focused on the button on the left, and it was pressed automatically.

⌠Notice: Title ‘Luck's Last Laugh’ has activated its effect.⌡ ⌠Hehe⌡ ⌠Warning: You have failed to activate the vault sequence correctly. The defenses will activate according to the number of remaining buttons.⌡ ⌠…⌡ ⌠Guardians ‘Sacred Guardian of Envy - Rank B’ have awoken and flagged you and your allies as targets.⌡

"Come on…”