William seized the opportunity, slipping away unnoticed while the others were distracted. With Stuart’s camouflage, he melted into the shadows, moving like a ghost through the labyrinth.

The man, realizing William’s disappearance, tried to redirect the attention. “There’s someone else here!” he yelled, pointing towards William’s last known location. “We’ll all lose the treasure!”

The pirates and fish-men turned, their eyes scanning the corridor, but saw nothing.

“Stop lying,” one of them snarled, his face contorted with rage. “You’re just trying to escape! Now tell us everything you know about this place!”

William knew it was only a matter of time before they saw through the man’s ruse and used his knowledge to reach the treasure. He couldn’t afford to linger.

Once out of sight, William dropped the camouflage and broke into a run, Stuart perched on his shoulder, guiding him through the maze.

“We’re almost there,” Stuart squeaked, his voice a mix of excitement and apprehension. “I think we’ll be able to claim it all for ourselves. But you do know that most of the treasure is locked away, right?”

“What?” William skidded to a halt, confusion clouding his features. “What do you mean?”

“Jinra intended the treasure for you,” Stuart explained, “assuming you’re the same William he always spoke of. The treasure is stored within a magical artifact, a spatial bag that holds far more than it appears. Parts of the treasure will be unlocked as you level up.”

William’s heart sank. He’d been hoping for the entire treasure, imagining the wonders it held.

“Why would he do that?” he asked, frustration creeping into his voice.

“Because some of the items are too powerful,” Stuart explained. “If you’re not strong enough to handle them, they could kill you. He wanted to make sure whoever claimed his treasure would benefit from it, not meet an untimely end.”

William grudgingly admitted that it made sense. Jinra had been a legendary figure in the world of magic, his power immense. The items he possessed were likely far beyond William’s current capabilities. Locking away the treasure was an act of caution, a testament to Jinra’s wisdom and kindness.

With renewed determination, they pressed on, navigating the labyrinth’s twists and turns. Stuart’s camouflage kept them safe from the lurking beasts, and soon, they stood before a grand double door of stone, adorned with intricate gold carvings. It was remarkably well-preserved, even more so than the rest of the tomb.

“This door is heavily protected by magical formations,” Stuart said, his voice hushed with awe. “Beyond this lies the final path to Jinra’s treasure.”

“And what does that mean, practically speaking?” William asked, his brow furrowed.

“It means it’s very difficult to get past this without knowing how,” Stuart replied, a mischievous glint in his beady eyes.

“Damn it,” William muttered, frustration building. He’d pushed himself, relying on Stuart’s camouflage and Jinra’s clues to navigate the labyrinth quickly, only to be stopped at the final hurdle.

Stuart let out a high-pitched chuckle. “I love seeing that defeated look on your face. It’s true, the door is tough to crack, but Jinra left an easier way in for you. He wanted to make sure you were the one who claimed his treasure.”

“What? Really?” A wave of warmth washed over William. Jinra had truly thought of him when creating this tomb. Not only had he left the message, but he’d also ensured William could access the final chamber.

‘Did he think of me as a son?’ The thought brought a lump to William’s throat.

He approached the door, placing his hand on its cool surface. As if recognizing him, the symbols etched into the stone began to glow, and the heavy doors swung open.

“You were right,” William said, a smile tugging at his lips. “He really did make it easy for me.”

Just then, a shout echoed from down the corridor. “I told you there was someone else! There he is!”

William whirled around to see the pirates, the fish-men, and the treacherous man charging towards him.

“Damn, they’re fast,” he cursed.

“Quick, get inside!” Stuart urged. “The door will lock once you’re through!”

Without hesitation, William dashed into the chamber, slamming the heavy doors shut behind him. “I don’t know how long this will hold them,” he said, catching his breath, “but it should buy us some time.”

He turned, expecting to find himself in the treasure chamber. Instead, he stood in a vast, dimly lit room. And within that room, he saw them – the mermaids.

The fish-men had mentioned mermaids seeking the treasure. William hadn’t been sure whether to believe them, but now, seeing these creatures with his own eyes, he had no doubt.

But something was off about these mermaids. They lacked the beauty of the mermaids he’d encountered before. Their eyes burned crimson, their teeth were sharp and jagged, and their skin was as pale as death. One look was enough to tell that something was amiss.

Were there different types of mermaids? William’s knowledge of these creatures was limited, leaving him with more questions than answers.

“Who are you?” one of the mermaids hissed, her voice sharp and suspicious.

“Just a guy,” William replied, his hand instinctively resting on Asura’s hilt. “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

“We don’t need to explain ourselves to you,” another mermaid snapped. “How did you get in here?”

It had taken them considerable time and effort to bypass the magically sealed door. They couldn’t understand how a human had appeared so quickly. Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire

“You know there are a bunch of fish-men and pirates on the other side of that door, right?” William informed them, a hint of amusement in his voice. “They’re eager to get their hands on the treasure, and they’ll be just as happy to kill you.”

“Lies!” one of the mermaids shrieked. “You’re lying!”

They grew increasingly agitated, their voices rising in pitch. But just then, the sounds of pounding and splintering wood echoed from beyond the door. The pirates and fish-men were trying to break through.

“Told you,” William said, a smirk playing on his lips.

The mermaids exchanged panicked glances. They were trapped between a rock and a hard place. Either they accepted William’s help and secured the treasure before the door gave way, or they fought him and risked losing everything.

“That might be our best option,” one of the mermaids agreed, her gaze flickering towards the door, which was now shuddering under the repeated blows from the other side. “Better to share it with you than let those brutes have it all.”

William nodded, feigning agreement. He’d already assessed their strength, with Stuart’s whispered confirmations of their power levels. In a direct confrontation, he was confident he could defeat them. A wicked plan began to form in his mind.

“Alright,” he said, his voice carefully neutral. “It’s settled then. We’ll work together.”

The mermaids, relieved to have secured an ally, explained the final challenge. To reach the treasure, they needed to solve a literary riddle. The room was lined with ancient books, and within their pages lay the clues to unlock the treasure chamber.

Each clue was accompanied by a cryptic riddle written by Jinra himself. The difficulty lay in the fact that the books were from Jinra’s time, their titles and contents unknown to anyone who might stumble upon the tomb.

But William had an advantage. He recognized some of the books from his time in Jinra’s cabin. And Stuart, his knowledgeable companion, already knew the answers.

“I know all the answers,” the rat whispered into William’s ear, his voice too low for the mermaids to hear. “Pretend to figure out the first two clues to make them more eager, and then… well, you’ll have to eliminate them and solve the last one yourself.”

The plan was risky, but William was confident he could pull it off. He adopted an air of studious concentration, flipping through the ancient tomes, mirroring the mermaids’ actions.

“I think I found the first answer!” he announced, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.

William shared his answer, and as the words echoed through the chamber, one of the three symbols on the inner door shimmered to life. They had cleared the first hurdle.

“Amazing! You did it!” one of the mermaids exclaimed, her voice laced with excitement. “Just two more to go!”

William resumed his act, feigning intense concentration as he scanned the ancient texts. Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, the pirates and fish-men had abandoned their brute force approach and were now collaborating, pooling their knowledge to decipher the magical seals.

Stuart estimated they had roughly two hours before the door gave way. The man who had accompanied William posed the biggest threat, his knowledge of the tomb surpassing that of the others. But two hours was ample time for William to execute his plan.

After a while, he announced he’d found the second answer. As he spoke the words aloud, the second symbol on the door lit up. The mermaids were practically vibrating with anticipation, their eyes glued to the books, desperate for the final clue.

This was precisely the state of frenzy William had hoped to induce. Their focus was solely on the riddle, their guard down. It was the perfect opportunity to strike.

With a predatory gleam in his eyes, William subtly adjusted his grip on Asura. The demonic blade thrummed with anticipation, sensing the impending violence. He would make his move soon, ending this charade and claiming Jinra’s treasure for himself.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep