Chapter 200: Exploring the Treasures!

The manta-machine glided through the deep like a silent guardian, its broad wings shimmering with faint runes as it cruised toward the glowing sprawl of the Southern Military Outpost. The students inside remained quiet, their breaths still uneven from adrenaline and exhaustion.

Even those normally loud or disruptive sat motionless, taking slow deep breaths as they realized they were finally home free from the Abyssal Sea Monsters.

Albedo leaned against the metal-framed glass, watching the lights of the outpost grow larger and larger until they resembled a rising city beneath the ocean. The mana-lamps flickered like distant stars, and the reinforced fortress dome shimmered with layers of protective enchantments.

Behind him, Elara exhaled for perhaps the twentieth time, brushing trembling fingers through her hair, “I wonder how difficult it is to man those War Machines,” she muttered

“I still feel like that Titan is going to come back for round two,” she whispered. “I swear I can still feel that pressure in my bones.”

Kaen’s voice echoed throughout everyone’s ears, “The outpost will handle the rest. Once we get inside, the military’s medics will flush out the residual pressure. You three did well. All of you did.”

Before any of them could respond, the chamber lights shifted from cool blue to bright white. A low chime echoed through the compartment as the manta-machine slowed, stabilizing.

The reinforced doors at the far end cracked open, letting in a wave of warmer, filtered air from within the dome.

Various Military personnel from the Outpost waited outside, armored and alert. The moment the students exited, runic medics stepped in, quickly helping the students remove the suits, scanning their vitals and making sure everyone was okay.

The students who were injured were quickly shipped into the Medical Bay into the Military Outpost, lit by strips of enchanted glass.

Jesra, Ysvara’s right hand and commander of the Southern Outpost, stepped forward the moment she spotted the group. Her silver hair was tied high, her dark wings furled tight behind her back, and her presence alone pushed a sense of authority through the crowd.

“You made it back,” Jesra said to Kaen, her voice cool but relieved, “Her Grace is waiting for your report.”

Kaen followed the military escort through a series of sealed gates until they reached a large command chamber. Screens of mana-glass floated in the air, displaying battlefield maps, abyssal energy readings, and visual footage from the War Machines still sweeping the ocean perimeter.

Ysvara stood in the center.

The Demon Queen looked as if the chaos outside had never touched her. Her long silver hair shifted like flowing mercury down her back, and her black gown shimmered with runic fractals that pulsed faintly. Though serene, her presence dominated the room effortlessly.

When she turned toward the students, her dark eyes softened.

“You have done well,” she said, voice resonating through the chamber like velvet thunder, “I know it must’ve been hard ebing jumped by the Abyssal Beasts, but keeping everyone alive was the main goal and you successfully did it Lieutenant,”

Kaen immediately bowed respectfully, and Ysvara folded her arms, “You and all the students will rest here for the night. The Southern Outpost has supplementary dormitories prepared. Tomorrow, the students and I will begin our journey toward the Sixth Demonic Monument.”

Kaen inhaled, visibly surprised, “You’re going with them straight to the Monument?”

“We won’t need to pass through the Demonic Sea again. The injured students, once healed, will be sent back to the Capital,” Ysvara explains.

With that, Kaen leads the students to the dormitories, that were far nicer than they expected. Not luxurious, but clean and spacious, more akin to private military suites than random outpost rooms.

A sliding metal door opened with a soft chime, revealing three connected chambers with a common central area, soft lighting, and walls made of pale stone reinforced with runic strands.

“Holy… this is nicer than my house,” Elara muttered, stepping inside as she looked around, admiring the aspects of the room.

Elara walked in quietly, her shoulders dropping once the door closed behind them. “I… think I might actually pass out.”

Albedo shut the door and leaned against it for a moment, releasing a long breath. His muscles ached, his mana felt like a knot of tangled wires, and his head buzzed.

Still, exhaustion was outweighed by one thing.

“Let’s see what we got,” he said.

Lilian brightened instantly “Yes. Yes. Finally. Gods, I’ve been dying to open this stuff and really did into what we got,”

The three of them gathered around the central table, a smooth slab of reinforced stone, warm to the touch, faintly humming with stabilizing runes meant to soothe frayed nerves and overstressed mana channels.

It felt grounding, solid, the perfect place to breathe after nearly dying.

Elara sank into one of the cushioned seats, rubbing her eyes, “Alright… spatial rings out. Let’s see what exactly the Axion civilization gifted us for not dying in those crazy ass trials,”

Lilian grinned, already dropping into a chair with far more energy than any exhausted person should still possess, “Oh, I am so ready for this.”

Albedo sat between them and pulled out the spatial ring he’d taken from the ruins. It gleamed faintly, as if recognizing him.

They each placed their rings onto the table. For a moment, the three simply stared at them, quiet, reverent, awed.

Then Albedo tapped his ring first.

A soft shimmer rippled over the table, and an array of items materialized in neat rows, crystalline vials, strange Axion cubes, a set of pulse-blue mana leaves, floating motes resembling star fragments, and stacks of multi-layered ingots that looked far too advanced to be made by mortal hands.

Lilian let out a low whistle, “Okay… that’s ridiculous.”

“That’s not even a tenth of it, most of the other stuff is too big or powerful to take out in here,” Albedo explained.

Next was Elara. She activated her ring, and the table nearly overflowed. Seeds, glowing sap-like fluids, clusters of natural treasures, thick magical herb clusters still shimmering with untouched vitality, all appeared in a whirl of faint green light.

“Oh my, ” she clapped both hands over her mouth, “Is that a whole stalk of Celestial Bloomroot? Those are extinct! My dad had told me about those,”

“And that,” Albedo added, pointing to a trembling orb of green-white mana, “is a Pure Growth Core. That alone is worth a noble estate.”

Elara’s eyes sparkled, “I’m going to cry.”

Finally, Lilian tapped hers.

The flare of crimson light that erupted made both Elara and Albedo sit back.

Her table space filled with treasures that looked… darker. Red crystals pulsing faintly like slowed heartbeats. Black-metal flasks filled with viscous ruby liquid.

A crystal coffin the size of a palm containing what looked like a dormant blood construct. Several clusters of umbral herbs that seemed to emit faint whispers.

Lilian’s expression went blank.

“…Okay. I think mine wins,” she declared proudly.

Elara snorted, “You literally got a mini blood coffin, how, why, ”

“It’s beautiful,” Lilian whispered reverently.

But then the actual trading began.

Elara and Albedo worked through their piles, both on the table and within their rings, separating anything that smelled metallic or held a sanguine glimmer, pushing it toward Lilian’s corner.

“Demonic marrow crystal, that’s you.”

“Bloodvine cluster, you.”

“This entire vein of Abyss-Touched crimson stone, definitely you.”

Lilian smiled more and more with each item passed to her, eyes practically glowing. She reciprocated, sliding anything bright, floral, or human-oriented across the table.

“This mana-thread? You two use it better.”

“Pure affinity crystal, Elara, take that.”

“This Technique probably fits you Albedo.”

“I do not get, okay. Fair.”

Within minutes, piles grew on each side of the table, and even more piles appeared within each-others spatial rings. They continuously pulled out new items to trade and analyze, even techniques.

Lilian had her blood-attribute treasures.

Elara had a mountain of nature and mana-growth resources.

Albedo had a refined cluster of rare arcane items and crystalline sources perfect for spellcasting.

It was a clean, efficient exchange.

But then Lilian froze.

Her hand brushed past something buried beneath the other items, a slender, crimson-glass flask. The liquid inside glowed with a luminous, living scarlet, swirling in hypnotic patterns.

The moment she touched it, her breath caught.

“Elara…” Lilian whispered. “Albedo…”

Both leaned in.

A small, ancient runic label ran down the neck of the bottle:

Bloodline Purification Elixir – Royal Grade

Elara’s jaw dropped, “Lilian… that— that’s, I mean, that could, ”

“It evolves you,” Albedo finished quietly. “Strengthens your bloodline. Removes impurities. Enhances lineage potential. It’s… priceless.”

Lilian stared at it, speechless for a long moment, “I can barely hold myself back from drinking it, seems this is what I was drawn to from this ring,” she said.

Then her hand curled around the bottle, gentle yet firm, almost protective, “I’ll take it when I’m home, I don’t want to cause a scene anywhere here,” She explained.

Albedo nodded, “Smart.”

She carefully placed the bottle back into her ring, sealing it away.

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