Lucas charged into the chamber, fully prepared to save Evelyn. He tossed the folded bear hide aside and raised the wooden staff, readying himself for whatever waited inside.

  But there was nothing.

  Only Evelyn.

  She stood exactly where he had left her, unfocused, her eyes swollen and glossy. Her left hand was wrapped around her right wrist, pressing tight.

  “Evelyn?” Lucas called, keeping his distance.

  The sound of his voice snapped her out of daze. She turned toward him, her gaze slowly regaining focus.

  “Are you alright?” Lucas asked, taking a cautious step closer.

  Evelyn stared at him, her brows pulling together. Then she spoke.

  “What?”

  She said a few more words, but Lucas couldn’t understand them. The meaning wasn’t whispered in his mind the way it usually did.

  “The crystal,” Lucas muttered.

  He immediately checked his pocket, worried he might have dropped it, but it was still there. Dull. Lifeless.

  “Shit,” he muttered. “It ran out of mana.”

  He glanced back at Evelyn. She had been the one charging it for him ever since he joined the Unbowed, but now, with her mana sealed, she wouldn’t be of any help.

  “It… mana,” Evelyn said. Those were the only words he understood.

  “Yes, I know,” Lucas replied. “But I can’t charge it.”

  He had no idea why he’d spoken at all. Evelyn wouldn’t understand him anyway. And judging by the blank look on her face, she clearly didn’t.

  Lucas stepped closer and studied her for injuries. Asking why she had screamed wouldn’t get him anywhere. He ignored Evelyn’s puzzled gaze as he scanned her frame.

  She looked fine, aside from her pale face and swollen eyes. At first, Lucas assumed the scream had been caused by whatever she had seen in the dream. Then he noticed the marking on her wrist.

  It was similar to his own.

  Lucas searched his memory for the word Evelyn had used before and tried asking her, “Snake?”

  He extended his arm and showed her his wrist.

  Evelyn grabbed it immediately and studied the mark, tracing its shape with her finger. Her touch was warm and gentle, even as her fingertip pressed firmly against his skin.

  “Yes,” she replied and took the crystal from Lucas’s hand.

  Then she pointed toward the far corner of the chamber, where a familiar silver light was pouring down onto a chest - larger than the one Lucas had opened in the bear chamber.

  “Take it,” Evelyn said.

  She turned away and walked back toward her satchel near the apple tree.

  Was that blue window really about this chamber? But why didn’t I get the same message when I killed the bears? Lucas wondered as he walked toward the chest.

  He was certain he had cleared the chamber with the bears. The reward chest he’d received there proved it. So what was different about this place? Why had clearing this chamber triggered the blue window?

  He couldn’t come up with a single explanation that felt plausible. The only thing that came close was the difference in difficulty. The bears had been dangerous, but nothing compared to the involuntary dream he’d experienced here. And judging by how badly Evelyn had taken her own vision, he was certain his had been the easier one.

  I need to leave this place as quickly as possible, he thought as he poked the chest with the staff.

  Even if the previous chest had been safe, that didn’t guarantee this one would be.

  But nothing happened. The weak taps didn’t even make the wooden chest budge.

  Coward’s Eye.

  [

  Name: Large Wooden Chest

  Description: A reward granted after successfully clearing a chamber in the dungeon

  Tier: Rare / Epic

  ]

  Lucas’s eyes widened. This reward was clearly on a different level than the previous one. Rare or Epic, compared to the Uncommon-tier bow he’d received before.

  He could already imagine the kind of weapon he could find inside.

  Breaking the lock wasn’t difficult. Maybe it was because his wound had fully healed and he could put more strength into the blows, or maybe the charred meat he’d eaten had restored some of his energy. Either way, Lucas shattered the lock after a few solid strikes and pushed the lid open.

  Please be a spear. Please be a spear, he kept repeating to himself as his heart began to pound when he looked inside.

  The chest was filled with various items - a clear difference between the two rewards was absurd.

  The first item he took out was a neatly folded green cloak. It was soft to the touch, almost like velvet. He activated Coward’s Eye immediately.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  [

  Name: Cloak of Elvenkind

  Tier: Rare

  Description: Designed for long journeys. The cloak ensures comfortable, restorative sleep. Elves do not require much food. Even a small loaf of bread will satisfy hunger.

  ]

  Lucas felt a tinge of disappointment when he realized the cloak offered no battle-related benefits. Still, in a dungeon like this, its value was undeniable.

  He set it aside and reached for the next item.

  [

  Name: Amulet of Manticore’s Eyes

  Tier: Rare

  Description: Grants the ability to see through illusions.

  ]

  Seeing through illusions was a useful perk. However, the amulet was far too big and heavy with dozens of red spheres embedded in it resembling eyes. Lucas thought it would be more practical for Evelyn who didn’t need to move as much as he did.

  Next, he picked up a ring and an earring.

  [

  Name: Ring of the Sky-Bearer

  Tier: Epic

  Description: An artifact crafted from the claw of the sky-bearer. Contains one cubic meter of storage space.

  Note: This item will bind to its owner and can be used only by them. Part of a set. Collect all of them to unlock its hidden power.

  ]

  [

  Name: Manticore’s Feather

  Tier: Uncommon

  Description: Improves hearing.

  ]

  After reading the ring’s description, Lucas barely spared the earring a glance. Compared to the ring, it felt insignificant. He slipped the ring onto his finger without hesitation. Evelyn already possessed a Veilspace item, and he doubted she would object.

  The moment the ring’s dark inner lining touched his index finger, golden runes shimmered on its surface and the ring tightened, adjusting itself to fit perfectly. The glow faded quickly, but Lucas immediately sensed the change.

  There was now… something else.

  A space he knew existed. One he could vaguely perceive without touching it. He couldn’t see it, but he was aware of it all the same.

  Eager to test the ring’s effect, he immediately picked up the earring. He brought it close to the ring and brushed it against the its surface.

  Nothing happened.

  How do I use it? He thought and strained his vision. His eyes narrowed as if he were trying to force the object to move using telekinesis.

  Nothing happened.

  How do I move it… As the thought formed, the earring vanished from his hand. At the same time, he felt it appear inside his Veilspace.

  Oh. So I need to visualize it inside.

  He closed his eyes and focused. A moment later, the earring reappeared in his palm.

  Lucas tested it further, moving the shortbow, the arrows, the earring, and the cloak into the Veilspace one by one. He wanted to test whether their weight would still burden him.

  This is amazing, he thought when he confirmed the items were there, yet he couldn’t feel their weight at all, only their presence.

  An excited smile spread across Lucas’s face as he retrieved and placed the items on the floor. The Veilspace would be useful not only because it allowed him to store even the heaviest objects, but also because it let him hide things he wanted to keep from others.

  He scanned the remaining rewards quickly. Four lesser healing potions. Two lesser mana potions. A pouch filled with silver coins - seventy five in total. And finally - a book.

  However, there were no pages inside.

  [

  Name: ????

  Tier: ????

  Description: Gather the pages for more information.

  ]

  Lucas stared at the cover like he was in daze.

  As his fingers brushed its surface, he felt drawn to it, and the familiar tingle in his chest made the connection feel even more real. Whenever Coward’s Eye failed to appraise an item, it usually meant his level simply wasn’t high enough. But this felt different. As though no matter how powerful he became, this dark green leather book would still remain beyond his reach.

  “Did you find anything of interest?” Evelyn’s voice snapped him out of his daze.

  Lucas instinctively let go of the worn-bound book. As it fell to the floor, the heaviness in his mind lifted, and the sensation in his chest faded.

  “Um…” Lucas hesitated, caught between thoughts. He wanted the book, but he was also wary of it. The name of the chamber - Chamber of Knowledge - only deepened his worries.

  “I found these items. And this ring.” Lucas raised his hand, showing her the band on his finger. He tried to pull it off, but it didn’t budge.

  “Stop. It will not come off,” Evelyn said calmly. She leaned forward and picked up the book. “Congratulations. Items that bind themselves to a single individual are rarely mundane. You found a good one… assuming it doesn’t decide to ruin your life.”

  She chuckled softly and tossed the translator crystal into Lucas’s hands.

  “I used the mana potion. It absorbed some of it, but I doubt it will last long. Artifacts are meant to be supplied with channeled mana, not soaked in potions,” she said as she opened the book. After confirming the pages were missing, she studied the cover for a moment longer before dropping it back onto the floor.

  “I got excited for nothing…” she muttered, then turned her attention to the other items without touching them.

  Lucas stared at her as if he were seeing a ghost. She didn’t feel anything? Is it me? Is the book somehow connected to me? No… it must be because her mana is sealed. Her senses are probably dulled.

  “Did you touch the others?” Evelyn asked.

  “Yes,” Lucas nodded, chuckling lightly. “All of them.”

  “Then let me congratulate you once again.” Evelyn shook her head, though a faint smile betrayed her amusement. “Be careful. Magical artifacts don’t care about curiosity, and luck tends to abandon people like us early. I would rather not lose you yet.”

  “Oh? This is new.” Lucas grinned. “Worried about me? Did you perhaps see a dream about me and fell in love?”

  “Don’t flatter yourself!” Evelyn snapped, rising abruptly and avoiding his gaze. “My mana is sealed. Until that changes, you are my best chance at staying alive… Since you’ve already handled the artifacts, put them into your Veilspace. We need to move, and we need food.”

  She turned toward the exit.

  Lucas smiled. Her reaction told him more than her words.

  “I brought some bear meat for you. It's in the hide somewhere near the entrance. But I warn you, its far from the meals Edir makes for us,” Lucas said as he transferred the items into his Veilspace.

  She stopped.

  For a moment, only her calm breathing filled the silence. Then she spoke.

  “You can keep the items. I wouldn’t bother with them anyway!”

  Lucas quickly moved all the items into his Veilspace, even taking the time to rearrange what little he still carried in his pouch. He decided the healing potions were better stored in the ring; retrieving items from there was far easier than fumbling through the pouch. He even placed ten arrows inside, just in case he lost or dropped the quiver.

  He considered storing the wooden staff as well, but it was too long. A single cubic meter simply wouldn’t accommodate it.

  When Lucas returned to Evelyn, she was chewing on the bear meat, her face twisted from the flavor of burnt flesh.

  Lucas tore off a small piece and ate alongside her, more out of solidarity than hunger.

  As he chewed, his mind lingered on a single thought - If Evelyn bore the same mark, did she receive a quest as well? Was it the same one as Lucas’s? And if it was… why hadn’t she mentioned it?

  The next chapter on Thursday!

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