Online: Eiodolon Realms – Child of Ruin-Chapter 30 - 29: Vault of the Forgotten Alchemist

As Rai and Alex moved forward into the vault, they saw an spiral staircase that led them downwards. The narrow spiral stairs groaned under their weight as Rai and Alex descended further underground, the air thick with dust and the tang of old magic. The only light came from the torch Rai held aloft, its flickering flame casting shifting shadows along the carved stone walls. They had bought the flame torch beforehand considering they were coming here.

"You sure this is the right spot?" Alex asked, wiping sweat from his brow. "Because for some reason this feels like we’re walking straight into a classic episode of ’Dig Your Own Grave’."

"Trust the map, dude." Rai replied. "The map says this vault belonged to an alchemist who went missing decades ago. The symbol on it is sigil of the Alchemist’s Association. If our luck is with us, then it might be filled with rare herbs, potions, and research."

Alex joked, "Or maybe his rotting corpse."

Before Rai could respond, they reached a thick stone door covered in faded paintings and arts. He stepped forward and channeled mana through his hand.

The symbols pulsed one after the other until the door trembled. With a dull click, it slid open, revealing a stone chamber lit by ethereal blue flames. A disembodied voice echoed through the room:

[Welcome to the Vault of Echoing Questions. Trial One: The Door of Wit.]

In the center, a pedestal projected glowing text:

"I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?"

This was a suprise to Rai as he wasn’t really aware that there were going to be quizzes here.

He thought to himself, ’What the hell! Why do these bastards never write the full info in the quest forums?"

Alex leaned over. "Oh, come on. This is a riddle from the back of a cereal box."

"A cereal box?"

"Yeah, I loved eating them when I was a kid. The answer is Echo."

Rai believed him and pressed the first option—’Echo.’

[Correct. Proceeding to Phase Two.]

Rai made a joking expression. "Hey. Not bad, you will not be useless after all."

A wall slid open with a grinding rumble. The next chamber resembled a domed study, with bookshelves lining the circular walls. In the middle stood a puzzle table—dozens of objects: vials, journals, hourglasses, burnt notes, each labeled with a cryptic rune.

[Trial Two: The Memory Map. Rebuild the alchemist’s final journey using the items he touched most at each turning point.]

Five memory points lit up, each with a carved phrase:

The betrayal.

His first breakthrough.

His final hope.

His isolation.

His greatest mistake.

Alex scratched his head. "So we’re what—playing detective now?"

"It’s a story puzzle," Rai muttered. "We need to put the pieces of his life in order."

He moved around the table.

— A dried flower labeled with a sun symbol. "First breakthrough," Rai guessed, placing it at the first station.

— A broken vial of corrupted red elixir. "His greatest mistake."

— A scorched note with the words in a diary ’They stole it. My apprentice...’ scribbled in the corner. "The betrayal."

— A dusty robe, frayed and untouched for decades. "Isolation."

— And finally, a sealed journal glowing faintly with mana. "His final hope."

Each object locked into place and pulsed.

[Correct. Proceed to Phase Three: The Mirror of Identity.]

"Haah! It seems every one is getting betrayed. Earlier it was that old knight and now this."

’And I guess I should not forget about myself.’

The next chamber was darker, colder. Seven full-length mirrors lined the walls, each reflecting a different version of Rai.

One had him garbed in priestly robes, another wore royal armor. Others showed him as a wandering scholar, a blade-wielding rogue, a cloaked shadow... But one—one showed him kneeling before a grave. A simple, unnamed grave.

[Choose the reflection that is truest to who you are, not what you could be.]

Alex squinted. "That one’s morbid."

Rai said nothing. He stepped closer to the grave mirror, heart slowing.

"This seems personal" Alex whispered.

’I’m not supposed to be alive’ Rai thought to himself. "And yet... here I am."

He touched the mirror.

The reflection shimmered, faded.

[Correct. Final Trial Approaching.]

Rai lingered a second longer, eyes unreadable.

’Interesting... the dead have interesting powers. Even Aelina, who is practically half a step into godhood, wasn’t able to sense that I’m from the future. But he can. The dead really are interesting.’

Alex pointed. "Okay, the creepy factor here get full points."

Rai smirked. "creepy? This? You should have come to me to meet that knight."

[Final Trial Approaching.]

Meanwhile...

Lyra huffed as she wiped the memory of the previous quest. She stood in a grove glowing under soft moonlight, the end of a mental divine battle trial still in her thoughts.

[Divine Trial: Final Phase Pending.]

"God, I need a nap," she muttered, flopping onto a nearby rock. "All this will make me mad."

Her voice was breathless, but her eyes burned with resolve. As a modern girl flung into a medieval fantasy world, she didn’t like showing weakness—even to a glowing system prompt.

Another message appeared:

[Phase Three: Face the Fragmented Self.]

"Oh no," she groaned. "Not again. I completed this type of thing before. why again? I’m about to trauma-dive, aren’t I?"

[Gain the fragmented piece of soul.]

"Fragmented? That doesn’t seem to be very nice"

[Moonlit Fragment to be acquired. Final Trial.]

She smiled faintly. "Alright, Moon Lady. Almost there."

Back in the Vault...

The last room was circular and grand. Dozens of statues stood in a ring, each holding a different object—a scroll, a vial, a sword, a crystal, a tool, a plant. Magic crackled in the air.

[Final Puzzle: Choose the Legacy. The alchemist’s true treasure lies not in wealth, but purpose. Choose the object he carried in his last hour.]

Alex raised a brow. "Bet it’s the staff. Wizards and alchemists love their staffs."

Rai shook his head. "Too obvious. This whole vault is about knowledge and legacy. He wasn’t a warrior. He was a teacher. A thinker."

He approached the statue holding a weathered leather-bound journal.

"His research. His life’s work. This is what he couldn’t let go of."

He pressed the book.

[Correct. Vault Unsealing.]

A section of the floor slowly rose, revealing rows of alchemical herbs glowing with stored vitality. Jars of preserved elixirs shimmered beneath mana seals. At the center sat a hexagonal chest brimming with sealed pill bottles, rare dusts, and color-coded ingredients.

"Jackpot," Alex whispered.

Rai didn’t move yet. He stared at the chest in silence, then looked back.

[You have unlocked the Vault of the Forgotten Alchemist. A fragment of legacy endures.]

They stepped forward into the light of their quiet reward.