Online: Eiodolon Realms – Child of Ruin-Chapter 34 - 33 – A Match Of Chess

The final vault was buried beneath layers of stone, roots, and centuries of silence. Eron moved ahead of Rai, using a half-broken torch to clear away hanging vines as the old alchemical door slid open with a loud creak. The moment the seal cracked, a wave of cold, sterile air rushed out—tinged faintly with herbal residue and timeworn dust.

Rai stepped in behind him, squinting through the darkness. "This has to be the final chamber," he murmured.

Eron nodded, whistling low. "Yeah, Even the walls feel expensive."

And they did. Unlike the earlier rooms cluttered with storage boxes and scattered scrolls, this one was pristine. Smooth blackstone tiles lined the floor, marked with faintly glowing alchemical runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.

Several chests lay untouched along the edges, and in the center stood a glass container—housing a single worn journal, its cover embroidered with a silver tree and a strange sigil Rai didn’t recognize. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

But their attention was first pulled to a shelf running along the far wall. Dozens of spatial rings hung carefully from polished stands, each glinting with embedded gems.

Eron’s eyes widened. "That’s... a stupid crapload amount of loot."

Rai nodded slowly. "Don’t touch any yet. Scan for traps first."

He used a simple detection skill, a passive one from his class that highlighted magical patterns. This skill was nothing special, all legacy and unique class holders had one. As expected, glyphs danced across the walls and the floor like sleeping serpents—some defensive, some alert-based, and others meant to freeze or burn anything that moved recklessly.

They carefully stepped around the danger zones, Rai disabling two traps with precise movements of his blade and a few odd runes he had memorized during their earlier puzzles.

Eron finally exhaled when the last one put out. "If you ever get tired of being a walking apocalypse, you’d make a terrifying thief."

Rai grinned faintly. "Tempting."

After another few minutes of checking, they began opening the spatial rings one by one. Inside each: pills, herbal extracts, alchemical reagents, some even holding condensed aura crystals and golden ingots.

One ring was filled with nothing but high-grade healing potions and barrier talismans.

"Jackpot," Eron muttered, clutching it tightly.

Another held recipes. Ancient ones. Rai pocketed that quietly.

"So," Eron said, strapping a new ring to his belt, "you think this guy, this alchemist, was trying to pass something on?"

"Probably." Rai walked to the central podium, lifting the journal. "But not to just anyone."

He flipped the book open, revealing hand-drawn diagrams, notes in tight handwriting, and a final page with a bloodstained signature.

"Arvan... the Maniac."

Eron blinked. "The maniac?"

"Yup." Rai smirked. "He was a genius and a complete lunatic. From what I remeber he was said to be schizophrenic."

Eron laughed. "No wonder his vault has weird quizzes, enchanted rats, and poison mist."

"He probably found it funny." Rai turned the journal over, pocketing it. "But we’ll need to study this in Velondar. Could be worth a fortune."

They continued collecting what they could—taking only what fit, marking the rest for a return trip. Rai made mental notes of items useful to future guildmates, like Alex and Eron’s equipment paths.

"This should set us up for months," Rai said finally.

Eron nodded, tying shut a pouch filled with rare earths. "You think Alex’s gonna be mad he missed this?"

"He’ll live. We’ll bring him back a some expwnsive ring and a fancy rock. He’ll forget all about it."

They both chuckled.

...................

Far above, in a realm untouched by time and gravity, two beings played a quiet game of chess.

The Moon Goddess sat behind the white pieces, her form draped in the same celestial veil as before—half-solid, half-starlight. Her fingers moved gently, sliding a knight across a translucent board formed of constellations and shifting energy.

Across from her sat a man cloaked in dark blue and shadow, his face obscured behind a laughing mask carved from obsidian. A flicker of power radiated from him—chaotic, unpredictable. Dangerous.

He moved a bishop lazily. "So. The girl made it through."

"She did," the Moon Goddess replied without looking up.

"Not bad."

"And?" the man asked, voice dripping with amusement. "Was she what you expected?"

"I can’t judge her so soon, she hasn’t chosen her path yet. She is still forming," the Goddess said. "Like a seedling yet to germinate."

He tilted his head. "And the others? That cursed one and that other bastard?"

The moon Goddess let out a small laugh. "The bastard? Hehe! Do you really hate that kid that much?"

The man snorted, and made a mocking face. "That kid is not important enough for me to waste my hatred on."

She paused for a moment before speaking. "They are still unraveling."

The man leaned back, resting his arms behind his head. "You always did like cryptic metaphors."

"I prefer precision. You simply lack patience."

He laughed. "Touché."

They sat in silence for a moment, the game frozen mid-state.

Then he asked, casually, "Did you do what was needed?"

The Moon Goddess raised her eyes to meet his through the veil. "Yes."

Another pause. The stars around them shifted slightly.

"Well then," the man whispered, leaning forward again, voice suddenly low and serious. "Let’s see if they can break fate."

The Goddess nodded once, slowly.

And the game resumed.

.................................

Back in the vault, Rai leaned against a stone pillar, watching Eron try to cram one last set of vials into a pouch already bursting at the seams.

"You’re gonna break it," Rai warned.

"It’s elastic!" Eron insisted.

"Not that elastic."

A small pop sounded, and a puff of red powder hit Eron in the face.

He coughed violently. "Okay. Maybe that one was less elastic."

Rai just sighed. "Let’s go before you explode."

With a last glance at the forgotten legacy of a madman, they stepped out of the vault—loaded with supplies, with questions, and unknowingly, with the faint scent of destiny still clinging to their backs.

The journey was far from over.

But they had taken another step.

And high above, the heavens watched.