Ch. 29 Treasure Hunt
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 29 – Treasure Hunt
Despite the growing dissatisfaction with the Return Guild, Isolin and I continued to live our soft, peaceful lives.
Since we were still low-level, there was no reason for us to clash with the Return Guild. Besides, we were consistently paying our gold support.
Early in the morning, I was seriously contemplating whether to spend the gold piling up in my inventory on equipment or save it for the future when Isolin came running over, her large pointed hat swaying wildly.
“Supreme!”
“Hey.”
As always, Isolin’s mornings were full of energy. Her face was lit up with a smile, and her eyes sparkled, suggesting she had something fun in store.
“Let’s go!”
“Where to?”
“The underground ruins!”
“Underground ruins?”
“Yeah!”
Isolin nodded and pulled out an old map.
[Very Suspicious Map]
An old map with markings on a specific area.
There might be a rare treasure hidden here.
The item Isolin presented was exactly what you’d imagine when thinking of a treasure map—slightly worn, somewhat suspicious, and just impressive enough to pique curiosity.
“Where did you get this?”
Isolin and I usually hunted together. If she had obtained this map during our party, I would’ve known about it.
“I pulled it from a jar!”
“A jar?”
“Yeah. Sometimes a jar merchant comes to the tavern. No one knows what’s inside. Some people say they pulled out really good rings.”
“How much did you spend…?”
“20,000 gold!”
I stroked my chin at Isolin’s answer. A merchant selling random jars in front of a tavern? It seemed like a gold sink system designed when the game was created.
If it was an item sold by an NPC and not a player, the story changed. There was a high chance that the end of the map held a massive reward.
It was tempting. I licked my lips.
“So, you want to go treasure hunting today?”
“Yeah!”
There were a few places that naturally came to mind when thinking of hidden treasure: forgotten ruins, collapsed temples, or massive tombs built for the kings of fallen kingdoms.
This world was based on a generic fantasy game, so the treasure’s location was likely just as predictable.
The question was whether Isolin and I could handle the treasure hunt alone. There might be countless traps and monsters waiting for us.
“But can we do it with just the two of us?”
“Should we find some party members?”
Isolin answered with a look that suggested she had already thought of this. Her still-bright expression hinted that she had someone in mind.
“Do you know anyone trustworthy?”
“Hmm. Sort of?”
The more party members we added, the smaller Isolin’s and my share of the reward would be.
Of course, since Isolin had brought the map, the decision was hers.
“Then bring them over. I’ll get ready in the meantime.”
“Got it!”
Isolin nodded and ran off, her pink hair fluttering behind her.
“Hmm.”
I got up and left the inn.
There were many preparations to make before embarking on a proper adventure.
Flint and oil, a lantern, a multi-purpose rope, plenty of potions, and food—just in case Isolin and I got separated.
With my current funds, I could afford to stock up generously. I also bought holy water from the Temple, just in case.
By the time I finished preparing, Isolin returned. She wasn’t alone. With her was a girl a head taller than herself.
“Ah, hello!”
[Level 22]
[Gladi]
Level 22. She carried a small bow on her back and a quiver of arrows at her thigh. The two daggers at her waist suggested she was a Ranger, an advanced archer class.
“Hmm…”
I stroked my chin as I examined the girl. She was about 150 cm tall. Her appearance seemed to be based on the game’s default preset 2, with some modifications.
Her long, flowing blonde hair shimmered, and her heart-shaped pupils sparkled pink.
Her arms and legs were short.
Though slightly taller than Isolin and me, she barely passed the acceptable threshold. I nodded with a satisfied smile.
“Nice to meet you, Gladi. I’m Supreme, a 12-year-old Priest.”
“Ah, uh… That setting… I’m Gladi. A 14-year-old Ranger. I specialize in trap detection and scouting.”
Even in that short conversation, I could tell a lot.
Gladi was a serious roleplayer with her own backstory.
Despite it being our first meeting, I felt an inexplicable fondness for her, much like when I first met Isolin.
I smiled and extended my hand to Gladi.
“Ah!”
Gladi belatedly shook my hand. I gently shook hers and continued.
“You’ve heard from Isolin, right?”
“Yes. About the treasure hunt…”
As I chatted with Gladi, I felt a sharp gaze from beside me. It was Isolin.
I quickly let go of Gladi’s hand and spoke.
“So, is Gladi the only one you’re bringing?”
“Yeah.”
Three small girls setting out on a treasure hunt. It wasn’t the most reliable party.
After a brief moment of thought, I nodded. It might be a bit risky, but there was no other choice.
We didn’t have anyone else we could trust, and if word got out about our treasure hunt, others might follow us to steal our treasure.
If it became clear that the three of us couldn’t handle it, we could always return and recruit more party members.
“Alright. Let’s head out, then?”
“Yeah!”
Isolin, Gladi, and I formed a party and left Fox Tail.
Isolin had swapped her pointed hat for a stylish cowboy hat.
“Where did you get that?”
“I pulled it from a jar too!”
The treasure map was integrated into the game’s system. When unfolded, a semi-transparent mini-map appeared, showing the party members and the approximate location of the destination.
The distance from Fox Tail to the destination seemed fairly close, but even after running for an entire day, we hadn’t made much progress.
We ran all day. We crossed wide fields, entered deep mountains, spent a day there, and then ran some more. After three full days of running, we finally arrived at the marked location.
The destination was a massive canyon.
“Wow…”
I couldn’t help but marvel at the majestic scenery before me. Isolin and Gladi also stared at the canyon with wide eyes.
The towering walls on either side were rugged, with some areas gently sloping.
The layers of sediment, built up over countless years, sparkled in the sunlight, revealing various ores.
The massive river flowing through the canyon was equally beautiful. Following the cool, flowing water, I heard the sound of a distant waterfall.
The treasure was hidden somewhere in this canyon. The exact location was unclear, but the map gave us a rough idea.
“Alright. Let’s start searching!”
Party leader Isolin shouted energetically. She adjusted her cowboy hat and began running around the canyon.
“Hmm…”
I watched Isolin and pondered.
The treasure wouldn’t be near the river. If it rained, the water could rise and sweep it away.
So, we needed to look for a more plausible location. Not under large rocks like Isolin was doing.
For example, we could check the space between the towering canyon walls.
Who knows? There might be a hidden path leading to a collapsed ruin.
I got up and began examining the canyon walls with Gladi.
“See anything?”
“No. Just iron and copper ores.”
After some time, as I was starting to feel bored and looking for a place to rest, a sharp scream came from behind.
“Eeeek!”
“Isolin!”
It was the familiar scream of someone being chased by a monster. It was definitely Isolin.
I turned toward the sound and saw the pink-haired girl being swept away by the strong river current.
“Ahhh!”
“Oh no, damn it…!”
The river led to a massive waterfall. If this continued, Isolin would fall. I started running without thinking.
“Isolin!”
But my running speed couldn’t catch up to Isolin being swept away. With every second, the distance between us grew, and a helpless groan escaped my lips.
At that moment.
Whoosh-!
A small gust of wind blew past me. Before I could even turn to see what was happening, a golden flash streaked past.
It was Gladi.
She was incredibly fast. Like the wind, she dashed forward and leaped into the river. As she did, a rope with a weight attached flew toward me.
“Grab that!”
Isolin was being swept away, Gladi had thrown herself into the river to save her, and now there was a weighted rope. I quickly assessed the situation.
I grabbed the rope and ran toward a nearby tree, wrapping it around the trunk. But just as I was about to secure it…
Snap!
The tension in the rope was too much. My body was flung into the air before I could even react.
“Ah…”
In the slow-motion moment, I saw Gladi’s frustrated expression as she looked at me.
The next moment, my body crashed into the cold river water.
Gurgle-gurgle-
“Pfft!”
Vrslop_translator
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