Chapter 15 Treasure in the Dark Chamber

The moment the hidden compartment on the wall was opened, a dazzling, multicolored light burst forth from the darkness. Nie Yan looked into the compartment, the brilliant light almost blinding him. Looking inside, the compartment was a mess. Many items must have been taken by the NPCs, but many things were still left behind, mostly gems.

Nie Yan collected these gems and counted them. There were five Lucky Gem (1) and others that were more precious, Toughness Gem (1) and Life Gem (1)—two Toughness Gems and three Life Gems. Gems of quality 1 were the worst, but still very rare. Each Lucky Gem (1) was worth about five silver coins. As for the prices of Toughness Gems and Life Gems, it was hard to say, since no one on the market sold them. If a gem craftsman inlaid them into equipment, it could increase the equipment's toughness and health stats.

For two silver coins, a gem craftsman could make a socket in a piece of equipment. Gold-grade equipment could have two sockets, Dark-Gold-grade equipment could have three sockets, and Legendary-grade equipment could have five sockets. Then, for another three silver coins, the gems could be inlaid. Inlaying a Toughness Gem (1) would increase toughness by 5 points, and a Life Gem (1) would increase health by 50 points.

Because of the enormous benefits of Toughness Gems and Life Gems, every team was practically fighting over them, but the drop rate was extremely low, so they were basically available in name only, impossible to buy. Generally, Toughness Gems and Life Gems were only worth inlaying in Dark-Gold-grade equipment. As for Gold-grade equipment, it had to be especially precious, like a shield.

*I've struck it rich,* Nie Yan thought. Today’s harvest was abundant. In any case, the travel expenses were definitely recovered. If these gems were taken to the market, they would definitely make most people go crazy with envy. Of course, Nie Yan would never sell them. Having so many gems could raise the grade of his own equipment! Even if he did sell them, it would be after supplying himself, and then he would sell the excess to some acquaintances and friends.

These gems made Nie Yan extremely excited.

After putting the gems into his bag, he searched the secret compartment to make sure nothing was left behind. Then, Nie Yan closed the secret compartment and swam forward.

As Nie Yan swam, he paid attention to the surrounding stone walls, but made no other discoveries.

After swimming in the narrow waterway for more than ten minutes, Nie Yan saw a glimmer of light above and swam upward. Finally, he emerged from the water. Ahead was an incredibly vast space, large enough to accommodate hundreds of people. In the center was a golden coffin, about five yards long, two yards wide, and two yards high, covered in sculptures and intricate dragon patterns.

Apart from this golden coffin, there was nothing else here.

*There don’t seem to be any monsters here,* Nie Yan thought as he leapt out of the water and walked toward the huge golden coffin. The Dark Paladin also emerged from the water and stood not far from Nie Yan.

The Shadow of Sotghro, a powerful Thief Legendary item, had many historical legends. It was said that during the Dark Ages, Ceristostoht, the city lord of Sotghro, used this item. In later wars, this item was broken into fragments. When a player collected three fragments, the Shadow of Sotghro, possessing powerful magic, would be restored to its original state.

This fragment was temporarily useless, and could only take effect after all three fragments were collected. But the important thing was that Nie Yan knew the locations of the other two fragments. One fragment was in a level 30 map, and the other fragment was in a level 60 map. Although levels 30 and 60 were a bit far off, at least the goal was clear.

Legendary-grade items were something countless players didn’t even dare to dream of. Since he had the opportunity to get his hands on one, Nie Yan would never miss it. At worst, he would take the fragment first, and wait until his level was high enough to find the other fragments. From a long-term perspective, this was just laying the groundwork for the future.

Nie Yan walked toward the golden coffin. At the top of the golden coffin was a line of text, also in the dragon language: "Tomb of Lord Ceristostoht. Trespassers will be punished by the Lord!"

The thing Nie Yan was looking for was inside this golden coffin. He had to open the golden coffin!

A fragment of the Shadow of Sotghro was within reach!

Since he had come this far, he couldn't give up.

The Dark Paladin stood beside Nie Yan as he approached the golden coffin. The green fire in its eye sockets flickered incessantly. As a low-level creature, it had no intelligence and did not know what fear was. Its instinct was to protect Nie Yan.

Nie Yan glanced at the Dark Paladin's attribute bar. After entering this space, the Dark Paladin's attribute bar had an additional status.

Dark Pressure (??): All Attributes -20%.

The Dark Paladin's attributes had actually decreased by as much as 20%.

*I wonder what terrifying thing is in this golden coffin,* Nie Yan thought, feeling a little apprehensive. If he tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice, failing to get the Shadow of Sotghro and losing himself in the process, wouldn't that be too bad?

In his previous life, Nie Yan had only heard rumors about the inner city pyramid of the Ancient City of Sotghro, and his impression was not deep. As for this golden coffin, he had never even heard of it.

*I wonder if I can use a Return Scroll here.*

Nie Yan took out a Return Scroll and looked at it. He could use a Return Scroll! Knowing that he could use a Return Scroll here, Nie Yan felt much more relaxed. At worst, he would take the item and use the Return Scroll to return to the city. Even if the Dark Paladin wasn't great, it could at least hold out for a while.

Risk and reward coexist. If he didn’t take risks, how could he gain without effort?

Nie Yan made up his mind, walked to the side of the golden coffin, and felt around on the coffin. He found a raised piece of metal. This was the mechanism to open the golden coffin! Nie Yan carefully pressed it down and quickly retreated behind the Dark Paladin. If any danger appeared, he could only rely on the Dark Paladin to resist.

The mechanism inside the golden coffin made a terrifying turning sound. The coffin lid slowly slid open, the coffin lid rubbing against the metal below, making a sharp, ear-piercing sound, as unpleasant as a knife cutting metal.

After the coffin lid opened, a corpse wearing heavy armor appeared before Nie Yan. The corpse had already decayed, leaving only a skeleton. It wore a golden crown on its head, and its hands were clasped together on its chest, holding a golden longsword. It was clear that it had been buried with a solemn and dignified expression.

Kru Metal, Black Candle Crystal… Nie Yan glanced at the materials of the equipment worn by the corpse, his heart pounding. These were all priceless items.

The equipment on this corpse was not something Nie Yan could use. These items were not light, and with Nie Yan's current strength, he couldn't move them even if he used all his strength.

Nie Yan glanced into the coffin. Next to the corpse was a small wooden box, which looked extremely ordinary. Placed inside such a magnificent golden coffin, it seemed somewhat out of place. His eyes lit up. This was exactly what he wanted.

Nie Yan's heart couldn't help but beat faster.

The Shadow of Sotghro, something coveted by countless thieves, was lying there quietly, within reach, readily available. What an exciting thing that was!