Max crossed his arms and asked casually—

"By the way… have you ever gone to the fifth floor of this temple?"

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The blob of slime bobbed slightly in thought before responding.

"No, I haven't. Why do you ask?"

Max sighed.

He had hoped that the blob, having been the temple's guardian for thousands of years, would have some knowledge about the miniature sun he had seen on the fifth floor.

But it seemed—

His expectations were too high.

The blob tilted its form, noticing Max's reaction.

"Why do you ask?"

Max shook his head, shrugging slightly.

"There was a miniature sun in one of the rooms. A massive ball of fire, burning intensely, hotter than anything I've ever felt."

He paused, recalling the scene vividly.

"Aside from that… the room was completely empty. I thought you might know something about it, but since you've never even entered the fifth floor, I suppose that was too much to expect."

At first, the blob remained silent.

But then—

Its entire form rippled.

Its eyes narrowed.

"A miniature sun… a ball of fire…"

It repeated the words slowly, as if trying to recall something.

Then—

It suddenly turned to Max.

A rare seriousness in its expression.

"I think I know what you're talking about."

Max's eyes widened slightly.

Then, in an instant, his disappointment was replaced by excitement.

"You know?!"

His voice was urgent now.

He took a step forward.

"Then tell me—what is that miniature sun?"

The blob's form shifted, as if contemplating its answer.

And then—

It spoke.

"If I'm not wrong… that miniature sun you're talking about is the 'Gold Sun'."

Max's eyes sharpened.

The name alone carried weight.

The blob continued, its voice filled with recollection.

"My master found this thing in the 'Middle Domain'."

It paused before adding—

"At the time, he had no idea what it was, so he stored it inside the temple to study it."

Then—

A look of amazement flickered across the blob's face as it turned back to Max.

"After years of research, my master speculated that it was a 'treasure'—either something born from nature itself or something that was 'accidentally lost' by a powerful being."

Max's curiosity flared.

"What kind of treasure?"

The blob shrugged.

"That, I don't know. A treasure could be anything—a weapon, a technique, a skill, an artifact. It depends on what one 'needs' from it."

A short pause.

"However… my master speculated that this miniature sun was an 'artifact'. But in the end, it was only speculation."

Max nodded slowly, absorbing the information.

But then—

Something bothered him.

"But why is it still on fire after 'ten thousand years'?"

His eyes widened.

"That thing has been burning 'nonstop' for millennia! Most flames would have long since died out, even if they were mystical in nature. But this one... this one has never dimmed!"

The blob fell into deep thought, murmuring to itself.

"That is indeed… astonishing."

It remained still for a moment before whispering—

"I guess whatever is inside that treasure… may be of the 'Demigod Level'."

Max's head snapped toward the blob.

His expression stiffened in shock.

"Demigod level?"

A new term.

Something he had never heard before.

"Is that above 'Legendary Rank'?"

The blob's expression darkened slightly as it stared at Max.

"You'll know that eventually."

Then, its gaze shifted, turning strangely greedy.

"So… what did you find in the fifth floor? Any treasures?"

Max's expression darkened.

Not at the blob—

But at the situation itself.

"What treasures?"

His voice carried a hint of irritation.

"There was nothing in the fifth floor that even hinted at a treasure—aside from hundreds of books your master hoarded."

A cold sneer formed on his lips.

"I guess it was a waste of time fighting to become the 'chosen one' when all it meant was a 99.99% chance of 'dying'."

His tone was filled with resentment.

"Hehe," the blob chuckled, unbothered by Max's frustration.

"Of course there would be nothing. My master never planned to share his inheritance to begin with."

Max's eyes twitched.

He was already pissed off, and the blob laughing at his misery wasn't helping.

Max glared at the blob, but deep down, he knew it wasn't to blame.

The blob noticed his look and shrugged.

"Don't look at me like that."

Its voice was nonchalant.

"Even I didn't know about my master's conspiracy. But…"

It suddenly grinned mischievously.

"That doesn't mean I don't know where all the good stuff is hidden in this temple."

Max's eyes widened slightly.

Then—

His expression changed to one of excitement.

"You know?!"

The blob smirked proudly, flashing a cheeky smile.

"Hmph, of course I know!"

Max rolled his eyes but quickly regained his composure.

If this blob was saying there were actual treasures hidden elsewhere in the temple…

Then there was still something worth claiming.

Without wasting a second—

He crossed his arms and gave the blob a sharp look.

"Then what are you waiting for? Take me there."

His voice was firm, determined.

If there was still something valuable left in this temple—

He wasn't leaving without it.

The blob chuckled, its form bouncing with amusement.

"Hehe, follow me."

Without hesitation, Max trailed behind as the blob led him to a secluded area within the fourth floor.

As they walked—

A massive door came into view.

But it wasn't an ordinary door.

It was entirely formed from mana and runes.

A blue glow pulsed across its surface, with countless intricate runes swirling along the edges—each one filled with mysterious energy.

The blob turned to Max and gestured toward the door.

"This is the entrance to the 'Treasure Chamber'—where my master kept all his most valuable belongings."

Max's eyes gleamed with curiosity.

But before he could speak, the blob sighed.

"Unfortunately… this door can 'only' be opened by my master."

Max frowned hearing it but he didn't lose hope and observed the door first.

He took a closer look at the door.

At its center, there was a perfectly round, empty circle—

A scanning mechanism, perhaps?

His mind raced.

'So many runes…!'

He had seen rune locks before—

But never at this scale.

Whoever created this door had ensured no one but the temple master could enter.

Which meant—

The things inside must have been incredibly valuable.

Max extended his hand, pressing his fingers against the glowing circle in the center—

Just to inspect it.

But then—

Something unexpected happened.

The entire door shuddered.

A deep humming noise echoed through the chamber.

And before the blob could even react—

The door began to open.

The blob froze.

Its eyes widened in disbelief.

Max, too, was momentarily stunned.

Because this door—

A door that was supposed to only open for the temple master—

Had just opened by him.

Max stared in disbelief at the now-open door, his eyes flickering with confusion.

"Hah? The door opened just like that?"

His voice carried genuine surprise.

He turned to the blob, expecting an answer.

"Was the lock not in place?"

The blob didn't respond immediately.

It just stared at the door, its body rippling in shock.

Then, finally—

"Impossible!"

Its voice quivered.

"This door has always remained locked! Only my master could open it!"

A beat of silence.

Then, it turned to Max—its expression demanding answers.

"How did you do it?"

Max shrugged, raising both hands in defense.

"How would I know?"

He pointed at the glowing runes that were still flickering around the edges of the door.

"I just touched it… and it opened."

His words were casual—

But inside, even he was questioning it.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay