<h4>Chapter 137 Damian and the three mystic orbs, Part-5 </h4>


    "By the way, did you guys alsoe to look for the hidden treasure in this dungeon?" Damian asked, looking at the two girls sitting in front of the bonfire. His tone seemed doubtful.


    "I don''t think our party had informed anyone else about the existence of a hidden treasure in this dungeon," Damian continued.


    At Damian''s question, Lia tilted her head in confusion and asked, "Hidden treasure? I have no idea what you are talking about." She shook her head at Damian''s doubtful look.


    Hearing Lia''s remarks, Damian hesitated for a moment, but then a look of determination appeared on his face.


    "Most of my party members are dead anyway, and I wouldn''t be able to reach the treasure on my own either." (Damian)


    "How about you guys team up with me? Together, we can at least try to find those key items before we escape this dungeon, what do you say?" Damian proposed.


    Lia shook her head immediately after hearing Damian''s request.


    "No, I still have to find my other team members, and I can''t leave before clearing this dungeon." (Lia)


    Damian''s eyes widened at Lia''s deration.


    He replied in a shocked tone, "You want to clear this S-rank dungeon on your own!?"


    "Little girl, I don''t want to belittle you, but you are still too weak to clear an S-rank dungeon! Even if you find your teammates..." (Damian)


    "Wait! is there an S-ranker among your teammates!?" (Damian)


    Hearing Damian''s question, Lia shook her head and replied:


    "No, but we have enough strength. You don''t need to worry about that. Instead, you should worry about how you would get out of this area."


    At Lia''s remarks, Damian replied in a quiet and depressed tone:


    "Uh, I was hoping you guys would take me with you."


    Although Damian was talking in a small voice, Lia still heard him loud and clear. She immediately shrugged her shoulders at his request.


    "I would have to consult my team members if they approve, then you cane with us." (Lia)


    ''I would have to ask Rio about what''s going on with this strange man…'' Lia thought to herself.


    "By the way, the ''Three Keys'' you mentioned, what are those three keys?" (Lia)


    Hearing Lia''s question, Damian''s eyes lit up. He replied in a proud tone:


    "I have been wandering around in this foggy ce for quite some time now. Just a few days ago, I found these books in an abandoned cave." (Damian)


    Damian pointed to the several books scattered around the bonfire, his face conflicted.


    "At that time, I still had one other party member with me. He was in aa due to mana deviation. He passed away two days ago… ugh." (Damian)


    Talking about hisrade, Damian went silent for a while.


    He looked at the horizon with empty eyes and sighed heavily.


    "I wasn''t able to help him in any way possible...." (Damian)


    Damian held his grimoire in his hand tightly and said with a sad tone.


    "This artifact can only protect one person.... I didn''t dare to part with this artifact to save his life.... I had to survive; my two daughters have been waiting at home for me. I can''t die here." (Damian)


    Damian hurriedly shook his head and stopped thinking about the past:


    "Cough… I got distracted from the topic! Haha! Don''t mind me; it''s just an old habit of mine."


    Damian scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, and an embarrassed smile appeared on his face.


    "Your daughters must be very important to you, old man," (Riya)


    "Haha, yes, they are my whole world to me… haha," Damian replied.


    This was the first time Riya talked to Damian face to face; the rest of the time she was just nibbling on her candies and didn''t even look at Damian for a single second.


    Damian nced at the happy-go-lucky girl, and a slightly nostalgic look appeared on his face.


    "Haha, little girl, you are like the spitting image of my elder daughter. Haha, she is always smiling like you! Although the older one doesn''t seem to like sweet stuff, but my younger daughter likes sweet stuff a lot! Haha!" (Damian)


    "One time, I tried to give my younger daughter a piece of chocte, and she nearly bit my fingers off, haha… She likes sweets a lot..." (Damian)


    Seeing that Damian was about to continue bragging about his daughters, Lia decided to stop the talk from further escting.


    "Ahem! What were you saying about the treasure?" (Lia)


    Hearing Lia, Damian stopped his nonsense talk and coughed embarrassingly.


    After a few seconds of awkwardness, he continued:


    "So, from these books, I found out about the fact that there is a rare treasure hidden in this dungeon.... That treasure.... can increase the maximum potential of an individual!!!" (Damian)


    Hearing Damian, Lia was shocked beyond words. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she said in a bewildered tone:


    "No way! That''s ridiculous! A person''s talent can''t be increased with any artifact or treasure!" (Lia) (Rio and Fade are glitches in the matrix; they aren''t being counted here…)


    What Lia said were actual facts; unless it''s ''Enlightenment'', none of the other methods are known to have ever increased someone''s maximum talent potential.


    This is basic knowledge of this world, which even 5-year-old children know about.


    Hearing Lia''s bewildered tone, Damian shook his head in denial.


    "I know it sounds total bullsh*t, but this is what''s written in these books.... I don''t have any proof that these things written in the books are true or false, but even if there''s a slight possibility, it would be worth it...." (Damian)


    After hesitating for a while, Damian brought out a silver orb from the space ring he was wearing.


    The orb had a silver and whitish color to it, and it was the size of a cricket ball.


    "In the book, it is mentioned that there are three Mystic orbs scattered around in this dungeon… One is this silver orb, the other is a magma-colored orb, and the third is ck colored." (Damian)


    "Each of them asks for a sacrifice; the sacrifice varies in nature and depends on the color of the orb. It is mentioned that ''Only through a sacrifice, can one achieve greatness!''" (Damian)


    Hearing Damian, Lia asked in confusion:


    "What sacrifice exactly?" (Lia)


    Damian shook his head at Lia''s question and sighed heavily.


    "I don''t know… there was no detail about what the sacrifice is.... There was only written that ''You have to sacrifice,'' but what exactly, there was no such mention...." (Damian)


    Lia tilted her head in confusion and asked:


    "Then how did you get your hands on this orb without even sacrificing anything?" (Lia)


    At Lia''s question, Damian shrugged his shoulders and pointed his index finger towards a distant hill.


    "You see thatrge hill over there, near the horizon? That is the nest of the mini-boss of this area." (Damian)


    "Right now, that giant bear must be sleeping since it is noon, but it generally wanders around in this foggy area during the night..." (Damian)


    "I sneaked into its nest... and found this orb resting on an old-


    looking altar...." (Damian)


    "Although I ended up getting entangled in a fight with himter.... but in the end, I was sessful in running away from that big guy..." (Damian)


    Lia asked in a doubtful tone:


    "Why didn''t it chase you then?" (Lia)


    Damian shrugged his shoulders and replied in a confident tone:


    "Well, half of its body has already rotted away. It used to be an S-rank monster at its peak condition, I assume, but right now, it''s barely at the level of a peak A-ranker." (Damian)


    "...But still, it can''t run as fast as me with that rotten body of its...." (Damian)


    Hearing about the monster, Lia contemted for a while in her mind.


    ''Hmm, that monster can''t run fast and is barely at peak A-rank… yeah, it''s weak… Rio can kill it in one attack…'' (Lia)


    (Lia has seen Rio''s fighting prowess; she knows what that emotionless guy is capable of....)


    ''I think I know what is going on around here… this guy is too weak and mistook a peak A-rank monster as an S-ranked one, which ultimately proves that his judgment of this dungeon being S-rank one is also wed…'' (Lia)


    ''Sigh, I was worrying over such pointless reasons….'' Lia sighed internally.


    After thinking all this, Lia rxed a bit; now she knew that she was not on the wrong track and that they couldplete this mission without failure.


    ''I would have to talk to Rio about those orbs though.... I wonder if he knows anything about them…'' (Lia).


    ''I don''t have an appraisal artifact on me right now; perhaps Rio might have one on him....'' (Lia)


    Just when Lia was contemting in her mind, an extremely loud and beastly roar resounded throughout the foggy hills area.


    *Roooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr*


    The three of them looked in the direction of the sound with shocked expressions.


    "What the!? That''s the voice of that giant bear!" (Damian)


    He hurriedly got up and stared at the distantrge hill with narrowed eyes.


    And sure enough, a giant monster''s silhouette was visible on the horizon.


    Seeing that giant figure rushing towards them directly, Damian shouted in a panicked voice:


    "Wh-what''s goin'' on!? I have been wandering in this area for days, and that bear didn''t notice me, but what happened all of a sudden now!?" (Damian)


    ...


    ...


    Author''s Notes:


    Yo! Your beloved author is here! Hoho, the mystery intensifies with each moment, and the suspense builds up with each new chapter! Amazing!


    Question of the Day:


    What animal do you think you can fight barehanded?


    1. A Lion (We are talking about a wild lion, not those pet Lions you have at your home…)


    2. A Wild Bull (A red g might do the trick, but what about the red gs in your life?)


    3. A Bear (Please go to therapy if you think you can fight a brown bear, except if you are a fellow ''Comrade''…)


    Hidden Option:


    4. Or you are too busy fighting that depression and can''t take on anything else at the moment…


    By the way, don''t forget to use those power stones and also leave a review if you like the story. Comment your opinion about the chapter. Your support is my motivation.