“Mr. Hill, who exactly is the owner of that tomb?”
Before Nelson had the chance to visit William’s cave, he already knew of Timothy Hill from Mount San Juan Teotihuaca. Although Hill wasn’t particularly powerful, his divination and face-reading skills were among the best in the world.
According to the customs within their Soulmancer community, Timothy Hill’s residence was on Mount San Juan Teotihuaca, which he regarded as his territory. Even if the Arcane Society wanted to intervene with the tomb’s matters, they would at least need to pay him a courtesy visit first.
With his eyes closed, Timothy Hill said slowly, “Nelson, don’t ask about the cave anymore. If the cave’s owner becomes angry due to this, the consequences would be beyond what you can bear.”
Ideally, Timothy Hill would have liked to have a say in this matter. However, with the discovery of the relic and the intervention of the archaeology team, it was out of his control. William had shown no reaction to these events. Knowing William’s indifferent nature, Hill could only let things be. After all, if William truly didn’t want anyone touching his possessions, he would probably handle it effortlessly.
“The owner of the cave?” Nelson took a deep breath. Everyone assumed it was a tomb, but Timothy Hill referred to it as a cave and even mentioned its owner. It’s likely just the secluded residence of some Soulmancer.
Timothy Hill chose not to elaborate further. Nelson gave a slight bow, saying, “I’ll discuss the matter with the head of the archaeological team.”
Nelson had only heard that there were ancient artifacts in the cave from before the classical era. Which era could they be from?
If indeed a Soulmancer from that age had survived till now, they might possess god-like powers.
If such a person were to become enraged, Nelson certainly couldn’t withstand it.
Before Nelson could descend the mountain, Walker had already taken action.
Although Mount San Juan Teotihuaca was heavily guarded, it wasn’t a challenge for Walker. Like a phantom, he evaded the guards. After incapacitating a staff member and stealing their uniform, he stealthily entered the cave under the cover of night.
Seeing that Walker didn’t fatally harm anyone, William paid him no mind, following the path he took.
Inside the cave, any movable artifacts had been taken. What remained were items impossible to shift.
Zeus’s “Thunder Sword”, Apollo’s “Sun Sword”, Athena’s “Wisdom Sword”, and Ares’s “War Sword” were hanging on the rock walls. Thor’s Mj?lnir was carelessly thrown in a corner, as was Odin’s “War Spear” Gungnir. There was also the magical wooden bed where William had slept and Poseidon’s amphora.
Other miscellaneous divine artifacts were scattered throughout the cave.
These items were beyond human interference. If not for William suppressing the magic of these artifacts with a massive energy field, anyone approaching within ten miles of Mount San Juan Teotihuaca would feel suffocated by an overwhelming pressure and perish.
Upon entering the cave and seeing the treasures, Walker was stunned.
Although William had suppressed their aura, as a Soulmancer, Walker could still sense their extraordinary nature.
There were several fully armed soldiers guarding the cave. Walker, dressed as an archaeologist, approached Mj?lnir cautiously.
“Young man, you’re here to take pictures, right? Be careful not to touch that hammer,” a soldier warned. They weren’t afraid of anyone stealing these items. Anything left in the cave was classified as dangerous. Once, an archaeology professor touched Mj?lnir and was electrocuted severely, becoming paralyzed. Another person turned to sand upon touching the ‘War Spear’. The swords on the wall were even more terrifying; anyone approaching them would instantly vaporize into a bloody mist.
Who could possibly steal such items?
Hearing this, Walker just smiled. He eyed the five soldiers guarding the cave, all elite troops.
Stealing under their watchful eyes wouldn’t be easy.
Preparing himself, Walker held five steel needles between his fingers: two in his left hand, three in his right.
He’d have to incapacitate all five instantly. 𝑜𝘷𝑙.𝘰𝑟𝑔
Seizing an opportunity when the guards were distracted, Walker swiftly launched his needles, taking them all down. Smirking, he thought, today he would surely take something from here.
“Who are you?”
As he reached out for Mj?lnir, Nelson suddenly rushed in, grabbing Walker’s wrist. It was a true red-handed capture.
Walker, who was merely a beginner-level Soulmancer, was no match for Nelson, a high-level Soulmancer. The difference in their strengths was vast, leaving Walker with no room to resist.
“What kind of person are you?” Walker exclaimed in shock, not expecting another Soulmancer to be present, especially one who seemed much more powerful than himself.
“I am Nelson from the Arcane Society!”
Nelson declared his affiliation, but Walker snorted, “Arcane Society? Never heard of it. You came to steal these artifacts, didn’t you?”
“What a way to turn the tables!” Nelson responded coldly, and without another word, he swiftly knocked Walker unconscious.
After subduing Walker, Nelson looked around the cave. Being part of the Arcane Society, another Soulmancer organization, he had some knowledge of objects imbued with divine energy.
“Mj?lnir? The ‘Spear of War’?” Nelson was taken aback. When his eyes settled on the four swords mounted on the stone wall, he nearly choked in disbelief. “My God… Zeus’s ‘Thunder Sword’, Apollo’s ‘Sun Sword’, Athena’s ‘Sword of Wisdom’, and Ares’s ‘Sword of War’?”
Nelson swallowed hard. Was this the burial place of gods? So many divine artifacts.
As he was reeling from the discovery, footsteps echoed, and William slowly approached him.
“Is it you?” Nelson stared at William, hesitated for a moment, and called out, “Sir!”
Having received guidance from the soul of the magician Merlin, Nelson was already aware of William’s extraordinary nature.
William simply nodded in response. He approached and gently took down Zeus’s ‘Thunder Sword’, Apollo’s ‘Sun Sword’, Athena’s ‘Sword of Wisdom’, and Ares’s ‘Sword of War’. With a wave of his hand, he tore open a spatial rift, placing these items in his private storage space, taking all four swords with him.
“Sir, this is not appropriate,” Nelson protested. He didn’t dare confront William directly, but William’s audacious action of taking everything from the cave felt excessive.
William, showing no interest in lengthy discussions, continued to make each item in the cave disappear, with Nelson merely watching.
Only after he had taken everything did William finally address Nelson: “All these items were originally mine. It’d be best if you keep this discovery a secret, as if they were never found.”
“You’re the owner of this cave?” Nelson cautiously asked, recalling Timothy Hill’s words. The overwhelming pressure exerted by William, combined with his assertive claim over the artifacts, strongly suggested that William might indeed be the cave’s master.
“Yes. Is it wrong for me to take back what’s mine?”
Biting his lip, Nelson questioned, “Sir, how can you prove these items belong to you?”