Chapter 330 - Chapter 330: Chapter 314 Sapphire (1/2)

Chapter 330: Chapter 314 Sapphire

The Fischer family’s ship gradually embarked on the homeward journey, and as they drew closer to the White Sea, the thick, black clouds that once enveloped the sky began to dissipate completely. The oppressive feeling of sailing under a dense curse slowly faded, and the unease deep within the hearts of those aboard receded bit by bit.

The large ship rocked gently beneath their feet, and within the simple-looking cabin, the rejuvenated Byrne placed the blood-stained Gold Coin on the table and said calmly,

“Now, I’ll take you back to the Ouden Continent… ‘Time Stasis Stone,’ how does it feel to leave the island?”

“Huff…”

The voice of an old man came from the Gold Coin, trembling and shuddering, conveying an unmistakable excitement.

“I feel great, incredibly unbelievable, I even want to cry… Unfortunately, I can no longer weep.”

“Anyway, Mithril, no, Byrne Fischer, I must thank you for saving me.”

Byrne nodded slightly, smiling as he said, “There’s no need for thanks, after all, bringing you out and promising to release you were both out of self-interest.”

“Actually, I’ve been wanting to know something, Time Stasis Stone, how did you manage to enter the Alchemy Council, especially since you were trapped in such a place, what was the opportunity that allowed you to come into contact with the Alchemy Council?”

The old voice of the “Time Stasis Stone” came from the bloodied Gold Coin.

“I really didn’t expect it, ah, your Fischer family turns out to be such a terrifying existence. After establishing ‘The Oath,’ you’ve shocked me all along…”

“Heh, the world is becoming crazier, isn’t it?”

Byrne smiled, raised his hand, and said, “Nowadays, we are so-called ‘fellow travelers.’ Time Stasis Stone, you might as well be at ease and serve the Fischer family for a hundred years; you don’t need to overthink.”

“And, answer my question.”

“Yes, yes, heh, alright, my master…” said the old man in the Gold Coin with a teasing tone.

The “Time Stasis Stone” had now fully accepted his predicament, not even finding it too terrible; after all, compared to an endless, indefinite hellish abyss, a hundred-year prison with an end in sight was not something unacceptable.

A mere hundred years were but a moment in time, and during these hundred years, he could come into contact with many things, no longer trapped in unending boredom.

“My Spiritual Body wandered around the ruins of that city for many years, especially in the first few decades, never resting for an instant…”

“Wandering, constantly wandering, not knowing how many years had passed, I encountered a very strange riddle.”

A riddle?

Byrne’s eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Then, the old man continued.

“Yes, a riddle… in the master bedroom of the city, there was a cellar, and deep within the cellar, there was a treasure.”

“It was an extraordinary Gold cipher box, which I, though in the form of a Spiritual Body, could not pass through. Moreover, there were many blue runes on it, neatly and exquisitely arranged into thirteen rings; whenever I attempted to disturb them from the physical world, those runes would flash.”

Hearing this, Byrne realized that it was an alchemical tool known as a “cipher box,” and in recent years, followers of the Reforging Church had also invented similar devices, with mechanical locks and safes crafted for security.

Then “Time Stasis Stone” continued his tale.

“I found that each time I moved the runes, that ring would light up quickly, and then it was clear, all thirteen rings of runes had to be aligned with the correct answer to unlock the Gold cipher box.”

“If I failed, it would trigger some kind of deadly trap…”

“Near the Gold cipher box, there were seven stone slabs with various strange stories painted on them. At that time, I quickly realized they must be clues for solving the riddle of the Gold cipher box.”

“So, you solved the riddle through the stories on those seven stone slabs?” Byrne surmised and asked with a nod.

However, the answer from the “Time Stasis Stone” was unexpectedly unconventional.

“Not at all!”

Hmm?

Byrne was stunned, not expecting the turn of events.

The “Time Stasis Stone” said with nuanced emphasis,

“Normally, without solving the riddle or knowing the combination, aligning all thirteen rings of runes on the box would almost be impossible, and it would likely result in a death trap on the first failed attempt at decryption.”

“But as you can see, my situation is a bit special, so I didn’t fear the trap or the passage of time, thus I employed a simple and crude method… exhaustive search.”

“…”

Byrne was left speechless and fell into deep contemplation; it made sense, perhaps for the “Time Stasis Stone,” in that situation, solving the Gold cipher box too soon would actually lead to boredom.

Exhaustive search, huh…

The old man sighed and said,

“It’s just that I’m a bit too lucky, alas, after merely a rough period of exhaustive search, I happened to open the Gold cipher box.”

Byrne was curious to know just how long this “rough period of time” actually was.

It might have been even longer than the existence of the Fischer family.

“Time Stasis Stone” continued with some emotion, “Then the Gold cipher box crumbled on its own, vanishing without trace, leaving behind only the treasure inside it.”

“Within that dissolving Gold cipher box, I found a dazzlingly brilliant blue gem.”

“A blue gem?” Byrne committed this piece of information to memory.