Chapter 635: I suppose it's time for us to part ways
Kyle glanced at the chamber he arrived in after entering the gate; it was an ordinary room with a table in the center.
He floated towards the table, landing on the ground, only to notice several scales placed on it. Asher and Zron also appeared behind him and promptly joined him.
Kyle grabbed one of the palm-sized, nail-shaped scales laid out on the table in front of him and examined it intently.
"Golden Scales? Are they even useful?"
Bia squinted at the scale in his hand, her brows furrowed.
-"It's shiny though? Like beautiful... don't tell me the scales on the table are the reward of this trial ground because I don't see anything else in this chamber."
Zron grabbed one of the scales and also examined it but didn't find it much useful except the fact that it was quite robust... so much so that even with his transcendent rank strength, he wasn't able to break it.
He glanced at Kyle.
"Can you check if you can break it? The material is quite sturdy. I am sure these scales can sell for a hefty price."
Kyle nodded and gave it a shot with ten percent of his strength. A look of surprise dawned on his face as the scale remained unbroken. He increased his strength to fifty percent, but the outcome was unchanged. It wasn't until he exerted hundred percent of his strength on the scale that a minuscule crack finally emerged on its surface.
"It's actually quite sturdy. I can't break the scale even though, with the gloves, my strength is at the first stage of the supreme rank... but why does the smell emanating from the scales feel somewhat familiar?"
He completely enveloped the golden scale in his hand with his scent perception skill, and a realization crossed his face. Kyle turned to Asher, who was quietly gazing at the scales with a complex expression. The half-dragon noticed his stare and sighed.
"You finally caught on?"
He stepped forward and picked up one of the scales from the table.
"These are dragon scales. I don't think we can use them to boost our strength; they are typically used to craft armor. First a dragon heart and now dragon scales? I'm curious, did the people who set up this trial ground kill an actual dragon for all this?"
Kyle tossed the scale onto the table, and it made a soft clinking sound as it joined the other scales.
"They likely did. How else would they have acquired these? If not, I suppose they got these from a dying dragon. Regardless, the trip here was pointless. I don't use armors. Plus, we're lacking someone who can craft one from these scales."
Asher and Zron nodded, but that didn't stop them from reaching out to grab the scales. Before they could, Bia spread out her wings over the table with gleaming eyes.
-"They are beautiful, so they are mine. Let's create jewelry with them. I should wear more accessories like this ring."
She raised her talon and displayed the ring around her ankle. Kyle's eyebrow twitched. "Can you even carry them? We have already collected so many useless things. They're just gathering dust in my mind space."
Bia blinked with sparkling eyes.
-"Can't we grab a few more? I don't believe it would make a difference."
She whispered with sad eyes.
-"As a beast, I lack a mind space, hence I can't stash what I like in a separate spot. Can't you even do this much for me?"
Zron and Asher were taken aback by Bia's words, and upon witnessing her sorrowful eyes, the pair retreated.
There was no chance they would take something from the phoenix after seeing her round eyes. They glanced at Kyle, who was momentarily speechless. He sighed and stored the scales in his mind space.
"Content?"
Bia nodded with a pleased look, a stark contrast to Asher and Zron's expressions. Nonetheless, the duo reassured themselves that the scales held no value for them. So, it was all good.
As the three men and one phoenix exited the chamber, they immediately spotted the two elves and the demi-human emerging from the neighboring doors, with satisfied looks on their faces.
It appears that the elves and the demi-human also acquired valuable items.
Zron felt like crying. He endured so much struggle to complete this trial, yet... ended up with nothing.
Bia chuckled as the two elves and the demi-human avoided them like plague and rushed towards the chamber's exit to depart the trial ground.
-'I guess your luck stat led you to the most beneficial treasure. I wonder what the elves and the demi-human discovered.'
Kyle stole a quick glance at the trio.
'I couldn't sense what lay within the chambers because of the barriers. So, unfortunately, I'm clueless too.'
He created a portal and entered, choosing to exit the trial ground directly rather than dealing with the hassle. Asher and Zron followed him, but as soon as they emerged from the other side of the portal, a familiar bell chimed throughout the entire tomb. Kyle gazed up at the
darkening sky.
"Night has finally arrived."
An excited gleam danced in his green eyes as the space around him darkened within seconds. Asher became alert. Night was dangerous in this tomb.
Zron also grew vigilant as he had already figured out that the many undead creatures he fought for his life when he first entered the tomb only showed up at night and vanished when
morning came.
Now, upon hearing the familiar sound again, he was sure it marked the shift between day and night in this tomb.
Kyle shot a quick look back at the half-dragon and the old man.
"I suppose it's time for us to part ways."
Asher blinked, looking stunned.
"What? Why-!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Kyle began to float. Asher wanted to follow him and the phoenix like before, but his eyes widened as the human swiftly created a portal at a speed that even put the supreme rank to shame and vanished into it with Bia, leaving him with Zron, who was shocked that the silver-haired man had left him alone in such a perilous moment.
"What in the world??"
The half-dragon spread out his senses to locate the human and the phoenix, but he realized with a wide-open mouth he couldn't track them at all!
It was as if Kyle had completely concealed his and Bia's presence!
"Wait, so he could hide his aura easily this whole time...? Why was he showing off his strength then?? That powerful jerk! He's making me feel like I'm weaker than him, even though I'm at
the supreme rank!"
He whipped his head toward Zron and finally realized why the human left the old man alone with him. Kyle knew Asher would not abandon the old man to die, considering their
friendship.
That sneaky bastard.