"Haha, Jenkins, your way of thinking is certainly unique. While you were unconscious, I had a brief chat with Pops at your house, and he agrees—you're not like the youth of today, always chasing the latest fads and looking for excitement."
"I suppose I'm just not fond of that kind of life."
He shook his head, watching the professor push aside the undergrowth with his black umbrella.
"Better change the subject."
He thought to himself, then brought up another important matter: "By the way, isn't the Reading Festival in the third week of this month? I'd like to get you a gift, but I'm not sure what you might need."
This month was dedicated to the Legacy Sage, so for believers, there was a festival akin to Christianity's Christmas. The other Orthodox Churches had their own as well, like the Great Mother Earth and her Harvest Feast, or the Unlit Moon and the Day of the Full Moon.
"Gifts are usually a surprise. Why are you asking me directly?"
The professor found it amusing, but considering Jenkins's particular way with friendships, it also felt perfectly natural.
"There's no need for a gift. But if you have time that day, could you come to the Noland First Higher Academy? My students are quite fond of your book. They would be thrilled if you could come and speak with them."
"That's wonderful. The students will be delighted."
The professor beamed, his wrinkles bunching together.
There were no proper roads on the outskirts of the city. Professor Burns led Jenkins across the astonishingly large meadow outside the hospital, cut through a horse pasture, traversed a large forest, and followed a set of railway tracks for half an hour. They then headed east again into a patch of hills, and after a series of winding turns, they finally found a valley.
It was now past midnight; they had been walking for a good two hours.
"We should be just about there."
He moved forward, muttering something under his breath, and soon found a large tree.
It was truly an ancient tree, a fact made obvious by its trunk, which was easily ten times the width of Jenkins's waist.
Breathing in the damp, earthy smell and the distinct scent of decay that permeated the woods, he pushed aside the undergrowth at the base of the tree, revealing an opening that led underground. The moonlight couldn't pierce the ancient tree's dense canopy; the only light illuminating the entrance came from a candle Professor Burns had just lit with a match.
He ducked inside, and Jenkins bent down to follow him.
Inside the entrance was a man-made tunnel, not particularly wide, that sloped gently downward. Every few meters, wooden posts shored up the ceiling to prevent a collapse.
"What is this place?"
Jenkins asked in a hushed voice, afraid his words might bring the tunnel down around them.
"I've mentioned to you before that it's difficult to find any history from before this Epoch. Only a few ancient ruins prove that anything existed before our era."
"And this is one of them?"
After a few more steps, the tunnel suddenly opened up. Professor Burns bent down and searched the ground for a moment, quickly finding a paraffin lamp. He lit it with the candle, finally illuminating their surroundings.
The crude tunnel had broken through a stone brick wall, leading into an open chamber that resembled a foyer, completely enclosed by stone. At the far end of the chamber stood a tall, bronze door.
It was much smaller than the Gate of All Things Jenkins had seen before. The door bore no markings whatsoever; it looked as if two great copper plates had simply been glued into place.
"I found this place in an ancient book and spent half a year digging this tunnel. Today is the final step—opening this door. I was worried there might be danger, which is why I asked you to come along."
The professor's expression was a mixture of joy and a touch of melancholy:
"Three days after I'd dug the tunnel this far, I met you and Oliver in that castle. If only I had joined the Scribes sooner... why did I have to spend half a year digging in the dirt by myself..."
Jenkins wasn't sure how to respond. He remained silent for a few seconds to let the mood settle before quickly changing the subject:
"It must have been a test from the Sage. To unearth a place on your own without running into any danger is no small feat. Ahem, by the way, Professor, what's behind the door? While I'm all for a good treasure hunt, if we end up unleashing some sealed evil, the sin will be on both our heads."
The professor's spirits seemed to lift. Perhaps Jenkins's suggestion of a "test from the Sage" had truly resonated with him, as a hint of confidence appeared on the old man's face:
"The book was written in an unknown language, but it wasn't mystical in nature, so I was eventually able to decipher it. This is the treasure room of a nameless individual from many Epochs ago. Behind the door are some small gifts he left for his descendants. Unfortunately, none of them ever found this place before that Epoch came to an end. I spent a long time studying the constellations, went to the Church of the Starry Sky and Equilibrium to look up star charts from the last thousand years, and even had a mathematician friend of mine extrapolate backwards. That's how I was able to guess the approximate location."
The more he spoke, the more smug his expression became.
Jenkins seized on the key word.
"Yes. After all, the location was marked by celestial coordinates from thousands of years ago. The final result I got covered a range of several thousand meters. After using a mystical ritual to divine twelve possible points, I guessed it was here on my first attempt." For more chapters visıt novel·fire·net
"Well, your luck is certainly..."
Jenkins watched in silence as the professor approached the wall with the paraffin lamp, carefully dusting the surrounding area with a small brush before turning to the door with a slightly disappointed look.
"Just as I thought, no new information. Let's begin!"
He stepped forward and watched as the professor took a deep breath, bent his knees slightly, and placed both hands on the great door.
"Come give me a hand! Let's push it open!"
"Alright... wait, we're just opening it? Isn't that a bit reckless?"
"The book says this is just a treasure room its owner left for his descendants. What danger could there be? Come on."
Jenkins blinked, activated his Eye of Reality, and scanned the area behind the door. There was no light of any kind.
Together, they pressed against the door and shoved inward. With a cringe-inducing screech, the door swung open just enough for one person to slip through before it seemed to hit something, refusing to budge any further.
Beyond the door was pitch darkness. Even holding the paraffin lamp close to the opening failed to illuminate anything inside.
Professor Burns had Jenkins hold the lamp for light, then backed away to a corner of the chamber where a collection of items lay waiting: a shovel, a basket, a bamboo pole, another lamp, a box of matches, and more.