Korova’s private collection room was not located in the academy’s main building complex, but deep beneath the tower where she resided.
After passing through several heavy, enchanted gates that required specific permissions or Korova’s own mana signature to open, the three of them finally entered a strange, vast space.
It was not piled with mountains of gold or silver like a typical treasure vault. Instead, the space was illuminated by a soft light of unknown origin. Towering shelves held various items organized into distinct categories.
There were strange ores and crystals emitting different elemental fluctuations, rare plant or mineral samples preserved in transparent crystals, and scrolls and books recording ancient scripts or complex diagrams. There were also weapons and armor of various designs, and even unknown biological tissues sealed in specialized containers, slowly squirming or emitting a faint glow.
“Welcome to my little warehouse~!”
Korova spread her arms, her tone carrying unabashed pride.
“Some of these items were collected during my travels across the continent, some were gifts from friends, and some were… well, ‘borrowed’ from certain unfriendly fellows. Though some may look plain, they all have impressive origins or are quite interesting!”
She began to introduce them like a child showing off her favorite toys.
“Look at this! The Eternal Burning Core. It’s a fragment stripped from the core of a fallen Fire Element Lord. It’s excellent as an evolution material for fire-type summoned beasts or as an inlay for a staff. Speaking of which, it took Frost Star and me quite a bit of effort to get this…”
“And this, the Water of Silence. It’s a single drop taken from the deepest part of the Elf Race’s sacred lake. It contains extremely pure life and water elemental power. It’s a priceless treasure for refining top-tier healing potions or nurturing water-type summoned beasts! Alas, after the new queen took office, the Elf Race put me on their entry blacklist…”
“Over here! This set of broken armor. It may look rusty, but even I can’t fully decipher the defensive runes on it. It’s likely a creation of some lost civilization.”
Camilla followed behind, listening to Korova’s introduction while quickly scanning the familiar game items.
A fragment of the Emerald Tablet was carefully tucked into a magic book, an unknown Ancient Dragon egg lay quietly in the center of a temperature-controlled magic circle, and Karthus’s manuscripts were piled in a corner…
Her heart raced uncontrollably. These were all top-tier materials or key quest items that players in the original game could only dream of. Any one of them alone could create a legend!
Of course, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. As the saying goes, a legendary sword needs a hero. Various key items could only reach their full potential in the hands of the “protagonist.” In the hands of anyone else, they were often wasted.
Korova, for instance, was the Strongest Summoner in Tarora, yet she couldn’t utilize these rare treasures. She could only safeguard them for the heavens, waiting for the fated person to take them away.
Rimuru also poked its head out of the bag, looking around curiously. It showed obvious interest in items emitting pure elemental or life fluctuations, letting out a faint *pujji* sound as if it were joining in the excitement.
Unlike them, Ophelia became unusually quiet upon entering the collection room.
She didn’t follow Korova’s explanation or look around. Instead, as if drawn by something invisible, she walked straight toward a relatively remote corner of the vault.
There was a standalone stone pedestal there. It lacked ornate decoration and held only a single sword.
To be more precise, it was a Broken Sword.
The blade was snapped from the middle, with only about two-thirds of its length remaining. The fracture was jagged, as if it had been snapped by overwhelming force.
The remaining blade was a dull gray-silver, covered in fine, dark red veins, but it bore no magical runes or decorations.
The hilt was wrapped in simple leather that had grown old and blackened. The entire sword looked unremarkable, even somewhat dilapidated. Aside from its seemingly exceptional hardness, one couldn’t feel any mana fluctuations or special aura from it.
Ophelia stopped before the stone pedestal, her ice-blue eyes silently gazing at the Broken Sword.
A strange throb quietly rose in her heart.
She involuntarily reached out. Her fingertips paused for a moment just before touching the blade, but eventually, she gently brushed the cold, gray-silver metal.
‘It’s this one,’ Ophelia whispered in her mind.
Korova noticed Ophelia’s strange behavior and walked over while clutching her rabbit plushie. Seeing the Broken Sword, a hint of surprise appeared on her face.
“Oh? You’re interested in this?”
Korova blinked and began to explain the sword’s origin.
“I found this Broken Sword long ago while exploring the Ancient Battlefield Ruins. However, aside from being exceptionally hard, I haven’t found anything special about it. I thought it might be a relic of some ancient warrior, so I brought it back and left it here. Are you… sure you want to choose this?”
Her tone carried obvious doubt and served as a reminder, as if she felt Ophelia was getting a bad deal.
Camilla also walked over. The moment she saw the Broken Sword, her pupils shrank slightly.
The dilapidated Broken Sword — one of the core plot items for the Magic Swordsman class line. It was a fragment of the legendary sword once held by the First Human Hero King.
In the game, a series of difficult tasks starting with “Retracing the Hero’s Path” was required to repair it. Once restored, it was an incredibly powerful growth-type weapon and a key to triggering major subsequent plot points.
In fact, if Camilla hadn’t been there, Ophelia would have likely chosen this unremarkable weapon herself when school started.
‘Did Sister actually pick this out at a glance? Is it the guidance of the protagonist’s halo, or… is the sword truly calling to her?’
Regardless of the reason, Camilla was delighted. If Ophelia followed the Magic Swordsman path, there would be no need to worry about her power level.
Ophelia ignored Korova’s question, her gaze remaining fixed on the Broken Sword as if she could see something else through its dull surface.
A moment later, she lowered the hand she had used to touch her necklace and looked up at Korova. Her tone was calm and firm.
“I’m sure. I want this one.”
“Well, since you insist, it’s yours.”
Korova shrugged. Although she didn’t understand, a promise was a promise. She waved her hand, and a faint light flashed on the stone pedestal as the seal protecting the Broken Sword was lifted.
Ophelia reached out and picked up the Broken Sword. It was heavy in her hand, and a cold sensation spread through her palm. The strange throbbing sensation became clearer.
She examined it closely before gripping it carefully in her hand.
Then, she turned to Camilla, her ice-blue eyes softening.
“Camilla, it’s your turn. See if there’s anything you like.”
Camilla withdrew her gaze from the Broken Sword. Her heart was still beating fast. Faced with a room full of treasures, she felt a bit overwhelmed for a moment.
What should she choose? Top-tier cultivation materials? Powerful magic items? Or those quest items involving important plotlines?
Her gaze slowly swept across the various collections shimmering with tempting light. Finally, it stopped in an inconspicuous corner.
“That’s it!”
After less than half a second of consideration, Camilla pointed at “that” with a firm tone.