Daneel double- and triple-checked the coordinates, but this was the place.
He was off the coast of the North of Angaria, right after crossing the Black Raven Kingdom and going farther and farther onward until one reached the shore.
The shore was usually not a very populous place, because of the tendency of the Endless Sea to occasionally swell forward and inundate everything nearby, resulting in any house that was built being swept away by the waves that held the wrath of the sea within them.
There were quite a few villages a bit inland, though, mainly because there were a lot of people whose wish was to see the Endless Sea for themselves. Even though before the advent of the Network, there hadn't been much information being shared across regions, the tale regarding the Endless Sea was always present, and many wanted to see the sight of lapping waves stretching into the horizon before they died. There were no major water bodies on the continent, so this was the only place where they would be able to see such a thing. It was almost like a pilgrimage, and these villages served to act as tourist locations where one could lodge before going forward and gazing at the sight that made almost all drop their jaws.
Daneel was puzzled as to what he should do. He first went to the villages nearby to check out whether there were any strange incidents that happened in this area, and mainly because these villages were cut off from the rest of the world as they were so far away from the forces in the Central Continent, there was a possibility that there might be things that hadn't been reported to him present which might give him some indication regarding just where the Treasury was.
Sadly, there was nothing to be gleaned, and although he did find signs of those who came from the Big 4 to fish for that meat which had tasted so good in the Sect of Hedon when he had tasted it, there was nothing else.
Even those who took part in this activity of fishing apparently only came every six months, and each time, the number of those who left would be lesser than that of those who came.
This was quite peculiar, and because he hadn't investigated too much into this activity of obtaining the meat which acted as the Energy resource for those in the realm of Champions and Heroes, he didn't know why this would happen. The Endless Sea was known to be treacherous, but if one was careful, they were supposed to be able to keep their lives, especially if they had trained to become Warriors in the big four.
Deciding to shelve that question for later, Daneel returned to the spot that was indicated by the coordinates and decided to give something a try.
He was around a few hundred metres from the shoreline, but even then, just to be safe, he cast a spell to make sure that the sound from this area would not travel anywhere.
After that, hoping that something would happen, he shouted, "I may take many shapes, but the shape of my heart shall forever stay true: I come in the name of Xandar, Seventh in the Line of The Noble Seven, and I beseech you to grant me entry."
That was the password given to Daneel by the Shapeshifter, and even for a few seconds after he said it out loud, nothing changed.
Just as he was about to think that he had been taken for a ride by that guy who really did look like he would pull pranks for amusement, the system sent an urgent message.
[Incoming Hero-level attempt to teleport host. Would host like an attempt to be made to block it]
"No! Allow it!"
No sooner had he given the answer, he blinked out of existence, as if he had never stood there in the first place.
If anyone was watching the spot, they would have seen a very peculiar sight.
For a split second after the King of Lanthanor said those words, it was as if a gigantic eye the size of a large ship had opened in the depths of the Endless Sea, and the only reason that it became visible was because the very waves of the sea had stilled for the briefest of moments. It was as if it had some sort of aura which caused even time to stop near it, but after that, it disappeared, leaving no signs behind.
Of course, Daneel didn't know about this, as he had been teleported to some place where there was no light whatsoever.
After waiting for a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, he finally saw that he was in a cave, of sorts.
He didn't really understand the fascination of this continent with caves, because it was as if this was the umpteenth time that he had found himself somewhere underground where something was hidden.
Putting this thought aside, he started walking inward in the pitch black darkness, his hands feeling the walls which were smooth, almost as if they had been cut by a very sharp object.
The passage was only able to fit one person, and even the ceiling was only a few inches above his head. He kept walking and walking, and it was as if time had no meaning in this place. Thankfully, Daneel had the system, so after finding out that he had been walking for 5 minutes, he decided to pick it up a notch.
He began running, and except for the eerie silence around this place that slowly began to creep him out, there was nothing untoward here.
One thing which did make him think that he had arrived at the Treasury was that the system was unable to scan past these walls, which meant that there was at least a Hero level formation blocking him. To be able to be maintained for so long… Daneel wondered how it could be possible, and he hoped that he would find the answer soon.
Finally, after 5 more minutes during which he kept wondering whether he should pick up the pace even more and zoom along, he started to see light somewhere far away, and this made him increase his pace, even though he had been hesitating till now wondering whether it would be disrespectful to do that.
According to the system's estimate, he had already walked and then run for over 10 km, and it was in the direction of the Endless Sea, rather than of the continent. It had to be said that the idea to put something so precious like this outside the continent was brilliant, as it was practically the last place that anyone would even want to search, as it would exactly be like looking for a needle in an endless haystack.
The spot from where the light was coming seemed to get closer and closer, and finally, when Daneel reached it, he got the shock of his life.
In front of him was a hole that seemed to go on and on until eternity. A normal human would have gone right ahead and fallen into it, but his reflexes had allowed him to stop himself. He couldn't see the end of it, so he focused his gaze on the source of the light, which was a globe of peculiar grey-colored fire that was burning right in front of him.
It gave off a grey light, too, and it seemed to be of the same hue of the walls.
To the left and right, Daneel saw the same smooth walls branch out and then end, and in front of a was also a wall. It was like he had traveled down a corridor and then come upon an elevator shaft, yet there was no elevator, and the shaft seemed to go on endlessly.
Except for the globe of fire which cast shadows on the smooth walls which were so polished that they almost looked like mirrors, there was nothing else, but a second after he reached it, it suddenly changed.
It transformed into a mouth, which opened to speak.
"What do you want?", It asked almost lazily, as if its nap had been disturbed.
The King of Lanthanor was pretty damn surprised, and he didn't even know what to think.
From all the buildup that the Shapeshifter had given, he had been expecting some grand place where he would be welcomed and then made to feel awe, as it would be something that was proudly built by the Godbeasts to take forward their heritage. He had been expecting a grand display of all of the weapons and all of the real blood of the Godbeasts that he could obtain, with the objective being that they wanted to push him to get them, while also impressing him to no end. Wouldn't any place that was named as loftily as the 'Treasury of the Gods' want to do that?
Clearly, that was not the case here, because after Daneel stared for a few seconds, the voice snapped, "Quickly! I would like to go back to sleep today and not after an eternity, thank you."
The sass dripping from these words made Daneel understand that his expectations would not be fulfilled today, so he decided to just go ahead and ask for what he had come.
"I was told that I can obtain the blood of Godbeasts and weapons here. How can I do that?"
Xandar had said that he could only give him entry, and not break the rules. Whatever the rules that had been laid down, Daneel wanted to find them first, so he asked this question.
"Oh, I just checked and saw that you are a newcomer. Well, here are the rules. There are only two ways to obtain the treasures hidden within here, and only when you become eligible to take the treasure will you even be able to check just what are available. No matter whose permission you got to enter here, the rules are the same for everyone, and you have to earn these treasures if you want them. The reason behind this is that many millennia have passed, and many more will. If there are further threats, then the Treasury needs to have treasures to help in those conflicts, too, so only those who are worthy can obtain what is inside. Even then, there is a limit to the number of items that can be taken away by a single person, in a single age. Anyway, the first method is that you should carry this trinket with you, and if there are any missions, they will be intimated to you through it. If you pass the mission, you will be able to pick an item. The second is to use your power to show your capability. There are different tiers of treasures, and depending on the level of your power, you can take away an item from that tier. This can only be done once, so choose when you want to do it. Oh, and because this is your first time, I also need to show you at least one treasure so that you'll be motivated."
All of the information given in a boring tone in that slightly high-pitched voice would have made Daneel fall asleep, if it weren't for the fact that it was all so important. He didn't understand just how this thing could give missions, and he expected to find out, but now, he was most excited about what treasure would be shown. A trinket shaped like a golden treasure chest had also appeared in front of him, and he had grabbed it and carefully put it inside his pocket.
Regarding why this Treasury was like this, Daneel understood the reason, because it was true that such rules needed to be set down if the Godbeasts wanted it to be relevant and useful even many millennia after the age that Daneel had transmigrated into. Even after this threat was vanquished, there might be another one in the future, and another one after that, and the goal was to clearly keep a few treasures even for that time so that they could try and change the tide in desperate situations.
Right after this thought appeared in his head, that mouth made of fire vanished, and in its place, a shining object appeared.
It was so long that it was taller than Daneel, and at first, Daneel couldn't even recognize what it was, as there was a blinding light surrounding it that made him squint if he wanted to pick up any details.
After a second, this light started to dim, and Daneel finally got his first glimpse of the object.
All he could tell was that it was a weapon, but it was unlike any weapon Daneel had ever seen.
Its main body consisted of a long, silvery…bone, which was slightly bent in the middle. It had a leather grip at the bottom and the middle where it could be held, and at its top was a fang of some creature that was affixed so well that it looked as if the bone naturally ended with that fang.
The main body of the weapon, though…was a huge horn, and it reminded Daneel of the horn of a rhinoceros from Earth.
Only, this one was half the size of Daneel, and unlike traditional horns, the top side and bottom almost looked like they had been honed into gleaming edges which looked like they could cut through anything.
As for the tip…just looking at it made Daneel feel that nothing in the World could stop it from piercing through, and it even made him feel a slight trepidation.
A voice echoed in the area where Daneel was standing while he kept staring with the awe that he had expected to feel when he arrived here.
"The best of weapons do not use mere metal. They use the strongest of the body parts of Godbeasts, and they will never break. Each one is completely unique. This one is made from the leg bone of a Divine Frog, a Godbeast known for its sturdy legs that allows it to jump higher than any known species, and the horn of a Heaven-Piercing Rhino. Each one is named after the unique ability they grant to their wielder, and this one…is called 'Rampage'."