When the Kalvas Gala happened, seven new heads were chosen who were responsible for organizing the next one each time. Three of them were responsible for the Auction and were given special vaults like these that only they could open.
These vaults were special because they ensured that every item that went inside and was taken outside was recorded. It was to ensure that none of the three chosen heads took the artifacts for themselves.
Kamden Whiteheart was given this Vault, and only he could enter it.
"But how do we unlock this?" Kai asked as he looked at the various designs on the Vault.
It didn't take him long to recognize the inordinate amount of runes present on this Vault.
"Should I try to destroy these runes?" He asked.
"If you want to notify every single Kalvas Gala's head and all the authorities behind the Gala, sure, go ahead," Asher replied.
His words made Kai feel a bit embarrassed as he knew that breaching into this Vault would not be easy.
Asher knew the entry to this Vault was given to the person who held the Mana Imprinting Key. Each of the three heads was told to make their unique key by using mana on the runes on the Vault.
These vaults were some of the finest creations of the Artisan's Association, and even an SS Rank Hunter would have a hard time opening this Vault with brute force. For S Rank Hunters, it was almost impossible to even try to breach this Vault.
Apart from the runes present for security purposes, special runes that required a unique mana flow to open the Vault were on it. A unique pattern was decided by the one responsible for this Vault.
But Kamden Whiteheart was not the only one who knew about the unique mana pattern that unlocked this Vault.
And the only one who knew about that mana pattern besides Kamden was Asher because he had seen Kamden unlock this Vault in front of him with his own eyes.
It was something that Asher remembered quite clearly because he had attended the Kalvas Gala in his previous life when he was in his first year at World Academy.
************
The Kalvas Gala was nearing its end, with the announcement of the new seven Heads only a few days away.
Two men stood before a remarkable structure carved from a distinctive dark blue stone.
"So, a Greville has been chosen as one of the Heads?" Kamden asked the older man standing behind him.
"Yes, and the Seat Holder of the Greville Family is about to arrive," the old man responded, glancing behind him.
Shortly after, Arthur Greville entered the room, accompanied by Asher, who was looking at the magnificent Vault before him.
"This is one of the three Vaults of the Kalvas Gala, Heir Greville," the old man explained, mistaking that Asher was interested in the Vault.
He was one of the individuals who assisted the Heads of the Kalvas Gala and managed the Auction. Given his knowledge of everyone from the Elite families, it wasn't surprising that he recognized Asher immediately.
"Pleasure to meet you, Head Greville," Kamden Whiteheart said, looking at the pair of crimson-red eyes.
From his confident demeanor, it was clear Kamden didn't consider the Grevilles superior to him.
'So, he is Kamden Whiteheart,' Asher thought, observing a man who appeared to be in his thirties.
Asher could see the resemblance between Kevin and Kamden Whiteheart. However, his lack of interest in the Whiteheart family was obvious from his eyes.
"The pleasure is mine," Arthur returned Kamden's greeting, though no hands were shaken.
Kamden noticed Arthur had changed significantly since their last meeting. The reason was clear to everyone: the loss of Nathaniel Greville was a devastating blow to the Greville family.
"So, this is your son?" Kamden asked, looking at Asher, who met his gaze.
'Interesting,' Kamden mused, noting Asher's lack of nervousness around him.
Being among two SS Rank Hunters would make most people his age jittery, especially knowing that the Heir of the Greville family had remained unawakened until he joined the World Academy.
"Yes," Arthur confirmed.
The old man beside them felt a touch of awkwardness. He could see Arthur Greville was not in the mood for casual conversation or exchanging pleasantries like the other Elite families.
"Let's conclude the formalities," Arthur said, turning to Kamden.
"Okay," Kamden agreed, raising his hands.
Asher observed Kamden, who manipulated his mana in a certain pattern, and soon, the Vault opened.
He could discern the flow of Kamden's mana, a talent stemming from his bloodline abilities. Asher was still acclimating to his bloodline skill, and perceiving mana so vividly was one of his capabilities.
"You can imprint your mana now," Kamden stepped back, addressing Arthur.
"I will take my leave," Kamden announced, promptly exiting the room.
Much like Arthur, Kamden's greeting was a mere formality, an etiquette that the upper society strictly adhered to, followed by every individual in the High Council and the elite social circles.
"You can imprint a unique pattern that you desire," the old man suggested, turning to Arthur.
Unbeknownst to everyone present, the young man standing there could see the mana imprints and the pattern both Kamden and Arthur created.
At that moment, Asher was not particularly interested, but the pattern was etched into his memory.
*****************
Currently, Asher was relying on his memory to open this Vault.
Kai saw Asher walk towards the Vault and touch the walls of the massive Vault in front of them.
Subconsciously, Kai prepared for the worst-case scenario. He was unsure how Asher would open this Vault, but he readied himself in case things went south.
Only the Fourth Level was left uncleared, and Kai was confident he could eliminate the remaining A Rank Hunters left on this level.
Asher's palm touched the walls as he closed his eyes and mimicked the movements of mana that he remembered Kamden performing in front of him once.
He knew that opening this Vault would consume half of his mana, but the cost was reduced due to his Mana Flow skill.
As he expected, he needed a significant amount of mana to activate the special runes and create a specific pattern.
Kai saw a bright blue light flow throughout the Vault, and he noticed many runes moving toward the center of the Vault, gathering around it in a circular shape.
Multiple lines around the Vault lit up as Asher channeled his mana to flow through them.
*Clank*
A loud sound of metal colliding with each other echoed when Asher removed his hands.
The light shone once again as all the runes lit up, and the door soon opened, revealing the vast space inside it to Asher.
"What a sight..." Kai muttered as he saw the Vault open up and unveil the massive space within.
There were multiple spatial element runes painstakingly created to construct this Vault. Inside, a plethora of artifacts were stored in glass cases and various Mana Gems that were likely S Rank and above.
Asher stepped in, and Kai followed behind him. At this moment, a wave of mana enveloped the entire fifth level, and a robotic voice was heard.
<Jamming Device Activated>
But Kai and Asher were too far from the source of this voice.
They didn't know that their connection with Tom had been disconnected.
Exactly three minutes ago, when Asher had entered the Fifth Level...
Inside the Fourth Level, two men could be seen in conversation.
"Interesting," a man with blonde hair murmured to himself.
"I didn't notice this before, but something feels off in the air," he concluded.
The man standing before him questioned his claim, considering that their Security System covered all the facilities related to this Underground Base.
"Do you think I am joking?" The blonde man became slightly irritated.
"No, Sir, how could I dare think of you in such a manner," responded the Team Leader of the Guards working in the Underground Base.
