Philo led them deeper into the grand facility, guiding them into a breathtaking hangar-sized vault. Geeli trailed quietly behind them, keeping a close eye on everything.
Every single corridor, wall, and display case was dripping with ancient artifacts, rare gemstones, and solid gold architecture. The sheer concentration of wealth was staggering.
Haruto stared around in absolute disbelief, doing some quick mental math before turning to Geeli. "Wait... just how much is all of this even worth?!"
Geeli shrugged indifferently. "I honestly don't even remember the exact number. It's a sixteen-digit figure, mostly because these rare cosmic minerals appreciate in value every single day."
Haruto sweatdropped, shaking his head. Good grief... she's on a whole different level of rich. Suddenly, remembering the pathetic little bet Geeli had once placed on his head back during their wizard quest days felt like an absolute joke. Compared to this literal mountain of gold, that bounty was pocket change.
As they rounded a corner, the corridor opened up into a magnificent, sprawling throne room. Over a hundred elite maids and personal attendants stood neatly in rows, instantly bowing in unison the moment Geeli walked in.
"Good morning, Founder Geeli," they chorused respectfully, their voices echoing off the golden pillars.
Geeli gave a soft, elegant wave, dismissing the rows of servants with a subtle gesture. She turned her gaze to Philo, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Alright, cutting to the chase—why are you actually here in my base?"
Philo grinned, casually tossing the green laptop in her hand. "Relax, what's with the attitude? Remember, I helped you, Daisy, and you build this entire sector and establish the core mainframe together back in the day. I'm just here on official business."
Without waiting for permission, Philo strode past Geeli and walked straight up the steps toward the grand golden throne.
The entire room of servants gasped in shock. Before Philo could even touch the seat, two heavily armored elite guards rushed forward, crossing their halberds to block her path.
"Halt!" one of the guards barked, his voice echoing authoritatively. "Even if you are a fellow Founder, this throne belongs exclusively to Founder Geeli! Step away immediately!"
Philo let out an amused chuckle. "Oh, trust me, I know."
When the guards refused to back down, Philo simply raised a hand and casually placed it on one guard's armored shoulder. The moment her fingers made contact, an overwhelming, crushing wave of absolute divine pressure flooded the room.
CRASH!
Both heavily armed guards instantly buckled under the sheer weight of her presence, collapsing hard onto their knees as cold sweat drenched their armor.
Geeli crossed her arms, letting out an annoyed sigh. "Philo, you can't just go around terrorizing my guards in my own base."
Philo spun around on her heel, a playful smirk on her face. "Relax, did you forget I'm the one who stabilized your main terminal network in the first place?"
Geeli blinked, looking away with a faint huff. "...I..I remember."
"Very good," Philo chirped, turning back toward the golden throne.
Geeli's eyes widened in alarm as she stepped forward. "Hey! That throne is mine!"
"I know, I know," Philo laughed.
Instead of actually sitting on the throne, Philo reached behind the high backrest and pressed a hidden master-override button. With a loud mechanical clank, the massive golden throne split down the middle and slid backward, revealing a dark, high-tech underground passage leading deep beneath the vault.
Haruto peered down into the dark, mechanical descending staircase, blinking in confusion. "What in the world is down there?"
"You guys stay here," Philo instructed casually, giving a little wave before disappearing down into the subterranean corridor.
As soon as she vanished, Geeli let out a long breath, signaling a few nearby maids to bring water over to help the shaken guards who were still picking themselves up off the floor.
Haruto looked over at Geeli, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Hey... what even is that tunnel? Why didn't you open it yourself?"
Geeli crossed her arms, frowning slightly. "I honestly have no idea. Philo's biometric security clearance is totally separate from mine—even my master overrides can't crack that specific vault. Whenever she goes down there, who knows what she's doing."
She gestured toward the fallen guards. "Plus, wandering down there without her is incredibly dangerous. One of my elite guards tried exploring it once and barely made it back alive." When they had asked Philo about it previously, she had casually mentioned that the entire tunnel system was rigged with countless high-tier automated traps.
A few minutes later, the faint sound of footsteps echoed up the stairs, and Philo emerged from the dark passage.
In her hands, she proudly held a brilliant, blood-red gemstone that pulsed with an unearthly, mesmerizing light, casting a deep crimson glow across her face.
Haruto stared at it, tilting his head. "Whoa... what is that?"
"The Heart of the Ocean," Philo answered with a triumphant smirk.
Haruto blinked. "Wait, you mean like a literal artifact?"
"Exactly," Philo explained, tossing the glowing gem up and catching it. "It's a legendary divine relic capable of controlling every single drop of water across the entire ocean. It's the literal physical heart of the ancient Goddess of the Ocean, materialized using supreme magic."
Haruto's eyes widened. "Wait... the Goddess of the Ocean? Who on earth killed a literal goddess to get this?!" He paused, looking directly at Philo. "Wait... did you kill her?"
"Me? Nah, absolutely not," Philo laughed, waving her hands defensively. "Sure, people love giving me the 'God Killer' title because I've gone toe-to-toe with deities, but I didn't finish her off solo. She was already severely weakened and battered by someone else long before I even found her hiding spot."
Philo grinned, flashing a playful wink. "I just happened to show up right at the end and deliver the final blow."
As the brilliant crimson light of the Heart of the Ocean pulsed through the air, Haruto felt a strange, chilling sensation wash over him. But when he glanced back at Marena, he noticed she was completely transfixed—staring at the glowing gem with a hypnotized, almost longing gaze.
Philo caught his look and smiled, tossing the gem right toward Marena. "Catch! This one's actually for you, Marena."
Marena blinked out of her trance just in time, her hands snapping out to catch the stone. Mid-air, the glowing red gem magically shifted and reconfigured itself, instantly transforming into a breathtaking, elegant necklace inlaid with precious cosmic minerals. Marena smoothly caught it, her eyes widening slightly as she looked it over. She glanced up at Philo, her expression a mix of suspicion and surprise. "Really? Why are you giving this to me?"
Philo let out a smile. " Because I think you might like it but keep it safe its a treasure."
Haruto stared at Philo, completely baffled. "Wait... if it's that important, why didn't you just hide it in your base?"
Philo let out a light laugh. "Well, Geeli's base has the absolute highest security and vault-grade containment in the entire city—it's basically the safest place to keep a national treasure hidden away."
"Because it's a secret!" Philo grinned mischievously.
Marena let out a soft huff, a rare, genuine smile touching her lips as she fastened the necklace securely around her neck. The deep red crystal settled against her collarbone, pulsing with a faint, beautiful aura that matched her energy.
Philo clapped her hands together, turning back toward the exit with a breezy wave. "Alright, mission accomplished! Geeli, hate to run, but we've got places to be. And you are coming with us!"