My Alter Ego's Path to Greatness

As Horus stepped through the gate of the 「Golden Treasury」, he was greeted by a long corridor. Luminous stones lined the walls and ceiling, illuminating the opulent space, adorned with gold everywhere except for the white marble floor.

'Wait, this isn't just gold-colored, is it? It's entirely covered in pure gold.'

He touched the wall curiously and nodded slowly. Now he understood why it was called the 「Golden Treasury」. What a straightforward and literal name.

'Even for Gold Dragons, isn't this a bit much…?'

Horus sighed at the gaudy, unoriginal interior. Even for a Gold Dragon, seeing this much gold…

'…This might not be so bad?'

…strangely started to appeal to him. No, more than that, a sense of satisfaction welled up within him. The golden surfaces, intricately carved and not just simply gilded, reflected the light from the luminous stones, creating a dazzling spectacle. How could he not be impressed by such splendor…

"No! I can't be swayed by this!"

Slap!

Horus snapped out of his reverie and slapped himself on both cheeks. He realized this place perfectly reflected the Gold Dragons' taste.

'Haa, let's hurry.'

He shook off the instinctive allure and hurried down the corridor, glancing around like a child in a toy store.

'Technically, gold isn't that valuable compared to other treasures.'

While gold held a high value in Auterica, as it was the basis of their monetary system, it wasn't particularly impressive for a dragon. There were gems, magic metals, mana stones, and other valuable materials in this world.

"…Heehee, all of this is mine now?"

But to feel this satisfied with just gold… what amazing cost-effectiveness! Perhaps the Gold Dragons' reputation for being gentle and less greedy than other dragon clans stemmed from this.

'A highly plausible hypothesis. Well, that's not important right now.'

Having satisfied his newfound desire, Horus finally reached the end of the corridor. He could have arrived faster with magic, but he chose to walk, taking his time to appreciate the scenery, since this was his first visit. And partly out of personal indulgence.

"Whoa—"

The first thing he saw was a massive dragon statue, mostly made of gold. Far larger than Elder Dragon Shuri Hartgen's true form.

'Is that the actual size of an Ancient Dragon… an ancient dragon?'

The ultimate dragon, said to be few in number even during the dragons' golden age. He couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the legendary creature, over a hundred meters long. And he couldn't help but admire the previous Immortal Kings. How many ancient dragons were there back then? To think they were all defeated… Truly a feat worthy of being called the continent's despair.

'And now I'm the one who defeated him.'

Horus felt a surge of pride as he looked past the massive statue and the mountain of gold and silver at its feet, scanning his surroundings. Massive gates lined the walls of the cavern. This was just the lobby, not the entire treasury. The gates probably led to different sections, categorized by some criteria.

'Which means, the things here are too insignificant to be categorized.'

Was this how a wealthy heir felt? He was certain there was no more beautiful sight in the world.

'Let's go.'

There was no time to waste. Horus confidently walked towards the first section he saw.

The treasure hunt of a young boy, full of dreams, had begun.

The 「Golden Treasury」, vast in size, contained a countless number of treasures, far too many to examine in a single visit. So, his first exploration was just a preliminary inspection…

"Hmm, this is a bit underwhelming."

Horus, returning to the lobby after visiting several sections, grumbled before the last gate. The results of his first exploration hadn't met his expectations. He needed something that would be helpful in battle, but there wasn't much left.

'There were a lot of interesting things, though.'

Shuri Hartgen had warned him. Most of the useful items had been used or lost during the wars, so there wasn't much left. Perhaps most of the magic tools currently considered treasures originated from the dragons' treasury.

'And after the war, the dragons were on the verge of extinction, so they couldn't retrieve them.'

Horus clicked his tongue and entered the last section. While he was slightly disappointed, his harvest was still substantial. This vast wealth would greatly aid Hubert in his conquest of the continent's markets, and the technology and magical engineering knowledge contained within the rare magic tools would be invaluable for Howard's creations…

"Huh? This room is…"

Horus paused, stepping inside. This section's interior was unique. Unlike the other sections, which were lavishly decorated with gold and various precious metals, this place had a dark, subdued atmosphere.

More accurately—

'The walls, ceiling, and floor are covered in magic materials. Magic metals and ritual catalysts.'

And that wasn't all. He approached the wall, gently stroking it, and frowned. He sensed a powerful magical presence permeating the entire area.

'…Impressive. This is almost on par with Hans. Did an Ancient Dragon set this up?'

A high-level magic barrier, beyond his current understanding. A powerful seal, suppressing anything that didn't meet certain criteria, its presence weighing down the entire space.

'What could be here…'

He found out as soon as he stepped further inside, a strange sense of familiarity mixed with unease.

A hazy, black magic sword, shimmering as if made of darkness.

Armor resembling a demonic figure, seemingly forged from lava.

A dark red gem, pulsing like a heart, covered in veins.

A whip writhing with sharp thorns.

A collection of bizarre objects, their origins easily guessed.

'I see. I was wondering where these were.'

It was only natural that they had spoils of war, considering they weren't completely helpless against their enemies. And the Gold Dragons must have stored the dangerous items they'd confiscated separately.

'And the dragons were active even before that.'

Even before the first Immortal King appeared a thousand years ago, there were always those who plotted in the shadows, trying to summon demons and even Demon Kings from the demon realm. Some of these items must have been confiscated and sealed during those incidents.

Each item had a small note attached, seemingly written by the one who stored it. The varied handwriting and writing styles added to the experience.

'Eight-Armed Rim was the Dullahan King who served the second Immortal King and died in battle. He was one of the top executives.'

Horus, his eyes sparkling with interest, walked around the area, unfazed by the sinister aura.

As he neared the end of the section…

…he encountered something with exceptionally tight security.

"That's…"

On a pedestal, covered in faintly glowing magic circles…

…was a single arm, wrapped in silver chains blessed by a high priest and pinned in place with sharp metal spikes.

'…Impressive.'

Horus stared at it and gulped involuntarily. It was just an arm, and yet, the power emanating from it was extraordinary. Enough to make even him, now significantly stronger, feel a sense of danger.

'If just the arm is this powerful… It must have been incredibly strong. What is it? At least Demon King level?'

His initial wariness was replaced by an overwhelming curiosity. He cautiously approached the pedestal and quickly checked the inscription below.

"…Sniff, it really is a Demon King's arm."

He had suspected it, but… it was real. He stared at the sealed arm, muttering in awe. It was completely wrapped in bandages, its original skin invisible, held in place by chains and spikes.

'How long has it been here?'

While the Immortal King was currently considered equivalent to a Demon King, they were different beings. He hadn't heard of any Demon King appearing since the first Immortal King, so it must have been here for at least a thousand years.

'Wait a minute.'

Staring at it, he suddenly remembered something.

He had seen this name before, in the 『Item Purchase』 section of the Karma Shop, where he'd bought the Dragon Heart catalyst for Horus.

『Horn containing the essence of the 14th Demon King, Lereye (4,620,000)』

He quickly checked the Karma Shop, and there it was.

'The Demon King's horn. The price has dropped.'

It had been over 5 million points when he first saw it. Unlike the 30 million point item with an unknown name, this one had a strangely tempting price, so he remembered it clearly.

'The Demon Realm, and the Demon King…'

The Demon Realm wasn't a completely separate dimension, but a sub-dimension connected to Auterica, like the Elemental Plane or the Abyss. And it had been quiet recently, since most of the black mages necessary for summoning Demon Kings had been absorbed by the Immortal King's forces after the first Immortal King's uprising.

'Well, then I don't have to worry about it.'

Horus shrugged and turned his attention to the other items displayed nearby. While he was interested in the Demon Realm, Ganghwange was his current priority.

'I'll think about it later.'

The items displayed around the Demon King's arm seemed to be related to him.

Horus's curious eyes scanned the items as he walked around.

"Huh?"

Siana, who had been enjoying tormenting the former Crown Prince Simon, as usual, suddenly stopped. Her master, the Immortal King Hans, had appeared before her.

Wearing the disguise of a cold, middle-aged man.

"Siana."

"A…? Ah! You called for me, my King!"

She quickly prostrated herself, momentarily flustered. But her eyes, wide with disbelief, darted around nervously.

"I have a question for you, Siana."

"I await your command."

"How does this face look to you?"

"How… does it look…?"

She flinched at the unexpected question, her body trembling. But she quickly regained her composure and spoke, as if she hadn't been surprised at all.

"Ah! It's perfect! I wouldn't have recognized you if I weren't your subordinate! I sincerely apologize for my ignorance, for not realizing your presence sooner."

"Hmm."

Hans nodded in satisfaction, a smile on his face. Siana, the succubus, was the best in the Immortal Army when it came to infiltration and disguise. She was so skilled that even high priests couldn't detect her when she infiltrated the empire's nobility. He praised her for her expert opinion and left, satisfied.

And after he vanished…

…Siana, still prostrated, closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the ground.

'Ahh! That handsome face! He's become an ordinary man!'

She lamented the loss of one of the few joys in her involuntary military service.