I'll also work hard to conquer the dungeon today.

Chapter 526, page 2.1-40: The Crown: The Treasure of a Lost Dynasty
“A strange illness? Sudden weakness…” Lin Ya sat at the table, staring at the clay tablet in his hand, lost in thought.

Her long, black hair was casually draped behind her head, swaying gently in the breeze blowing in from the window. The black cloth that had been covering her eyes was removed and placed aside now that they were alone, revealing a pair of beautiful, clear, and pure vertical pupils, like rubies.

He turned his head to look at the towering pile of clay slabs beside him, his thin lips twitching slightly, revealing a hint of sharp canine teeth. A trace of confusion and bewilderment lingered on his handsome face. He put the clay slab back in his hand and slowly stood up.

A crisp sound rang out as the gold ornaments rubbed together beneath the wide black lantern pants.

His fair and muscular body was adorned with strange golden totems that ran from his flat, muscular abdomen to his back, though most of it was concealed by his shirt, giving him an alluring and seductive aura that stirred the heart.

He wore a golden dagger at his waist, about twenty or thirty centimeters long, with a subtle curve at the tip like a small hook.

With his long, slender, fair fingers, he gently lifted the black cloth on the table, picked it up, and used it to blindfold himself. Then, without hesitation, he walked out of the room and headed out of the palace.

The latter's attendant, upon seeing Lin Ya, strode after him, reporting as he went, "My lord, Tia has sent word that a similar illness has been discovered in Sematil City, but the source has not yet been found."

"Okay, we'll talk about it when we get there." Lin Ya nodded and asked, "Are you ready?"

“Actually…” The waiter hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"What's wrong?" Lin Ya frowned slightly as she looked at him and asked softly.

"You should take a look for yourself," the waiter said hesitantly, shaking his head.

It wasn't until he reached the palace and saw the griffins parked among the troops that he understood why the servants looked so strange. It was because the king had sent a special 'messenger' to monitor their movements.

I don't know if it was out of distrust or too much trust, but I poured a piece of 'poop' into a pot of soup.

The waiter's face darkened. The king's actions had become increasingly reckless lately. He used to never joke about politics, but now he seemed to disdain everything.

"This isn't a picnic, why arrange for a griffin carriage? Do they want us to go shopping with his favorite concubine? We're going to investigate this strange illness, not to have fun!" the waiter said indignantly.

Lin Ya walked silently to the window of the griffin carriage and said in a low voice, "Are you getting used to it? If you're ready, we should set off."

The car window was slightly rolled up, and a fair and slender hand emerged, adorned with a magnificent gold ornament on the wrist, its design somewhat resembling a chain, which jingled crisply as she moved.

Upon closer inspection, the middle finger of that hand is adorned with a jet-black ring, while the index finger features a greyish-white bone ring, creating a striking contrast with the chain on the wrist.

That hand was small but very beautiful, almost a work of art. The fingertips were a little long and looked sharp, carrying a hint of inexplicable danger.

"Let's go." Lin Ya walked to his giant griffin, flipped onto it, turned to look at his team, and gave the order loudly.

The Griffin team, escorting the out-of-place car, drove in a grand procession through the central block and left, leaving only the dust they kicked up to tell everyone that they had been there.

Noyce stood on the steps, watching the Griffin Team from afar with a somewhat inscrutable expression. His long, dark purple hair was tied into a high ponytail, swaying gently in the breeze. He subconsciously touched the longsword slung across his back, his sexy Adam's apple bobbing slightly. He slowly turned his back to them, and left without saying a word.

I had only taken a few steps when I heard a clear, slightly teasing voice coming from above the steps, "What are you thinking about?"

Noyce looked up and saw Bertias looking down at him, her exquisite and beautiful face bearing a slight smile, but the smile did not reach her eyes.

"Aren't you tired of wearing a fake smile every day?" He frowned and said to Bertias.

Bertheas chuckled inexplicably, his meaning cryptic, and asked, "Noys, did you really manage to deal with the escaped god properly?"

Noyce frowned and said, "I can't come back if it's not cleaned up properly."

“That’s good…” Bertias nodded. He slowly walked down the steps, pausing slightly as he passed by Noyce. After about three seconds, he continued walking down the stairs.

Noyce's expression changed abruptly. She turned around, grabbed Bertias's wrist, and demanded, "What do you mean!"

“I’m searching for a gem, but it has never appeared. If I’m not mistaken, that’s what you’re after too. In that case, why can’t we cooperate?” Bertias said with a light laugh, his expression unchanged, clearly unconcerned about the throbbing pain in his wrist.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying…” Noyce was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly let go of her hand and took a few steps back.

“I already know who you are. Are you really going to keep hiding it any longer? Although it seems pointless to me, if even I can see through you, then you'll probably be completely seen through the moment you appear in front of Dao Lin,” Beltias said softly, lowering his eyes.

In Bertias's eyes, there was no one easier to see through than Noyce. Noyce's thoughts were all written on his face. Whether he was happy, unhappy, conflicted, or doubtful, Bertias could see it all clearly.

At first, he was still wondering who Noyce really was, but then he connected it to something and it made sense. Now, seeing his reaction after testing him, it was basically confirmed, exactly as he had guessed.

"You're going to see the messenger from the temple soon, right? I advise you not to keep pretending. Even I'm not confident I can keep up the act perfectly in front of him, let alone you. You're full of holes." Bertias smiled slightly at Noyce, then left without hesitation.

Noyce stood alone on the high steps in silence, a gentle breeze ruffling his dark purple hair. He moved his thin lips but ultimately did not call out to Bertias.

The king instructed him to entertain the temple messenger and probe his purpose. But now, judging from Bertheas's words, it seemed he knew the messenger, and even clearly understood how intelligent he was.

Are they the same group?
I've never seen them interact at all...

He walked up the high steps with a somber face, through the corridor toward a certain room, but before he could say anything, he heard the person inside speak.

"I've long admired the hero's name, but I never expected to meet him in this place. I wonder if it's fate or just my good luck?"

(End of this chapter)