Borchi translated immediately, his voice sounding far more relaxed than before, and even carrying a hint of cheerfulness.
"Milgatabrek says that, human, it greatly admires your sense of responsibility."
"It is not human and cannot fully understand the way you think. Since you are unwilling to accept the dragon egg, it will not force you."
Borchi paused for a moment before continuing.
"However, it insists on expressing its gratitude. It says it has collected some treasures that it considers valuable within the cave."
"You may enter and take whatever you wish as repayment for your kindness."
Hearing this proposal, a smile finally appeared on Karl El's face.
He nodded calmly, this time offering no refusal.
"Very well. I will accept this form of gratitude."
Karl El then followed Milgatabrek deeper into the cave.
Unlike the chaos, noise, and lingering scent of blood outside, the interior of the cave was surprisingly dry and spacious. The air inside was warm, carrying a faint smell of sulfur mixed with the distinctive aura unique to dragons.
However, what greeted Karl El's eyes was not the legendary scene that people often imagined when speaking of a dragon's lair—no towering mountains of gold coins or endless seas of glittering treasure.
Instead, the contents of the cave appeared somewhat… practical.
In one corner, a large pile of ores and crystals had been gathered together. These minerals displayed various colors and natural lusters.
There were common stones like quartz and agate, but also rarer materials such as chalcedony and even several pieces of raw Dwarven Spirit Iron Ore.
On the opposite side lay scattered gemstones that had been roughly polished. Many of them carried faint magical energy, quietly emitting a gentle glow like distant stars under the dim light of the cave.
But the most eye-catching items were placed on a relatively flat slab of stone.
There, various objects emitting obvious magical fluctuations had been piled together.
Some were exquisite necklaces and rings, their surfaces decorated with complex engravings and set with large gemstones that glimmered with internal light.
Others were weapons.
Steel swords, battle axes, and daggers rested there silently, their blades shimmering with elemental light while faint runic patterns glowed along their edges.
There were also several pieces of armor made from metal and leather. Although they appeared ancient, they still radiated strong magical energy, proving that their power had not faded with time.
The moment Karl El saw this scene, his eyes lit up instantly.
Unlike gold or ordinary wealth, these items immediately caught his interest.
Almost at the same moment, within the corner of his vision, the system interface that only he could see began refreshing rapidly.
Lines of notifications appeared one after another.
[Absorbable magic source detected]
[Absorbable magic source detected]
[Absorbable magic source detected]
[————————]
The messages continued to appear endlessly.
At a glance, there were already more than a hundred prompts.
To Karl El, this cave was nothing less than a high-quality energy warehouse.
Milgatabrek glanced back at him and released a low rumbling roar.
The dragon then extended one massive claw and gestured toward the pile of "treasures," indicating that Karl El could take whatever he wished.
Karl El did not stand on ceremony.
With a slight shift of thought, his invisible Bio-Force Field expanded outward.
Like countless nimble, invisible hands, it spread across the mixed pile of objects.
In the next instant, the necklaces, rings, weapons, armor, and gemstones that emitted strong magical fluctuations began to separate themselves from the rest of the pile.
They floated upward gently, rising into the air one by one.
Ordinary ores and non-magical gemstones remained on the ground, while the truly enchanted items gathered together.
Soon, a small mountain of magical artifacts hovered in midair before Karl El, shining with dazzling magical light.
After finishing his selection, Karl El nodded politely to Milgatabrek.
He then pointed toward the floating pile of magical items beside him, indicating that he had completed his choice.
Milgatabrek's enormous dragon pupils slowly swept across the "small mountain" Karl El had selected.
Nearly all of the items he had chosen possessed magical energy.
A trace of realization flashed across the dragon's eyes.
However, it still seemed slightly puzzled.
Karl El had ignored the beautifully colored gemstones and valuable ores, taking only the objects that glowed with magical power.
Milgatabrek extended its claw again, pointing toward the still sizable pile of colorful gemstones and ores that remained nearby.
It released a questioning rumble from deep within its throat, as if asking:
"Do you not want these as well? They are also very beautiful."
Karl El understood the dragon's meaning easily.
He simply smiled and shook his head.
His gaze returned firmly to the floating pile of magical artifacts, his chin lifting slightly as he indicated that these alone were already more than enough.
A short time later, Karl El and Milgatabrek emerged from the depths of the cave.
The moment they appeared, the people waiting outside immediately noticed the small mountain of floating magical artifacts hovering beside Karl El.
Yennefer and Doregar froze instantly.
After only a single glance, their breathing grew noticeably heavier.
Their eyes widened like copper bells, and their pupils nearly turned red with excitement.
The expressions on their faces resembled beggars who had been starving for days suddenly encountering a luxurious banquet.
Magical artifacts.
So many magical artifacts.
And the magical energy radiating from them was incredibly dense.
The creation of magical artifacts was an extremely difficult craft. Many ancient techniques used to produce them had already been lost with time.
Only the most experienced and knowledgeable mages possessed the ability to craft such items.
Even then, the process was filled with uncertainty and carried an extremely high failure rate.
Furthermore, even successfully created magical artifacts required careful maintenance.
If they were left unused for too long or poorly maintained, the magical structure inside them could become unstable—or in the worst cases, collapse entirely.
For this reason, a stable and powerful magical artifact was unbelievably valuable to a mage.
An ordinary mage possessing two or three suitable magical artifacts would already be considered quite wealthy.
Even someone like Yennefer—a powerful and elite sorceress—only carried a single magical artifact with her.
The Obsidian Amulet gifted to her by Tissaia.
Yet the floating pile beside Karl El…
At a rough estimate, it contained at least two to three hundred magical items.
Although the quality likely varied, the sheer quantity alone was enough to drive almost any mage completely insane.
Geralt did not possess deep knowledge about magical artifacts.
However, the wolf-head medallion hanging around his neck had been vibrating wildly for quite some time now.
It trembled so intensely that it nearly jumped off his chest.
Glancing at Yennefer and Doregar beside him—both staring at the artifacts with expressions so intense they looked ready to drool—Geralt quickly understood something.
The shining pile beside Karl El was undoubtedly an unimaginably precious treasure in the eyes of mages.
Carrying this mountain of magical artifacts that made everyone present dizzy with envy, Karl El first walked toward Geralt.
Under the burning gazes of Yennefer and Doregar—who seemed practically glued to the treasure pile—Karl El calmly raised a hand.
With a subtle movement of thought, he separated all the weapons and armor from the floating pile.
The enchanted equipment drifted forward and stopped in front of Geralt.
Each item shimmered with a faint magical aura.
Energy flowed through their engraved runic patterns, clearly proving that they were anything but ordinary equipment.
"Geralt," Karl El said with a relaxed smile, his tone casual.
"Take a look. See if there's anything you need. Pick a few items that suit you."
Geralt was clearly stunned.
He stared at the enchanted weapons and armor floating before him.
For a brief moment, genuine interest flashed through his cat-like pupils.
As a Witcher who spent most of his life walking the thin line between life and death, superior equipment often meant a greater chance of survival.
His gaze lingered briefly on several items.
A dagger with smooth, elegant lines and an eerie glow.
A steel sword whose blade seemed to carry a faint frost.
And a piece of armor that appeared lightweight but possessed an intricate structure reinforced with riveted joints at key points.
However, the moment passed quickly.
Geralt shook his head, forcing himself back to his usual calm composure.
"Sorry, Arnulfati," he said quietly.
"These things are far too precious."pacing (better for publishing or uploading).
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