Chapter 592: Max’s secret treasure
Max was stunned as he listened to Silus’s words. The casual arrogance with which Silus demanded they hand over all their treasures was so blatant, it almost felt surreal. He had said it out loud, right in front of them—as if it was perfectly normal to extort warriors who had risked life and limb in this mysterious citadel.
’Is that the reason why the guardians came into the Citadel this time?’ Max thought to himself, a cold laugh echoing silently in his heart. ’To use us as treasure scavengers while they sit back and reap the rewards?’
He kept his face neutral but sent a voice transmission to Klaus. "Listen to Silus for now," Max said in a low, firm tone within Klaus’s mind. "He clearly knows more about the citadel than any of us at the moment. We can’t afford to make enemies with someone like him yet."
Klaus’s response came a moment later, his tone calm but contemplative. "True. The last few times I was inside the citadel, we never made it this far. This place—these halls, these mirrors, even the structure of the maze in the first stage—it’s all new. Far more complex than before. Almost as if the citadel had evolved after the final key."
He paused briefly, then added, "But Silus… he found his way out of the maze before anyone else. And now, without hesitation, he’s talking about treasures hidden in the mirrors and paintings like he already knew about them. That means he has prior knowledge—perhaps from the guardians or from old records not even we’ve seen. This guy… he knows too much."
Max gave the faintest of nods as he replied through the transmission, "Yeah, so let’s play along. Let him think he’s in control. For now."
As Silus began walking deeper into the strange, surreal hall where paintings shifted when you blinked and mirrors occasionally reflected things that weren’t there, Max and Klaus followed without protest.
But beneath their composed exteriors, their minds were racing—because if Silus truly held knowledge of the Citadel’s secrets, then the second stage wasn’t just a treasure hunt. It was a battlefield of information, deception, and survival.
They soon came to a stop. Beneath their feet was a big rune etched on the ground.
Silus narrowed his eyes as silence lingered in the air, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Do you have any problem with my conditions?" he asked, clearly noting the hesitance after he’d demanded all the treasures.