“You give me too much credit, Matthias. If I had any leads, would I be here meeting you by chance?” Nathaniel said with a smile.
Then, he changed the subject. “Though your men look tired, their eyes are still bright. You wouldn’t happen to have stumbled onto something good, would you?”
As he spoke, his gaze studied Matthias carefully, searching for any telltale signs. But Matthias’s expression remained unreadable.
“We fought through blizzards and harsh weather, nearly losing our lives. That’s hardly what I’d call stumbling onto something good,” he said evenly.
“Blizzards and harsh weather?” Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
“While Elysium Isle does harbor certain dangers, I’ve seen nothing but pleasant spring weather here. How could there be any blizzards and harsh weather?”
“I’m not entirely clear on the details myself. Most likely, it was some kind of pocket dimension, like those described in the ancient manuscripts. If we hadn’t stumbled upon an exit by sheer luck, I never would have reached this area,” Matthias replied.
“I see.” Nathaniel nodded thoughtfully.
He could tell his brother must have stumbled onto something good, and he would need to find a way to probe further.
“Nathaniel, I’m running low on supplies. We’ll have to rely on your support for the time being,” Matthias said with a smile.
“Of course. No problem,” Nathaniel replied, still smiling. “This place may be dangerous, but there’s plenty of food and water. Lucky for us, I hunted some food yesterday. Let’s have a feast today.”
He signaled his men, who immediately began setting up camp and preparing to cook.
Matthias’s men weren’t idle either. They set up their own camp, maintaining a calm and orderly appearance.
Despite their rivalry, Matthias and Nathaniel could work together temporarily on the treacherous Elysium Isle. But both knew the alliance would last only as long as neither side found any leads on the elixir of immortality. Otherwise, this temporary alliance would instantly end.
After setting up camp, they quickly built a fire and began cooking.
Matthias and Nathaniel sat around a roasted chicken, drinking and chatting while occasionally taking a bite. Though they appeared friendly on the surface, their conversation was filled with subtle probing.
However, both sides were extremely cautious and revealed absolutely nothing. Neither had any idea what discoveries the other had made.
Just as Matthias and Nathaniel were drinking and chatting, a dazzling light suddenly flashed across the distant horizon. What began as a faint golden glow quickly expanded into an enormous column of light that shot straight into the sky.
Everyone looked up to see a glowing object descending slowly through the beam of light. The object, shaped like a disk, was covered in strange patterns that pulsed with a faint golden glow.
As it descended, the ground began to tremble slightly. Flowers swayed in the meadow and ripples spread across the stream. Startled birds took flight while butterflies dropped to the grass and lay motionless.
The air around the object seemed to burn, radiating intense heat that cast a golden glow even on the distant mountains.
Matthias shot to his feet, dropping his piece of chicken without noticing. He stared at the mysterious glowing object, his eyes wide with shock and curiosity. Something told him this might be related to the elixir of immortality.
Nathaniel stood up as well. His initial surprise quickly turned to excitement.
Ancient manuscripts spoke of celestial phenomena heralding the appearance of treasures. So he was convinced the glowing object falling from a distance had to be a rare treasure. After all, any such treasure on Elysium Isle would likely be the elixir they sought, or something equally valuable.
Matthias was the first to react, and he shouted, “Hurry up! Everyone assembles!”
He drew his sword and pointed toward where the object was landing. “We head that way. Whatever it is, we need to find out.”
Nathaniel immediately ordered his men, ” Pack up everything and form ranks. If we find that elixir, there will be a generous reward for you.”
The soldiers sprang into action, gathering their gear and following Matthias and Nathaniel toward the landing site.
Though sunlight warmed their backs, no one paid attention to the beautiful scenery. Every eye was fixed on the golden glow ahead, hearts filled with anticipation and anxiety.
