Chapter 364: Hunter’s history.

Elfy raised her hand. "I can read it too."

"You don’t count." Zyra said softly. She pulled down the alien’s hand, hoping Elfy would not draw too much attention to herself.

But alas, it was too late! Every eye turned to Elfy, and most looked at her with curiosity. Hunter...not so much. He looked at her like an opponent that was seeking to dethrone him.

Bertha leaned closer to the stone, tracing the ancient alien text. "Treasure of Grumak," she read aloud easily. "I can read one hundred thirty-eight lost and alien languages. I used to be an archaeologist specializing in extra-terrestrial history before I opened the gallery. Our whole family made its fortune in this line of work, going back six hundred years. And for the record, this isn’t the first ’Treasure of Grumak’ site I’ve stumbled upon."

A sharp, almost deafening chime echoed inside Zyra’s skull. Her system was practically screaming in her brain.

[Search complete. Matching archives for ’Grumak’... Found.]

Zyra pretended to be interested in the markings on the pillar as the system began dumping information directly into her mind.

[Grumak: A language spoken by an alien species originating from Planet Orakk. Planet Orakk is a hostile, beast-dominated realm. Residents appear semi-humanoid, characterized by pale complexions and golden hair. Their biological structures function as living geological weapons.]

Zyra’s jaw dropped slightly under her mask. Hunter had golden hair!! It was blonde, but mostly gold to her.

[Host, I must add however that,] the system added, its tone infuriatingly casual. [The only reason Hunter activated the monoliths without following the proper deciphering sequence is because he possesses alien blood. The lock system basically recognized its master.]

Zyra’s eyes went wider than saucers. Slowly, painfully, she turned her head to stare at Hunter.

Hunter was currently standing there, staring at Elfy, looking slightly annoyed, scratching the top of his helmet. He looked like he was plotting how to ruin her day.

She began running down the mental checklist.

Supernatural, ridiculous strength that made no sense? Check.

His body literally mutating and growing monstrously when he was fighting the King beasts? Check.

His eyes glowing faintly when he fought? Check.

Golden hair? Check.

And his skin_ Zyra had always thought he was the son of a soul maiden and stayed indoors too much, but no_ he was pale. Not sick pale, but unnaturally, flawlessly pale. Like carved marble. With the exception of the scars, his skin was smoothly perfect!

Also, Elfy called him Orakuns!! She must have known something from the moment they met! Surely, Orakuns were residents of planet Orakk.

What in the world_? Zyra thought, her brain melting in real-time. My husband is a beast?! An_ an alien beast!? She screamed internally, trying to keep her face neutral while her mind spiraled into absolute chaos. But he was human! Red blood and everything.

This had to be some kind of mutation! It was the only logical explanation.

"Beauty," Zyra yelled in her head. "Is this why you called him a beast?"

Beauty, popped up in the corner of Zyra’s vision, tossing a handful of digital confetti with a smug smirk.

[Well, I wasn’t 100% sure at first because he is not a pure Orakuns. But now it’s confirmed! He is a certified, beast with alien blood! Congratulations on your intergalactic marriage!]

Confetti and fireworks went off on the virtual screen. Beauty pulled out the pom poms to do a dance.

"Beauty now is not the time for celebrating!"

Zyra hissed and bit the inside of her cheek so hard she nearly drew blood. She had a million questions. She wanted to grab Hunter by his neck and demand to know everything else about him.

But as she looked around at Neil, Bertha, and the rest of the squad all staring at the monolith, she forced a deep breath.

Not the right time, she told herself, clutching her spear until her knuckles turned white. Definitely not the right place.

She looked at the others and forced a smile. "So, what next?"

Bertha gestured to the monoliths. "Alright here is my suggestion." She pointed at the first monolith. "We solve one clue it takes us to the next till we find the dungeon. There could be more than one here. Whatever we get, we split the loot. I am interested in knowledge, and my brother is a weapons collector. Things like energy stones and the like don’t get my blood flowing."

They all agreed on this suggestion.

Zyra looked around the symbols. "System you know what to do."

[Scanning...

VAEL’NORA KETH SHAI.

Ding! scanning complete.

Translation; One walks where three watch.

Two sleep where four bleeds.

Five calls the lost

Six feeds the dead

Seek not the path of gold

Follow the path beneath the eye.]

Zyra frowned and told the others what the symbols said.

Bertha looked at her in shock, she had only managed to translate the first two lines. "How...how did you?"

"She is..." Etania started and Elfy covered her mouth. "For once in your life, shut up."

Zyra quickly filled in the gap. "My mother is Zena Scorpion_ the dungeon conqueror." She made a little dance with her fingers to lighten the moment.

Bertha laughed and waved the map in her hand. "Oh, I know the legend. This belonged to her, bought it at a private auction years ago. That is how we have silently discovered dungeons others cannot find."

Zyra looked at the map with a gleam, like she could snatch it at any moment. "Good for you now...what do you think the words mean?"

Bertha shook her head.

Beauty, do the work, Zyra said silently.

[Translation complete.

Stairs One and Three are watched by three guardians.

Stair Two contains a dormant mechanism.

Stair Four contains a blood-triggered defense.]

Stair Five has an eye on the wall.

Stair Six contains an energy signature associated with deceased organisms.]

Zyra looked down. A stone statue in the wall of stair five had a glowing eye that was pointed toward Stair Three.

[The intended route is Stair Three.]

"We take stair three."

Bertha grabbed her hand lightly. "Are you sure? This place must have traps to protect the treasure."

"It does. You can keep deciphering. You do not have to follow us." Zyra said politely.

Neil quickly stepped forward. "Trust me sister, we are safest with her."

They took the third staircase. There were no traps, just slightly slippery steps that took them to the bottom. There, three enormous crystals hang above a circular stone platform_ one white, one red, and one blue.

Bertha smiled widely. "Another clue."

Nero sighed. "How many God damn clues are there? I was hoping to get home before the Tchalkovsky clan battles it out."

"I can send you home, so you do not miss it." Tessi said.

Nero smacked his lips and the outdoor carved in the crystals.

The system was already translating the words on the clue. And Zyra, was still thinking of her alien husband, wondering if he was not a pure alien because he was part human, or something else.

Also, if he was an alien, then what about his father? How had a Soul maiden married an alien and reproduced with him without knowing?