Fantasy Star Online's

23. Ancient Artifacts - The Fortune

"Fran? Ah, you mean the top 1 player in the rank of the werebeast race?"

Hearing the player mention his familiar-sounding name in Moon's ears, he immediately reacted and confirmed it.

"Of course it's me. Who else is Fran and has the rare werebeast race, the silver wolf race, besides me? Nothing, right?"

While answering Moon's statement, he lowered his body and sat on top of Arachne's corpse which had not disappeared into pieces of blue polygon.

Moon asked again. "But, what is a top ranker doing here? It's just a low dungeon...."

"I should have asked like that. To me, this is a low dungeon. But, to you, judging by the equipment you wear, isn't this dungeon too difficult for you to finish? After all, where did you enter this dungeon other than coming from up there...."

Fran pointed upwards, to the ceiling that had been hollowed out by her own actions.

Listen to Fran's statement. Ryzen and Moon wondered in confusion, Ryzen scratched his non-itchy cheek while asking. "You said this dungeon was too difficult for us. Actually, what and what level is this place at?"

"This place is called Arachne's Lair, a C-level dungeon, usually entered by level 40 players and above. You guys came here without knowing that?"

"I didn't know this was a dungeon for level 40 and above.... We're here because we run a quest, precisely a connected quest. After successfully finding an NPC named 'Lucius', we obtained another quest to kill Arachne and obtain an ancient artifact."

"ancient artifact? Is the artifact you're looking for a ring?"

"I don't know, it's just a mention of defeating Arachne and seizing an ancient artifact.... By the way, what are you—top rankers doing here, you said this dungeon is low level to you, then what is your true purpose?"

Fran stood up and jumped off the top of Arachne's corpse and landed on the ground. Arachne's body eventually broke into pieces of blue polygon and disappeared.

Fran walked to one side of the wall in the place and knocked on the surface of the wall, as if checking for a secret passage.

Tugs! Tugs!

After getting a different sounding knock, Fran turned to look at Ryzen and Moon who were watching him.

"My goal is here, just like you. To get an ancient artifact, which is a ring."

"?!!"

Ryzen and Moon were shocked after learning that the top rankers' goals were the same as theirs. After recalling the purpose of his quest, Ryzen realized something and deduced it himself.

'Perhaps, seizing the ancient artifact was not from Arachne but snatching it from that player. If that were the case, it would be difficult....'

Fran realizes something from Ryzen's worsening face.

"We hope that the ancient artifact is not a ring. Or maybe, there could have been two ancient artifacts inside here." While saying so, Fran swung his arm and hit hard the wall behind him.

A BRUAKKK!!

Behind the wall smashed by one small hand, there was a narrow path illuminated by burning torches along the way. The distance of the narrow road is not too long, because even though viewed from the outside, it can be seen a chest located on a rock at the end of the narrow road.

"It... Secret passage?"

Moon, who was focused on looking at something at the end of that road, realized there was something. "Is that a chest that holds ancient artifacts?"

Fran walked in first. "Nobody knows. If it's true, just wish there were some ancient artifacts there."

'I hope so.' Ryzen's inner.

Kreaakk~!

The crate they thought was an ancient artifact kept there was opened after hours of them trying to open it. The chest was opened by Fran's hard fist in annoyance.

"Wohhhh...."

"???"

"What is an ancient artifact? There's a crystal ball, a piece of cloth, and—"

"the ring! Here goes!"

Fran immediately picked up a ring when he saw it there. "Waaahhaa, doesn't this ring look like a wedding ring?"

If you pay attention, the ring held by Fran does look like a wedding or engagement ring. From its size, shape, beautiful red gemstones in the ring, and materials that look like they are made of high-quality metal.

In addition to the ring taken by Fran, there are still two other objects, namely a crystal ball and cloth. Ryzen checked the description of both objects.

[Crystal of Fortune] (S)

A crystal that is considered a bringer of good luck. It is believed that this crystal was formed from the hardened tears of the Goddess of Fortune.

* Useable items, using these crystals and fusing them with materials to create fixtures will provide additional effects and stat to those fixtures.

[Arachne's Silk] (A)

A silk made by Arachne when he was a man.

"Here, two items rank S and rank A...."

Ryzen glanced at Fran who was obsessed with the ring in his grasp.

"Hey Fran. You said you only needed the ring, right?" ask Ryzen.

"Huh? Aye! Other than this ring, I don't need anything else here! Ahaha! Sina, I didn't expect you to make me come here for a ring that would bring us both together...."

Ryzen and Moon laughed awkwardly at Fran's behavior.

The three of them exit the venue and return to first place they fight against Arachne who was defeated by one hit kill by Fran.

Fran looked up, narrowing his eyes. "Hmm, I can't get out of here through I came.... Damn one way Dungeon, I have to travel a long way again to get to where my Sina is."

It is true, the entrance to the dungeon is designed just to be entered. Players who have finished doing the dungeon there, if they want to get out then have to use the exit provided.

That is, the entrance of the dungeon should only be on the road that Fran passed and the exit was the door that connected the dungeon with the dungeon. Ryzen and Moon had no idea that they were entering the dungeon through the path that should have been the exit. It should not be possible for players to do so, but since they both followed the path instructions provided by the quest, they were able to do so.

After some time, Fran realized something and immediately saw Ryzen and Moon.

"Oh yeah, how did you get to this dungeon? I mean, is it impossible for you to enter this dungeon through that path?" Fran pointed upwards, while Ryzen pointed towards the large iron door. "Hmm? We came by the road over there...."

"Isn't that the way out? How did you get in through the only exit of this dungeon?"

Ryzen and Moon shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders together.