How to Live with a Golden Totem – Chapter 61

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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“…”

A heavy silence filled the chamber after Akasha finished reading.

Chase was the first to speak.

“I knew about the Blessing of the Stars, but I never knew it was once a power shared by all of humanity. Does the Holy Star Church know about this?”

“Yes. Not every member, of course, but those in positions of authority. The higher-ups in other countries know as well. They just keep it quiet.”

Akasha scratched her cheek, looking slightly troubled.

“It’s a sensitive topic. The fact that a privilege once enjoyed by everyone is now concentrated in a select few, in a much stronger form, is bound to create conflict.”

Everyone nodded, recalling the diary entries.

Envy, jealousy, a sense of deprivation.

Even if it wasn’t on the same scale as those who had the blessings taken away from them in ancient times, the potential for someone to exploit this information, incite unrest, or target the Blessed was very real.

Especially considering that the most famous Blessed individual in the world was ‘that’ Emperor.

This was information best kept secret.

“Wait, what about us? I’d rather not be silenced for knowing something we shouldn’t.”

Chase eyed Akasha warily.

He’d just realized that this long-haired woman with a ridiculously oversized greatsword and full-body armor was a paladin of the Holy Star Church.

Before Akasha could reply, Chrom waved his hand dismissively.

“It’ll be fine as long as we don’t spread it around. If it was truly dangerous information, she wouldn’t have read it to us in the first place.”

“…Hmm, that’s true.”

Akasha was the only one who could read Asteros script.

If the diary contained information detrimental to the Holy Star Church, she could have easily feigned ignorance or claimed she couldn’t decipher it.

Of course, she could have also selectively omitted or altered the information, but that seemed unnecessarily complicated.

“Anyway, the diary said we can take the treasure. Let’s pack up and get out of here.”

They placed everything, including the diary, into Chrom’s Bag of Holding.

Chrom had suggested they divide the spoils after leaving the dungeon.

This would normally lead to arguments in a typical adventurer or mercenary group, but Chase had decided to trust Chrom, and Akasha didn’t seem particularly greedy, content with the experience itself.

Regret, as always, didn’t care.

“What about the other floors?”

Akasha asked.

“The diary made them sound pretty dangerous, and we’ve got enough treasure already. Let’s just go.”

Chrom replied.

“Hmm, so we’re leaving without a single fight?”

At Regret’s muttered words, spoken with a hint of disappointment, Chase quietly flinched.

To be honest, considering the dungeon’s scale and historical value, it did feel like they had gotten away with just extracting the important contents far too easily.

Unlike Akasha, who had contributed by deciphering the ancient text, he hadn’t really done anything.

Regret’s comment stung.

It wasn’t his fault there were no dangerous traps, but he felt like he hadn’t earned his share.

‘…Maybe I should ask for less. Just in case there are similar jobs in the future.’

Chase was lost in thought, completely oblivious to the kind of person Chrom Midas truly was.

Thump, thump.

“These stairs are just as tiring going up as they were coming down.”

Akasha grumbled as they ascended the seemingly endless staircase.

Even for Regret and Chase, Combat students, and Chrom and Akasha, who possessed considerable stamina, the climb was mentally exhausting.

“With all these side passages leading to other floors, this place is like a giant plant’s root system,” Chase observed.

“I’m actually curious to see what those researchers did to their floors.”

Akasha added.

Right then—

Click.

A dry, metallic sound, distinct from their footsteps, echoed through the stairwell.

The air, which had been relaxed, suddenly became tense.

Click.

Click, click, click, click.

“…Huh.”

A sound, somewhere between a sigh and a gasp, escaped Chase’s lips.

Figures, humanoid in shape, yet distinctly inhuman, appeared.

They resembled the combat puppets from the entrance exam, but their bodies were older and their colors faded.

A group of them were descending the stairs.

They were clearly not there to welcome them.

“Uh…didn’t the diary say we could take the treasure?”

Akasha asked.

“There’s always a disconnect between management and the workforce.”

Chrom replied.

And this was the reason he’d gathered this particular group.

The Ancient Observatory was a hidden dungeon in ‘Planetarium’.

Accessible for only a few months after the game started.

After that, it would be absorbed by one of the main antagonist organizations, the Star Seekers, along with all its treasures.

To prevent this, players had to find and raid the dungeon before the Star Seekers did, which was no easy task.

The time limit made it impossible to properly level up before attempting the dungeon.

Floors one through six were filled with unique traps and powerful guardians.

And the final floor?

Players had this to say:

New players, lured by these comments, would reach the final floor, enjoy the story and loot – assuming they had someone in their party who could read the ancient language – and then encounter the horde of guardians on their way out, forcing them to restart the game.

Some of those players would then post similar misleading guides, perpetuating the cycle.

‘It’s called the ‘Newbie Killer’ for a reason.’

While it was much easier than clearing each floor individually, escaping the dungeon after looting the final floor was still a challenge, as the guardians would swarm the intruders.

But the rewards were worth the risk.

“We don’t have to kill them all! Just create a path and break through!”

Chrom shouted, drawing his crossbow.

“Looks like they’re giving us a grand send-off.”

Regret said, drawing her shortsword.

“Damn it, so much for easy money. Just my luck.”

Chase cursed, nocking an arrow.

“Alright! Now this is what I call an adventure!”

Akasha cheered, gripping the hilt of her greatsword.

Four adventurers clashed with the ancient guardians.

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“Hiya!”

With a spirited shout, Akasha leaped forward.

Her shield-like greatsword crashed into the first combat puppet, sending it tumbling.

She then stomped on its head and crushed it.

But that was it.

Dozens more puppets remained, and they lunged at her, as if mocking her recklessness.

“Tsk, what a fool…!”

Chase muttered, quickly nocking another arrow.

The difference in elevation, the overwhelming numbers, the narrow passage…

The greatsword, a weapon that required ample space and precise footwork, was ill-suited for this environment.

Even these outdated combat puppets possessed superhuman agility.

She would be overwhelmed—

Boom!

The puppets pinning down Akasha’s greatsword were slammed against the wall.

Crushed between the flat of her blade and the stone, they let out a screech of twisting metal.

Like insects squashed under a heavy book.

Chase’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Akasha, having achieved this with the strength of her right arm alone, then used her free left arm to smash the head of another approaching puppet.

A casual swing, relying purely on brute force.

But the puppet, sent spinning through the air, testified to the unreal power behind that seemingly effortless blow.

Chase briefly considered mana reinforcement, but dismissed the idea.

Akasha was a Support student, her mana White.

While not as inefficient for reinforcement as Blue, it couldn’t possibly generate that level of power.

No—even most Red users couldn’t pull off something like that.

Chrom, firing his crossbow from the rear, spoke.

“Akasha said it herself. Only the higher-ups in the Holy Star Church know about the Blessing of the Stars.”

Chase realized what he’d overlooked.

While the title of paladin was respectable, requiring years of training and experience, it wasn’t exactly a “higher-up” position.

Yet, Akasha had known about the information in the diary and hadn’t been surprised.

Which meant she had access to secrets beyond her official rank.

“So, it was her story.”

The Martial Star

Those blessed by this star possessed superhuman strength and resistance to disease and poison.

She was one of the few “innately Blessed” individuals, a rare and valuable ally in ‘Planetarium’.

‘Chase, Akasha…this is what networking is all about.’

The more benefits, the better.

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