As the mana bus stopped close to the lake, Mikhail and Kevin walked out hurriedly.
Mikhail, holding Methew in his hand, was in the lead. He stopped just for a second to look around.
The lake was small, around the size of a stadium, with a layer of algae growing on the sides.
A group of small plants covered its outer area with the sound of small animals ringing like a melodious tune.
"What are you doing, Mikhail?" Kevin asked, his voice holding an underlying frustration. "What are you trying to find?"
"The coffin." Mikhail replied, looking back at him. "Robin made that coffin heavy so he could let it sink to the bottom of the lake."
"That's absurd."
"It's not if you think it through." Mikhail replied as he began to walk. "The only reason it never occurred to us was because we were subconsciously believing the border patrol."
The border around the city walls has always been under strict security. They have to be, in order to make sure the people inside the city are safe.
Mikhail and Daniel had both been sure in their deduction that it was almost impossible for Robin to leave the city.
'But what if we were wrong.' Mikhail thought, searching for any clue. 'What if Robin did find a way to sneak outside?'
Mikhail was ready to take the bet even if there was only a slight chance of it being true.
He kept on looking around the place with Kevin right behind him.
And after roaming around the lake for a while, Mikhail finally noticed something.
A smile bloomed on his face when he saw a marking on the muddy ground.
It was almost faded. Had he been a day late the mark would have been gone.
Kevin squinted his eyes as he said doubtfully. "Are they…tire marks?"
Mikhail nodded in response and began to follow the marking which led them to the lake.
"Like I said." Mikhail mumbled. "He brought the coffin here with a hand cart."
"This is still stupid." Kevin groaned. "They could be something else."
"Only one way to find out."
Mikhail replied, passing Methew to Kevin who took him.
He unbuttoned his shirt and took off his pants, passing them back to Kevin who just looked at him speechlessly.
"You gotta be kidding—."
He couldn't even finish his words when Mikhail jumped into the lake.
"Mikhail, you stupid fuck!"
Mikhail couldn't hear it as he submerged himself in the water.
The murky water made it hard for him to see but he forced himself to keep his eyes open.
He kept on diving deeper as darkness kept on swallowing him.
'I need help.'
Mikhail quickly used [Enhancement] on his luck to accelerate his search. In the span of a few seconds, he saw something.
A shiny object reflecting the sunlight from above.
Mikhail quickly began to swim towards the object as he was losing oxygen.
He brought his hand forward to touch the object but in that instant he felt something sharp cut his finger.
Before he could understand, a burning pain made him scream. He felt like something was trying to crawl under his skin.
The feeling vanished after a split second. A message appeared from the system but he ignored it. Mikhail quickly rushed towards the surface.
But just as he moved, his eyes finally registered something.
It was a big black box coated with metal around it that lay flat on the floor of the lake.
….It was a coffin.
---
It took an hour for the police, Daniel and the family of Robin Varbin to arrive at the location.
The police, with the help of some Awakened hunters, were able to bring the coffin out.
Just like Mikhail had expected, inside it was the dead body of Robin and the items he had stolen from his family.
Along with it were some rocks to make the coffin even heavier. It was like Robin had never planned for anyone to find the coffin.
Mikhail sat on the side of the lake, holding a towel to stop the bleeding from his finger cut.
His eyes remained on Lady Vina who was crying on the side of the coffin.
Robin's body wasn't something anyone could look at. It was bloated and a foul smell flooded the place.
Kevin was on the side of the road, playing with Methew and Robin's daughter to keep her away.
Mikhail's gaze shifted as he saw Daniel walk towards him.
"Good job." He said, sitting by his side with a groan. "You have a knack to think out of the box, don't you?"
Mikhail didn't say anything as his gaze remained on Lady Vina.
"Why would he do that?" He couldn't help but ask. "Kill himself like that."
"He did what he did, don't think too much about it." Daniel replied. "And as for the reason, they found a letter with him."
Mikhail turned to look at him. "What did it say?"
"He confessed that he stole an Artifact from the Red Crown Society." Daniel said, looking at the coffin. "And to keep his family safe, he decided to kill himself and bury the artifact."
There was a clear flaw in his reasoning that both of them could clearly see.
"Did the handwriting—."
"Match with his." Daniel completed his sentence. "Miss Vina confirmed it."
Mikhail leaned back and kept his gaze on the coffin that had been opened up.
"Did they find the Artifact?" He asked, glancing at Daniel.
"Lady Vina checked it." He replied. "There was nothing else except the items he stole from his house."
Mikhail kept his silence, waiting for him to explain further.
"There was a small hole in the middle of the coffin." He said, his voice thoughtful. "The police and myself believe the item was taken out from there."
Mikhail began. "I did nothing—."
"The punch was from the inside." Daniel cut him off. "Robin's left hand was broken. It wasn't your fault."
Mikhail lowered his head, his gaze on his bleeding hand.
Daniel stood up and ruffled his hair with a smile.
"Don't make that face." He said. "You just solved a case faster than me."
Mikhail could only shake his head in response. "I wouldn't have been part of the case if not for you."
Daniel patted his shoulder. "At least Vina will get the insurance money." He said. "Their family will now live comfortably because of it."
He turned around and walked away. "Be proud of yourself."
Mikhail didn't say anything. He just kept his eyes on Daniel's back.
Finally, he let out a deep sigh and willed for the message to reappear.
[Congratulations!]
[You have bound with an Artifact of Destruction!]