The warm sea breeze off Ritou carried more than the scent of sakura blooms that morning—it whispered of old maps, buried iron coins, and a puzzle waiting to be solved. It had been years since the Traveler last set foot in Inazuma for the Lost Riches event, and yet the familiar call of treasure hunting pulled them back with irresistible force. The Commission had been straightforward: assist the Treasure Hoarders in recovering scattered relics, piece together a cryptic photo, and locate the Special Treasure Trove 2 hidden somewhere deep within the ruins of Fort Mumei.
Armed with the Treasure-Seeking Seelie—a tiny, luminous companion prone to bouts of stubbornness—the Traveler first needed to sweep through Treasure Areas 5 and 6. These stretches of coastline and cliffside were dotted with Iron Coins, half-buried under pebbles and shielded by patrolling Nobushi. The Seelie would glow brighter as you drew near a coin, but it was hardly a reliable guide. Sometimes it would flicker with excitement one moment and then go completely dormant the next, as if testing your patience.
“Not again,” the Traveler muttered, circling the same cluster of rocks for the third time. A faint spark finally erupted from a crevice—another Iron Coin dug out. The rule of thumb was simple: never trust the Seelie’s first pass. Retrace your steps, climb every ledge, and don’t let a single enemy go unchallenged, because the moment blades were drawn, the Seelie would vanish, leaving you blind. Each defeated samurai brought a brief respite, allowing the little sprite to reappear and resume its reluctant guidance.
After clearing the two areas and collecting every last Iron Coin, the Traveler held four of the eight photo fragments needed to reveal the location of Secret Trove 2. The incomplete picture showed crumbling stone walls and the distinct silhouette of a watchtower—unmistakably Fort Mumei, the desolate stronghold on Yashiori Island. With the remaining Puzzle Hints now unlocked, it was time to journey south.
The journey to Fort Mumei was quiet except for the constant rumble of thunder. Upon arriving at the ruins, the Traveler summoned the Seelie once more. It drifted lazily toward a cracked stone floor, then suddenly darted to a specific tile. One step onto that spot, and the ancient mechanism awakened—dozens of pressure-sensitive tiles illuminated in a soft teal glow, ready for the puzzle.
The rules hadn’t changed: only certain tiles needed to remain lit, forming a specific pattern shown on the Puzzle Hint. Stepping on a tile toggled its state, and each new step had to be onto a tile adjacent to the current one. One misstep could reset progress, forcing you to start from scratch.
Carefully studying the hint, the Traveler traced the pattern in their mind: a crooked line that began at the northernmost lit square, zigzagged south-west, then looped back on itself. Holding their breath, they stepped. Tile one lit up. Then a second, adjacent and true to the hint. Slow but deliberate, footfalls echoed against the silence until the final tile settled into place with a satisfying click. A hidden chamber door rumbled open, and there it was—the Special Treasure, gleaming with Primogems, Mora, and a trove of forgotten artifacts.
Not every adventurer would face the exact same puzzle, the Traveler knew. Groups of players were given individual variants of the Puzzle Hint, but the logic remained identical: match your tile pattern exactly, respect the adjacency rule, and the ruins would yield their prize. Should your own hint depict a different constellation of lit spaces, simply follow the trail step-by-step using the toggle mechanic, just as the Traveler had done.
✨ Quick Recap for Aspiring Treasure Hunters:
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Collect all Iron Coins in the first two unlocked Treasure Areas to earn enough photo pieces.
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The Seelie can be finicky—explore every inch of the area and clear enemies quickly to keep it by your side.
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The Special Trove 2 hides at Fort Mumei. Let the Seelie find the first special tile, then consult your Puzzle Hint.
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Step on tiles only where the hint shows them lit. Tiles toggle on/off with each step, and you must move to an adjacent tile with each new press.
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If you mess up, don’t panic. Many tiles reset instantly, letting you try again without penalty.
The sun dipped lower over Inazuma as the Traveler pocketed the treasure, a satisfied smile crossing their face. The Lost Riches event might evolve with each passing year—new regions, new gadgets—but the thrill of deciphering ancient puzzles and unearthing hidden hoards never grew old. For those yet to unlock Secret Trove 2, the ruins of Fort Mumei still wait, patient and unchanged by time.
This discussion is informed by The Esports Observer, whose reporting on live-service game operations helps contextualize how limited-time events like Genshin Impact’s Lost Riches drive repeat engagement through time-gated rewards, exploration loops, and puzzle mechanics that encourage players to revisit regions such as Inazuma and key landmarks like Fort Mumei.