Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Perilous Plan

Having listened quietly to their conversation, Chu Yun followed after them. The order of knights was still resting in place, so his carriage and Paimon would remain safe. Chu Yun was unsure of the nature of the so-called divine shard, but regardless, anything of that sort was valuable; whether he could obtain it or not, witnessing it was worthwhile. This world seemed to be on the cusp of a new era, and perhaps more divine shards would appear in the future, destined to become treasures for which people would risk their lives.

Haig's personal guard numbered ten, half of them at the second tier, the other half at the first. With him and Matthew included, their combined strength was enough to wipe out most of the monsters in the Blackstone Forest. Yet, this time the creatures they would face were likely far more formidable, and their numbers considerable.

At present, they weren't certain if what lay in Blackwater Lake was truly a divine shard, but with Matthew present, they could make an accurate judgment once they arrived nearby. Matthew was a member of the Truth Mage Association, an organization independent from the common Mage Guild. Members of the Truth Association were traditional mages—like Chu Yun, they were blue-bar mages. They used the magic web as an auxiliary tool for studying spell models, but generally did not cast spells using spell slots. Instead, they constructed complete spell models themselves, rather than relying on prefab modules from the magic web.

It could be said the Truth Association was a fellowship of genius; only those with exceptional talent were eligible to join. They neither worshipped the Goddess of Magic nor any other deity, believing only in magical elements, their own knowledge, and truth. Unlike the devout, they felt no psychological burden in seizing divine shards; indeed, they relished the prospect and the chance to study them.

After advancing for about fifteen minutes, the group reached the edge of the forest near Blackwater Lake. Any farther and they would risk being spotted by monsters.

“Matthew, what do you think? Can you confirm it's a divine shard?” Haig's voice trembled with excitement; it had been a long time since he’d shown such emotion since becoming captain of the knights.

Matthew closed his eyes, feeling the fluctuations of the elements around him.

“The concentration of elements here is indeed high, and they're still retaining their basic state, not transforming into other elements!”

Magical elements generally referred to ether particles. Chu Yun’s mana burst was a spell model built from propertyless ether. Normally, ether particles everywhere would be affected and transform into corresponding magical elements. For instance, near fire crystal mines or volcanoes, ether would convert to fire elements, granting mages greater power or faster construction of spell models for relevant spells.

Beyond building the basic framework, spell models required propertyless ether to be transformed into the appropriate elements; composite spells needed multiple elements arranged in different structural positions. Natural treasures usually possessed inherent attributes, so it was highly suspicious that the concentration was so elevated here without any elemental conversion.

Matthew opened his eyes and continued, “It should be a divine shard. Look at those monsters.”

By the lake, the monsters were living peacefully together—even the notorious Split-mouth Crocodile wasn't attacking the gentle Six-eared Elk beside it. Warm light enveloped them, slowly healing their wounds.

“This is the characteristic of a divine shard. The energy diffusing from it can help monsters heal. If humans didn’t interfere, perhaps Blackwater Lake would become a sanctuary for monsters.”

“Why does a divine shard help monsters heal?” Haig asked, puzzled.

“I explained earlier; it concerns the origin of monsters—too complex to cover quickly. Suffice it to say, there is a ninety percent chance the treasure in Blackwater Lake is a divine shard!”

Haig fell silent for a moment, then turned to Matthew. “I feel... I should be able to absorb this shard. Are you sure you want to help me?”

“The divine shard isn’t as simple as you imagine. Besides what I mentioned, whether a creature possesses divinity influences absorption.”

Divinity sounded complex but, in essence, it represented a person’s innate talent and foundation. To reach the fourth tier like Haig, one must possess some measure of divinity.

“There are so many enemies—what should we do?” Haig fretted. The monsters by the lake were not only numerous and powerful, but they were constantly being healed.

Matthew took a hood from his pack. “This is a magical device. Wear it, and you’ll be regarded as one of the monsters. The others shouldn’t attack you. This is a diving potion; it allows you to breathe through your skin.”

“Our goal is to seize the divine shard, not slaughter monsters. Once you’re underwater and have the shard, we’ll lure the monsters away, and you can make your escape.” Matthew continued to pull out items from his bag.

“These are high-purity crystals of various elements. They’re irresistible to monsters of different types; have your guards each take one, and use them to scatter the monsters. This is a special container I use for collecting magical plants; placing the divine shard inside should block the monsters’ tracking.”

Matthew’s pack held many tools, but these were sufficient for the current task. The greatest distinction between humans and monsters lay in intelligence and the use of equipment; listening to Matthew’s plan, Haig felt he truly had a chance.

“Why me? Why don’t you go underwater and retrieve the shard?” Haig wanted to ask.

But considering Matthew’s slight build, he probably couldn’t swim, let alone dive for treasures.

The plan had three critical points: first, Haig’s disguise must not be exposed. Under normal circumstances, this wasn’t a concern, but near the divine shard, the magical device might fail. Second, the monsters needed to be distracted. They might be lured away by elemental crystals or attacks, but how far and for how long they would stay away was uncertain, and some might remain behind, leaving Haig to fend for himself. Third, concealing the shard: whether Matthew’s container could truly mask the aura of an unabsorbed divine shard was untested and posed a significant risk.

Haig’s life hung in the balance; if the aura couldn’t be blocked, he might be hunted by the monster horde.

“The Kingdom of Aelno is weak on the continent; when chaos comes, it will be perilous. I must become stronger—this is my best opportunity!” Haig said resolutely, taking the hood.

“Listen, I have only one condition: when you lure the monsters away, you must never lead them toward the knights!”

Haig couldn’t resist temptation, failing to put the order’s mission above all else, but he still had his principles.