Chapter 169: A Second Core

Divine artifact——Green Jade Golden Coffin!

No one expected this divine artifact would be in the alchemy factory control hub’s first floor.

Everyone was shocked, however after carefully thinking, as the seventh most wanted and as a legendary alchemist, it was not strange for War Merchant to have this.

“We must bring this divine artifact with us! If we give this to the empire, we will receive an unimaginable amount of contribution.” Someone shouted.

“In order to prevent accidents, don’t touch it for the time being, it should be the core of an alchemy formation.” Zi Di inferred after seeing some clues, “The countless coffins outside should be copies of it. Through an alchemy formation, War Merchant could copy the divine artifact’s power, allowing him to make all kinds of magic beasts from the counterfeit coffins.”

Cang Xu nodded: “It seems my previous conjecture was wrong, the island’s artificial magic beasts were not beastified people, rather they were forcibly created here. The Green Jade Golden Coffin is indeed inconceivable!”

“After all, It is a divine artifact……” Jia Sha sighed endlessly, he was the first to circle around the magnificent divine coffin, “We had better go upstairs without delay and find a way to control this place.”

Besides the dead bodies and coffins, the magician tower’s first floor had a staircase.

Jia Sha used divine spells to examine his surroundings and the things in front of him.

But it was ineffective, he couldn’t detect anything.

Even if things were out of control here, because the materials and alchemy technology here were at the legend level, a silver level investigative divine spell was useless.

As a result, Jia Sha didn’t walk ahead, instead he made others find a path.

Everyone cautiously approached the staircase, but nothing unexpected happened.

“Listen, it sounds like sea waves!” Lan Zao suddenly said.

Many people nodded, they also heard it.

“Could it be that the second floor has a teleportation door, can we leave Mystifying Monster Island through it?”

“Perhaps this is a defensive magic being enabled……”

Everyone discussed incessantly while Zhen Jin’s heart secretly bounced: “This feeling……”

He suddenly felt a call, something above was attracting him. As he stepped up the staircase and got closer to the second floor, this attraction grew stronger.

“What is on the second floor?” Holding this intense curiosity, Zhen Jin and the others came to the second floor.

On this floor, the sea wave sounds unexpectedly disappeared.

The second floor was nearly empty, there was no teleportation door, only a shell floating in the air.

The mediocre shell didn’t look strange, it looked like a large old fashion washbowl with green-black moss all over it.

Everyone felt the aura of life, proving the shell was alive.

But it wasn’t a magic beast, based on its life aura——it was just an ordinary shell.

Why would War Merchant place an ordinary shell on the second floor?

It seemed this shell was more important to War Merchant than the Green Jade Golden Coffin on the first floor!

In the middle of everyone’s hesitation, Jia Sha’s expression suddenly changed as he thought of something.

“Don’t tell me, that is the Mermaid Fairy Tale?” Jia Sha was uncertain.

“What is that?”

“Fairy Tale?”

Everyone was endlessly puzzled; it was difficult to connect this shell to fairy tales.

Contrariwise, Cang Xu recalled some information and explained: “I think the thing Lord Priest is referring to, is the Blue Charm god’s divine artifact. Its divine artifact’s name is Mermaid Fairy Tale.”

Seeing everyone staring at him, Cang Xu continued: “The Blue Charm god is a revered fishman god, they are an expert at deceit and disguise. Their torso is a mermaid and is fond of emitting its charm to entice the males of different races from ships. However once upon a time, it encountered one of the human dukes……it is inappropriate to narrate what happened next.”

Everyone immediately understood, one by one, they recalled rumors of a sex scandal happening to some great character in the empire.

“I always thought that was a rumor.”

“Many things aren’t baseless.”

Don’t say anything, that affair is taboo, be careful, a loose tongue may cause a lot of trouble!”

Everyone actively stopped discussing this subject, then they looked at the ordinary shell again.

“I’m still uncertain.” Jia Sha shook his head, “But if it is the Mermaid Fairy Tale, then everything is clear.”

“War Merchant relied on and used this divine artifact to deceive and hide from the gods, allowing him to hide his headquarters in the world. As a result, the gods were unable to find Mystifying Monster Island, ships were unable to come here, and us arriving at this place was a complete accident!”

Zong Ge gazed at the large shell and said with a respectful tone: “War Merchant deserves to be called a legend level alchemist; he could even utilize divine artifacts.”

Divine artifacts, as the name implies, they were the gods’ implements. The vast majority of divine artifacts were forged by a god alone, in order to make it as close as possible to their divine power.

Only with a god’s permission, can another use their divine artifact.

However, War Merchant clearly hadn’t gotten the Feather Snake god’s or the Blue Charm god’s permission, through his own methods, he forcibly excavated a portion of the divine artifacts’ power, from this, the apex of War Merchant’s alchemy mastery was undoubtedly revealed.

War Merchant was not a believer, to steal the power of these divine artifacts through alchemy was blasphemous and offended the Feather Snake god and the Blue Charm god. If this was discovered, he would be an enemy of the gods.

However, these two gods had fallen long ago, thus War Merchant didn’t bring about any trouble.

From this, one could also see War Merchant’s prudence, he behaved appropriately by only targeting fallen gods.

“We will go to the third floor.” Jia Sha headed to the stairs.

Like before, no one dared to touch the large shell. All of them cautiously walked around, lest they trigger something by getting too close.

Zhen Jin shot a final glance at the divine artifact; he didn’t have any familiar feelings when looking at it.

But the youngster’s gaze grew heavier, because he felt the mysterious call and attraction grow stronger.

“As it turns out this call is not from the second floor, rather it is from an upper floor!”

“Why is this hidden thing calling to me?”

“Why does the control hub seem somewhat familiar?”

“Don’t tell me I have been here before?”

“Impossible, how could I come to this place?”

Jia Sha used divine spells, he still didn’t detect any traps, while the people ahead were safe and sound. Everyone quickly reached the third floor.

This floor is similar to the second floor, there is nothing here except the thing in the middle, as well as the flights of stairs in the corner.

“What is that thing?”

“Don’t tell me it's another divine artifact?”

“War Merchant placed this on the third floor, this proves that in War Merchant’s heart, it is more important than the Green Jade Golden Coffin and the Mermaid Fairy Tale!”

But regardless of whether it was Jia Sha, Zong Ge, or Cang Xu, all of the scowled and puzzled, they didn’t recognize the object.

In everyone’s eyes, it was a smooth, round, and small ball.

It was only the size of a thumb, its entire body was scarlet, its surface wasn’t glossy, it resembled a small walnut, and it had fine vein lines warped around its body.

It had a texture similar to a transparent crystal, with blood light radiating from inside it.

Zhen Jin also had a doubtful expression; however, his heart was shocked.

“It's a core!!!”

With regards to that strange item, he was the one most familiar with it, because his heart concealed one of them.

Regardless of the size, shape, or texture, it was a carbon copy. Only the vein lines on the surface were different.

Without the core, Zhen Jin would have already died in some corner on Mystifying Monster Island. By constantly excavating the core’s power and transformations, Zhen Jin was able to come to this place.

“War Merchant also has a core!”

“Did he make this core?”

“He put it on the third floor, that must mean he feels its value exceeds that of the Green Jade Golden Coffin and the Mermaid Fairy Tale!”

Zhen Jin didn’t feel surprised or baffled.

Earlier, Zhen Jin had speculated the constant fights on Mystifying Monster Island were perhaps happening to make a core.

The young knight thought of Jia Sha’s information again, in recent years, War Merchant had mastered the human beastification technology and had already begun to sell them as weapons for external use.

“But why am I attracted so strongly to it?”

Zhen Jin couldn’t help but roll his Adam’s apple, the core floating in the air feverishly called out to him.

It wasn’t calling out to Zhen Jin, but the core in Zhen Jin’s heart.

Inside Zhen Jin’s heart, strange red lights emitted from the core, and each flash of light seemed to shout to Zhen Jin: “Eat it! Eat it! Absorb it now!!” 

Notes

That moment when the “cheat” of the book isn’t even unique, or even the strongest form around. I wonder how strong War Merchant’s bloodcore is, considering he considers it more valuable than a divine artifact. I wonder what he’s used it for or if he could even use it, considering it wasn’t in his heart during the whole Blood Light invasion that killed him. Also I would like to take this time to rant about how dumb Webnovel’s sypnopsis of this book is, it thinks the bloodcore is a human invention, used by humans to compete with other races...because reasons. The bloodcore was created by a goblin that probably had Mork’s blessing maxed out...probably….he is technically a nonbeliever, whatever that means in this world.

(PS, Webnovel took down their listing of IB on their website, along with that absurd synopsis, if you want to know what it said, I have written it below in remembrance of its asinine memory.)

People are different.

The more superior the bloodline, the easier it is to control power.

Ordinary people without supernatural bloodlines can only occupy the bottom rungs of society, unable to achieve anything even if they try their best.

Humans are different from other races.Humans aren't as good at magic and archery as elves. They aren't as good at casting metal and brewing alcohol as the dwarves.

They don’t have the physique of orcs, and they don’t have the freedom of merpeople underwater.

However, if humans had a blood core, everything was possible.

Huaman: “Oh my god, what a noble bloodline. You are teh glory of mankind!”

Elf: “I've never seen a magic genius like you.”

Dwarf: “No matter what kind of casting, it is easy for you.”

Orc: “You are the pride of us orcs. You are the most talented warrior in a millennium. You should be the Emperor of the Orcs!”

Merpeople: “Son of God! Boohoo, the Son of God has arrived!”