[Vol. 7] Chapter 196: Quick Run Through Karazhan to Graduate from Karazhan!
Because the conversation was suddenly cut off, things went quiet for a while. After a moment, the female voice spoke again.
[Violet… that is your name, right? May I ask, where did the small amount of divine essence inside the [Heart of the Red Dragon] come from?]
The priestess blinked in surprise.
“Divine essense? You’re saying there’s divine essence inside the [Heart of the Red Dragon]? Really? I didn’t notice anything like that.”
The [Heart of Creation] didn’t give a direct yes or no.
[That’s probably because you yourself are full of divine energy, so you’re used to that kind of feeling. That’s why you didn’t notice the small, weak trace of divine essence inside it. If I’m right, you haven’t used or touched this crystal very often, correct?]
[Otherwise, how could a single dragon core, whose original body is already dead, possibly reopen the [Dragon Gate], and even show up on its own, like a living creature, in this special space we’re in now?]
“Uh… when you put it like that, it does kind of make sense.”
Having the truth pointed out so clearly made Violet look a little embarrassed.
After all, the [Heart of the Red Dragon] was just a treasure left behind after a red dragon in Flame Dragon City died in battle. It was made from that dragon’s energy and magic core. To be blunt, it was just a high-level crafting material, not a finished piece of gear. Sure, it had powerful energy inside, and even some Flame-type magical laws, but it wasn’t supposed to have a will of its own.
And to be honest, Violet didn’t care much about it. If it hadn’t shown up by itself this time, she might have completely forgotten it was even in her backpack.
Still… divine essence, huh?
That kind of thing isn’t easy to come by. Most regular methods can’t even reach that level, let alone create divine essence that doesn’t fade away easily.
Thinking back on things she’d seen in the past, Violet began to have a guess.
Besides being formed naturally through the laws of the world, the most proper source of divinity is usually faith.
Back then, the Goddess Church in the Holy Empire managed to create a divine essence from nothing, just by using the power of nationwide belief built up over 300 years. So maybe this [Heart of the Red Dragon]…
Yes, that’s it.
Flame Dragon City had prospered thanks to the blessing left behind by the red dragon. The people living there treated that flame dragon with a level of devotion that was almost like religious faith.
Back when Violet and Xiao Guang were visiting the city, they noticed that every household had their own way of worshipping or remembering the red dragon, some were even more devoted than the Holy Empire people.
And since adult dragons already had power levels close to that of gods, maybe that’s why some of the people’s faith gathered inside the red dragon’s core after its death. Over many years, this steady flow of belief may have caused some changes.
Of course, the [Heart of the Red Dragon] didn’t have what it takes to become a true god. The faith from one city alone wasn’t nearly enough to create a divine being. But creating a small amount of divine essence and a tiny bit of spirit inside it? That was totally possible.
And this hidden spiritual energy was likely awakened when it came into contact with the [Dragon Gate], another powerful item connected to the dragons. Maybe the appearance of the Frost and Arcane Dragon King also played a part. Thanks to this strange mix of events, the right conditions to open the [Dragon Gate] were finally met.
Honestly, it was all pretty fascinating…
If not for all these lucky coincidences, she wouldn’t have been able to unlock the [Dragon Gate] in such a special way and enter this hidden space where the [Heart of Creation] was located.
Seeing that the black-haired girl had gone quiet, lost in thought, the [Heart of Creation] floating in the middle of the white void didn’t rush her or do anything to interrupt. After a short silence, the gentle voice once again echoed in Violet’s mind.
[Well then. No matter how this dragon core came to have divine essence… the fact that you’ve arrived here means you’ve met the trial’s conditions. According to the rules of this trial ground, Violet, you are allowed to make one wish.]
“Huh? A wish? For real? Any wish?”
[Yes. Any wish, as long as it stays within the rules.]
Snapping out of her deep thoughts, Violet blinked, a little surprised. She gave a wry smile and shook her head.
“Then if I wished for unbeatable power, could you make that happen?”
[‘Unbeatable’ is a very vague word. While I can grant wishes, I am not all-knowing or all-powerful. I can’t determine what exactly counts as ‘unbeatable.’ But if you insist, I can give you the most powerful strength allowed within the rules.]
“The most powerful strength allowed by the rules, huh... That does sound impressive. But if someone already cleared all 50 levels of the trial to get here, wouldn’t that kind of power be kind of… unnecessary?”
When Violet casually pointed out the flaw, the [Heart of Creation] calmly replied.
[You're right. That’s why none of the people who cleared the trial before you ever chose that kind of wish.]
Hmm… so it seemed this “Heart Core Lady” really was powerful. After all, even the so-called [Will of the World] that brought Minchen’s group to this place could only give them a starting level of around lv50, and they had to grow slowly with the help of their status panels, taking years to get stronger.
But this [Heart of Creation], hidden deep within the [Morst Underground Labyrinth], claimed it could directly grant someone the peak power allowed by the rules, something like lv80 or higher. That’s a huge difference.
It was also clear this Miss Manager was capable of something big, as long as she wasn’t just bragging.
Violet didn’t need that kind of wish to become stronger. Instead of being tempted by a free gift from the sky, she was more interested in another detail.
“Miss Manager, you said earlier that some others had also cleared the trial. So… besides me, were there many others who were given a chance to make a wish?”
The [Heart of Creation] didn’t seem to be hiding anything. She answered quickly and honestly.
[Not that many, because the rules prevent beings beyond the allowed limits from entering the trial grounds. So far, you are the seventh living being to reach this place. The last one was over 300 years ago, a vampire who carried a token from the manager. Her wish was to borrow some power of [Origin] from me. Judging by fate… you’ve probably met her.]
“Huh…?”
A little vampire girl’s face popped into Violet’s mind. While she was still surprised, another question suddenly came to her.
“Wait a second, if this trial ground blocks out anything above the god level, why was I able to get in? You should be able to tell that I have a Divinity, right?”
[That restriction was moved elsewhere, so it’s weaker now. As for the exact reasons and more details… that’s a forbidden topic.]
“Ughhh… why do you mysterious types always have to speak in riddles? It’s so annoying!”