[Vol. 8] Chapter 185: Chaotic Magic
The reason they waited until nightfall after entering the Chaos Magic Valley to set up camp wasn’t random. There was a clear reason behind it.
By the way, since Violet had brought along two very capable maids with her, she didn’t have to worry about chores like setting up camp at all. In fact, ever since Mia and Selna started serving her full-time, Violet had gradually become rather pampered. Almost all her daily needs, eating, sleeping, traveling, were completely taken care of by the two maids. All she had to focus on were the bigger, more important matters.
In a way, the ones who had made the biggest actual difference in Violet's life during this journey weren’t powerful people like Carinvega the [Agent of Fate], or even Lucine Constantius, the vampire princess. Instead, it was these two vampire maids, who usually stayed quiet and unnoticed in the background.
Even when they traveled to the Theo Province to investigate ancient ruins, Violet insisted on bringing them along, even though their combat strength was only average, around mid-tier at best. That alone showed just how much trust and value Violet placed on the two maids. They might not be combat experts, but they were incredibly versatile, with practically no weaknesses in any area.
This was probably what people meant when they said, “Once you’ve lived in luxury, it’s hard to go back to a simple life.”
Even though Violet’s current body as a god didn’t technically need food, sleep, or any biological needs, she could survive just fine without any of it, there was no reason to suffer if a more comfortable life was available. So of course, Violet chose comfort when she could.
Watching her two maids working around the camp, helped by the eager little Eudora, the black-haired girl sitting near the newly built campfire couldn’t help but smile and shake her head, then turned her gaze toward the hero’s party nearby.
With the camp mostly finished thanks to everyone’s teamwork, the heroes handed over the remaining chores to the more experienced helpers and regrouped to prepare for something more important.
—Studying the magic conditions in the Chaos Magic Valley.
As the saying goes, “Seeing it with your own eyes is better than hearing it a hundred times.” Although there were many rumors and records about this place, painting it as some terrifying land where even gods wouldn’t dare enter, simply walking around the valley a bit wasn’t enough to truly understand it. They needed to run proper tests and prepare thoroughly so tomorrow’s actions wouldn’t catch them off guard.
In fact, Violet had already noticed that while magic in the Chaos Magic Valley was indeed in a very wild and unstable state, so chaotic that no living being could absorb or use it, and even trying to do so would send your own magic into a frenzy, that didn’t mean there was something wrong with the magic itself.
Because the team's magic tools were safely stored in her “inventory”, earlier when they were setting up camp, Chloe had asked the priestess for a few Tier 1 magic crystals. Right now, she was carefully using them for an experiment, while the others watched closely. She slowly released a small amount of her own magic and tried to inject it into the crystal to activate it.
Most Tier 1 crystals didn’t have any special properties. They were usually just used as a simple energy source or ground into powder for potions, basically single-use magic fuel. That made them perfect test subjects for magical experiments like this one.
However, the moment Chloe’s magic entered the crystal and began to awaken it, the crystal started to change color rapidly, visibly with the naked eye, and within seconds, it suddenly exploded with a loud “Bang!”
As Chloe gasped in shock and the others’ faces turned serious, Violet simply shook her head quietly to herself.
Of course, the magic crystal she gave was completely fine, and Chloe hadn’t used any external magic at all during the test. So the only possible explanation for what happened was that something in the air directly eroded the crystal as soon as it came into contact with it. It seemed the rumor about magical equipment slowly breaking down over time in this place… was actually true.
However, this outcome was already within the priestess’s expectations. Compared to these younger, less experienced teammates, Violet had a much better, and more convenient, method for testing things.
The black-haired girl turned her body slightly to block the others’ view, raised her hand, and a strange glow began to twist and shimmer in her palm. A small, round black gem appeared quietly in the air. It was smooth and dark, with a deep, swirling glow like the night sky inside it.
Seeing this, the dragon girl sitting nearby immediately understood and moved closer to Violet. She gently curled her long, fluffy tail around her master's slim waist and leaned in contentedly, enjoying the closeness. Her taller body also helped fully block any remaining gaps in visibility.
They often acted like this, showing physical affection casually. So in the eyes of the others, Xiao Guang's actions seemed completely normal and expected.
Right now, the only people who could even barely see the black gem in Violet’s hand were Xiao Guang, the two maids sitting across the fire, and Eudora. But those three were all busy doing chores, and the firelight created plenty of cover. So Violet wasn’t too worried that her little secret might be exposed.
After their practiced, silent teamwork was complete, the dragon goddess laid her head gently on Violet’s shoulder and exhaled softly into her ear, as if whispering sweet nothings. From the outside, it looked exactly like a flirty moment between the two, which made several members of the hero party quickly turn their heads away. After all, they knew very well how temperamental this woman could be, and they had no interest in accidentally stepping on a landmine.
But in reality...
“Master, you felt it too, didn’t you?”
“Mhm… let’s try it.”
Violet didn’t reject her dragon’s affectionate closeness. She simply nodded and silently cast a sound- and scent-blocking barrier. Then, the palm-sized black gem slowly rose about three inches into the air between the two of them and the fire, emitting a soft, steady light.
That was the aura of pure magic.
Not the distorted, polluted magic floating around the Chaos Magic Valley. But true, clean magic infused with the power of world laws themselves.
The [Demon God's Gem] was a relic formed by restoring the damaged crystal that once sat on top of Olivia the Demon God's staff, back during the great catastrophe known as the Divine Calamity. This small gem carried with it the pure Law of Magic from the Demon God Olivia herself.
Even though this gem was only one of Olivia’s many magical tools, and didn’t represent the full power of the concept of “magic,” it still held a portion of divine law. And even if it wasn’t whole, the power of law did not lose its essence. That’s why, even in its restored form, it was still officially ranked as a low-tier divine artifact.
“Bzzz—”
Just like dropping a pebble into a still lake, the pure magic released by the [Demon God's Gem], carrying the power of true divine law, began to ripple outward from the gem like waves. And then, the moment it touched the surrounding air...
“Zzzzzzzzzzzz—!!”