Chương 354: Chapter 340

From the sludge on the ground emerged a pile of items. Most numerous among them were reagents, crafting materials, and a few junk items. Sam saw a bunch of items for necromantic artifacts, ice reagents for potions and rituals, and a few other things that would fetch a good amount of money. Among them were several books and scrolls. Some were skill books, some were crafting blueprints or recipes. There were even a few scrolls containing rituals and runic circles.

Sadly, most of the skill books were for necromancy and ice magic, nothing that would be of great interest to them. Dan picked out one or two ice magic spells, but mostly out of curiosity. The other books would head to the guild vault to be purchased with guild contribution points.

"Ah! Look! This is the Dark Well spellbook!" Isabella exclaimed, surprised. She was holding up a book that looked like it was made out of shadow given physical form.

"That is worth at least a million gold coins!"

"Really?" Dan stepped closer, inspecting the book in her hands.

"Yeah," she nodded excitedly.

"A lot of people want it, but getting a teacher for it is almost impossible."

"Huh…" Dan hummed.

"You know, a few months ago, if you'd told me I wouldn't care about a drop worth at least a million gold coins, I would have called you crazy," he stated. Isabella looked at him askance, but also nodded.

"Yeah, I know what you mean…" After that came a few pieces of equipment: a ring that increased defenses with eldritch magic, which went to Katie, and a dagger that caused caustic acid to drip into the stabbed victim. There were also a few spellcasting focuses that decreased mana cost and other odds and ends that nobody wanted. Sam was a little sad the raid boss hadn't dropped anything especially useful for everyone, but he knew it was unrealistic to expect amazing loot from every boss.

As they picked up the last stray item from the ground, the sludge began to move. It started to convulse, expanding and contracting, before slowly gathering into one spot, oozing across the ground as it did.

"Ew!" several people exclaimed as it crept along. Finally, it gathered into a single spot, where it began to shrink until only a small globule remained. The mass trembled in place for a brief moment before sinking into the scarred ground. As experienced players, they all knew this could mean many things. For example, another boss could appear. Thus, all of them slipped into a fighting stance, ready for anything. Mana surged, spells were prepared, and weapons were unsheathed.

Even Sam, who technically knew what was going to happen, did the same. On one hand, he couldn't really explain how he knew, so he had to pretend for the sake of the observing game system that he was oblivious. On the other hand, what if all his actions had changed this event, and something completely unexpected had happened. He had to be ready for anything!

Thankfully, after a tense few seconds, the ground began to shift – not violently, but with a slow, almost deliberate motion – as if something beneath the surface were carefully pushing upward. The earth split just enough for a dark shoot to emerge, its surface smooth and almost glossy, like polished emerald. It continued to rise, growing at an unnatural speed, stretching upward before branching outward in delicate, curling tendrils that gave the impression of something both organic and eerily crafted.

As the shoot matured, it thickened and unfolded, forming the structure of a flower bud that pulsed faintly with a dim, inner light. The air around it seemed to still, as though the world itself were watching. Then, with a gradual, almost ceremonial grace, the bud began to open. Petal after petal unfurled in a slow, purposeful motion, revealing rich violet surfaces that darkened toward the edges while fading into a pale, almost luminous white near the center.

The bloom expanded fully, forming a perfect star-shaped flower, its symmetry almost unnatural in its precision. The petals seemed soft at a glance, yet carried a faint sheen that hinted at something more crystalline beneath their surface. At the heart of the flower, cradled within its center, rested a black, octagonal gem roughly ten inches across.

Its surface was smooth and reflective, but what drew the eye was the faint blue light glowing within it, as though something deep inside the crystal pulsed with quiet, contained energy. The moment the flower fully opened, a screen appeared in front of them. [Congratulations!] [You have defeated the shadow of an empress of a dying empire.] [Being finally put to rest allowed her heart to be cleansed of the shadows that clung to it. However, thanks to the time the shadows had infested her, her heart remains black.] [You have found the gem, Heart of the Nation!] [Heart of the Nation: An extremely valuable gem made out of a special obsidian crystal, representing the founding empress of the nation. Placing it in the center of a territory owned by you will increase the territory's – and those who call it home – resistance to curses and decrease the effect of cold on the surrounding flora and fauna. The ruler of said territory would also gain special abilities depending on their actions.] [Current Owner: N/A] They all stared at the massive gem, then, as one, the team turned to look at Sam. The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He looked back at them.

"What?"

"Are you going to use it? Or do you have some kind of crazy plan for it?" Clarissa asked pointedly.

"Oooh, maybe he could use it to summon a giant shadow monster?" Katie gushed, already daydreaming about unleashing them. Sam smirked.

"Of course, I have a crazy plan for it! Who do you think I am?" Clarissa raised an eyebrow.

"And are you going to tell us, or are we going to find out what you did on national television?" He put his hand on his heart and swooned dramatically.

"Clarissa! You wound me!" She raised another eyebrow. Sam deflated.

"Fine. I was going to give it to the current ruling government in exchange for rewards…" Clarissa blinked at how easily he admitted it.

"Really? Why don't you want to keep it?"

"Why do you think all those soldiers are here?"

"Oh… So they are looking for this gem?"

"Maybe. But they're looking for something," he said, lying. The soldiers of the northern kingdom were looking for exactly this gem. If the current ruler could display it, his rule would be secure for a long time – not to mention the magical benefits. Down south, it would be useful… but up here, among the frigid mountains and glaciers, it was practically godlike.

"What kind of reward are we expecting?" Clarissa asked curiously.

"I have no idea," he said with a shrug and a smile. The next five minutes were spent with the others stopping Clarissa from murdering Sam. The moment they reappeared, they were met with a wall of sound. All around them, players stood in line to enter the portal – the queue moving forward every second or so as groups vanished into it. Thanks to it being a raid fracture, the parties were larger than usual, which only amplified the noise and chaos.

Soldier NPCs stood everywhere, their faces tired – sometimes even positioned within the line itself, separating two guilds that were at each other's throats, bragging about being the first to claim the raid. The soldiers quickly noticed them and, with wide eyes and hurried movements, began to herd them away from the excited crowd. General Swige was waiting for them in their tent, looking like he had aged several years during their absence. Around him, all his officers appeared just as exhausted.

The older man stared at Sam and his team with barely concealed hope before bowing his head slightly.

"My apologies, adventurer. I wasn't able to stop the masses from entering the portal," he admitted with a scowl.

"I'm afraid there are even people I cannot deny…" It was clear that admitting this pained him. Sam returned the bow.

"I don't mind, sir." The rest of the team stood behind him, respectfully keeping silent.

"After all…" The general's and his aides' eyes widened.

"You found something?" Sam reached into his inventory and pulled out a silken handkerchief Clarissa had been carrying – apparently a gift from some NPC noble who tried to woo her – and slowly unfolded it. The black gem was revealed before everyone's eyes. There were several gasps of wonder as the northern onlookers beheld the treasure. The general stepped forward and, with trembling hands, reached toward the jewel – only to pull back at the last second. Sam simply extended the bundle toward him.

"Go on, General. It belongs to your country, after all…" Hearing those words, the general seemed to steady himself. He gently took the gem from Sam's hands, careful to only touch it through the handkerchief. He raised it to his eye level and examined it closely. After a few long minutes, during which everyone else remained completely still, waiting for his verdict, he finally let out a small, awed gasp.

"By the spirits… it is real!" The moment the declaration left his lips, the entire tent sprang into motion. People crowded around the general – their previous stoic northern behavior forgotten – as they all tried to get a glimpse of the jewel of the north. Finally, after half an hour of commotion that Sam and his team watched somewhat awkwardly, the general managed to restore order.

Someone brought over an ornate box lined with silk cushions, and with great care, he placed the Heart of the Nation inside before closing the lid. He rested his hand on top of the box for a brief moment, eyes closed, as if grounding himself, before turning back to Sam. When he opened his eyes again, they shone with unmistakable excitement. He stepped forward and performed a crisp, practiced military salute.

"Tell me, adventurer! What do you wish for this gift you have bought us? On my name, I, General Swige, will do my utmost best to fulfill all your wishes!" he declared fervently. Sam once again reached inside his inventory and pulled out a beautifully crafted scroll. It had been made by Lucy and functioned primarily as a calling card for their guild and corporation within the world of Magic Unbound.

Naturally, it was written in terms familiar to local NPCs, including a general declaration of goodwill and a proposal to establish friendly relations, along with the possibility of opening trade channels. Every high-level member of the guild carried several copies, just in case they encountered someone important. Based on the quiet reactions behind him, his teammates had already figured out what he was doing.

Instead of wasting time meeting rulers, navigating politics, and getting entangled in countless feuds or assassination plots, he would simply let Lucy handle negotiations with the nation's representatives. He held the scroll out for the general, who accepted it with a curious expression.

"What could this be?" the older man asked.

"A simple declaration of friendship from the group I represent," Sam replied. The general studied the scroll for a moment, parsing its contents, before a wide smile spread across his face. He quickly – but carefully – pocketed the scroll, then stepped forward and grabbed Sam's hand, and began shaking it.

"Excellent! I'm glad to see your integrity and honor, even if you are from the South!" Sam ignored the not-so-subtle insult, maintaining his grin as he shook the older man's hand. A few more screens appeared before them. [The quest 'The Heart's Torment' was completed!] [The quest 'Speaking and Entering' was completed!] [Thanks to your heroic actions, timely intervention, and generosity, you and your party members receive a unique title.] [Hint: Unique titles are truly unique. Once granted, no one else will ever be able to acquire them.] [You have been granted the title: Heart Warmer!] [Heart Warmer: Instead of breaking hearts, you warm them. Doubles the effectiveness of resistance from skills against cold – both environmental and attack-based – and protects the heart from undue influences.]"Was it really okay?" Katie asked.

"Giving up that gem?" They were heading back down south, their coats and resistance potions discarded as their mounts sped across the countryside.

"Yes," Sam said from Lucky's back.

"The gem would've been too big a target for our enemies. It wasn't worth what we would've had to spend to protect it."

"I still would've liked some actual rewards, you know…" she grumbled.

"That's what the scroll is for," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"Instead of wasting time asking for things and getting stuck with a bunch of small quests, we can send Lucy in to handle the annoying negotiations…" The moment he said that, his eyes widened, and he turned toward the others.

"Please don't tell her I said that!" Katie and Isabella grinned evilly, while Clarissa rolled her eyes, and Dan sent him a look that made it clear he was on his own. ** They returned to Ironwood first, passing through the city before taking the newly built road that led directly to the town they had helped to establish, Ferabor. There, Adam was waiting for them right at the gate, a serious expression on his face. Sam practically jumped off Lucky, landing beside him.

"What is it?"

"It started…" Sam's eyes widened.

"The war?"

"For now, it's just a small skirmish, but I'm pretty sure it's the first probing attack…" Adam said.

"And I need you to head over there."

"All of us?"

"No. Dan is staying here in case they try something stupid. I have another spot in mind for the… ladies," he said, glancing at Katie, who was practically vibrating with excitement at the mention of fighting. Sam cracked his neck and grinned.

"Good. I've been waiting for this," he said.

"Tell me where to go!"