It was not actually Ivanovich himself, but rather a remnant of Ivanovich’s memories that told Xiao Lin about it, asking him to help gather the Shards of Creation. Even though Ivan had emphasized the severity of the matter, saying the shards that had been left behind since ancient times could affect this world and Earth, Xiao Lin had yet to understand what practical use the shards had.
Xiao Lin had two shards at that moment. Other than the one Ivan had given him, there was also another one he had obtained in Onyxia’s realm. He did not know how many shards there were in total, nor had he tried to look for them. After all, the world was so large, there was no way he could know where to look.
However, now it seemed like his luck was not so bad. Even if he was not looking for them, he had found the third Shard of Creation.
“If that’s so, then forgive me for being rude. I’ll be taking this shard.” Seeing as the old man and Ibeiya did not seem to have any intention of stopping him, Xiao Lin retreated two steps before activating Ruin once again.
The shard within the transparent wall started to vibrate, as if resonating with Xiao Lin. The old man and Ibeiya looked at each other in shock. The old man had actually wanted to stop him when Xiao Lin said he would take it.
It might be a gift, but it was not possible for there to be no cost to it. In truth, they were just planning on letting Xiao Lin see it, but ‘seeing it’ had turned into ‘giving it’. The old man was a little frustrated, but when he saw the sight in front of him, his old face finally showed some expression: shock and disbelief.
“The shard has been activated!” The old man sighed. He knew that no one could stop Xiao Lin from taking the Shard of Creation away now.
“What do you mean by activated?” Ibeiya asked curiously.
“We’ve kept the shard here for so long, mainly because we can’t use it. The shard is merely a shard in our hands. It’s no different from picking up a stone. However, he’s activated the shard, just like Ivan all those years ago...”
Xiao Lin remembered what Ivan’s memories had told him before, the shards had a form of resonance with each other. Only, he had never felt such a strong resonance before that day.
Bang!
The shard within the wall had shot out. Even the solid jewels did not offer up any form of resistance. The shard the size of a thumb was quietly floating in front of Xiao Lin’s forehead, emitting vibrant light and heat. Xiao Lin shut his eyes, and started to feel something reacting within his body. He quickly realized that the reaction was the two shards he had obtained before.
After a few minutes, the light started to dim. When he opened his eyes again, Xiao Lin was surprised to see that three shards were floating in front of him. The three shards seemed to have a magnetic field between them as they circled each other. The rotation got faster until an even brighter glow exploded outward, but that glow was brief.
In the light, the three shards had gathered to the centermost point before fusing together into a dim, round object. The object once again floated toward Xiao Lin’s forehead. Xiao Lin did not stop it. Instead, he chose to shut his eyes and accept it.
The object seemed like a formless, gaseous object, dispersing the moment it touched XIao Lin’s skin. At that moment, Xiao Lin could clearly feel a mysterious power flow quickly throughout his body from his forehead. Every inch of skin, every organ, even every hair on his body was enveloped by the power.
“Huff!”
Xiao Lin let out a long sigh after a while, his body slowly returning to normal. The feeling was an indescribable sense of comfort, like he had taken a bath in hot springs, allowing the water to flow all over his body, washing away all the filth, leaving him cleansed.
The look of shock had already disappeared from the old man’s face, leaving behind only a solemn and respectful look. It was a look of admiration he did not have before, and was near fanatical.
Ibeiya had some questions, but she did not speak up at that time. Thanks to the glow from the shard, the castle was filled with warmth at that time. Even those who were just standing behind could feel a strange sense of serenity.
The state went on for an entire hour before the light slowly dimmed in the castle. Xiao Lin, who had been standing there unmoving, finally turned around. His spirited face had no trace of fatigue on it.
Facing Ibeiya’s anticipation and the old man’s reverence, Xiao Lin said, “Let’s go back.”
The two of them had no opinions. After leaving the castle, Ibeiya closed the coffin once again. It was already deep in the night when they left the cave, but Xiao Lin had never felt better than he did at that moment. His footsteps felt light, and even raising his arms brought forth power that rustled the wind.
The first one who could not stand the strange silence was Ibeiya. Her voice was clear and pleasing as usual, but it was thick with confusion, “Big Brother, what happened back there?”
Xiao Lin smiled softly, he raised his fist, feeling the power in his hands. He had some realization, but was not very sure, so he did not say anything.
The old man said, “He absorbed the power of the Shard of Creation. The shard is just a rock to us, but he has truly mastered the shard. Your Highness, you were right. He is the one most suited to bring us back to our former glory!”
Xiao Lin turned around. “Hold on, what do you mean ‘your former glory’. I haven’t agreed to anything.”
“Yes, yes, I know. Understood.” The old man did not seem to take Xiao Lin’s words to heart.
Xiao Lin got frustrated. He had taken someone else’s Shard of Creation. Even if Ivan had left it to them to guard, he had just taken it away. It was still not a great thing to do.
“Speaking of which, why do you keep calling Ibeiya ‘Her Highness?’ Is it because she was born of the Rosa Kingdom’s royalty?” Before that headache was resolved, Xiao Lin decided to change the topic.
The old man looked at Ibeiya, and when the latter nodded, he said, “Her Highness’s mother is a princess, but do you know who her father was?”
Xiao Lin shook his head.
Would he have asked if he did?
“Her father is the leader of our clan.” Among the dark races, those similar to vampires would all live among large clans, so that was not strange.
Xiao Lin blinked, not seeming to understand anything. A clan leader was within his expectations. The old man did not seem to have gotten to the main point.
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