Coiling Dragon

by welyjesch

  “What a comfortable feeling! It seems as though this power can protect the soul.” No matter how foolish Brodie might be, he instantly understood that he had acquired a treasure just now.

  “What sort of a treasure is this?” Brodie felt quite mystified.

  He had just arrived in the Infernal Realm long ago, and had only stayed in this tribe. He hadn’t even gone into any cities. How could a God like him know about the news regarding the Overgod talismans? And how could he know what the item in his hands was! The only people who knew this information were either Asura level experts or information brokers like the Blacksand Castle merchants.

  “My soul seems to have become powerful.” Brodie couldn’t help but feel shocked.

  Just as Brodie was feeling stunned by the red caltrop diamond, a figure suddenly flashed past through the skies, then came to a sudden halt. This was a muscular man whose face was covered with green scales. “My luck isn’t bad. I found some prey while on patrol!”

  Bandit groups had patrols as well. Most of the patrolling guards had divine clones back at the headquarters; upon finding any prey, their clones would immediately send news back to the headquarters.

  “Kid, you grabbed that red diamond. Whatever for?” A snicker rang out from above.

  The red diamond was quite clearly visible in the dark night.

  However, Brodie was too stunned by the special effect of this red caltrop diamond. After all, he hadn’t lived for too long in the Infernal Realm by himself; he simply wasn’t cautious enough. He hadn’t imagined that a wandering patrol would just so happen to arrive at this moment.

  “You…” Brodie lifted his head, and his face changed.

  In the darkness, Deities would still be able to see to a certain distance.

  “Flee!” Brodie didn’t hesitate at all, transforming into a blur as he fled at high speed.

  “Too late.” The patrolling warrior above snickered. He was in no hurry to go kill Brodie alone; instead, he awaited his comrades. The other members of this lair of bandits, under the guidance of the muscular man’s clone, was swarming on this position.

  “Haha, kid, you came to our mountain. You think you can just leave whenever you want?” Loud laughter rang out.

  Brodie raised his head to look.

  “You won’t be able to leave.”

  Brodie turned his head to look.

  In the blink of an eye, more than ten bandits had surrounded him. Brodie’s face turned ashen.

  “Why. Why did it end up this way?” Brodie was in such pain that he wanted to howl in agony. He had just escaped the tribe, and his scheme of revenge had yet to even begin. And now, he had encountered bandits.

  “I…I’m willing to join you.” Brodie said hurriedly.

  “You are just a God. One more or one extra makes no difference.” The leader laughed coldly. These dozens of bandits were led by a man in a violet robe, who was a Highgod. This bandit group numbered nearly a thousand in total and had three Highgods. They might be interested in a Highgod, but generally speaking, they couldn’t be bothered about recruiting Gods.

  Although they had quite a few people, for just a single one of the three leaders to lead some people over was enough to kill Brodie.

  “No, I…” Brodie wanted to say something.

  “Brothers, kill him.” The violet-robed figure gave the order calmly.

  “Haha…”

  “Accept death.”

  The bandits were completely confident. Each of them launched their soul attacks or material attacks against Brodie.

  “No. No…” Brodie bellowed in rage.

  His revenge was incomplete. He had yet to rescue his wife. He wasn’t willing to just die here!

  In the Infernal Realm…the number of people like him, who were unwilling to die, who had revenge left unfinished…were beyond number!

  “Bang!” “Boom!”

  Tens of bandit attacks descended. Brodie frantically dodged, but he was still struck by five material attacks and three soul attacks, which struck his body.

  “He’s dead for sure.” The violet-robed man and the other experts all believed this. A Highgod would be able to endure it, but this was a God.

  “I?”

  Brodie had a look of astonishment on his face. He had been shattered, but in that same instant his body had been shattered, it had quickly reformed at a speed that exceeded the shattering speed. As for the soul attacks…those three attacks only made his soul tremble slightly. The red caltrop diamond contained a unique energy which effortlessly deflected those soul attacks.

  This red caltrop diamond was located at the ‘core’ of the Crown of Life.

  In terms of power, it was more powerful than the nine soul pearls. As for the pentametal crown, it was the least useful of them all.

  When Linley had attacked Molde, those nine soul pearls had allowed Molde to stay alive. How could ordinary bandits kill Brodie?

  “Eh?” The bandits were all stupefied.

  Brodie lowered his head, looking at the red caltrop diamond in his hands. When he had encountered this earlier crisis, he had thought that the red caltrop diamond had a particular power which was capable of protecting his soul, which was why he was gripping it. But the effects of the red caltrop diamond vastly exceeded his imagination. “I didn’t expect that this treasure would be, would be so powerful.” Brodie’s eyes instantly lit up.

  In fact, Brodie now felt as though the entire world was filled with light and color.

  “With this, I’ll be able to get revenge. I definitely will!” Brodie was wildly overjoyed.

  “What’s going on?” The violet-robed man frowned. “All together, kill him.”

  “Yes.”

  The bandits, hearing the command of their third leader, immediately charged down and attacked Brodie.

  “Die.” Brodie held the red caltrop diamond in one hand and a short dagger in the other, wanting to kill the bandit ahead of him, so as to flee.

  “You won’t be able to flee.” The bandits were completely confident as they launched their most powerful attacks.

  Brodie completely ignored the enemy attacks, and his dagger split a bandit’s head in twin.

  “This kid’s defense is so tough.” The violet-robed man, watching this, frowned, then with a flicker, also joined the fray.

  Brodie’s speed was far inferior to this violet-robed man’s.

  “Scram!” Brodie forced back yet another bandit. He wanted to break out of and escape from this encirclement, but what he didn’t realize was that a stream of violet light had already appeared in front of him. “God. Too weak.” The violet-robed man murmured to himself. At the same time, his violet glove covered right hand gently smashed down on Brodie’s head.

  “Smash!”

  Only now, in the instant that he was struck, did Brodie realize what had happened.

  “Crackle…” The violet-robed man’s body actually began to tremble.

  “Aaaaaaah!!!” The violet-robed man began to howl in agony. In but an instant, the violet-robed man collapsed, completely lifeless.

  A Highgod…had died!

  “This…what happened to the commander?” The bandits were completely stupefied.

  “This diamond…” Brodie felt wild joy in his heart. He himself knew very well what had happened. When the enemy had struck him on his head, the red caltrop diamond had instantly generated a bizarre, freezing pulse of energy that had wildly devoured the enemy’s spiritual energy, instantly draining the enemy’s soul dry and shattering it.

  “This diamond harms enemies but not me.” Brodie tested using his spiritual energy to activate the red caltrop diamond, but as he thought, the surge of cold energy once more spread out.

  In addition, under Brodie’s guidance, it actually covered his black dagger.

  “Haha…” Brodie seemed to have gone insane as he charged against the bandits. All the bandits who were so much as nicked by the dagger or who were touched by Brodie’s body all collapsed, quivered, then died!<
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  In but an instant, aside from five bandits who were so terrified that they immediately turned tail and fled, all of the bandits perished!

  “With this diamond…why should I fear Allott?” Brodie was extremely agitated. He glanced at the distant mountain, then moved as fast as lightning, departing at high speed.

  Book 20, The Crown’s Riddle – Chapter 24, Status

  Ever since that trip to the Blacksand Castle, where Linley saw the fake ‘red caltrop diamond’ and ‘pentametal crown’, he had an additional goal in his mind. While adventuring through the Infernal Realm, every few years, Linley would make a trip to the Fiend Castle while in a city and investigate the intelligence reports regarding the Overgod talismans.

  Each investigation cost him ten million inkstones.

  This price seemed to be high, but generally speaking, only true experts would be interested in this sort of report, as well as a few powerful Highgod merchants. Ten million inkstones, to such powerful experts and such wealthy merchants, wasn’t a very high price.

  Jadefloat Continent. Coldcalm Prefecture. Goodhope City.

  Linley’s group was wandering the streets of Goodhope city. Linley laughed as he glanced at Bebe. “Bebe, Goodhope City is Nisse’s old home. Supposedly, her elder brother, Salomon, resides here within Goodhope City, and is in charge of managing the entire city’s administrative matters. Now that Nisse has taken Yina to go see Salomon, why don’t you go as well?”

  “Hmph. Salomon? I can’t be bothered to go visit him.” Bebe said disdainfully.

  “Are you still holding a grudge over what happened that year at the volcano range?” Delia laughed with a wry twist to her lips.

  Salomon’s behavior back then did, indeed, cause Linley, Delia, and Bebe to cease considering Salomon a friend. Not long after Bebe and Nisse had wed, however, Bebe had accompanied her to meet Salomon.

  “Last time I went to see Salomon, it was because I was worried that Nisse would feel unhappy. Unless it is necessary, I can’t be bothered to go see him. I look down on his sort of person.” Bebe said.

  “That Salomon is indeed unworthy of befriending.” Yale spoke as well. Yale and Reynolds both knew of some things that had happened in the past.

  “Let’s go. The Fiend Castle is up ahead.” Reynolds chuckled.

  Everyone knew that upon entering a city, Linley would generally insist on going to the Fiend Castle.

  The Fiend Castle was fairly empty, and even in the main hall on the first floor, there were few people present. Linley, in quite a familiar manner, headed straight to the stairway towards the third floor.

  “Help me make an investigation into any news regarding the Overgod talismans.” Linley walked to a nearby counter on the third floor, then handed over his Fiend emblem. In the Fiend Castle, whether one wished to accept a mission or to engage in an investigation, one had to first be a Fiend. An ordinary person, even a rich one, wouldn’t be qualified.

  “News regarding the Overgod talismans?” The skinny elder with short black hair who stood behind the counter raised his head, glancing sideways at Linley, then snickered, “One Star Fiend. ‘Linley’. You are a merchant?”

  The short-haired elder had investigated and realized that Linley was a ‘One Star Fiend’. Naturally, he came to this conclusion.

  “No need to concern yourself.” Linley laughed calmly.

  “Kid, making a fake Overgod talisman to swindle others won’t be that easy.” The short-haired elder snickered, then pulled out a scroll. “This is the most up-to-date collection of information on the Overgod talismans in the entire Infernal Realm. The price to read it once is ten million inkstones.”

  Linley casually tossed out ten fist-sized azurites.

  These large azurites were equivalent to a million inkstones.

  “When reading through this scroll, if you desire a scryer recording which pertains to something in the scroll, just tell me.” The short-haired elder was quite lazy; he didn’t even bring out the scryer recordings.

  Linley didn’t mind, instead flipping through the scroll.

  The scroll was divided into sections pertaining to the ‘pentametal crown’, the ‘nine soul pearls’, the ‘red caltrop diamond’, and the ‘Overgod decree’. They were arranged by date. Linley flipped directly to the section on the ‘red caltrop diamond’ and began to read, starting from the latter sections. After all, he had read much of the earlier parts previously.

  “While holding the red caltrop diamond, this person’s wounds instantly healed? And there’s a scryer recording?”

  “When holding the red caltrop diamond, this person was able to sense the Edicts of Fate and was able to immediately become a Highgod? There’s a scryer recording proving this as well?”

  Linley, seeing these reports, couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh.

  There were many fake stories.

  For example, while holding a fake red caltrop diamond, one might swallow a pill concocted by an expert of the Edicts of Life, then allow others to attack one’s self. At the same time one was being injured, the effects of the pill would activate, and one’s wounds would naturally heal. From the scryer recording, however, it would appear as though it was being done by the fake red caltrop diamond.

  “This one is interesting. While holding the red caltrop diamond, one would have an indestructible body. Only, there is no scryer recording.”

  Linlgy glanced at the last one, then laughed. “This report is really ridiculous. While holding the red caltrop diamond, not only does one have an indestructible body, but anyone who touches him will die?” As Linley saw it, the Crown of Life should be a healing, curative item. After all, that was the type of energy held within the pentametal crown as well.

  The nine soul pearls were also designed to save others. Linley thus came to the subconscious conclusion that the same was true for the red caltrop diamond.

  But he had forgotten…

  Experts of the Edicts of Life were able to save others, but also able to harm others. Since the Crown of Life was able to save others, of course it was able to harm others as well.

  “Oh, and this doesn’t even have a scryer recording. This comes from the Muja Continent? A God who wielded this red caltrop diamond was able to kill a group of Gods and a Highgod? There isn’t even a scryer recording. Anyone can make this sort of story up, and there is no way to verify it. Not credible.” Linley’s gaze swept past it, then he continued to read the reports below.

  Only if Linley felt a report to be credible would he bother to see the scryer recordings.

  “Hey, are you done yet?” The short-haired elder said with a frown.

  “Why are you rushing us?” Yale, not too far away from Linley, couldn’t help but snap back as he stared at the short-haired elder.

  “I’m just asking you all to hurry up.” The short-haired elder glanced sideways at Yale. “Also, this is the Fiend Castle. Don’t make a fuss here.” The short-haired elder was a Highgod as well. Given that it was forbidden to fight within the castle, generally speaking, this elder didn’t treat customers with a great deal of courtesy.

  Given that Linley was a One Star Fiend, he would be all the more looked down upon.

  “Don’t be in a rush. Wait a while.” Linley glanced calmly at the short-haired elder, then continued to leaf through the intelligence reports.

  Right at this moment, footsteps rang from upstairs, making their way down below.

  “Oh, quite a few people have come to buy intelligence reports today.” A gentle voice rang out from far away. Linley turned his head to glance at the speaker, and in total there were three figures walking over. The leader was a gold-haired, blue-eyed middle-aged man, who had two green-robed women following behind him.

  The short-haired elder behind the counter, upon seeing this person, was badly startled and hurriedly bowed. “Governor!”

  “Sit.” The gold-haired, blue-eyed man laughed calmly. “Right. Give me a report and scryer recordings regarding the various challenges to the
Lord Prefects the Infernal Realm has recently seen.” In the Infernal Realm, for Seven Star Fiends to challenge Lord Prefects was a commonplace event.

  “Yes, Governor.” The short-haired elder was very meek.

  The gold-haired, blue-eyed man glanced at Bebe, then frowned, somewhat puzzled. Then he walked to the counter and accepted the scroll that the short-haired elder handed him, along with the many scryer recording crystal balls that were now on the counter.

  At this moment, Linley and the governor were reading shoulder-to-shoulder.

  The gold-haired, blue-eyed man glanced at the nearby Linley out of the corner of his eyes. His face suddenly changed, and he cried out in surprise, “Are you Lord Linley?”

  “Hrm?” Linley turned to glance at him. “Who are you?” Linley didn’t recognize this person at all.

  “Governor…” The short-haired, skinny elder, upon seeing the governor act so respectfully towards Linley, couldn’t help but say hurriedly, “His name is Linley, but he is only a One Star Fiend.”

  “Shut your mouth.” The gold-haired middle-aged man gave an icy glance to the short-haired elder.

  “One Star Fiend?” A look of surprise flashed through the gold-haired man’s eyes, then he looked at the Fiend emblem in the short-haired elder’s hands. “Seiya [Sha’ya], hurry up and go exchange that Fiend emblem for a Seven Star Fiend emblem!”

  The short-haired elder was shocked.

  A One Star Fiend…had just become a Seven Star Fiend?

  Based on the rules of the Fiend Castle, one could only be promoted through taking on missions. How could it be changed by a whim?

  “Governor…” The green-robed woman behind him, ‘Seiya’, couldn’t help but feel puzzled. The governor of a city’s Fiend Castle was exceedingly strong, true, and an individual at the Seven Star Fiend Level. But that didn’t mean he was qualified to directly hand out Seven Star Fiend emblems.

  “Don’t worry. If even the Paragon-level expert, ‘Lord Linley’, isn’t qualified to be a Seven Star Fiend, who in the Infernal Realm would be?” The gold-haired man laughed.

  “Oh, you recognize me?” Linley gave him a surprised glance.

  The gold-haired man smiled. “Information regarding supreme experts such as Paragons are under the personal control of the governors of the Fiend Castles. I even have detailed information regarding the events of the Planar Wars, and I even have scryer recordings of the several battles you engaged in, Lord Linley, before you became a Paragon. More importantly, I myself participated in that Planar War, and I saw you, Lord Linley.”