Chapter 288: Seed of Eden, Caster Killer

"I suppose so. I have never seen the Winged Folk myself, but that giant eagle must be the one you rode here on. Does that mean he has come to find you?"

Garcia shook his head, offering an uncertain answer; the Winged Folk, a powerful race even rarer in number than the Elves, were truly difficult to encounter.

"Perhaps? But since Angora came with him, at least it isn't to cause trouble. Let's go find Avia and Zig and the others later."

Wang Yu stowed his shattered meteorite blade and the blood-stained armor with a hole in its chest, standing still to await the arrival of the Winged visitor and the giant eagle, Angora. As for the minor wounds on his hands, they had already healed during his conversation with Garcia.

"Whoosh... Thump!"

Broad wings stirred a gale, pressing the surrounding weeds and small thickets flat against the ground as the giant eagle, Angora, landed before Garcia and Wang Yu.

The Winged visitor landed lightly, folding his wings behind his back. Curiously, the wings shrank significantly as they were tucked away; had one not looked behind him, it would have been nearly impossible to notice the pair of wings that allowed him to soar freely.

"Greetings."

Wang Yu and Garcia offered a standard, polite salutation.

"Greetings to you both. You must be Wang Yu, correct?"

The bare-chested Winged man returned the gesture, then turned his gaze toward Wang Yu, asking in a gentle tone.

"I am. How should I address you, sir?"

Wang Yu nodded. The man appeared to be a handsome, spirited youth with well-defined muscles and a physique like a flawless sculpture. However, considering the Winged Folk possessed even longer lifespans than the Elves, his true age was hard to guess.

"Just call me Icarus. I have come to deliver the reward from the Elves to you and your companions. I also wanted to see what kind of existence you are—the one whom Gawain, Moira, and Aslan all unanimously described as 'interesting.' After all, what the Elves gave you is no ordinary treasure."

"By the way, Aslan asked me to request the story you promised to tell him last time. And, if possible, he asks if you would share the tale of that noble soul in the Sorenson Mountains; he believes such a story should not be forgotten."

Icarus observed Wang Yu as he spoke, the crystalline, diamond-shaped stone on his forehead flickering incessantly. Wang Yu could sense magic and other unfamiliar energies flowing within it.

"Aslan, that peculiar bard? He even knows the Winged Folk. It seems his identity is more unique than I previously imagined, to know of the events in the Sorenson Mountains. Though, I had intended to tell him about Holo anyway."

"Come to think of it, I didn't see him during the World Eater's invasion. This world truly is full of extraordinary people and strange occurrences."

Wang Yu was a casual man; he took no offense at being observed so openly. He waited for Icarus to finish speaking and observing, while pondering the information hidden in the man's words.

"Hmm, you really are an interesting fellow. Both your body and your soul are quite marvelous. No wonder you were able to exert such influence during the Elven catastrophe."

Icarus stared at Wang Yu for a moment longer after speaking, then withdrew his gaze.

"Could you tell me more?"

Wang Yu had met few beings capable of observing a soul directly—devils were one, but asking them was just inviting trouble. Today, this Winged man named Icarus seemed to have discerned some of his unique qualities, and Wang Yu wanted to understand them.

"You don't know yourself?"

Icarus looked at Wang Yu with a hint of surprise. Was he unaware of his own condition?

"I know of its existence, but not the underlying principles."

Wang Yu briefly summarized his understanding of his own uniqueness.

"That is quite normal. There are many individuals born with peculiarities who cannot explain why. Let me put it simply: for an average individual, spiritual power exists in a dissipated state, projecting outward from the soul as a center, creating a spiritual field."

"But in your case, I do not feel this field; everything is concentrated into a single point. Even with deliberate effort, it is difficult for most to achieve your level of focus."

"As for your physique, I cannot quite put it into words. If I had to say, it is simply too vibrant. The bodies of most knights are particularly active in certain areas, moving in all directions during combat, but your body maintains this state almost every moment."

Icarus pondered for a while before sharing his findings regarding Wang Yu's uniqueness.

"Thank you for the information."

Wang Yu expressed his gratitude. The man hadn't seen much, but it was useful nonetheless.

"You are welcome. Observing someone so directly is, in fact, rather impolite. Come, let me hand over the Elves' reward to you."

Icarus waved his hand to signal that Wang Yu need not thank him further, then turned and walked to the side of the giant eagle, Angora. He retrieved a box strapped to the eagle's back and placed it before Wang Yu.

"The contents are fruits produced by the Tree of Life, and one of the most precious among them. According to the Elves, this fruit seems to have been born specifically because of you."

"The Elves originally intended to offer a legendary weapon as a reward, but after this fruit appeared, they chose it instead. Do not worry; compared to the value of a legendary weapon, this item is on a higher level. You will certainly not be at a loss."

As Icarus spoke, he opened the box. Inside was a transparent container inscribed with numerous protective arrays, filled with emerald-green liquid brimming with vitality—water from the Source Pool.

Floating in the center of the container was a fruit with translucent yellow flesh, enclosing a glowing core. It looked like a yellow lantern—beautiful, and seemingly delicious...

"Here, take it. Do not worry about it breaking; it is, after all, a seed capable of creating an independent space. The water from the Source Pool is essentially my own contribution."

Icarus did not hesitate, reaching into the container to retrieve the fruit and placing it into Wang Yu's hands.

Wang Yu looked at the fruit, scanning it with the power of the Chariot. To his surprise, he discovered a tiny, stable spatial rift within the faintly glowing core.

Through that rift, Wang Yu's perception reached an independent space. It was very small, roughly the size of a fingertip, but exceptionally stable—completely different from the space within the Biting Blood ring he had used before.

The boundaries of small spaces created by ordinary spatial tools usually felt distinctly fractured; after all, they were essentially cut from a larger space, and rough edges were normal. But this seed's space was incredibly stable—so stable that it seemed as if the space had been created by the seed itself.

"The Seed of Eden. It nurtures an independent space that can grow continuously. There are very few such fruits in the history of the Tree of Life, so it is best not to let others know you possess it, unless you trust them completely."

"Naturally."

Wang Yu nodded. He understood the principle that a man is innocent, but his treasure makes him guilty. He had already been targeted by the Alastair royal family after creating the prayer communication network.

"It is currently in a state of infancy. If you surround it with your spiritual power for a period, it will become bound to the one who marked it."

"The space inside will grow as the seed grows. I am not sure to what extent previous Seeds of Eden have developed."

"However, I recall the archivists of the Truth Oversight Committee mentioning that someone had already moved their entire alchemy factory inside. Considering that individual's wealth, it must be at least the size of a small town."

Icarus described the growth potential of the Seed of Eden. Wang Yu was slightly astonished; this item was truly formidable. A stable and vast independent space was perfect for refuge or housing laboratories.

"To make it grow, vitality and magic are essential. You can also experiment with other things; perhaps they will accelerate its growth. Do not worry about damaging it; it is an entity capable of supporting an independent space."

Icarus concluded by explaining how to nurture the seed, then shifted the topic to the next task for Wang Yu and his companions: boarding the Mechanical Floating City.

"As you can see, I am one of the Winged Folk and a resident of the Mechanical Floating City. The organization I serve is called the Truth Oversight Committee. The place you are headed after boarding the city with the Elves' quota is also our domain."

"Your accommodations and such have already been prepared, but once you are on the Mechanical Floating City, you will have to make your own way. It is a place that highly values knowledge and skill. If you possess a craft, you will surely find success there..."

Icarus spoke eloquently, informing Wang Yu about the situation on the Mechanical Floating City.

"Well, that is about all. In one month, the Mechanical Floating City will stop at Liahim. Remember not to be late; I will be waiting for you there."

With that, Icarus indicated that he had finished his introductions; the rest would be revealed once they boarded the city.

"Tell me those two stories."

Finally, with a hint of anticipation, Icarus asked Wang Yu for the two tales he intended to convey to Aslan.

Gathering his thoughts, Wang Yu omitted his own role in the events and recounted the stories of Samuel Hayden and Holo to Icarus.

"No wonder Aslan was looking forward to these stories. They are truly unforgettable epics; their wills were firm and noble."

After listening to the stories Wang Yu told without personal commentary, Icarus's expression grew solemn—a tribute to those worthy of respect.

Having recorded the tales, Icarus bid them farewell and departed, spreading his wings to fly into the sky. The giant eagle, Angora, was left behind; it would later carry Wang Yu and his companions back to Liahim.

Holding the Seed of Eden, Wang Yu went to find Avia, while Garcia borrowed Wang Yu's shattered meteorite blade to spar with another knight from the Spellbound Wizard Tower.

Like Wang Yu, the girl was also engaged in combat practice, though she sparred with Lilia within the confines of the interior.

When Wang Yu stepped into the chamber where the Hex-Bound Wizard Tower’s members conducted their spell experiments, the space was already scarred by jagged stone spikes, shattered shards of ice, and charred craters left by explosions.

"Little Evie, you truly are a genius in every sense of the word. If this spell were cast by a mage, its speed would be impressive enough, but if it were applied to a knight..."

By the time Wang Yu entered, the two had ceased their sparring, standing together in earnest discussion.

"Oh, Wang Yu, you’ve arrived just in time. Come, try this spell—this creation of little Evie’s should prove particularly useful to you."

Lilia sensed his arrival and beckoned him over to serve as a test subject.

"What is it?"

Before Wang Yu could ask, the girl walked to his side, stood on her tiptoes, and traced a circle around his right eye with her finger, imbuing him with a specialized, perfect fractal lens.

"Here, look over there and drive this mithril needle into the spot marked by the spell."

Lilia signaled for his attention, while Evie pressed a thin mithril needle into his palm.

Within Wang Yu’s field of vision, the fractal lens revealed the flow of mana around Lilia, clearly indicating she was channeling energy to cast a spell.

As the mana streams coalesced into the corresponding circuit, the perfect fractal lens displayed the spell’s name in the upper right corner of his vision.

[Second-Tier Fire Spell: Scattering Fireballs]

Simultaneously, several striking red dots appeared in his sight, positioned precisely over the mana nodes forming Lilia’s spell circuit.

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow, already intuiting the meaning of those marks; if he was not mistaken, they were the critical nodes of the spell’s manifestation.

"Then..."

With a violent flick of his arm, the air shrieked as the needle tore through it, the force of a war chariot propelling the mithril sliver with a secondary burst of acceleration.

The needle pierced one of the marked red dots at a terrifying velocity, causing the entire mana flow to shudder and collapse into chaotic, stray energy; the nodes vanished from his sight as quickly as they had appeared.

"The casting failed. Little Evie, the potential of this spell you’ve created is truly frightening. Teach your dear aunt quickly, before someone uses it against me."

Lilia sensed the spell she had been preparing dissolve after Wang Yu disrupted the node with the anti-magic needle. Though it was only a low-tier spell with few nodes, the efficacy was undeniable.

She immediately rushed to Evie’s side, clinging to her arm and begging for the secret with none of the dignity expected of an elder.

Wang Yu stood to the side, clutching the Seed of Eden, contemplating the new utility of the perfect fractal lens.

Perhaps not entirely new—the devil known as "Five" had met its end this way—but previously, the girl had to analyze the nodes before the lens could display them. Now, it seemed the lens was performing the analysis autonomously.

"If I can rely on this to preemptively shatter the defensive spells or even the magical artifacts mages and wizards use to preserve their lives..."

Wang Yu mused on the applications, realizing this spell bridged the gap for knights facing the endless survival tricks of spellcasters; it was a direct, surgical strike.

"A mage-slayer, indeed..."