Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence

Chapter 618: Chapter 451: New Intelligence and Returning to Black Stone Territory

”Your Highness, this is...”

”Elder Gu.”

Raylo gave a simple introduction.

Gaius respectfully gave Gu a Knight’s salute and expressed his thanks.

Gu just waved his hand dismissively, signaling that there was no need for such formalities.

”Uncle Gaius, have the soldiers clean up the battlefield.”

Raylo said.

”Tally the casualties, treat the wounded, and let’s leave this swamp as soon as possible.”

”Understood.”

Gaius accepted the order and turned to arrange the follow-up matters.

Raylo lowered his head and opened his palm.

The dark red Crystal Stone lay quietly in his palm.

Inside the Crystal Stone, countless twisted Soul Spirits screamed silently, and a pure aura of destruction and madness continuously battered his will.

’A madman infinitely close to the Catastrophe Level...’

Gu’s words echoed in his mind.

This Crystal Stone was a deadly poison, but also a key that held infinite Power.

’How should I handle this... ”gift”?’

...

「Three days later, at dusk.」

The afterglow of the setting sun coated the Black Stone Territory in a warm hue.

Raylo arrived at the tent serving as a temporary Alchemy Workshop.

The guards at the entrance saw him and immediately straightened their posture, but Raylo raised a hand to stop them from saluting.

He lifted the flap and walked inside. A thick smell of Potions and a strange, fragrant plant scent washed over him.

Inside the tent, Master Barnaby was hunched over a huge wooden table, his hair as messy as a looted bird’s nest.

His entire focus was on the center of the table, where a crystal the size of a human head floated, emitting a soft, jade-green light.

That was the ”Heart of the Ancient Tree.”

On the Heart’s surface, countless emerald Magic Power runes flickered as if breathing, filled with a vast life force.

”Ahem.”

Raylo coughed lightly.

Barnaby seemed not to have heard, still holding a monocle and muttering to himself.

Raylo walked forward.

”Master.”

”Huh?”

Barnaby finally looked up as if waking from a dream. Seeing it was Raylo, he adjusted his glasses, which were about to fall off.

”Raylo, my boy? When did you get here?”

”Just arrived.”

Raylo pointed to the ”Heart of the Ancient Tree.”

”How’s the research coming along?”

”Don’t even get me started.”

Barnaby waved his arms, a fanatical look on his face.

”Once we gather the other supplementary herbs, we can officially begin refining the Life Potion!”

Raylo smiled.

”No rush. We have plenty of time. I came today to ask you to look at something for me.”

As he spoke, he took out an object wrapped in multiple layers of thick cloth and placed it carefully on the table.

When he unwrapped the final layer of cloth, revealing the dark red Crystal Stone, the air in the tent seemed to freeze for a moment.

The fanatical look on Barnaby’s face instantly vanished, replaced by an unprecedented gravity.

”This thing...”

Barnaby sucked in a cold breath, his cloudy eyes filled with horror.

”Where did you get this?”

”It’s spoils of war from the expedition into the Jade Swamp,” Raylo replied.

Barnaby circled the table twice, his hands constantly scratching at his already messy hair.

”This is a Blood Pill, a thing refined through the most malevolent ritual.”

Barnaby stopped walking and stared intently at the Crystal Stone.

”To refine this thing, you need to sacrifice at least ten thousand intelligent beings. You have to grind their flesh, life, and souls to dust, using their resentment and agony as fuel, to finally forge one of these.”

He looked up at Raylo.

”The energy contained within is indeed vast enough to make even a Domain Level powerhouse green with envy, enough for one to advance to the Catastrophe Level.”

”But if you absorb it...”

Barnaby pointed at the Crystal Stone and said, word by word,

”it’s like inviting ten thousand madmen and vengeful spirits into your mind. They will tear your sanity to shreds, devour your soul, and ultimately turn you into a monster that knows only slaughter and destruction.”

Raylo listened in silence.

Barnaby’s description confirmed the words of Grand Elder Gu.

’A madman infinitely close to the Catastrophe Level.’

”Is there no way?”

Raylo asked.

”For example, could we purify the resentful souls inside and extract only the energy?”

Barnaby looked at him as if he were an idiot.

”Purify? How? That’s like mixing flour and water into dough and then trying to extract the water back out without a single drop lost. Do you think that’s possible?”

He shook his head.

”The very essence of this thing is a fusion of energy and resentful souls. They are one and the same. If you remove either component, the Blood Pill itself will collapse. If you want its Power, you must bear its Curse. There are no shortcuts.”

Raylo reached out and re-wrapped the dark red Blood Pill in the thick cloth.

”I understand.”

Barnaby looked at the hot potato.

”Raylo, my boy, I advise you to never even think about using it. In this world, there are no unbeatable enemies, only fools drunk on Power.”

Barnaby warned solemnly.

Raylo nodded and turned to leave the tent.

The next morning, the assembled armies of the Northern Lords began to break camp.

After the great battle, the Lords of the various territories were eager to lead their soldiers back to their own lands.

In Raylo’s command tent, the summoned Domain Level Powerhouses, such as Marquis Luke and Marquis Kadar, were bidding him farewell.

”Your Highness, the threat from the Jade Swamp has been temporarily resolved. I have many matters to attend to in my territory, so I plan to take my men and return today.”

Marquis Luke was the first to speak. He had been ennobled as the Marquis of Nu River Castle for his service in the war against the Fiery Sun Kingdom and was a bulwark against them.