CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER52-OBTAINING THE EMERALD HEART

People who feel awkward often try to cover it up with busyness.

The sprites were no different.

Owen, looking at the Tree Spirit, asked loudly:

"The Emerald Heart is on the emerald tree, why do you need me to fetch it for you? Can’t you get it yourself?"

The Tree Spirit, knowing it couldn’t pretend anymore, faced Owen candidly:

"If you agree to go up and fetch the Emerald Heart for me, you will naturally understand why."

Owen, slightly annoyed, asked:

"What do I stand to gain from this?"

The Tree Spirit was taken aback:

"You help us, and the emerald sprites will naturally release you and treat you as honored guests. Isn’t that good enough?"

Owen’s lips curled up:

"Fooling a child, are you? You think that’s a benefit, that you can trap us?"

He stood up, pulling the bewildered Diana to her feet:

"Do you know who she is?"

"I don’t."

"I intended to interact with you as an ordinary person, but it seems our humility has been met with contempt."

"No more pretending, let’s lay our cards on the table. She is the human lady saint."

"?"

Some of the more knowledgeable sprites turned their gaze towards Diana.

Diana, furious inside but maintaining a calm exterior, nodded slightly:

"Indeed, I am the human lady saint."

The sprites were all astounded.

"The human lady saint? What is the king thinking, imprisoning the lady saint?"

"Are they trying to start a war with humans? I’ve heard the humans have more than four divine-tier magi and a handful of sage-tier warriors... If the humans retaliate..."

"Isn’t this just courting disaster?"

The emerald sprite king also stood frozen, now sweating profusely.

It never expected to accidentally capture such a significant figure.

The human lady saint... the very thought made the emerald sprite king’s head spin.

Why hadn’t the Second Prince of Laine Kingdom said this earlier?

It glared fiercely at Finn; if looks could kill, Finn would have died a thousand times over.

Finn shrugged slightly with a helpless look, muttering to himself:

"How could I possibly wave the lady saint’s banner? Besides, you never asked."

Seeing the atmosphere become tense, the Tree Spirit suggested:

"Since you are a friend of the human lady saint, we, the emerald sprites, naturally won’t make things difficult. This quest to find the Emerald Heart is our request to you."

"You may accept or decline. If you accept and succeed, you can choose one of our three emerald arcana. I will also give you a generous gift, ensuring your satisfaction."

Owen’s eyes lit up.

He had been waiting for this moment, eager for the emerald sprites to offer something of value.

This was an excellent opportunity to leverage.

The three arcana of the emerald sprites, though unfamiliar to him, must be extremely powerful, being the treasures of an entire race.

And the Tree Spirit’s gift would undoubtedly be valuable; this old entity surely had something worthwhile.

Owen feigned contemplation:

"Alright, I accept this task."

The emerald sprite king’s eyes brightened, the silver halos around them glowing:

"Mr. Owen, we wish you swift success."

Finn started to feel anxious; Owen was his helper, and if the mission failed, it would be his loss.

"Sir, are you really going? It’s very dangerous."

"What choice do we have? We need to leave."

"Now that the lady saint’s identity is revealed, the emerald sprites can’t do much to us."

"So, you’re saying you got the lady saint to help you. This might reduce your standing in His Majesty’s eyes."

"This..."

"There’s nothing to hesitate about, I’ll go and come back soon."

Owen walked to the base of the Old Tree, lightly tapped his toes, and leaped twenty meters high.

The emerald sprite king watched Owen’s agile movements, silently praying in his heart:

"May Owen succeed and save my poor child."

Time slowly passed, and night gradually fell.

Owen clung tightly to the trunk of the Old Tree, his fingers nearly frozen.

He looked up, only to see a pitch-black sky, devoid of any clouds.

The cold air stung his cheeks, making it hard to breathe.

He had been climbing the Old Tree for several hours. Initially, with the suitable temperature and the tree’s abundant branches, it was quite easy.

But now, he had ascended over four thousand meters.

At this altitude, the temperature plummeted, and the howling wind seemed to threaten to blow him away.

Owen’s body began to tremble, feeling his strength gradually being drained.

"I underestimated the high altitudes of this world. I thought my dragon body would be enough to withstand it."

His limbs were numb, almost unable to move.

Just when he felt he couldn’t hold on any longer, he pulled out a bottle of arcanergy recovery potion from his spatial ring and swallowed it.

Owen had never expected to need the various potions and scrolls Erin had prepared for him on this trip to Dreamscape Valley.

But now, they were proving invaluable.

"Erin, my dear, wait for me to return."

While arcanergy could be replenished, mind power was much harder to restore, even with the potions Erin had prepared, which only eased mental fatigue.

Drinking them too often led to a resistance to their effects.

The harsh conditions were a constant challenge to Owen’s mental limits.

His vision was blurred, seeing only a vast expanse of a snowy world.

Owen didn’t give up, nor could he afford to.

He knew the only way to find the Emerald Heart was to keep climbing.

Taking a deep breath, the Gold Divine Dragon blood in his body rolled, radiating heat to sustain his movements.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind struck, making Owen sway perilously.

He clung tightly to the tree trunk, struggling fiercely.

"No wonder the Tree Spirit said I was the only one who could complete this task. Any normal person would have frozen to death at this height."

His fingers were already purple with cold, but he clenched his teeth, refusing to let out a sound.

The wind came quickly and left just as fast.

Owen slowly loosened his grip, his body as stiff as an icicle.

He felt he had reached his limit, unable to go on any further.

Just then, he suddenly saw a faint light emanating from the distance.

It was a star twinkling with green light, seemingly beckoning to him.

"Emerald Heart?" Owen’s eyes lit up.

The golden core in his dantian began to rotate, releasing energy as warm as the sun.

He mustered his strength and crawled towards the direction of the light.

Upon reaching it, Owen gasped in surprise, momentarily forgetting he was at an altitude of 4,000 meters.

The cold air he inhaled almost froze his internal organs.

Embedded in the tree trunk was a heart-shaped emerald gem, emitting a strange glow, like a gem cursed.

This must be the Emerald Heart, Owen was certain.

Around the Emerald Heart, black vines were entwined, forming a twisted net-like structure.

These vines looked eerily alive, continuously twisting and writhing.

Their surface was covered with sharp thorns, each shimmering with a chilling green light.

They emitted a strong, pungent odor; even a slight whiff made Owen’s head spin.

"The Emerald Heart is locked by these things!" Owen muttered to himself as he stared at the bizarre vines.

He reached out, attempting to get closer to the Emerald Heart.

As his hand nearly touched it, the vines began to writhe frantically.

They moved like hungry snakes over the surface of the Emerald Heart, resembling a food-protecting dog baring its teeth.

It was clear to anyone that continuing the action might provoke a severe backlash.

Owen sheepishly withdrew his hand:

"No, how am I supposed to retrieve the Emerald Heart like this?"

He found himself in a dilemma.

Just then, a bolt of lightning cleaved the dark night sky, illuminating the entire emerald tree.

Huh--

Owen narrowed his eyes slightly, noticing that the bizarre vines around the Emerald Heart had loosened a bit.

"Fearful of lightning?" Owen’s lips curled up, "My specialty is thunder magic!"

Knowing the weakness of the peculiar vines, he hesitated no longer.

Arcanergy surged within him, and a powerful aura burst forth.

Thunder-based advanced magic: Hundred Thunder Call.

In a thunderstorm, it leverages the opportunity when the air is charged with lightning particles to summon a hundred strikes of heavenly thunder.

"Boom---"

Lightning bolts descended from the sky, striking where Owen pointed.

Black smoke rose from the bizarre vines, while the Emerald Heart became increasingly luminous, as if washed by water.

"This is working!" Owen’s eyes brightened with joy.

Surrounded by electric light, the bizarre vines emitted deafening noises.

With the force of the lightning strikes, they began to tremble violently.

They writhed as if electrified, like countless demons struggling within.

The bizarre vines detached from the Emerald Heart and whirled in the air like mad snakes.

Seizing this opportunity, Owen reached out and plucked the Emerald Heart from the trunk, storing it in his spatial ring.

"Finally done..."

Before he could finish his thought, an unexpected turn occurred.