CHAPTER 288: THE SEED OF EDEN, BANE OF SPELLCASTERS

"I suppose," Garcia replied, eyes wide, "though I've never actually met a member of the Winged either. That giant eagle is the same one that carried you guys here, right? I suppose he's here for you."

The Winged were an exceedingly rare race—even more so than the elves—and encounters with them were few and far between.

"Maybe. But if Angola's flying with him, at least we know he's not here to cause trouble. Let's meet up with Avia and Sieg once he lands," Wang Yu said, storing his starsteel blade and his bloodforged armor which now had a hole in its chest. He stood calmly as he waited for the Winged and the giant eagle Angola to descend. As for the wound in his hand, it had already healed during their brief conversation.

Angola's wings stirred up a whirlwind that flattened grass and shrubs alike as her massive body touched down with surprising grace.

The Winged descended lightly beside the eagle, his wings folding elegantly against his back. Curiously, they seemed to shrink in the process—so much so that from behind, one might not even notice he possessed wings capable of bearing him through the skies.

"Greetings," Wang Yu and Garcia said politely.

"And to you," the Winged replied with a nod. His gaze turned toward Wang Yu. "You must be Wang Yu, yes?"

"I am. And how may I address you?"

Wang Yu studied the man before him—tall, well-built, with chiseled muscles and a striking, statuesque beauty. By appearance alone, he seemed to be a youthful man in his prime—but the Winged's lifespans were said to exceed even the elves'. Who could say how old he truly was?

"Call me Icarus," the man replied with a warm smile. "I've come bearing the elves' token of gratitude for you and your companions. And I was curious, myself. Gewen, Moira, and Yaslan all deemed you ‘interesting.' That doesn't happen often.

He paused, then added, "Yaslan also asked me to collect that story you promised to tell him. If possible, he'd like you to share the tale of the noble soul who fell in the Sorenson Mountains. He believes such stories should not be forgotten."

As Icarus spoke, the crystal embedded in his brow—a gleaming diamond-shaped gem—began to pulse faintly, reflecting his intent gaze. Wang Yu could feel threads of magic and other unknown energies brushing across him.

"That bard, Yaslan?" Wang Yu mused. "Seems like he's even more extraordinary than I thought. He's connected to the Winged—and he knew about what happened in the Sorenson Mountains? Though... I suppose I did have plans to tell him about Holo anyway."

He chuckled to himself. "Ah, I didn't see him around during the World-Eater's invasion either. A strange world we live in—there are so many interesting people."

Wang Yu wasn't one to get offended easily. Even as Icarus scrutinized him, he remained relaxed, allowing the man to finish his examination and speak his piece while processing the implications behind his words.

"You really are very interesting," Icarus said at last. "Both your body and soul are... unusual. No wonder you were able to make such an impact during the elven crisis."

He held Wang Yu's gaze for a moment longer before finally looking away.

"Oh? Could you tell me more?" Wang Yu asked with genuine curiosity.

Few beings could observe the soul directly—devils, perhaps, but interrogating them was a disaster waiting to happen. This Icarus, however, seemed to have gleaned something special. Wang Yu wanted to know more.

"You aren't aware?"

Icarus raised an eyebrow.

"I know that I'm different. I just don't know why," Wang Yu answered simply.

"That's not unusual," Icarus admitted. "Plenty of naturally gifted individuals never figure out the roots of their own talents. Let me explain what I saw.

"In most people, mental energy disperses outward from the soul—it radiates, forming a kind of field. But in your case, there's no field. Everything is concentrated into a single point. Even with deliberate control, it's rare for anyone to achieve that level of compression.

"As for your body..." He paused in thought. "I can't quite explain it. It's... too vigorous. Most knights have parts of their body that become hyperactive in combat—certain muscles and reflexes, often tied to their potential. But you? You're like that all the time. Your entire body is operating at peak combat intensity even at rest."

Wang Yu nodded. "Thanks. That's actually helpful."

"Don't mention it," Icarus replied. "After all, direct inspection of someone else's soul without permission isn't too polite. But let's get to the real reason I'm here."

He waved a hand and turned toward Angola, unfastening a chest-sized box strapped to the eagle's back. He set it down before Wang Yu with deliberate care.

"The elves call this a fruit of the Tree of Life—one of its rarest yields. They say this particular fruit was born because of you.

"Originally, they meant to give you a legendary weapon as thanks. But once this fruit was born, they changed their mind. Don't worry—it's worth far more than any blade. You're not being short-changed."

As Icarus opened the box, a transparent container lined with intricate magical runes came into view. Inside, vibrant green liquid shimmered with potent life energy—the water of the Heartpool.

Suspended at the center of this liquid was a single fruit. Its golden-yellow flesh was semi-translucent and encased a glowing core. It resembled a lantern—elegant, luminous, and oddly... appetizing.

"Here. Take it," Icarus said, lifting up the fruit and placing it gently into Wang Yu's hands. "Don't worry about damaging it. This isn't just a fruit—it's a seed that holds an entire space within. It can grow. As for the Heartpool liquid, that's my payment for assisting in the delivery."

Wang Yu examined it closely. Sweeping the Chariot's power across the fruit, he discovered a minuscule spatial rift embedded in its glowing core. It was perfectly stable.

Through that rift, he could sense an independent inner space—small, no bigger than a fingertip, but astoundingly stable.

Unlike any dimensional storage he'd encountered, this was not a crudely cut fragment of reality. Rather, it was born from the seed itself—natural, seamless, and alive.

"The Seed of Eden," Icarus introduced. "It contains a space that will continue to grow. Very few such fruits have ever appeared throughout the Tree of Life's long history. Don't let others know you possess it, unless you trust them with your life."

"Naturally," Wang Yu replied, eyes still fixed on the light cradled in his palm. He'd learned from his experience with the Prayer Network and Aleisterre.

"Right now, it's still in a nascent state," said Icarus. "You'll need to keep your mental energy focused around it for a while. Once it recognizes that mark, it will bond with you.

"The space inside will grow as the seed matures. I'm not exactly sure how far the other Seeds of Eden have developed, but..."

He paused in thought. "Actually, I do remember hearing from a few archivists from the Council of the Arcane—someone actually moved an entire alchemical factory into one. And given that individual's resources, I'd wager the space within was at least the size of a small town."

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow. That was impressive. A vast, stable, and self-contained dimensional space—it would be ideal for a sanctuary, or even for building a private laboratory.

"Life force and mana are essential for its growth," Icarus continued. "Other forms of energy might help as well—feel free to experiment. Don't worry about damaging it. A seed capable of sustaining its own pocket dimension isn't so easily harmed."

With that, Icarus shifted the topic.

"As you may have guessed, I'm not just a member of the Winged. I'm also a resident of the Skyborne City. The organization I belong to is called the Council of the Arcane, and it just so happens that the destination your elven invitation will take you to... is our headquarters.

"Your housing and clearances have already been prepared for you, but once you're aboard, you'll be on your own. That place values knowledge and craft above all. If you have a skill, you'll thrive."

He gave a wry smile, then continued, "Well, I think that about covers it. The Skyborne City will stop at Liaheim in a month. Don't be late—I'll be waiting for you there."

Icarus gave a slight nod. Whatever else Wang Yu needed to know would become clear once he arrived.

"Now then, how about those two stories?"

There was a flicker of anticipation in Icarus's eyes. He had not forgotten Yaslan's request.

Wang Yu gave it a moment's thought, organized his thoughts, then began to recount the stories—omitting his own involvement in both. He told of Samuel Hayden, he who had become the god of knowledge, and Holo, the dark elven druid who sacrificed his life to keep corruption at bay.

By the time Wang Yu finished, Icarus's gaze had turned solemn. "No wonder Yaslan was eager to hear these," he said quietly. "These were not mere tales. They may as well have been epics. Their resolve... was noble. Unshakable."

He lowered his head in quiet reverence.

Then, without another word, Icarus spread his wings and soared into the sky, leaving the great eagle Angola behind. The beast would remain here. Its task was to carry Wang Yu and his companions back to Liaheim when the time came.

With the Seed of Eden in hand, Wang Yu set off to find Avia. Garcia, meanwhile, borrowed Wang Yu's starsteel blade and went off to spar with the other knight from the cursebinding spire.

Like Wang Yu, the girl was engaged in combat practice—though hers was indoors, and her opponent was Lilya.

By the time Wang Yu entered the chamber used by the cursebinding spire's members for spell-based experiments, the place had transformed into a disaster zone. Spikes of jagged stone, shards of shattered ice, and scorched craters from explosions pockmarked every corner.

"Avia, you really are a genius," Lilya said, laughing. "This spell of yours isn't too astonishing when cast by a magician—it just increases precision. But when used by a knight..."

Avia and Lilya were standing side by side, deep in discussion.

"Ah, Wang Yu," Lilya said, waving him over. "Perfect timing. Come test this spell. Avia came up with it herself—and I think it might be especially useful for someone like you."

"What?"

Before he could even ask what the test involved, the girl stepped up beside him. Standing on tiptoe, she gently traced a circle around his right eye with her fingertip. In doing so, she cast a specialized Perfect Fractal on him.

"Look over here," Lilya said, gesturing. "And by following the markers from the spell, try stabbing this mithril needle into the indicated spot."

She handed him a thin needle. In his field of vision, the world shifted.

The Perfect Fractal lens revealed the flow of mana around Lilya's body. She was actively channeling a spell.

As the circuits formed, the lens projected the spell's name in the corner of his view: [Second-Tier Fire Spell: Scattered Fireballs]

At the same time, multiple bright red points lit up in his vision, marking key nodes within the mana flow converging around her.

Wang Yu raised his brows. He had a good idea what those red dots represented—mana foci. Disrupt those, and...

"Well then..."

He swung his arm forward. The mithril needle, enhanced by the Chariot's force and a second burst of acceleration, shot through the air and pierced one of the glowing red nodes.

Instantly, the entire circuit destabilized. The mana dissolved into scattered aether, and all the red markers vanished from Wang Yu's sight.

"Spell failed," Lilya confirmed. "Avia, your spell's potential is terrifying. You'd better teach it to your loving auntie before someone tries to use it on me."

A low-tier spell had far fewer foci, and destabilizing even one was sufficient. High-tier spells were more stable, but the potential of the technique was clear.

Lilya let out a dramatic sigh and clung to Avia's arm, utterly abandoning her usual dignity in a bid to coax the knowledge from her niece.

Wang Yu stood nearby, holding the Seed of Eden, lost in thought.

This wasn't exactly a new use for her Perfect Fractal—after all, it was how they had managed to kill Five together. But back then, the red nodes had been marked by Avia in advance. This time, the lens had identified them on its own.

"If I can use this to preemptively disrupt the protective enchantments magicians and wizards rely on—maybe even enchanted gear..."

Wang Yu's mind was already racing through the possibilities. A tool like this changed everything. It closed the gap between knights and spellcasters, cutting through the endless tricks and insurance spells they always seemed to carry.

"A spellcaster's bane..."