Chapter 366: Quest Rewards, Pond of Life

[You have received: Map Fragment x1, Repair Stone x1, Dungeon Stone x1, 100 Gold Coins]

The notification lingered in Isaac’s vision for a few seconds before slowly fading.

He blinked once, then raised a brow.

“That’s… a lot of rewards.”

One hundred Gold Coins sounded simple, yet for a tutorial mission, it was excessive. Most Lords struggled to earn even a fraction of that in their early days.

And for him, it wasn’t even one hundred.

With his ability to share coins, the number could be doubled easily.

“Two hundred gold coins would solve several short-term problems,” Isaac muttered.

He let his gaze slide down the list again, slower this time.

“Dungeon Stone.”

He felt a small shift in his breathing.

“I can create a Dungeon with this.”

That wasn’t an exaggeration or a metaphor. Dungeon Stones were not theoretical assets. They were infrastructure, and economic engines.

In some cases, they were the reason cities survived at all.

Isaac reached out and clicked on the item’s name.

A blue cubic gemstone appeared in the air in front of him, hovering silently. It was the size of his palm. The mana density inside it was unmistakable.

He closed his fingers around it.

Information unfolded immediately.

[Random Dungeon Stone]

[Entrance allowed up to: Champion-rank Awakener]

[Direction of Use: Place it at any location and imbue it with mana. A Permanent Dungeon will appear at the location.]

Isaac exhaled, slow and controlled.

“So it’s random. That means any dungeon type is possible.”

Ore veins. Mana herbs. Monster nests. Ruins. Ancient facilities. Even failed divine experiments, if luck tilted far enough.

“The rewards will depend on the dungeon type. But with my drop rate, it doesn’t actually matter.”

His Lord Talent ensured a one hundred percent drop rate. Even the worst dungeon, something that produced only low-grade materials, would still become profitable in volume. Quantity alone would carry it.

And selling raw materials was only the most basic option.

“Since I’m a demigod my luck isn’t exactly low.”

That meant higher chances of rare spawns, premium materials, or unusual dungeon traits.

He lifted his head.

“What do you think?”

Isaac was standing on one of Qlippoth’s highest branches, far above the city. The massive tree was still, its bark faintly pulsing with life.

From here, he could see everything. The awakeners crying and laughing, having survived a dangerous ordeal. The destruction caused by the Catastrophe, and the corpses of countless monsters.

The air beside him shimmered.

Professor Catherine appeared without warning, sitting casually on the branch next to him. Her legs dangled freely, heels swaying as she looked down at the streets below.

“You’ll likely get a good dungeon. So it’s best if you create it near the city.”

She turned her head slightly toward him.

“It would save travel time for our awakeners. I’d recommend placing it outside the city walls, but close enough that we can control access.”

“Not inside the city? We could construct a reinforced building, layer it with defensive formations, and place the entrance at the center. It would be easier to protect.”

Catherine shook her head.

“Inside the city is not a good option. There’s a chance the dungeon could be too good,” she said.

Isaac glanced at her.

“Too good?”

“Yes. As in, monsters that require Champion-rank awakeners of mid-rank species, or even high-rank species, to handle safely,” she said.

She let that settle before adding, “We don’t have awakeners at that level yet.”

Isaac nodded slowly.

“In that case, we wouldn’t be able to farm it ourselves.”

“Exactly,” Catherine said. “Which means you’d have to lend it.”

Lending or renting a dungeon was standard practice among Lords.

Ownership remained absolute, but access could be sold.

Gold Coins, resource shares, temporary contracts.

Some even traded political favors.

It was efficient. And dangerous.

“If we have to rent the dungeon, then placing it outside the city makes more sense.”

He looked down again, watching small groups of people moving through the streets.

“That way, awakeners coming for the dungeon won’t have much reason to stay inside. Less risk of espionage. Less chance of fights breaking out, or collateral damage from conflicts between visiting groups.”

“Yes. That part you’ve assessed correctly,” Catherine said.

Isaac smiled faintly.

“There’s always a problem, though,” he said.

“Yes,” she agreed. “If the dungeon is too valuable, powerful Lords may try to take it by force.”

Isaac didn’t respond immediately.

The dungeon would be his. By system law, no one could enter without his permission. But law only held weight when backed by power.

Threats. Pressure. Subtle coercion.

He could almost seen it happen.

“That means we need deterrence. Either powerful awakeners of our own, or alliances strong enough that other Lords won’t want to test us,” Isaac said finally.

Catherine glanced at him sideways.

“The Seventh Queen,” he thought, then added, “She’s already positioning herself as an ally. If news spreads that I’m aligned with her, most Lords won’t risk creating trouble over a single dungeon.”

Catherine studied his expression.

“You sound like you’re hoping for a dungeon valuable enough to attract attention,” she said.

“I am,” Isaac admitted without hesitation. “If we get something like that, other races will come to us.”

He gestured faintly toward the city below.

“And when they come, they’ll see the crops we will be selling.”

Mana-enriched fields. Adaptive plants. Scalable food sources that didn’t rely on traditional farmland.

“It will be a perfect marketing option. Hell, even other Lords would pay us to open shops in our City if the dungeon is good. We could become an economic center.”

A Lord’s strength wasn’t measured only in his troops’ combat power.

It was measured in logistics, infrastructure, and the ability to sustain growth.

Ultimately, it all boiled down to money.

The more money one had, the more they could spend on their logistics, infrastructures, and troops.

So, having more avenues to earn money is always a good thing.

Catherine smiled.

“I’m proud to see you didn’t need any guidance this time. You’re already planning to use your Talent, the dungeon, and your connections together perfectly.”

Isaac shrugged.

“It’s obvious when you lay it all out.”

“Most people don’t see the obvious. They would see a dungeon and think about immediate gains. You’re thinking about traffic, influence, and long-term leverage. It proves my Isaac is growing.”

Isaac didn’t respond. He was already running scenarios in his head.

Dungeon difficulty tiers.

Rental rates.

Security requirements.

Minimum deterrence thresholds.

Then he shook his head.

“There are more rewards,” he said, glancing back at his interface. “But first—”

He snapped his fingers.

“Qlippoth. Help the awakeners carry the monster corpses. Any parts that can’t be salvaged should be gathered in one place. I’ll turn them into Biomass later.”

The massive tree responded instantly.

[Understood, master.]

The white leaves covering Qlippoth’s branches began to shine, as if a soft glow was building from within. The leaves trembled, their edges curling inward, before several of them detached from the branches.

Instead of falling, they twisted in the air.

Each leaf folded in on itself, mana compressing and reshaping its structure.

Limbs formed, slender and sharp.

Wings unfurled with a faint hiss, membranes glowing with traces of crimson light.

In a few breaths, the leaves had transformed into small, dragon-like creatures.

They were no larger than hunting hawks, their bodies sleek and compact, with narrow snouts and glowing eyes.

Thin horns curved back from their heads, and faint lines of fire mana pulsed beneath their scales.

Isaac watched closely.

“So this is what you gained from the Crimson Sky Wyrm,” he muttered.

Qlippoth’s voice echoed calmly in his mind.

[They are called Cindralings.]

Qlippoth explained, finally having digested the corpse completely and now being able to use the powers that came through it.

The creatures let out soft chirps, sharp and metallic in tone, as if their throats carried embers instead of air.

Cindralings.

The name fit.

Each of them flapped its wings once, testing balance, before shooting off in different directions.

Some flew down toward the battlefield, lifting massive chunks of monster corpses with surprising ease.

Others spread out wider, circling the perimeter of the city.

[Each one of them can lift about a ton, and they can also act as scouts.]

Through them, the tree’s awareness stretched far beyond its roots.

Cindralings could also turn into vines and be used from distant to bind targets or crush them.

Bluetooth vines, Isaac had jokingly called it earlier, but the effect was anything but humorous.

With tens of thousands of leaves capable of transformation, Qlippoth’s effective range was enormous.

And if needed…

“They can explode,” Isaac murmured.

A single explosion wouldn’t kill a Champion-rank awakener, not unless they were careless or already injured.

But quantity changed everything.

Tens of thousands of controlled detonations, coordinated and timed, could overwhelm even high-rank species through sheer accumulation of damage.

Isaac watched as the Cindralings worked alongside the awakeners.

The process became faster, smoother. Heavy corpses were lifted without strain. Damaged parts were separated and stacked where he had instructed.

Satisfied, he turned his attention back to the rewards.

The next item pulsed faintly in his interface.

[Map Fragment]

He opened it.

[Details: A Map Fragment leading to the Pond of Life.]

[Fragments collected: 1/7]

[Additional Details: Pond of Life — A pond rumored to contain water that, when drunk, can elevate one’s rank to high-rank species.]

Isaac froze.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the text, reading it again and again to make sure nothing had changed.

“…You’re kidding,” he said quietly.

This was absurd.

He had been thinking about how to improve the overall quality of his city’s population. Species rank limitations weren’t something that could be solved with training alone.

And now this appeared.

A pond that could elevate someone’s rank.

Not one person. Potentially many.

His mind raced.

’This isn’t coincidence,’ he thought, forcing himself to slow down.

The System didn’t act randomly, no matter how much it pretended to.

’It tailored the reward to my needs.’

He had protected his city. Defeated a Catastrophe, and a horde. All without a single casualty.

From the System’s perspective, this outcome was close to optimal.

“And this is the response,” Isaac said, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

Before he could dwell on it further, a new screen appeared in front of him.

[You possess a Map Fragment of the Pond of Life.]

[Quest has been generated!]

Isaac raised an eyebrow.

Another window unfolded beneath it.

[Quest: Go to the Valley of Spires and visit the Lord of the Black Castle.]

[Reward: Hint about the Second Map Fragment of the Pond of Life.]

He leaned back slightly.

“The Valley of Spires, and the Lord of the Black Castle.”

Neither rang an immediate bell.

He dismissed the window for now and activated the city-wide channel.

“Professor Catherine, do you know what the Valley of Spires is?”

Her reply came after a short pause.

“I’ve heard of it. It’s a dangerous region, though. Lots of territorial Lords, strange geography. The Black Castle should be one of the major power centers there.”

“So it’s not somewhere we can rush into,” Isaac said.

“No,” Catherine agreed. “Not without preparation.”

“That’s fine,” Isaac replied. “This isn’t something I want to rush anyway.”

He closed the map fragment interface and moved on to the final item.

[Repair Stone x1]

He opened its details.

[Effect: Can repair any item by one level.]

Isaac blinked.

“…That’s it?”

No restrictions. No complicated clauses.

Just one level of repair.

“This is extremely simple, and extremely broken.”

He immediately explained the item to Catherine.

“Could we use this on Emily’s seal?” he asked.

There was a brief silence.

“No,” Catherine said. “That seal is a magical spell, layered and reinforced through multiple rituals. This stone works on items, not active spell constructs.”

Isaac nodded, even though she couldn’t see him.

“Alright. I figured it was a long shot.”

The disappointment lingered for only a moment. Emily’s situation wasn’t something that could be solved with convenience anyway.

He pushed the thought aside and considered the stone more carefully.

An item.

Repair by one level.

His gaze drifted downward.

He touched the Soulbind Pendant resting against his chest.

’When I entered Emily’s trial, this was called a Shattered God Domain.’

The name had stuck with him.

At the time, he hadn’t been able to do anything about it.

The pendant was clearly damaged, but it was still powerful.

But now…

’It’s technically an item. So this should work,’ Isaac thought.

He hesitated only briefly before making his decision.

“I’ll try it,” he said quietly.

The Repair Stone appeared in his hand, a dull gray crystal with faint cracks of silver light running through it.

Isaac held it above the Soulbind Pendant.

“Repair,” he said.

The stone dissolved instantly, turning into a stream of pale light that poured into the pendant. The metal casing vibrated, heat spreading across its surface. Ancient runes flickered into existence, some broken, some incomplete, others reforming as mana filled the gaps.

A low hum echoed through the air.

The pendant grew heavier.

Then lighter.

Isaac looked into the pendant, trying to see what had changed.

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