Chapter 153: The Three Sacred Gems

“Find any Dark Treasures yet, Stonehaven? Has that Dark Violet Sky Dragon hatched?”

The moment Marcus stepped into the appraiser’s shop, the old man looked up from his counter, his sharp eyes already searching Marcus’s hands and expression for signs of success. The obsession was plain to see. Ever since catching the possibility to obtain a drop of dragon blood, the appraiser had not been able to let it go.

“I’m working on it,” Marcus said, closing the door behind him. “I still haven’t identified that Violet Shard from last time. I’m hoping it might be what we’re looking for.”

He set the gemstone on the counter. The shard caught the light at once, its violet surface shimmering faintly, as if the sky itself had been condensed into crystal.

The old man lifted it with reverent care, turning it over in his weathered hands. After a long moment, he let out a soft sigh, one tinged with regret. “It’s a magnificent piece,” he admitted. “Rare, beautiful, and powerful in its own way. But it isn’t a Dark Relic.”

“Then what is it?” Marcus asked. “What can it actually do?”

The appraiser glanced up over the rims of his spectacles, studying Marcus anew. “You want a full identification? The current market rate for an item of this caliber is no less than five hundred thousand gold coins.” He paused, then continued with a faint smile. “But you’re a regular. I’ll do it for half. Two hundred and fifty thousand. That’s my final offer. Not a coin less.”

Marcus blinked. In all the time he had known the man, this was the first discount he had ever been offered, let alone one so generous. The old appraiser was famous for being as flexible as a brick wall and twice as proud. Getting the VIP treatment from the system’s top identifier was… weird. Not bad, just weird.

“Fine,” he said after a moment. “Go ahead.” With thirty million gold coins sitting comfortably in his inventory, the cost barely registered.

The old man nodded, clearly pleased. He placed the Violet Shard on a velvet-lined table and began forming intricate hand movements, his fingers moving in practiced patterns as faint ripples of energy spread through the air. “This shard is far more than it appears,” he said slowly. “Calling it a world treasure would not be an exaggeration. Tell me, Marcus, have you ever heard of the Three Sacred Gems?”

“The Three Sacred Gems?” Marcus repeated.

“Yes. The Violet Shard is one of them,” the appraiser said, his voice growing solemn. “The trio consists of the Aetherblue Stone, which represents the ocean; the Lifegreen Stone, which represents the earth; and the Violet Shard, which represents the sky. Each was born from an extreme of the world itself: the deepest trenches of the Abyss, the heart of the Valley of Life, and the highest reaches of the Nine-Tiered Clouds.”

As he spoke, his tone took on a reverence usually reserved for deities. “Over countless ages, each gem absorbed the boundless energy of its domain. For a long time, no one understood how to use them at all, until the Goddess of Dreams herself claimed the Three Sacred Gems. Even she unlocked only a fraction of their potential, yet she once declared that he who holds the Aetherblue Stone controls the seas; he who holds the Lifegreen Stone becomes the King of the Earth; and he who holds the Violet Shard commands the endless sky.”

Marcus leaned forward despite himself. “Are they really that powerful?”

“Whether the legends should be taken literally is debatable,” the appraiser replied, “but there is no doubt that the Goddess wielded them to terrifying effect. Her first act after mastering the gems was to use them to seal the three most infamous Calamity Beasts of the Dreamland Continent. Through the gems, she did not merely imprison them. She controlled them.”

“Calamity Beasts…” Marcus murmured.

By now, Lily and Amber had moved closer as well, their earlier curiosity giving way to rapt attention. None of them wanted to miss a single word.

“With the Aetherblue Stone, she sealed the Blue Demon Wave-Treader,” the appraiser continued. “With the Lifegreen Stone, she sealed the Earth-Ghost Chimera. And with the Violet Shard, she sealed the Thunderstorm Winged Beast. During the ancient wars against the Demon Lord, it was these three creatures that held back the endless tide of monsters unleashed by his Orc legions. Without them, the Dreamland Continent would have fallen.”

He fell silent for a moment, then fixed Marcus with a penetrating stare. “The Demon Lord has coveted the Three Sacred Gems ever since. So tell me, Marcus. How did you come to possess one of them?”

Lily and Amber turned toward Marcus at the same time. Their expressions had changed, surprise and admiration mingling in their eyes.

“I found it in the Black Rock Spire,” Marcus said, suddenly feeling the weight of their attention. “A Dark Sorcerer was using the shard as part of a ritual to resurrect the Lord of the Undead. I realized it was important, so I took it while he was distracted.”

The appraiser let out a low breath. “In the final battle between the Goddess and the Demon Lord a thousand years ago, a battle that shook the very foundations of the world, the Three Sacred Gems were lost. Since then, countless heroes have died searching for them.” He shook his head slowly. “To think the Violet Shard was hidden in the Spire all this time, and that it would end up in your hands.”

As his words faded, the Violet Shard suddenly flared with blinding light. A violent violet radiance filled the shop, forcing all three of them to squint. Inside the glow, the shadowy form of a monster began to take shape. It had the head of a demon and a single glowing horn set into its forehead, vast wings stretching outward as if to tear the air apart. Its talons were sharp and cruel, and its tail bristled with jagged, steel-like spikes. Even as an image, it radiated pure, unrestrained ferocity.

“Marcus, that is one ugly creature,” Amber whispered, taking a step back.

Lily did not retreat, but her brow furrowed as she moved closer to Marcus, her unease plain as she stared at the image of the Thunderstorm Winged Beast.

The vision flickered, shuddered, and then vanished. The light dimmed, leaving the shop exactly as it had been before.

“It’s finished,” the appraiser said calmly.

Marcus grabbed the gem at once. Lily and Amber crowded in beside him as the shard’s information unfolded before their eyes.

Violet Shard

Classification: Divine-tier Gemstone (Sky Stone of the Three Sacred Gems)

A primordial treasure born from the energy of the Nine-Tiered Clouds. A portion of its power was unlocked by the Goddess of Dreams. Can be equipped as a waist accessory.

Effect: Increases the effectiveness of all spells cast by the user. The boost scales with the user’s power, providing at least a 3x multiplier. (Requires Level 50).

Effect: Creates a barrier that reduces incoming magical damage. The reduction scales with the user’s power, providing at least a 30% reduction. (Requires Level 50).

Skill: Sky’s Interdict (Active)

Consumes 50% Mana. The user seizes control of the surrounding sky. Within a 1 km radius (scales with power), all flight, whether by creature, skill, or vessel, is prohibited without the user’s permission. Lasts 1 hour. (Requires Level 80. 1/day).

Skill: Sky Path (Active)

Consumes 50% Mana. The user harnesses celestial energy to grant the power of flight to up to 30 allies (scales with power). Lasts 1 hour. (Requires Level 80. 2/day).

Skill: Summon Thunderstorm Winged Beast (Active)

Consumes 50% Mana. Summons the Calamity Beast sealed within the shard to fight alongside the user. Lasts 1 hour. (Requires “Goddess’s Pet Curse” skill. 5/day).

Note: Other functions remain locked. Can be used as a material to craft Divine-tier equipment.

For a long moment, none of them spoke. The legends had not exaggerated. To hold the Violet Shard was, in the most literal sense, to command the sky.

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