Chapter 60: Berg's Heart
Su Xiao stepped into the room, the floorboards creaking beneath his feet. Bubu Wang, following behind him, didn't enter, only poking its head in to look around.
Su Xiao surveyed his surroundings. The room was dilapidated, with cobwebs covering the corners and a thick layer of dust on the workbench.
Straight ahead, a withered corpse sat on a wooden chair. From its decayed clothing, it was clear this was a craftsman.
What had spoken earlier was now unknowable—it might have been the corpse, or perhaps a wraith of some kind. That didn't matter.
Su Xiao guessed that this withered corpse was likely the Gem Master, Lindberg. He hadn't died on Gem Street but here in White Town.
In front of the Gem Master's feet was a wooden sign stuck into the ground, inscribed with:
'The king I followed and admired, why have you become like this? You have worked hard. I wish to offer you everything, but you no longer need my supreme creation—A Subject of the Light King, Gem Craftsman, Lindberg.'
Su Xiao stepped forward and took a pendant from the Gem Master's hand.
[You have obtained Berg's Heart (Immortal Rank).]
[Berg's Heart]
Origin: Dark Star World · Gem Master · Lindberg
Quality: Immortal Rank
Category: Accessory · Pendant
Durability: 45/45
Equipment Requirements: True Stamina over 206 points, Willpower over 107 points.
Equipment Effect: Adaptive Force (Core · Passive): During combat, increases the wearer's abnormal status resistance by 62 to 80 points based on the enemy's ability characteristics (self-adaptive).
Tip: If the enemy has flame-type abilities, increases flame attribute resistance by 62 to 80 points; if the enemy has dark-type abilities, increases dark attribute resistance by 62 to 80 points...
Tip: When fighting multiple enemies, randomly selects an enemy unit to increase your own abnormal status resistance.
Rating: 1485 points (Immortal Rank equipment rating is 1000 to 1500 points).
Introduction: This is the Gem Master's supreme creation. Besides this equipment, the Gem Master also crafted the Silver Heart · Amulet and the Unyielding Heart · Ring in his early years. When Berg's Heart · Pendant, Silver Heart · Amulet, and Unyielding Heart · Ring are worn simultaneously, a special effect is triggered.
Price: 1830 Soul Coins.
Seeing the attributes of [Berg's Heart], Su Xiao felt this item was quite good. Wearing it normally would be better than [Demon Hunting King].
During combat, it could increase self-adaptive abnormal attribute resistance, and by 62 to 80 points. For Su Xiao, this would significantly boost his survivability, especially against flame explosions and dark erosion.
The rumors outside were correct. The Gem Master had indeed intended to offer [Berg's Heart] to the Light King. So after forging it, he faked his death and began his journey to find the Light King.
The Gem Master succeeded. He arrived at White Town and met the Light King. Before that, his plan was to present [Berg's Heart] to the Light King, so that when the Light King fought the Ancient God, he would be spared from corruption by the Ancient God's power.
But upon seeing the Light King, the Gem Master froze in place. He realized he had been too naive. To seal the Ancient God, the Light King's body had long been shattered beyond recognition.
Back then, Moon Spirit wanted to drive the Gem Master away, but seeing him kneeling on the ground in tears, she couldn't bear to expel this subject of the Light King. Not long after, the Light King awoke and learned of the Gem Master's purpose here.
"Berg, you've worked hard. I no longer have the strength to fight the Ancient God."
After saying this, the Light King fell into slumber. The Gem Master settled in White Town, waiting aimlessly until he died.
Su Xiao looked at [Berg's Heart] in his hand. He removed [Demon Hunting King] from its slot, equipped [Berg's Heart], and tucked the pendant inside his collar.
"Not a bad piece of work."
Su Xiao turned and walked out of the room. Behind him, the withered corpse with its bowed head gradually turned to ash. Soon, sparks ignited throughout the room, and everything became ashes drifting into the distance.
[Berg's Heart] was an unexpected gain. After seeing its attributes, Su Xiao grew interested in the Silver Heart and Unyielding Heart. But he knew his luck—obtaining [Berg's Heart] was already exceeding expectations. He held no hope for the remaining two pieces.
To get more amulets, he had to fleece the Kodo School. Beini was handling that, and how many amulets they'd ultimately get depended on the situation.
Only the Giant remained unfound in White Town. Su Xiao didn't plan to search for him. The Demon Blacksmith had revealed the Giant's whereabouts: he had left this world.
Not dead, but having become an existence similar to the Blind Old Man and the Mushroom Prophet—signing a contract with the Void Tree to trade with strong beings across various worlds.
The Giant wasn't afraid of death; he was seeking a way to counter the Ancient God.
Time passed in waiting. At 9 AM the next day, the Ouroboros Stone Tablet finally returned. It had somehow ignored the obstruction of the Lost Dead Forest and reached White Town.
In the second-floor bedroom of the residence, Su Xiao finished his daily meditation. He opened his eyes and saw the Ouroboros Stone Tablet floating before him, with a gem embedded in its center. This gem was called [Death Slayer · Gather].
After checking its attributes, Su Xiao decided to set it into Dragon-Slaying Flash.
'Container's faceplate, do not forget.'
These words appeared on the Ouroboros Stone Tablet before it vanished into the wall, clearly unwilling to be stored in Su Xiao's storage space.
Su Xiao left the residence, took the three Immortal Rank gems, and headed to the forge where the Demon Blacksmith was.
Clang, clang, clang...
The Demon Blacksmith hammered a red-hot iron bar on the anvil. Judging by its shape, it seemed to be forging a sword, though for whom was unknown.
"The gems are gathered."
Su Xiao took out [Sky Rend], [Soul Sever], and [Death Slayer · Gather], three Immortal Rank gems. The Demon Blacksmith glanced at them.
"Not bad. Leave the blade and wait outside."
The Demon Blacksmith opened the furnace. With a whoosh, sparks flew everywhere. The temperature inside the forge soared to an astonishing level. Even Su Xiao felt a burning sensation across his entire body. If he didn't leave soon, he would suffer high true burn damage.
Leaving Dragon-Slaying Flash behind, Su Xiao exited the forge.
The chance of the Demon Blacksmith making a mistake was negligible. Compared to that, Su Xiao was more curious about what the Ouroboros Stone Tablet had foreseen. The tablet's prophetic ability was far beyond Snake Lady's divination; the two were not on the same level.
The Ouroboros Stone Tablet wanted the Container's faceplate. Not only that, but it had readily handed over the Immortal Rank gem. This wasn't the Ouroboros Stone Tablet's style. In the past, Su Xiao had only sensed malice from it—endless malice.
Su Xiao speculated that the Ouroboros Stone Tablet had so easily given up the Immortal Rank gem because it foresaw that he and the Container would inevitably fight, and the chance of his defeat was high. If he died in battle, the Ouroboros Stone Tablet would be free. Then it would find a holder who obeyed it unconditionally, even disguising itself as an "old grandpa" type of existence.
Su Xiao had always believed that the Ouroboros Stone Tablet escaping his control was only a matter of time. This thing couldn't be restrained. Before it broke free, maximizing its value was the wise choice. Alternatively, finding a way to destroy it—the latter had no benefits and considerable risk, while the former had high returns with acceptable risk.
The Container was created by the Light King, the Great Sage, the Wolf Spider Queen, and the Mother God working together. Moreover, having sealed the Ancient God for so long, it must be heavily eroded by Ancient God energy, greatly boosting its combat power.
Even so, Su Xiao didn't think he would be weaker than the Container. But if, after severing all soul chains, the Container could no longer restrain the Feather God and appeared alongside it to fight Su Xiao, his chances of dying in battle would be very high.
Thinking this, Su Xiao headed toward the Pale Palace. Better safe than sorry. He had to ensure he wouldn't face both the Container and the Feather God at the same time.
A few hours later, Su Xiao emerged from the Pale Palace. Though the setup he had arranged wasn't foolproof, it at least prevented the worst outcome.
Returning to the forge entrance, Su Xiao saw that the stone door had risen. Dragon-Slaying Flash, sheathed, lay on the anvil. Beside it was a deep blue light mass containing something.
The Demon Blacksmith had left, taking his forging hammer. Su Xiao approached the furnace and found all the gems inside gone. It seemed the Demon Blacksmith had already departed White Town. They could only meet again if fate allowed.
Su Xiao picked up the sheathed Dragon-Slaying Flash. He drew the blade slightly—the edge gleamed sharply, and the blade hummed, as if slicing through the flowing air itself. He checked Dragon-Slaying Flash's attributes.