Chapter 290 Chapter289-Group Chat Chatter
[Mysterious Leaf: Attributes Unknown...]
John held the leaf-shaped stone, turning it over in his hands, examining its every detail.
Strangely, despite its appearance, the object felt exactly like a regular stone—smooth and cold to the touch.
Why then did the system describe it as a 'Mysterious Leaf'?
Merely because it bore a leaf-like appearance?
He inspected it from all angles, still unable to decipher its true nature.
Even his Eye of Artemis failed to unveil any information about its attributes.
Surely, no scouting abilities could surpass the prowess of the Eye of Artemis.
John then turned his attention to the wooden plaque describing the stone.
An extraterrestrial item... Meaning, it descended from the heavens.
John surmised that even the official appraisers of the Northern Myst Empire were probably in the dark about its true nature, merely labeling it based on its presumed origin.
Yet one thing was certain—it had indeed fallen from the sky.
John gazed upward, as if his stare could pierce through the thick ceiling, reaching into the very depths of the heavens.
For some inexplicable reason, he found himself profoundly drawn to the stone.
Having fallen from above, it could either be an artifact that drifted from a deity's Divine Realm or something from the distant Void.
As for the former possibility, John was now almost certain that it wasn't the case.
Regardless of its divine origin, there would undoubtedly be some trace of divine power emanating from it.
Moreover, John couldn't fathom any deity in this realm capable of eluding the Eye of Artemis.
That left only one plausible explanation—this artifact hailed from the remote expanse of the Void.
Without further hesitation, John decided to claim these items as his spoils of war.
Though their purpose remained unclear, he had an inkling that the object might conceal a profound secret.
Soon enough, all members of the Devil's Elite Hunt had chosen their desired treasures.
They reconvened at the entrance. Upon exiting the grand doors of the Imperial Treasury, each displayed their selected items to the two ancient guards.
Using their magical methods, the guards erased the unique aura from the items.
Only after this removal could the squad members truly take these treasures out of the palace. Otherwise, it would be deemed theft...
Duke Dinan stood nearby, waiting patiently with a gentle smile, showing no signs of impatience.
John was the last to emerge. Upon seeing his chosen item, the two guards seemed momentarily taken aback.
"Young man, is this your chosen spoil?" An old and raspy voice emanated from beneath the robes of one guard.
With an air of nonchalance, John replied, "Yes, is there a problem?"
The aged guard lifted his gaze, revealing a pair of shimmering eyes, "No issue, just curious. Among all the invaluable equipment and items in the treasury, why this stone?"
John tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips, "Perhaps because it caught my eye? After all, the other treasures didn't seem much use to me. Is this item not meant to be chosen from the treasury?"
The old guard shook his head, his voice consistently even-toned, devoid of emotion, "Anything on the first floor is within your selection range. I just didn't expect anyone to choose something seemingly insignificant... I thought you might know of its origins..."
John's smile remained, responding lightly, "I'm sorry to disappoint, sir. I merely found it appealing and picked it up."
Contentedly, the group departed from the Imperial Treasury.
"Alright, everyone, I'll be taking my leave for now. If there are any new traces of the Devil, just contact me directly."
John waved casually to the visibly stunned Duke Dinan and the others, and then, with a flair, turned and walked away.
Duke Dinan gazed at John's retreating figure, a curious glint shining in his eyes.
Swiveling his head towards the other members of the Elite Team, he said impatiently, "Come, to the war room. I want details about this Devil expulsion mission!"
...
Exiting the Northern Myst Empire palace, John's first stop was the capital's bank, where he transferred all the gold coins he'd amassed over time onto a black card.
Millions of gold coins, amounting to hundreds of millions in cash!
The old John would have likely leapt for joy at such a windfall.
However, now, it just felt bland.
After all, his account still boasted over a hundred million in liquid assets.
With wealth comes a different perspective.
For the John of today, money was merely a number.
His most valuable gain in recent times was, in fact, the few top-notch equipment and items of similar attributes tucked inside his bag.
Using the teleportation point in the Northern Myst Empire capital, John returned to Silverglow.
No sooner had he stepped out of the teleportation point than his communication channel lit up.
Messages were flooding in from Blue Sea and Adam.
When they had teamed up temporarily earlier on, the three had created a group chat.
And now, they were bombarding it with messages.
Blue Sea: Galewind, are you there, brother?
Adam: I didn't expect you to be online so soon after the update, Galewind. Feels like we've missed out on a lot!
Blue Sea: Don't tell me you're off on some quest, Galewind?
Adam: Could be. Maybe the Twelve Trials of the Hero in Storm City?
Blue Sea: Doubtful. Didn't Chief Valerie of Storm City mention that the trials would only start in a week?
Adam: My magic stone just lit up. Did yours, Blue Sea?
Blue Sea: I noticed my Communication Stone glow briefly when I logged on. Could there already be traces of a Devil?
Adam: Galewind's been silent for so long, he must be hunting a Devil!
Blue Sea: Damn it, household matters held me back. Otherwise, I'd have jumped at this chance to leech some experience!
Adam: Tell me about it. Regretting it so much!
John: ...
The bombardment of messages from Blue Sea and Adam had been a few hours ago.
So, when John simply replied with those ellipses, he figured it would be a while before the duo saw it.
But, to his surprise, the moment he sent his message, their icons lit up.
Blue Sea: There you are, Galewind! Come on, spill. What major feats have you achieved this time?
Adam: I bet another Devil had some terrible luck, didn't he?
John: You two... are you just sitting on your communication channels? Why are you responding so quickly?
Blue Sea: Out with it, Galewind! My curiosity is through the roof!
John: ...
Blue Sea: I just got word that the Northern Myst Empire officials are planning a grand banquet soon. Could this have something to do with your recent Devil hunting quest?
Blue Sea: Adam, how are you always so well-informed? Do you have some clandestine ties with the Northern Myst Empire's royal family?
Adam: Nonsense! What do you mean by "clandestine ties"? I got wind of this because a member of our guild received a quest related to the banquet preparations.
John: It might not be related. After all, isn't it normal for the officials to host banquets?
Blue Sea: But sending us invitations? That's not usual, is it?
John paused momentarily upon reading that message.
Opening his Communication Stone, he indeed saw a faint glow. A formal invitation bearing the emblem of the Northern Myst Empire appeared before John.
"Esteemed Mr. Galewind, on behalf of the Northern Myst Empire's officials, we extend our most sincere invitation. In ten days, we shall host a banquet in the imperial hall to celebrate the return of heroes. We hope you will honor us with your presence... Glory to the Northern Myst Empire!"
The tone of the invitation was genuine.
It likely wasn't sent by Duke Dinan directly, but to have it delivered via the Communication Stone meant it surely had the Duke's blessing.
A celebration for the return of heroes? Could it truly be related to the quest he just completed?
As John was pondering, messages from Blue Sea and Adam chimed in again.
Blue Sea: Galewind, what earth-shattering deed have you performed to be hailed as a hero of the empire?
Adam: I knew it. Another Devil must've had a stroke of bad luck.
Blue Sea: Seriously? In such a short time, you've already finished a quest to banish a Devil?
John: (wryly) It's an ongoing quest. It's not so easily wrapped up, it's just a milestone victory.
Blue Sea: Oh, the regret! Had I known, I'd have logged in earlier and tagged along behind you, Galewind. I'd at least have caught some of the action...
Adam: So, which Devil had the misfortune?
John was at a loss for words, wondering why Adam was so hung up on the identity of the Devil.
John: The Soul-Devouring Devil Ghana, ranked 45th among the 72 pillars of the abyss.
Blue Sea: Holy... you actually dealt with a Devil? Did you slay or banish him, Galewind?
John: Neither. We simply expelled him from the Godslayer Continent and sent him back to the abyss.
Blue Sea: ???
Adam: ???
Blue Sea: That doesn't sound like you, Galewind.
Adam: Right? Weren't you always keen on slaying deities, Galewind? Why the change of heart this time?
John was left speechless.
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