Chapter 114: The Secret Behind The Jingling Time Bomb Pt 1

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: The Secret Behind The Jingling Time Bomb Pt 1

Xavier slept soundly that night.

The following morning, he headed straight for the Extraordinary Division’s headquarters.

He was visiting under his established identity as Mr. X, and he had already arranged a meeting with Victoria beforehand.

When he arrived at her temporary office, Victoria greeted him with barely concealed anticipation.

"Mr. X, I’ve prepared twenty portions of Constitution Pill for you," she said. "What do you think? Did you bring the Lesser Enlightenment Pills I requested?"

Xavier considered her question for a moment. Then, instead of immediately answering, he took out a 7th-Grade Saint Purification Pill and placed it before her.

Victoria Quill stared at the elixir Xavier had placed on her desk, momentarily forgetting to breathe.

"Is that a 7th-Grade Saint Purification Pill?" she asked, looking up at him in disbelief. "Mr. X, did you refine this yourself?"

A 7th-Grade elixir was an extraordinary treasure, even for someone of Victoria’s standing.

She had spent more than two years trying to obtain one without success.

When she had discussed the matter with Mr. X a few days earlier, she had deliberately kept her expectations low.

She had even told him that she could wait another two years if necessary.

Never in her wildest dreams had she expected him to produce the elixir so soon. Had he really spent the past few days refining it?

Victoria studied the young looking man before her. He appeared to be barely in his twenties, yet he could apparently produce elixirs that even accomplished alchemists struggled to obtain. What kind of extraordinary talent was he?

Xavier gave her an ambiguous smile.

"You could say that," he said. "Regardless of how it was obtained, the Saint Purification Pill is genuine."

He neither confirmed nor denied her assumption.

In truth, when he had contacted Victoria the previous day to arrange the exchange for Constitution Pill, he had intended to pay her with Lesser Enlightenment Pills.

However, something unexpected had happened the night before.

As was becoming his habit, Xavier had invested the 4th-Grade elixirs he had collected from the Bloodthirsty Monk into Mira.

One of those investments had triggered a thousandfold critical return, earning him a Saint Purification Pill.

Since he had acquired it unexpectedly, he decided to bring it to Victoria that morning. There were several reasons for his decision.

For one, presenting such a valuable treasure would strengthen Victoria’s impression of Mr. X.

The more she trusted and valued him, the greater the opportunities he might have to obtain rare resources through her connections.

Furthermore, Victoria was one of the strongest figures standing between the Lindsay family and the people Xavier cared about.

She was an important deterrent against the family’s senior members, and she clearly needed the elixir for a reason.

Whether it was meant to treat an existing injury or remove some lingering affliction, giving it to her sooner rather than later would benefit them both.

But there was another reason Xavier preferred not to mention.

He simply did not want to part with his Lesser Enlightenment Pills. Those elixirs could dramatically accelerate martial cultivation, making them far more useful to him at his current stage than a Saint Purification Pill he had obtained without planning for it.

He wanted to keep as many of them as possible for his own advancement.

As for Victoria’s belief that he had personally refined the 7th-Grade treasure, Xavier saw no need to correct her.

He had never claimed to be its creator, and allowing her to draw her own conclusions only made his identity as Mr. X more valuable.

"Thank you, Mr. X!" Victoria’s expression brightened with genuine relief. "This elixir means a great deal to me."

She carefully accepted the precious treasure before reaching into her spatial ring.

"Since the value of a 7th-Grade Saint Purification Pill far exceeds that of the ice type rune fragment I gave you previously, as well as the Constitution-enhancing spiritual liquid you’ve requested, I can’t offer you something ordinary in return."

She paused before bringing out an oval shaped stone. Tiny purple arcs of electricity flickered across its surface, giving it an unusual, almost living appearance.

"This is a Lightning Rune Stone," she said, placing it on the desk and explaining its origins.

"Over the years, I managed to collect ten lightning type rune fragments through various channels. I then commissioned a master craftsman to combine them into this stone." Her tone became more serious as she continued.

"Even a martial artist at the Foundation Establishment Realm can use it to unleash powerful lightning abilities. You don’t need to reach the Star Sea Realm before gaining access to that kind of power."

Xavier’s interest immediately sharpened. He was already familiar with the value of rune stones.

After all, the ice type rune fragment Victoria had previously offered as a deposit had yielded a Fire Rune Stone when he invested it in Mira.

That was the very artifact he had used to produce the devastating flames that erased the evidence inside the abandoned factory the previous evening.

Now Victoria was offering him a lightning type counterpart.

Before Xavier could respond, however, she reached into her spatial ring again.

"And these two items are worth considering as well," she said, placing a small puppet on the desk with one hand and producing a short, three foot long sword made from white bone with the other.

"This is a Dragon Bone Puppet, and this is a Dragon Bone Sword."

Victoria picked up the miniature puppet and held it out for him to examine.

"The puppet can be activated with spiritual energy or blood," she said.

"Once activated, it expands into a three meter tall humanoid figure with draconic features. It can fight independently and assist its master in battle." She tapped the puppet lightly.

"Its combat strength is roughly comparable to that of a low level 4th-Tier demonic beast. However, the amount of energy and blood you supply determines how long it can remain active. If you provide too little, it might only fight for a few seconds."

Xavier examined the artifact with growing interest.

Victoria then raised the bone sword.

"This weapon is 7th-Grade," she said.

"Its greatest weakness is its relatively blunt edge, so it isn’t particularly effective for cutting or slashing. But it contains a power amplification formation that greatly enhances the force behind your attacks." She turned the weapon slightly, allowing him to inspect its surface.

"Its penetrating ability is especially impressive. When I first entered the Star Sea Realm, I used this sword to pierce the skull of a high level 4th-Tier demonic beast known as the Rhinoceros-Armored Two-Headed Bull."

Victoria’s expression carried a trace of pride as she recalled the battle.

"The Dragon Bone Puppet and Dragon Bone Sword belong together as one set," she said.

"The Lightning Rune Stone is another option. You can choose whichever suits you best. If neither arrangement appeals to you, tell me what you want, and I’ll see what I can find."

She watched Xavier expectantly, clearly hoping the exchange would satisfy him.

Xavier fell silent as he considered the offerings. He had encountered a puppet before.

During his confrontation with Ethan Carter, his opponent had relied on a puppet at the Foundation Establishment Realm.

But that artifact had been utterly insignificant compared with the Dragon Bone Puppet Victoria had just presented.

A 4th-Tier demonic beast possessed strength comparable to that of a Star Sea Realm martial artist. Xavier had also seen reports about dragon type demonic beasts, which were widely recognized as some of the most formidable creatures within their tier.

A puppet capable of matching such a creature would be an exceptionally useful combat asset.

More importantly, Xavier could not always remain beside Mira.

Even with her rapidly improving cultivation, she could still encounter enemies capable of threatening her life.

Giving her access to a powerful defensive puppet would provide another layer of protection whenever he was away.

The Dragon Bone Sword was equally attractive. Its 7th-Grade classification and power amplification formation made it a weapon worth acquiring, even if its blunt edge limited its use in conventional sword combat.

As for the Lightning Rune Stone, Xavier could already imagine several ways to benefit from it.

After all, there was no reason to restrict himself to just one treasure when he had the resources to negotiate for more.

"I want all three," he said.

Victoria blinked. "All three?"

Before she could ask whether he was serious, Xavier retrieved two bottles of elixirs from his spatial ring and placed them on the desk.

"Let’s make this exchange worthwhile," he said.

He began listing the resources he could offer.

"Ten each of these 5th-Grade elixirs: Minor Enlightenment Pills, Star God Pills, Saint Essence Pills, Creation Pills, Spirit Movement Pills, and Marrow Cleansing Pills." He paused briefly before continuing.

"I can also offer one each of these 6th-Grade elixirs: Divine Descent Pill, Evergreen Pill, Saint Healing Pill, and Heaven and Earth Pill."

Xavier leaned back slightly.

"Choose whichever ones you want," he said. "In return, I’ll take the Lightning Rune Stone, the Dragon Bone Puppet, and the Dragon Bone Sword."

He spoke with complete confidence.

To Xavier, this was an excellent opportunity to convert some of his surplus elixirs into rare treasures.

He possessed more resources than he could reasonably use at once, so exchanging a portion of them for valuable equipment was a sensible decision.

Victoria, however, was once again left speechless.

"Mr. X, you really know how to surprise people," she said, her gaze moving from the bottles to Xavier’s face.

"I’ll admit that I had my doubts earlier. The Saint Purification Pill was so valuable that I wondered whether you had actually refined it yourself. You’re simply too young for someone at your level of skill." She shook her head in disbelief.

"But after seeing this collection, I have no doubts left. Even accomplished alchemists would struggle to gather so many 5th and 6th-Grade elixirs. You must be a grandmaster among alchemists!"

Victoria stared at the treasures before her, then looked directly at Xavier. Her expression soon shifted from amazement to earnest anticipation.

"Mr. X, have you ever considered joining the Dragon Kingdom’s military?" she asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Our military urgently needs an alchemist of your caliber. With your abilities and the resources we could provide, you would have opportunities that ordinary alchemists could never imagine."

Xavier could not help smiling wryly. Being too capable has its disadvantages. Every powerful organization I meet wants to recruit me.

He had received similar invitations before, and he suspected this would hardly be the last.

"I’m afraid I’ll have to decline," he replied politely.

"I’m not accustomed to having others dictate how I should live or work." He then added, "If you need elixirs in the future, feel free to call me or leave a message. I’ll get back to you when I have the time."

Victoria let out a quiet sigh.

"All right, Mr. X," she said. "I won’t press you."

She understood that forcing the matter would only risk damaging their relationship.

Since he had declined so firmly yet remained willing to cooperate, the wisest course was to respect his decision.

After all, maintaining a good relationship with an alchemist capable of producing 7th-Grade elixirs was already a considerable achievement.

After considering her options, Victoria Quill finally settled on ten Lesser Enlightenment Pills, two Evergreen Pills, and one Heaven and Earth Pill.

The combined market value of these items was nowhere near that of a single 7th-Grade Saint Purification Pill. Nevertheless, Victoria had little use for most of the other elixirs Mr. X had offered.

She could have selected additional items to make the exchange more balanced in terms of market value, but she chose not to.

To her, establishing a lasting relationship with a master alchemist was far more important than squeezing every last bit of value out of a single transaction.

Alchemists of this caliber were simply too rare.

Within Asterra, their importance often surpassed that of martial artists who had reached the peak of the Star Sea Realm.

Powerful martial artists appeared every year, but those capable of refining 7th-Grade elixirs could be counted on very few fingers.

Victoria’s own experience was proof enough.

She had spent more than two years searching through various channels for a Saint Purification Pill and had failed to obtain even one.

Yet Mr. X had managed to provide one within days of their discussion.

She had no intention of jeopardizing a relationship that might prove invaluable in the future.

Once both sides had received the items they wanted, Xavier hesitated briefly before retrieving another object from his spatial ring.

It was the strange, seven colored bell he had taken from the Bloodthirsty Monk.

"General Quill, I came across this artifact recently," he said.

"Someone identified it as a 6th-Grade item called the Soul-Disrupting Bell, though I couldn’t find reliable information about it. Have you heard of anything like this?"

Xavier had spent a considerable portion of the previous evening searching for information online. Unfortunately, his efforts had yielded almost nothing useful.

The moment Victoria saw the bell, her expression changed.

"The Soul-Disrupting Bell?" she said, staring at the artifact before looking sharply at Xavier.

"Where did you find this? You must be extremely careful with it. Whatever you do, don’t use it!"

Her sudden reaction immediately caught Xavier’s attention.

Victoria took a breath before explaining what she knew.