Volume One: The Infernal Lord’s World Chapter 42: The Secret Within the Lake

Unlike Allen, who had discovered something unusual on the very first island, Chen Gu’s objective was clear from the start; he headed straight for the island with the colossal tree. Chen Gu was no fool. When he first entered the Sacred Lake, he understood immediately that something must be hidden on that island. Upon hearing the poem Allen recited, his first thought was also this very place. Even if this wasn’t the “most beautiful pearl” within the Sacred Lake that the poem spoke of, it was undoubtedly the most pivotal spot in the lake.

With no one to stop him, Chen Gu resolutely set off toward the large island. The Sacred Lake spanned five to nearly six hundred square kilometers—comparable in size to Thousand Island Lake. Against this vastness, the Fire Crow battleship seemed insignificant, and although it wasn’t slow, it still took nearly an hour to reach the island’s shore.

From the lake’s entrance, the island did not strike Chen Gu as particularly remarkable. But as he drew closer, he realized he had vastly underestimated the power of the elves. Even before reaching the island, he could see massive roots dangling from the sky, each as thick as a human body. The Fire Crow carefully navigated among the roots, wary of accidentally colliding with any of them. Circling the island, Chen Gu finally found a dock made of stone on the eastern side.

Standing at the dock and looking inward, the first thing he saw was a tree root as enormous as a mountain. The roots trailing into the water around the island all originated here. With a mere glance from the dock, Chen Gu could easily infer the island’s history: it was once the largest in the Sacred Lake, but in comparison to this giant tree, it was insignificant.

“Everyone ashore, and be careful. Bloodshadow Wolves, come out,” Chen Gu commanded, summoning a pack of Bloodshadow Wolves to scout the island ahead. Meanwhile, he lingered at the dock, observing the massive roots and pondering his next move.

It is often said that plants possess extraordinary vitality; even if a tree falls, it may not die. Yet this great tree showed no sign of life whatsoever, which struck Chen Gu as highly unnatural. His gaze shifted to the soil encrusting the roots.

After the Bloodshadow Wolves returned and confirmed the absence of other creatures or enemies, Chen Gu proceeded into the island. Leaving the stone path, he stooped to scoop up a handful of soil.

Years of weathering and erosion had hardened the earth—once upheaved by the falling tree—into something as tough as steel. Clutching the soil, Chen Gu found it as unyielding as a block of cement, resisting all his efforts to crumble it. If not for its dark hue, he would not have believed this was ordinary dirt.

He beckoned, and a Corpse-Eating Vine slithered to his side.

[Corpse-Eating Vine +3] + [Hardened Soil] = [??? (Success rate: 81%)]

Chen Gu did not immediately proceed with the synthesis; instead, he opened the description for [Hardened Soil] to examine its properties. This was one of the synthesis system’s functions: since successful creation required the correct materials, any mistake could affect the outcome. Thus, the synthesis formula provided details about the materials and how they influenced success rates.

Chen Gu’s intent was to analyze the soil using this function. What he discovered left him stunned. He had expected, given the elves’ extravagance, that the soil would be infused with deathly energy from the undead, depriving the great tree of nutrients and causing its demise. But he had never imagined that the soil would be saturated with an intense power of Holy Light—so concentrated, in fact, that plants could absorb only Holy Light and no other nutrients, ultimately causing the legendary tree, famed for its vitality, to wither and die when it fell.

The source of this Holy Light was simple: the elves of the Holy City made a habit of bathing in water blessed with Holy Light, pouring vast quantities into the lake daily. The lake-dwelling elven nobility only added to this influx. Over time, the entire Sacred Lake became permeated with Holy Light. On sunny days, the lake would shimmer with dazzling brilliance. Of course, that was all before the Undead Cataclysm. Back then, the great tree still stood, and the elves had no inkling of any problem.

But the Undead Cataclysm destroyed everything. The holy water in the lake, aside from keeping the undead at bay, served no purpose and, in fact, deprived the elves of their most vital strength. One might say the elves were undone by their own extravagance.

Naturally, Chen Gu was unaware of the full story. All he saw was that the hardened soil teemed with Holy Light, making it incapable of providing plants with essential nutrients. If used to enhance plant-type pets, it would transform them into Holy Light-type plants in the short term, but over time, their growth would be stunted. As for the specific limitations, Chen Gu could see them clearly.

Once the hardened soil was used to synthesize a Corpse-Eating Vine, it could no longer be used with other materials—only with Holy Light, holy water, or similar hardened soil. This was not an outcome Chen Gu desired.

“What a pity,” he murmured. “If only I had a slime or an ooze-type pet, this soil would be perfect for synthesis.” As he spoke, he considered taking a closer look at the giant tree. But at that moment, an idea struck him.

“Summon fire elementals.”

At his command, five fire elementals appeared before him. He placed the hardened soil intended for the Corpse-Eating Vine before them.

[Fire Elemental (Temporary Summon)] + [Hardened Soil (Soaked in Holy Water)] = [??? (Success rate: 77%)]

“Synthesize.”

At Chen Gu’s order, the foremost fire elemental approached him and took the hardened soil from his hands. In its grasp, the soil began to melt. The fire elemental, previously a wavering mass of flame with two arms, started to change color; its once ethereal body became dense and solid. Soon, droplets of vermilion liquid dripped to the ground.

A massive new elemental emerged before Chen Gu.

[Pet synthesis complete—Green Quality: Holy Light Magma]

[Pet Attributes]

Name: Holy Light Magma
Quality: Green
Type: Elemental Creature
Trait: Holy Light
Level: 2
Attributes: Attack 5, Defense 5, Life 100
Initial Skills: Holy Light Bolt Level 1 (can attack enemies or heal allies for 30 HP), Magma Level 1 (can control magma with temperatures up to 1000 degrees for attacks), Recovery Level 1 (while not in combat, restores 30 HP every 10 seconds)

Description: A new elemental formed from earth and flame. It would have been called a Magma Elemental, but the power of Holy Light within the soil was simply overwhelming.