Liam stood over Ulgok's corpse, examining the eye where the purple channels intertwined.

It had a small trace of mana even after the body was dead. During the battle, the core's signature was masked by the orc, hiding it from sight.

After removing it from the corpse, he thoroughly cleaned it. A roughly cut black crystal came into his view. Lots of tiny symbols were carved into the surface, making Liam wonder how an orc managed to do it.

The stone was cold to touch, and it affected not just his hand but also his mind. After gaining possession of the Sharn, he made his way back to the cave.

Jade was pacing around the dugout, waiting for his arrival. "Did you find it?"

She caught the stone Liam tossed at her.

"Does it have the spell?"

"If it did, we would all be dead. There is no way any of us could have battled Ulgok."

Bringing the crystal close to her eye, she tried to peer through it. "What's so special about these spells?"

Liam snatched it from her hand. "Not even mana vision identified anything. I seriously doubt you will be able to find anything that way."

Dunn came closer, curiously examining the Sharn. "Is it useful even if it is incomplete?"

"No, but we are going to complete it."

"How?"

Walking up the altar, Liam placed the stone in its center.

His sudden actions alarmed Jade. Drawing her ax, she stared at the fallen skulls. "Didn't the core make those things stronger?"

"It would have been the case if a shaman presided over the ritual. Right now, it won't harm us. Look, it's starting."

The skull Jade broke reformed and rose into the air alongside the others. Bones all over the ritual platform came alive. Along with the Sharn stone, they emitted black smoke which moved into the skulls. The smoke underwent a gradual change from black to green. When the core was a fraction of its previous size, the process stopped.

With an eerie howl that seemed to have come from everywhere and nowhere, the skulls exploded filling the cave with green smoke. It buffeted them and pushed them off balance.

Grabbing his weapons, Dunn went into a fighting stance alongside Jade.

Catching a glimpse of Liam's relaxed posture, Jade asked, "Are you sure this is okay?"

He didn't answer her. His entire attention was focused on the strange happenings. Opportunities to watch the creation process of a Sharn stone were rare if not impossible for someone outside a few select orcs. A large part of the process confounded Liam, but he never took his eyes off it. Even if he didn't understand everything, as long as he got his foot inside the door, he could research it and recreate the process.

The smoke gathered and condensed into a shape similar to the remaining part of the core. After overlapping with the stone, they merged.

When the process was complete, the ritual platform, rods, and skulls lost their energy and fell to the ground. Using mana vision, Liam saw they no longer channeled any form of mana.

The stone had shrunk from the size of his finger to the size of a nail. Runes replaced the symbols carved on its surface.

Jade swiped it from Liam's hands, and once again put it near her eye.

"The cave isn't well lit. Let's go outside."

"I don't think you can see anything unless your eyes can perceive mana."

Dunn's words were naturally ignored.

Putting it up to the sun, she tried to peer into it from different angles. After unsuccessfully attempting to understand its mechanism, she threw the stone to Dunn.

"Unraveling its secrets is going to take more complicated methods."

Dunn snorted. "Of course it's going to take more complicated methods. Any method we use will be more complex. All you did was put it near your eyes and admire its shape."

"I hope you haven't forgotten our real mission," Liam said, interrupting the squabble that was sure to build up.

The sudden interference disgruntled Jade, but she dropped the argument.

"Before leaving, answer my question. What makes these spells so powerful?"

"Powerful is a relative word. When you are strong enough, even the fireball can grow limitlessly. Spells stored in Sharn stones are unique, not in the way no one can recreate them, but the way they function. They grow along with you, and you don't need to control them. In a battle, they automatically lock-on to your target and attacks them."

The first part sounded unimpressive. Just like Liam mentioned, even a simple spell can be powerful in the hands of a strong person. However, when Jade heard the second part, she eagerly licked her lips while staring at the stone.

"How are Sharn warriors created?"

Liam put the stone out of her sight. "Don't have any funny ideas."

Speak for yourself, she thought.

Apart from spells like the lightning bolt, which were nearly impossible to dodge, most of the others were slow. Controlling them to chase targets was sometimes more challenging than evading them.

No matter what kind of spell the Sharn stone contained, one that attacked targets of its initiative gave an immense advantage.

"Make sure you create a method of using them in artifacts and also understand how these stones are made. I will order ten of them."

"My services are going to be costly. You will need to save up for a long time to get even the first one."

"What are you talking about?" Jade locked her brows in confusion. "You are going to make them for free."

"Really? Will I at least get the materials?" Liam sarcastically asked.

"Of course not. You can fork it out of your pocket."

He was about to retort when his attention was grabbed by something. Using the second form of mana vision resulted in a connection with the targets. Even he couldn't explain what it did or how it worked. The entire time, it was calm and stable, but there was a change all of a sudden.

A lot of sensations and feelings washed over him. The most striking ones were the fear and desperation directed towards their pursuer. Alarmed, Liam started running without explaining anything to his friends.

Though his reaction was confusing, they promptly followed him.

"What is it?" Jade asked.

"Someone is chasing after the traitors. I don't think I need to tell you what happens if they die. They are rushing in our direction, giving us an advantage. I don't know anything about the pursuer, so be prepared to fight both groups."

They nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation. While they eliminated a hidden group of corrupted, it would look better only if they finished the primary task. Liam did not want to know the consequences of failing Alisha's mission.

The connection became more tremulous and all of a sudden went still. Fearing the worst, Liam rushed towards the location, leaving his friends behind. He made it over the river, barely slowing down, and arrived at the spot. When he took note of the situation, his shoulders sagged in relief.

"Any pursuers?"

"No one would dare to chase me. The others only had a chance before I caught up to the traitors."

Anya's words were backed by a sense of confidence.

Since she captured the targets, it meant the end of the mission.