I received the stone from the king's hands in the inner hall of the palace, away from the eyes of most of the nobles. There was no exaggerated ceremony. Only formality and silence.
It fit in the palm of my hand.
Smaller than I imagined.
Cold.
Heavier than its size suggested.
I slightly bowed my head in respect.
"I promise to return it."
The king held my gaze for a few seconds before responding.
"We hope it justifies the decision made today."
There was no arrogance in his voice. Only responsibility.
I left the palace with the stone wrapped in a thick cloth provided by the royal guard. My companions were waiting for me outside.
Rai'kanna was the first to ask.
"Is that it?"
I nodded.
"It is."
Elara approached slowly. Vespera kept her eyes attentive to the surroundings. Liriel observed the energy with silent concentration. Lyannis was already analyzing the magical variations in the environment.
We walked back to the inn without drawing attention.
Only when we were in the room, with the door locked, did I place the stone on the table.
I removed the cloth.
It reflected the afternoon light discreetly.
It was not bright like a polished crystal. It did not have precise cuts. The surface was smooth, but irregular, as if it had been shaped by time, not by tools.
I moved closer.
I focused my perception.
There was energy.
Ancient.
Deep.
But not aggressive.
It was different from any mana I had ever felt.
Lyannis closed her eyes for a few seconds.
"It is not elemental."
Elara agreed.
"It is not common arcane either."
Vespera tilted her head slightly.
"It is not demonic."
Liriel stepped forward.
"Nor divine."
That answer caught my attention.
If it was neither demonic nor divine, then what was it?
I touched the stone with my fingertips.
Cold.
But at the same time… alive.
It did not pulse like a mana core.
It did not radiate expansive waves.
It was as if it were waiting.
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"So?"
I took a deep breath.
"I don't know."
That was the truth.
I held the stone in my palm again.
I closed my eyes.
I tried to feel something deeper.
There were layers.
As if the energy was sealed within it, not directly accessible.
It did not react to my power.
It did not respond to my intention.
It was like observing a blade inside an invisible sheath.
Liriel moved closer.
"It does not reject you."
"But it does not respond either."
"Yes."
That meant something.
If it were incompatible, it probably would have reacted negatively already.
Elara lightly touched my arm.
"It may be that the activation is not direct."
"Or that it needs a medium."
Lyannis looked at the sword leaning against the wall.
"Weapon."
Everyone followed her gaze.
My sword was there, silent.
The stone could be integrated.
But before that, I needed to minimally understand what I was holding.
I focused again.
This time I did not try to force it.
I simply observed.
The internal energy seemed to rotate very slowly, almost imperceptibly.
It was not unstable.
It was not aggressive.
It was structural.
As if it sustained something invisible.
A hypothesis began to form.
If the Fourth General was immortal, perhaps his immortality was linked to some kind of similar energy structure.
Perhaps it was not about destroying the body.
Perhaps it was about interfering with the foundation that kept him standing.
I opened my eyes.
"It is not offensive."
Rai'kanna raised an eyebrow.
"Then?"
"It seems to be… stabilizing."
Brief silence.
Liriel was the first to understand.
"Structural rupture."
I nodded slowly.
"Maybe."
Vespera crossed her legs in the chair.
"Or this is just our hope trying to find meaning."
She was not wrong.
It was still a hypothesis.
Fifty percent.
It works.
Or it doesn't.
I looked again at the stone.
I did not feel explosive power.
I did not feel threat.
But I felt purpose.
Something in it existed to fulfill a specific function.
It was not a display artifact.
It was not an empty symbol.
It was a tool.
The question was whether this tool was suitable for the enemy I would face.
Rai'kanna stepped closer to the table.
"You are going to use it."
It was not a question.
It was a statement.
"Yes."
Elara tilted her head slightly.
"Even without certainty."
"Yes."
Lyannis breathed slowly.
"The decision was already made when we came here."
She was right.
I wrapped the stone in the cloth again.
For now, there was nothing more to extract just by observing.
The incorporation into the sword would be the next step.
But that would come later.
Before that, I needed to accept something simple.
There was no guarantee.
There was no confirmation.
Only probability.
I held the stone firmly.
Fifty percent.
In battle, I have faced worse situations with less margin.
I looked at each of them.
None showed fear.
None hesitated.
All were ready to move forward.
I stored the stone together with my sword.
"If it is useless, I will take responsibility for the mistake."
Liriel replied calmly.
"It is not a mistake to try to protect everyone."
Rai'kanna smiled slightly.
"And if it works?"
I looked at the window, where the sky of the Kingdom of the Cyclopes was beginning to darken.
"Then his immortality ceases to be an advantage."
The room fell silent.
The decision had been made.
The stone was with me.
And now, it remained to discover whether it was just a legend… or the key to bringing down a general who believed himself untouchable.
Tomorrow, I will merge it with my sword.
And then, we will know if this gamble has foundation.
I held the weapon's hilt for a moment.
Cold.
Firm.
Constant.
If there is a chance, even if it is half, I will use it.
Because against someone who cannot die,
any possibility is already a weapon.
And I do not intend to waste any of them.