The golden treasure chest slowly opened up, and from within it came a faint clinking sound of stones and a heady aroma of herbs that wafted out, causing Roy and Delilah to quiver with anticipation. Their eyes widened with joy and excitement as they took in the sheer abundance of riches before them.
It was a sight that made their hearts skip a beat.
The chest was filled with runic stones, each one containing immense power, and magic herbs that seemed to be of different types. The amount and rank of the runic stones varied, from a few dozen low and high-level runic stones to several rank-5 runic stones that gleamed in the dim light of the chamber. The magic herbs, on the other hand, were of various types, most of which had beneficial effects on the body. Successful consumption could increase one's strength and speed and generate poison resistance, among other benefits.
Of course, the fact remained that only beasts could eat them raw. Humans couldn't do it as they would be filled with impurities, and an excess of impurities could result in illnesses and even cause death. To put them to use, Roy had to use alchemy or hire an alchemist.
But it wasn't too troublesome for him as his uncle was an expert in alchemy!
As his gaze swept past the treasures, it stopped on a glimmering crystal. His intense gaze remained fixed on it as if he had found a fated lover.
"Is this what I think it is?" Roy whispered.
Out of all the treasures, only one truly caught Roy's attention. As he reached out to touch it, he could feel a thrumming energy emanating from the shard, almost as if it was alive.
[Ding! Congratulations on discovering the Soul Shard of Absolute Defense!] The system notified Roy.
Indeed, the crystal was not just an ordinary one but the legendary soul shard of absolute defense. Its power could grant the ultimate defense that could negate all forms of damage, making it a highly sought-after artifact.
Having faced numerous battles and overcome countless obstacles, Roy had finally found the elusive treasure he had been seeking for so long!
"I have done it!" he exclaimed with uncontainable joy.
In terms of its potency, it may not be the most robust fragment of a god's essence, a god who specializes in defensive techniques, but undoubtedly, it was precisely what Roy needed to overcome his limitations and shortcomings.
Meanwhile, Delilah stood by his side, her mouth watering at the sight of the chest overflowing with treasure.
"Wow," she said as she was transfixed by it. "It's like the dungeon boss hoarded everything inside the Goblin's Grotto and put it all in this chest. The wealth here is enough to feed a million people for ten years!"
Roy nodded in agreement as he looked over the contents of the chest.
"It's truly remarkable," he said. "The sheer magnitude of the treasures is astonishing."
Delilah continued to marvel at the chest, noting the bountiful runic stones and magic herbs that lay before them.
"Look at the exquisite material used to make this chest," she exclaimed, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "It's almost as if the dungeon boss was afraid that their immense wealth wouldn't be noticeable enough, so it stored its hoard in a treasury made of pure gold."
Upon recognizing the sarcasm in her tone, Roy couldn't help but smile.
"We should count ourselves lucky for stumbling upon this treasure. The Hobgoblin may have hoarded these riches for ages, but now they will benefit us," he remarked.
"Indeed, we are fortunate to have come across it," Delilah concurred, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
The treasures inside the chest were a testament to the wealth and power that could be generated by the Fragmented world in 800 years, or so Roy found out after becoming its owner. The dungeon boss had hoarded everything for itself, reflecting the hobgoblins' notorious greed that could make even the stingiest, greediest, and most materialistic people look like philanthropists!
In a state of deep contemplation, Roy reflected on the reality of his current situation.
Being a soul herder, he knew that merging with another soul shard, particularly the soul shard of absolute defense, was an impossible feat. However, he had come prepared with methods to go around it, so there was nothing to worry about.
There was another way for him to harness the power of the soul shard, and it was something only he could do because he had a living shadow.
His shadow could devour weapons, runic stones, and soul shards, and grant him their abilities. Roy's subspace and other skills were obtained through this very method.
"It has been a while since I last called upon you." Roy gazed at his shadow, which wiggled in response like an excited child. Roy smiled and said, "It's time to feed."
He picked up the soul shard of absolute defense from the treasury and dropped it. It fell on his shadow before sinking inside.
As the shadow consumed the shard, Roy could feel the power of the soul shard coursing through his veins and gathering in a single spot on his soul.
A strange sensation overcame him as the system within his mind sprang to life, alerting him of the changes that had taken place.
[You have digested a fragment of a God's soul.]
[You have gained the ability, Absolute Defense.]
Even before the notification sounded, Roy could tell that he had digested a fragment of a God's soul, and in doing so, he had gained the greatest defensive ability in the Far West Major World.
This was a powerful active skill that he could use once a day to negate all forms of physical, magical, and spiritual damage for an entire minute.
In the novel, it was mentioned that the Armored Knight rarely used this ability as it required 10,000 units of life force, which was an astronomical sum. Its cost was its only defect.
However, Roy didn't need to worry about that, as he could activate it using 10k units of mana!
