Harem Legion: Queens of the Apocalypse-Chapter 98 Burning Wood, Eternal Flame
Around 1 a.m., most of the female team members were already asleep. Magnus stepped off the bus, nodded at the guard on duty, and drove the Humvee two kilometers out before stopping.
Earth Crystals had once caused wild overgrowth across ten acres - he wasn’t about to test a Nature Crystal inside a vehicle. Just in case.
Feeling this spot was isolated enough, Magnus activated a Fire Crystal shield, stepped out onto the road, and glanced down at the crystal in his hand.
Pale yellow, room temperature, same size and cracks as the others - but this one glowed on its own, no need for light. Looked eerie and calm in the dark.
He drew a deep breath and tightened his grip slowly. The Nature Crystal broke apart into golden light, swirling around his hand. Then, something formed in his palm - small at first, then bigger.
Not a sapling. No leaves.
Ten seconds later, he was holding a log - three meters tall, thick as a man’s embrace. No branches, no foliage. Just a perfect round log.
"Could this be the legendary Immortal Divine Tree?" he muttered.
Stories spoke of divine wood that granted eternal life, wood so dense it sank in no sea.
But this thing? Big as it looked, it weighed nothing. Not even as heavy as a coin. It was solid to touch, texture of real wood - but no weight at all.
He set it down carefully and examined every inch with his flashlight. Bark, grain, growth rings - everything checked out. Except for the impossible lightness.
What the hell was it good for?
He walked the area, flashlight sweeping the roadside, till he spotted a massive centipede. Quick move - he appeared right by it, grabbed it by the jaws. The Fire Crystal scorched its hide and the creature squealed.
He pressed it against the wood. Nothing. The bug just crawled across it and scurried off, unharmed.
Unwilling to give up, Magnus lifted the log over his head and slammed it down on the centipede’s body. Crunch. The spot he hit caved in. Black blood spilled as it twisted in pain.
Same effect as a real log. Just... with no weight.
That can’t be all.
Frowning, he pulled out a lighter and sparked it over the wood. In a pop, the whole log burst into flames.
Blue flames.
Stranger still, no heat. He stood right there, not a trace of warmth. He reached toward the fire - it licked his fingers with cold light.
To test again, Magnus dug into his pocket, took out a chocolate bar, and tossed it into the blue blaze.
It melted in seconds. Gone.
Still unsure, he grabbed another chocolate bar. This time, he held it and pressed it into the flame.
That’s when things got weird. The chocolate stayed intact this time. Was it because it touched my skin? Magnus let go of the piece, and sure enough - it caught fire again.
Minutes ticked by slowly. That chunk of sacred wood had been burning for over half an hour, yet it looked exactly the same as when it first ignited. No change at all.
He tried dousing it with water. Buried it in soil. Still, the blue flame didn’t go out...
In the end, Magnus had to press his black ring tattoo on his left middle finger against it. The moment the sacred wood touched the ring, it dissolved into soft yellow light and flowed back into his hand. Ten seconds later, it condensed into a pale green Nature Crystal.
Staring at the crystal in his palm, Magnus felt dazed. It was like the whole thing had just been a dream - like he’d never crushed the original crystal at all.
He was let down. For something as rare as a Nature Crystal, its power seemed... underwhelming. All that, just for a stick that doesn’t burn out?
And that was only because he could retract it. An ordinary Awakened probably couldn’t stop it from burning if they tried.
Clearly, its rarity didn’t match its usefulness. Or maybe... he just hadn’t figured it out yet.
He gave the Nature Crystal one more look before stowing it back in his space and sighing. He turned and climbed back into the Mongoose.
The Ice Regiment had found two crystals. He’d snatched another two back in Coldmere Town. That made four total in his possession now.
Still clueless what good they were. Maybe he could use them like firewood someday. No smoke, never runs out - not bad for a backup.
Chucking at his own joke, Magnus sat inside the vehicle and shut his eyes, checking over the crystal resources in his space.
The Ice Regiment’s last report from Liana showed a total of 1,413 Crystals: 411 Fire, 592 Water, 368 Metal, 18 Earth, 22 Life, and 2 Nature.
He’d taken the 18 Earth, 22 Life, and 2 Nature Crystals for himself, leaving the rest for the team.
As for his personal stash, after sorting the loot from Coldmere Town, it totaled 2,201 Crystals: 562 Fire, 733 Metal, 847 Water, 37 Life, 20 Earth, and 2 Nature.
Combined with the ones from the Ice Regiment, his total reached 2,243 Crystals - with a standout 59 Life Crystals among them.
Just the number alone stirred something in him. In his past life, he’d never even seen one. Only heard about them. He’d even died chasing one, trying to save Sarah back in Springvale City.
Being reborn really changed everything.
The sky brightened. Magnus had spent the entire night in the car, without a hint of sleepiness. He was just about to drive back to base when he caught the sound of a vehicle ahead.
Was Caroline and her group coming back?
Just as he was wondering that, a massive RV shot around the mountain bend ahead - luxury-grade and moving fast...
