Chapter 629 - Spatial Bead (Patreon)

Protectors’ Headquarters Grand Vault.

Everything stored here could only be accessed by the Protectors themselves or by those who had received special permission after passing through strict procedures.

Even the Protectors could not remove anything from the vault without Jade’s approval. In other words, everything that entered or left this place was completely under her control.

When the final door of the vault finally opened, Leyvi let out a quiet inward sigh. This was probably the most elaborate set of security measures he had ever had to pass through just to enter a location.

Before being allowed inside, he had been required to leave his space ring behind. Multiple layers of specialized formations then scanned his entire body for any hidden storage artifacts. The formations also carefully checked for spatial fluctuations, designed specifically to detect anyone attempting to use spatial storage techniques or conceal items in folded space.

Of course, there was no way those formations could detect the internal storage room within his body. Even a Divinity like Senior Raisho had been unable to sense it.

Leyvi was certain, however, that if Stripey had gone through the same inspection, the formations would most likely have picked up the spatial fluctuations that always surrounded the little creature.

Leyvi and Jade walked deeper into the storage vault. The vast space was filled with numerous space bags and space rings, all arranged in neat rows and clearly labeled according to category, with detailed descriptions placed beneath each section.

The contents of this place covered an astonishing range, such as ancient relics and damaged treasures recovered from forgotten ruins, personal belongings of important or famous figures throughout history, carefully preserved emergency supplies, rare materials, records of specialized knowledge and technical data, historical documents from multiple eras, sealed research notes, and many other items that had been judged too valuable or too dangerous to keep elsewhere.

Leyvi slowed his steps slightly, genuinely taken aback by the sheer number of space rings lining the shelves. He had expected a well-stocked vault, but the scale of what he was seeing still exceeded his expectations.

He looked toward the rare materials section. There were many items here that Anda and Sawi would love to obtain, especially Sawi.

Sawi had once told him that in order to contact her ancestor again, she would need an extremely rare object known as a spatial bead.

It was a tiny special bead that naturally trapped unique spatial energy inside it. When used, that energy allowed the establishment of a super long-distance, stable, and uninterruptible network.

Most of the other rare materials they desired could still be acquired with enough effort. The spatial bead was different. It simply did not appear on any market.

The mini formation left behind by Sawi’s ancestor to pass down his legacy could also function as a super long-distance communication device, but it could only be powered by a spatial bead.

After years of searching, however, no spatial bead had ever been found. There were not even rumors that might have provided a clue about where to look, let alone an opportunity to purchase one. In the end, Sawi had accepted that the item was simply too rare and that she might never get her hands on it.

That was the reason she had begun experimenting with Lapin’s bloodline power in the first place, eventually creating the modified array communication device. She had hoped to replace the spatial bead with Lapin’s power and finally contact her ancestor again.

Unfortunately, the attempt could not succeed unless both sides of the connection were modified. As a result, she had failed to reach her ancestor.

Sawi had also told Leyvi that her ancestor currently resided on the Protogaea Continent. Because of that, Leyvi had previously asked Clown Prince Dastan whether he knew of such a person, hoping to help Sawi establish contact.

Sawi’s ancestor was a Soul Transformation Realm powerhouse, so he should not have been an unknown figure over there.

Yet Dastan had been unable to find any record or known powerhouse by the name of Vulcan Orebender, not even in other kingdoms. Either such a person did not exist, or he used an entirely different identity. In this case, the latter was the far more likely explanation.

Because of that, Sawi had been unable to contact her ancestor and would probably remain unable to do so for many years to come.

Who would have thought that Leyvi would now see a space bag clearly labeled “Spatial Bead”? The sight made him slow his steps and come to a stop.

“What’s wrong, Leyvi? Did you see something interesting?” Jade also stopped and turned toward him.

“That spatial bead…” Leyvi hesitated.

For a moment he considered asking whether it might be possible to obtain even one for Sawi, so she could finally contact her ancestor. He also wondered if items stored in the vault could ever be sold, or if he could at least learn where spatial beads formed naturally.

Yet he was not sure how appropriate it was to make such a request in a place like this, especially when every object here was under strict control.

“Oh, are you worried about Bara City’s grand formation?” Jade asked. “There’s no need to concern yourself with that. The matter was already taken care of before you even arrived. Whenever a lockdown is triggered, we send a replacement spatial bead without delay. By now your city should once again be fully capable of activating the lockdown function whenever necessary.”

Leyvi blinked in mild disbelief. So the precious material required to send a distress signal to the Protectors was actually a spatial bead.

When he thought about it carefully, it made perfect sense. To his knowledge, nothing else could maintain a long-distance connection without disruption or interruption.

A deeper realization settled over him. Now he fully understood why the beads could never be found anywhere, why there had never been even a rumor or a trace of them on the market. An object this critical was never meant to circulate freely.

The Protectors had completely monopolized the entire supply so they alone could use it for emergency signals and rapid mutual contact. Without absolute control over every spatial bead, they would never be able to respond swiftly and reliably when true crises arose.

At last the long-standing mystery made complete sense.

“Sister Jade, can I buy a spatial bead from you?” Leyvi asked, deciding to take the chance.

Given how favorably Jade treated him, there might be a possibility. It would not hurt to try.

“You want to buy a spatial bead?” Jade had clearly not expected this request at all.

Leyvi nodded.

She looked visibly confused. “Why would you need a spatial bead? If it’s for communication, you already have Lapin’s bloodline power, which can do a far superior job.”

Leyvi paused and weighed the matter for a moment. After thinking it through, he saw no real disadvantage in telling her the truth. Sawi’s situation was not a dangerous secret, and Jade had already shown herself to be trustworthy. He therefore decided to explain everything and told her Sawi’s full story.

When he finished, Jade’s expression changed. For a brief moment she looked genuinely shocked, as if something unexpected had clicked into place.

“That ancestor of hers… what was his name again?” she asked carefully, her tone more serious than before.

“Vulcan. Vulcan Orebender. Sister Jade, do you know him?” Leyvi asked, already beginning to suspect that she did.

“As I suspected.” Jade gave a slow nod, her eyes narrowing slightly in recognition. “It really is him.”

Then the familiar smile returned to her face, this time carrying a clear note of amusement. “What an enormous coincidence. I truly don’t know how you ended up marrying his only descendant. Let me guess… this has Anda’s fingerprints all over it again, doesn’t it?” she chuckled, clearly entertained by the idea.

Leyvi’s first instinct was to answer that of course it was Anda’s doing. When he thought about it more carefully, however, that was not entirely accurate.

“Actually… Anda didn’t do that much in Sawi’s case. Sawi already seemed to like me before Anda even pandawashed her. Anda only made the process faster,” Leyvi replied as he recalled the past.

“Hehehe. Pandawash? Is that what you call her manipulative persuasion? So cute,” Jade giggled.

Leyvi blinked, momentarily speechless. He had accidentally let the private panda term slip out.

“Ahem… Sister Jade, back to the topic. Do you know Sawi’s ancestor?” he asked again, steering the conversation away.

“Of course I know him. He was a legendary figure of the generation before mine. He was a renowned blacksmith who also reached a high level of achievement in array formation. These days most people probably don’t remember him anymore. Only fossils like me still do,” Jade replied.

Leyvi nodded. What she said about Vulcan matched what he had learned from Sawi.

“I never met him personally, though. Fiona did. She knew him especially well. Why? Because she and her late husband were once Vulcan Orebender’s formation students before he vanished without a trace,” Jade revealed in a distinctly gossipy tone.

Leyvi was left completely dumbfounded. He had not expected this connection at all. Sawi’s ancestor had been Protector Fiona’s formation teacher? It really was a big coincidence.

“This is actually good news,” Jade continued with a smile. “Fiona will be happy to learn that her teacher is still alive. She always believed Vulcan had died somewhere.”

Then a puzzled look crossed her face. “But why would he suddenly disappear and move to the Protogaea Continent? This was before the chaotic era, after all.”