Chapter 91: The Power That Purifies All Things

“My conditions?” Nolan smiled faintly. “I think you misunderstand something. Right now, I’m not the one asking for your help. You’re the ones who need me.”

He gestured toward the black opening behind him and continued at an unhurried pace. “The place behind me is the core of a spatial sealing array Tyrians once used to imprison a powerful enemy. After nearly ten thousand years, the seal has finally begun to weaken, and I just happen to know a method to open it temporarily. The core energy source of that sealed space is a Fountain of Potential.”

“A Fountain of Potential?” Romina frowned. The name sounded strangely similar to the Fountain of Life, yet she had never heard of such a thing before.

Not only her, but Vivi, Little Donnie, and Renee all pricked up their ears as well.

Nolan had mentioned the name earlier, but none of them knew what it actually was.

More importantly, they had all realized by now that this negotiation could very well determine the future direction of the territory’s development, perhaps even the relationship between two powers.

“That’s right. A Fountain of Potential.” Nolan nodded, slipping naturally into the explanatory mode he excelled at most. “It’s an extremely rare form of source-less water. The spring itself does not rely on any physical source, and it possesses a very special and incredibly powerful effect: it activates the magical pathways within living beings and expands the upper limit of a user’s potential. To put it simply, drinking it makes it easier for someone to break through their limits. An ordinary person with no talent could gain the qualifications to become a warrior. A fighter trapped at Bronze rank could remove the barrier preventing them from reaching Silver rank. That’s the reason I brought my companions here.”

The moment he heard it could make people stronger, Little Donnie’s eyes lit up instantly. He already felt far too weak, constantly dragging Big Brother Nolan down. If there was even the slightest opportunity to grow stronger, he would never let it pass him by.

“There’s something that amazing? Then if I drink a few barrels of it, wouldn’t I break straight into the Origin Realm?”

“In your dreams.” Nolan mercilessly shattered his fantasy. “It only makes breakthroughs easier. It doesn’t instantly grant you power.”

Even so, Vivi and Renee were clearly tempted as well. In this chaotic and unstable world, strength was the foundation of everything.

“It sounds remarkable, but what does that have to do with our sacred spring?” Romina asked, resting both hands on her longbow.

“Patience. That’s the important part.” Nolan shifted the conversation and looked back at her. “The Fountain of Potential has another effect that very few people know about. As the purest form of ‘source-less water,’ it possesses the power to purify all corruption in the world. Whether it’s a vicious curse or an evil plague, everything is cleansed completely in its presence and restored to its purest original state.”

The power to purify all corruption.

Romina’s breathing abruptly caught. Her emerald eyes widened uncontrollably, and even the other Wood Elves covered their mouths in shock.

Wasn’t this exactly what they had been desperately searching for?

In order to find a way to purify the Fountain of Life, the elders had combed through every ancient text they possessed and tried countless methods. They had even set aside their prejudice against humans and sent Romina into the outside world in search of hope.

But that hope had always seemed as distant as a grain of sand in the desert.

And now, all at once, it had appeared before her.

“What you’re saying… is true?” Her voice trembled faintly with emotion.

“Of course.” Nolan nodded confidently.

“Then… what happens after the purification?” Little Donnie asked at exactly the right moment, voicing the key question.

Nolan gave the boy an approving glance. The kid really was becoming more perceptive.

“That brings us to the purification principle of the Fountain of Potential.” He sighed softly, a trace of regret appearing on his face. “The Fountain of Potential’s power is immense, but purification is not its normal function. It’s merely a special phenomenon derived from its inherent nature. The way it purifies corruption is by using its ‘source-less’ property to completely replace the contaminated target at its root. That target can be almost anything, even living beings. And the process is irreversible. In other words, once it’s used to purify your Fountain of Life, the Fountain of Potential will permanently merge with it. If we enter today, we can still use it once ourselves. But if we help you, then the Fountain of Potential will cease to exist as an independent entity and become part of the Fountain of Life.”

“The price is that high?” Vivi blurted out in shock.

Now she finally understood.

Nolan had originally intended to bring the Fountain of Potential back to Coldsteel City as a resource to strengthen everyone.

But at the same time, it was also the Wood Elves’ lifeline.

They could not have both. If it were used to purify the Fountain of Life, then one of the primary objectives of their journey would effectively disappear.

Romina also understood the implications behind Nolan’s words.

There was no doubt that the Fountain of Potential could solve their problem. But two crucial issues remained. First, the Wood Elves knew absolutely nothing about this so-called seal or the existence of the Fountain of Potential. Every piece of information had come solely from this mysterious human standing before them. If they wanted to save the Fountain of Life, they would have to trust him completely. As the only person familiar with the Fountain of Potential, he would inevitably have to be brought to Forest Home.

And if he harbored malicious intentions, then the location of the Wood Elves’ homeland would be completely exposed. Conflict and bloodshed would become unavoidable. It was equivalent to placing the fate of their entire race in his hands. After all, even among one’s own kind, appearances could deceive. Humans, in particular, were infamous for their cunning and unpredictability.

Second, if everything he said was true, then this truly was the fastest way to resolve the contamination of the Fountain of Life. And if he agreed to help them, the Wood Elves would owe this human an enormous debt. 

Money could always be repaid. Favors were far harder to settle. Aside from the utterly immoral denizens of the underground world, that principle held true for every civilized race.

The surrounding Wood Elves began stirring restlessly. One after another, they leapt down from the trees and slowly gathered closer, whispering among themselves.

The way they looked at Nolan was filled with complicated emotions. Most carried suspicion and caution, but hidden within was also a faint trace of hope.

In the end, every gaze once more settled on Romina. As captain of the rangers and the highest-ranking person present, only she could make this decision.

Romina could feel the weight of her people’s eyes upon her. Each gaze reminded her of the responsibility she now carried, pressing down on her chest until it became difficult to breathe.

She looked at Nolan, at his calm and composed expression, at the eyes that seemed capable of seeing through everything. 

She could not understand this human at all. He was like a veil of mist: mysterious, powerful, filled with the unknown. He seemed intimately familiar with knowledge long lost to history, and surprisingly well-versed in the customs of the Wood Elves.

Like an old friend she had never met before. Or perhaps a schemer who had carefully orchestrated everything from the shadows.

She had barely interacted with humans in her life, and the few encounters she had experienced had all been overwhelmingly negative.

Trust him? Or refuse?

For the first time in her life, Romina found herself trapped in deep hesitation.