When the plot-skips players into the game world

Aiwass finally forgave Sine—even though, strictly speaking, Sine didn't actually do anything wrong in the first place.

After all, he didn't really need the Water Heavenly Department Shard; holding onto it wasn't of much use. The Fire Fragment, however, held some significance for him.

The holder of the Fire Fragment had already died, but Aiwass didn't have the time to snatch the shard... nor did he particularly need it.

So Aiwass prepaid with a Water Fragment, which was generally the most conservative price—essentially exchanging a fragment from the Geometric Celestial Marshal for another fragment. Regardless of how Sine completed this process, whether by buying it, trading it, or even snatching it, it was all up to him.

What he earned extra was his to keep; if he lost, Aiwass would not cover his expenses.

—So essentially, this matter was just Aiwass finding a scalper.

As long as the scalper didn't run off with the money without delivering the goods, there was no betrayal involved—at worst, Aiwass would trade directly himself. It would be wise for Sine to return the deposit to Aiwass rather than rashly plunging into the desert and losing both life and wealth.

Aiwass truly didn't believe that "Flame Fist Hassan" wouldn't conduct a transaction with him.

The Fire Fragment was, at best, a special power to them. According to Sine's intelligence, Hassan was a Fourth Level mage, meaning he was at most the Fifth Power Level now. With this fragment, he might be able to challenge the Descent Heavenly Department, but that was about it.

—But the Water Fragment, that could truly summon water.

As one of the four elemental shards left by the Geometric Celestial Marshal in the Material Realm, the Water Fragment represented the water laws of the Material Realm—flow, evaporation, and solidification.

Although it usually manifested as freezing when used as an attack method... it could actually summon water from thin air.

This principle was akin to the contracts signed between the Abyssal Celestial Envoy and the Benevolent Lords, both summoning matter from the Dream Realm. The Flame Celestial Marshal's Magus Craftsman also summoned fire elements from the Dream Realm, and the Dawnfire Skill similarly summoned Dawn Fire from the Dream Realm.

In fact, the contracts with the Abyssal Celestial Envoy demanded various costs—either using living people as sacrifices or imparting knowledge with mental pollution. These water sources weren't entirely free, only that the Benevolent Lords could have their slaves bear the costs.

The Parthian Ancient Country was not a place suitable for living people.

There was something beneath the Taboo Desert—it's said to be a lot of Sin Thorns, but it could be something else. They absorbed the "Earth Blood," draining the water along with it. In such circumstances, any falling water would be quickly sucked up by the Sin Thorns below, making it a cursed land unfit for life to flourish.

But the existence of the Benevolent Lords brought change.

Before the Parthian Ancient Country split, they were called "Taboo Mages." They were a branch split off after the collapse of the Tower of Heaven in the past, holding many forbidden sorcery as Secret Keepers, including communicating with the Abyssal Celestial Envoy to summon water.

When they fled to the desert, they used their taboo magic to create oases. At that time, Parthia's monarch still existed, thus forming a terrifying empire. The fame of the Desert Cavalry was known worldwide, and even the Helasal Empire at its peak had to pay attention.

So they signed contracts with the Abyssal Celestial Envoy, offering sacrifices to exchange for water sources, thereby forcefully creating oases in this cursed desert, turning it into a habitable place. In this process, "people" became the currency used to exchange for water sources from the Abyssal Celestial Envoy...

Because water scarcity was the fundamental contradiction of Parthia, water sources became the most precious currency. Thus, "living people" who could be exchanged for water became a type of water-linked currency—also known as "Water Standard" currency.

It is for this reason that slavery became the most fundamental and unshakeable political structure of Parthia.

Under such circumstances, the Water Fragment from the Geometric Celestial Marshal would bring unprecedented change to them—

Similarly creating water sources from thin air, the difference was that the Water Fragment required no cost.

—Or rather, summoning water to the Material Realm didn't require a cost at all.

Endless water filled the domains of several Water Heavenly Departments, just as Darkness was ubiquitous in the realm of the Fallen Celestial Marshal. The cost extorted by the Abyssal Celestial Envoy was the fee received by Him—the continuation of the residual flames of the Taboo Path, not the cost necessary to summon water.

When the Abyssal Celestial Envoy descended, endless water formed a massive lake like an ocean in the Taboo Desert, which was proof.

The things beneath the desert could absorb water, but they couldn't make it disappear. If there's enough water, it can accumulate into a lake.

And merely the water naturally generated during His descent could completely dispel the curse of the Taboo Desert, even creating an everlasting lake. This was enough to prove that "water" held no cost for the Abyssal Celestial Envoy. The Geometric Celestial Marshal's fragment could do the same.

Nonetheless, the fragment's return was timely.

Without it, Aiwass wouldn't be able to let Isabel participate in this journey.

After all, Isabel was still pregnant... even though the Fifth Power Level Transcendent's physique was strong enough, at the very least, they couldn't lack water.

Fortunately, Isabel had the Puppet Face Technique, allowing her to hide her true form by transforming into someone else. Therefore, there was no need to worry about the true form facing attacks or similar risks.

Aiwass tested it, discovering that this magic wand, indeed, displayed no panel attributes—as a shard brought back by Aiwass from the Tower of Heaven's ruins, it was also something Aiwass had never obtained in past reincarnations. Without Path of Wisdom adaptation, Aiwass couldn't activate its power, so it lay peacefully in Aiwass's hand.

To use this magic wand, it required a clever person who could be recognized by the Geometric Celestial Marshal.

—Naturally, that would be Sherlock.

Aiwass and Isabel discussed whether to bring Sherlock directly, or let Isabel transform into Sherlock—ultimately, at Aiwass's strong insistence, Isabel abandoned the latter proposal.

Adding Zhu Tang, who was returning home, and Monk Mu, accompanying Zhu Tang. Along with the Court Ritualist Ibn, who sought revenge... he also served as Aiwass's Ritual Studies teacher, so Aiwass had to bring him along for his journey to the Parthian Ancient Country.

There were already six of them.

Since so many people were already coming along, Lily also requested to join, which Aiwass couldn't refuse. With Lily there, naturally, Selene, the Moon Witch, and her summoned beast Shasha also tagged along.

—That's how people gradually increase in number.

In the blink of an eye, it turned into an eight-person squad!

They planned to enter Parthia from the east of the Daffodil Territory, which was the direction Zhu Tang and the others escaped from. It was still far from the heart of Parthia... Considering the needs of so many people living, they simply organized a troupe, forming a convoy.

They didn't need guards, but they did need servants, translators, and guides. Gradually, the number increased to over fifty, and the number of vehicles increased to eighteen. The purpose of the journey also included establishing diplomatic relations—even though it didn't include people from the Holy Nation yet.

"...How does it feel like the trip is gradually turning into a diplomatic mission?"

Isabel sighed, "I just wanted to go out and have some fun."

"It's all the same, all the same..."

Aiwass comforted.