“Give me a moment to think,” Dustin said.
Grace’s words sent him into deep thought.
After all, carrying the fate of Dragonmarsh was no small burden. First, he had to be tough enough to handle it. Then, he needed the resolve to accept what came with it. Once he carried that burden, it meant taking on a heavyweight.
He used to act on his own terms and do things as he pleased without worrying too much about the consequences. But once the nation’s fate was involved, everything changed.
Not that he had many options.
Dustin could either hide in Sacred Wrym Summit and hope Arion would protect him, or take a risk and absorb the Dragonmarsh’s fate to push through his cultivation’s bottleneck. Between the two, he was leaning toward the latter.
“I can give your plan a shot,” Dustin said suddenly. “But we’re still missing a piece of the Dracan essence. If we’re doing this, we need to find that last one first.”
Only once all five pieces of Dracan essence were united could he truly wield the full force of the Dragonmarsh’s fate.
“You’re right.” Grace nodded. “I already arranged for people to locate the last piece. We’re pretty sure it’s in Nathaniel’s hands. But we still haven’t figured out exactly where he’s keeping it.”
Her intelligence network was strong, but she couldn’t fully infiltrate the royal family. Digging up even this much had already pushed the limits.
After all, spying on royals was risky business. One leak could create a chain reaction no one wanted to deal with.
“Nathaniel?” Dustin narrowed his eyes slightly. “Yeah, that could be a problem.”
Nathaniel was a master of both strategy and combat, cunning and calculating. In addition to his noble status and the vast power behind him, getting the Dracan essence back from him would be no small feat.
“I might have an idea, but it’s risky. I’ll need your help to pull it off,” Grace said.
“Oh?” Dustin raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“Nathaniel is a greedy man,” Grace said with a knowing smile. “One Dracan essence isn’t enough for him. If he wants to ascend the throne, he’ll need at least three to maximize his power. We can use that advantage and set up a diversion.”
“Diversion?” Dustin looked confused.
“He wants Dracan essence, right? Then, let’s give him one. We’ll bait him with what we have to draw out the one he’s hiding. When the time’s right, we’ll take all of it,” she said.
He nodded slowly. “It’s a bold move, but like you said, it’s risky.”
Grace’s plan was simple, at least on paper. Lure the wolf out with bait, then take it down. If it worked, they’d hit the jackpot. If not, they’d walk away with nothing.
“For the sake of the Dracan Essence and the future of the Dragonmarsh, this risk is worth it. As long as you follow the plan, I’d say there’s at least a 70% chance of success,” Grace said confidently.
“Oh? And what exactly do you need me to do?” Dustin asked.
She explained, “It’s simple. I need you to pretend to switch sides. Then, you offer Nathaniel one of the Dracan essences to win his trust. I’ll embed a special mark in it.
“Once you’re inside and the timing’s right, you’ll retrieve it. If luck’s on your side, you might be able to steal the one Nathaniel’s already holding too.”
Since the Dracan essence had to be stored in a special container, chances were Nathaniel would keep both together. That meant once Dustin retrieved the marked Dracan essence, he’d also have a shot at grabbing Nathaniel’s.
It was essentially baiting a trap. Whether it worked or not was 30% luck and 70% skill.
Nathaniel’s mansion wasn’t easy to break into. Even if Dustin managed to locate the vault, getting inside and retrieving the Dracan essence without a hitch would all depend on whether he had the skill to pull it off.
“I get it.” Dustin nodded. “When do we start?”
“The two royal gods from the Hall of Gods have already crossed the border. They’ll be in Oakvale soon. You don’t have much time. Ideally, you should act tomorrow,” Grace said.
Time was running out. The sooner Dustin got the Dracan essence, the better his odds of surviving what was coming.
“All right. Tomorrow it is.” He didn’t hesitate.
“I’ll leak a little information, just enough to let Nathaniel know you’ve got one of the Dracan essences. Then, he’ll come to you,” Grace said. “That’ll make it look more convincing.”
Then, her tone shifted slightly. “But be careful. Nathaniel’s paranoid. Gaining his trust won’t be easy. Once you’re inside, watch for your moment, and don’t make any reckless movies.”
“Thanks for the heads-up. I know what I’m doing,” Dustin replied with a faint smile.
He’d been inside Nathaniel’s mansion once and knew the layout well enough. Besides, he was stealing, not robbing at gunpoint. It wasn’t like anyone had to die over it.
The real challenge was pulling it off without raising suspicion afterward. Now that was something worth thinking through. He needed a way to keep himself out of the picture entirely.
