Birth of the Demonic Sword

Faith had seen how Daniel used his light to purify the wine and guessed the nature of his individuality.

That had been quite easy for her since her individuality used to have similar features. Her peace was something that she enforced by keeping away anything that could disrupt it. Yet, her foundation would have been empty if she had continued to pursue that path.

The opposite would happen to Daniel if he kept on pursuing his endless purification. His individuality would just become nothing at some point.

Daniel's eyes widened at her words. He understood what she was saying, and he managed to spot a fatal flaw on his path thanks to the insights gained in that short conversation.

"I need to preserve a core that I can't afford to lose," Daniel said as he turned his head to stare at the wall. "That is what I have to purify to its apex. My willpower must reach a new form."

Noah had already started to ignore Daniel since he was clearly in the middle of a revelation. Faith soon lost interest too, and resumed her conversation with Noah.

The two of them spoke mostly about June and the state of the war.

It turned out that June's centers of power still needed time to adapt to her higher energy. It was something revolutionary for her Perfect Circuit, especially since it allowed her to break the limits of her Perpetual Formations.

Noah could only imagine her struggles: The biggest war of the last centuries was happening right in front of her eyes, and she wasn't in the condition to join it. Also, she would have to hold back even if she did participate in the battles.

The matter concerning the higher energies was something exclusive of the Elbas family, and Noah didn't know who else had that research. So, June couldn't create a credible justification for her new power if she was to reveal it. The only connection would be Noah, which meant that she would expose her relationship with him.

As for the war, Faith revealed that even the Council was worried about the existence of a trap hidden somewhere in the Empire's domain.

The behavior of the defenders was too obvious. They were slowly preparing the field for a significant event that would happen in an unknown place and at an unclear time. The invaders could only approach every battle carefully and develop as many countermeasures as they could as they advanced.

"The next battle should be in a wasteland near the Divine Stele." Faith said as she analyzed a simple map of the new continent. "Our forces want to corner the Empire in this forest or near these series of rivers. The final decision on this matter will arrive after we win the next fight."

Faith didn't even consider the possibility that the Empire could win. Hers wasn't arrogance nor stupidity. It was a simple conclusion reached after observing the two armies clash.

Even if the troops of the Empire were preserving their power, the invaders were too numerous. The defensive measures couldn't block them due to the impressive knowledge of the Elbas family, and the Council could create intricate battle formations that prevented most of the Empire's protection.

It didn't matter if the Empire was playing defensively and kept on weakening the enemy's army. It would still be at a disadvantage in that war.

After all, the three powerhouses would arrive once God's Left Hand felt forced to join the battlefield, and that would put an end to her dreams of following the Almighty in the Immortal Lands.

Noah nodded at her words. The strategy of the Council was good, and it would give to the invading army some control over the trend of the war.

"Once the wasteland, the rivers, and the forest are taken," Noah said, "The Empire will be officially outside of the new continent."

That would be an incredible achievement for the three forces. Kicking the organization that had been at the top of those Mortal Lands outside of the most valuable continent in the world would quicken its decline.

Faith eventually stood up when they had exhausted their topics. It was time for her to return to the tents of the Council and check the status of the injured to see how long it would take for the war to resume.

Yet, when she was about to leave, Daniel stood up and performed a polite bow before giving voice to a peculiar question. "Miss Vigny, why is the sunlight deciding to shine around your figure?"

Both Noah and Faith felt surprised by that sudden question. However, Daniel appeared particularly serious at that moment.

It seemed that his curiosity toward Faith wasn't related to her beauty. Instead, he was interested in the behavior that the light assumed when it came in contact with her aura.

He was probably trying to expand his knowledge for what concerned the laws of the light element, which was something that every heroic cultivator had to do with their respective element once reached a certain level. After all, the individuality had to lead to the world of the laws at some point.

Seeing his seriousness, Faith decided to answer without revealing too much of her individuality. "It doesn't decide. I create the conditions to make it shine more."

Daniel mumbled for a few seconds before performing another bow and sitting back in his corner. Then, he closed his eyes and started to meditate.

"He is peculiar too," Faith said as she glanced at Daniel before moving her gaze on Noah. "Maybe it's just your influence."

"A single mistake can create a chain reaction in a program," Noah replied as he walked past her to exit the tent. "Who knows, it might cause the complete failure of the system."

Faith didn't understand the meaning behind his words completely, but she could see how Noah's consciousness had blurred for a few seconds before returning to its usual form. It was as if his mental waves had surpassed some invisible barrier when he spoke and returned to their typical composition when the silence returned.

Noah returned to his cave at that point. It would take a while for all the heroic assets of the army to heal, so he had time to train and solve some of his immediate issues.

That first one and easiest to fix was the power of his mental sphere.

Noah didn't remain in his cave for long. He soon joined the clearing parties that usually prepared an environment for the passage of the weaker troops.

The clearing parties often targeted areas full of magical beasts in the fourth rank, but Noah' didn't care about those weaklings. He needed powerful creatures to enhance his mental sphere and give him enough nutrients for his body.

The breakthrough for the upper tier was nearing, and his mind was still on the process of enlarging. However, it would be only a matter of years before his body advanced.