Chapter 139

Chapter 139 From the Demigod Tier onward, one must first master fighting in the realm of concepts using their unique traits.

The recent battle replayed in Leonard’s mind.

This was on a completely different level from any of my previous battles.

Demian’s quick thinking, countering the decree of the Void Deity Tyr with an ingenious reversal of his arms, was truly impressive.

On the other hand, Tyr’s authority forced a frontal clash with Demian, who was using a clone technique at the highest level, indistinguishable between reality and illusion.

Finally, witnessing the ultimate technique of the Mirror Blade at the end was extraordinary.

If Leonard had tried to understand this on his own in his room, it would have taken him years. However, having witnessed Demian’s battle, his experience and understanding had grown immensely.

While Leonard could only think of reversal and reflection, Demian’s application of the mirror technique was diverse and powerful. Creating infinite parallels by using mirrors against each other and merging a thousand strikes into one was nothing short of a masterpiece.

The superiority of one’s power depends on how diversely and profoundly one utilizes their unique traits.

For instance, the Northern God Style could freeze an opponent entirely with the Cold Snowfall of Winter, but it could also end their life with the Life and Death Sword. Conversely, suspending death could be used to prolong someone’s life. However, as the essence of his martial arts was based on Xuanwu, the Northern God Style worked more easily with death than with life.

In my case, instead of delving deeply into one concept like Commander Demian, it might be more efficient to compensate for the shortcomings of one concept with another.

The One Origin Five Elements Sword Art, a martial art based on the Five Elements Style, allowed Leonard to create unique traits for each of the five elemental attributes. With the Northern God Style and the Southern God Style already conceptualized, he needed to master the Eastern God Style and Western God Style and fill in the gaps in those attributes.

The central concept, which was a superior counterpart to the Yellow Dragon, was not yet properly established and was thus left for last.

...With the attack power of the Southern God Style, I can nullify regeneration, and the defense of the Northern God Style can be used to seal enemies. The remaining sword styles are already set to deal with specific situations.

Leonard needed to counter unique traits he hadn’t yet prepared for, like the immortality of the Void Deities or Demian’s reversal.

He had also achieved some enlightenment regarding the Eastern God Style. The divine beast symbolizing the east, the Azure Dragon, was associated with the wood element among the Five Elements. It governed plants and spring, rain and clouds, as well as wind and thunder.

Many wondered why the Azure Dragon wasn’t associated with water, given that the god ruling over the sea was known as the Dragon King. Even rituals for calling forth the rain or a bountiful catch were sometimes held to honor the Azure Dragon and not the Black Tortoise.

Leonard used to think the same, but as his understanding of the concept of the Five Elements deepened, he discarded this preconception.

Wood takes root in the earth, consumes water, and grows. Then, it is cut by metal, and then burns to return to the earth.

Wood was closely linked to all Five Elements, symbolizing the cycle of life. That was why the Azure Dragon was more complex and its powers were more intricate compared to the other divine beasts. It also explained why it was the most fitting attribute for the dragon, known as the messenger of the heavens. The wood attribute also symbolized circulation and natural flow.

I think I have an idea of how to build the Eastern God Style.

As the concept of the Eastern God Style took shape, the Western God Style, based on an opposing element, also bloomed slightly. Strengthening the wood energy without balancing it with metal energy would disrupt harmony.

Similarly, the growth of the Northern God Style had elevated the Southern God Style, the process of balancing water energy and fire energy being synergistic as well.

However...

If it weren’t for the Dragon Heart, it might have taken months or years to resolve this imbalance. Relying solely on my dragon traits could lead to greater failure.

Reflecting on this, Leonard slowly opened his eyes.

“...What are you doing, Commander?”

He was startled to see Demian right in his face, staring at him.

“What about you? What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“I brought you here to gain some experience, but you’re gaining enlightenment instead. That doesn’t come easily at your level. Are you actually going to reach the Demigod Tier in just a few months? When that happens, you won’t be treated as a rookie anymore.”

“You praise me too much,” Leonard replied, feeling awkward at the compliment that didn’t sound like a compliment.

Demian stood up and dusted off his pants, suggesting Leonard had been meditating for quite some time. The fortress, left in shambles by Demian and Tyr’s clash, had mostly quieted down. Heat waves distorted the light flowing through the roof, but neither Leonard nor Demian were fooled by the mirage.

Leonard stood and slowly surveyed the Divine Territory. “It seems the Divine Territory is different from a Rift.”

“Hmm? How so?”

“Even though the Void Deity has vanished, the Divine Territory remains. Rifts are sealed immediately when their core is destroyed.”

Demian understood Leonard’s point. “Come to think of it, you’ve had experience sealing Rifts, right? It’s different because Outer Gods and Void Deities are fundamentally in opposite positions.”

Outer Gods were invaders, while Void Deities were remnants of the native gods. It wasn’t a simple foreigner-native divide; rather, it was a conflict between invaders and the original deities of the human realm.

If the Outer Gods defied the world order, the Void Deities relied on it to sustain their immortality . Unlike Rifts, which were essentially invasion outposts, the Divine Territory was like a natural phenomenon in the human world; it faded gradually instead of collapsing immediately, like a storm losing its momentum. Rifts, on the other hand, were sealed immediately upon the destruction of their core.

“If it’s a Divine Territory created by a mid-rank Void Deity, it could last about half a year. If the Wickeline family intervenes, it might even last ten years.”

Puzzled by Demian’s explanation, Leonard asked, “Is there a reason to maintain the Divine Territory?”

“Yeah, since it’s like a living library of the old era. You can discover ancient artifacts and magic here, and studying the authority used by the ruler of the Divine Territory can be beneficial.”

“I see.”

Abilities like the decrees used by the Void Deity Tyr, which manipulated the world’s laws, were essentially superior versions of magic spells. Even if they couldn’t be replicated perfectly, even a partial mimicry of such powers could yield new supreme spells.

It was similar to martial artists seeking what the masters of the previous generation had left behind, like hidden caves or secret vaults.

“Well then, let’s see if we can earn some extra profit.” Demian leisurely began to move, swinging his arms with a relaxed gait.

“Extra profit...?” Leonard echoed, puzzled.

“I’ve made a deal with the Wickeline family. In exchange for handing over certain relics essential to their research, we agreed that the Wickeline family would handle the maintenance and excavation of the remaining spoils from the Divine Territory, and the Cardenas family would be entitled to those items. They will also overlook it if the Order of the White Dragon, which leads the subjugation of the Void Deities, takes a few relics.”

“In fact, that’s how your Mimong was secured,” Demian went on. He then walked ahead of Leonard, surveying the fortress as he went. While doing so, he shared more about the Divine Territory.

“Asgard, the Divine Territory manifested by the Aesir gods, is a palace and final stronghold composed of fifteen fortresses. Although it was said to be completely destroyed during the God-Slaying War, the Divine Territory recreates it in its pristine state.”

“You mean there are fifteen fortresses like Glitnir...!”

“While it’s among the top three when it comes to grandeur, Glitnir isn’t that great in terms of function and importance. The highest-ranking ones are Valaskjalf, where the throne of the Main God is, Gladsheim where the council of the gods was held, as well as Breidablik, ruled by the God of Light.”

Among them, Valhalla, the Hall of Einherjar in Gladsheim, housed warriors of unparalleled combat strength. The Einherjar, originally high-degree External Force Tier warriors, could transform into an army of dozens of Transcendence Tier warriors, and additional Void Deities could also appear there aside from the owner of the Divine Territory.

Even the full force of the Order of the White Dragon might not be sufficient to subjugate it. Thus, if they were to discover Gladsheim, they would call for reinforcements or commanders from other knight orders. Since the Arcadian Empire’s founding, such a Divine Territory had only been discovered twice.

“Thrudheim, the domain of Thor, who is the God of Thunder, is also formidable but it was eventually conquered by two commanders. There are also places like Sokkvabekk, located deep in the ocean, which are hard to conquer through force.”

Few martial artists could fight effectively underwater. Even those who had mastered water arts, like Leonard, saw their power decrease by thirty percent in aquatic environments. For those unskilled in water arts, combat could be nearly impossible.

Demian, recounting both his experiences and historical records, stopped, prompting Leonard to also halt and look ahead. They had arrived at the treasure vault of the Glitnir Fortress.

“Shall we go in?”

Demian kicked the vault door without hesitation. Despite its formidable appearance, suggesting it could withstand the strength of ten sturdy men, the door stood no chance against the force of a Demigod Tier knight.

With a loud crash, the door to the treasure vault swung open, revealing its contents to the intruders.

Leonard was momentarily speechless as he looked inside.

“...Now I understand why the Cardenas family—no, the Arcadian Empire—never struggled financially.”

The amount of gold and silver treasures piled up was immeasurable, and artifacts of significant historical value caught their eyes. The wealth in this vault alone could rival the output of several mines.

Among the relics, those with magical value higher than Class 7 spells, which Leonard could pick out with his Dragon Eyes, revealed why the Wickeline family was so obsessed with the Divine Territory. Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Demian, chuckling as he saw Leonard mutter to himself in amazement, explained, “The Arcadian Empire controls the trade of precious and special metals, having maintained stable prices for centuries. If they released these resources recklessly, it would cause a global economic crisis.”

“So that’s why there is no need for world conquest? The Arcadian Empire already has the world in its hands.”

“Well, expanding territory and increasing population unnecessarily would only make control more difficult,” Demian explained as though it was self-evident. “The current population and territory of the Empire are the results of centuries of optimization.”

His statement would have shocked the leaders of other nations, but their circumstances and feelings were of no concern here. Those whom the Arcadian Empire considered enemies were no longer mere humans. Unless they posed a significant threat to all of humanity, like the hostile entities targeted by the Seven Great Orders, they were nothing more than just playthings.

Those outside the Arcadian Empire couldn’t even imagine how things really were, as proven by the downfall of the Kurdish Empire after mistakenly provoking an apprentice knight.

“Oh.”

At that moment, Demian, who had been looking around the vault, approached something. He picked up what looked like a silk cord. Even with his Dragon Eyes, Leonard couldn't discern anything unusual about it, which only piqued his curiosity.

“Is it a valuable relic?”

“Yes.”

Demian twirled the cord around his fingers. Anyone even slightly familiar with the legends and mythology of the Aesir pantheon would recognize this relic right away.

“It’s part of the relic that restrained Fenrir, the wolf that tore off Tyr’s right arm and devoured the Chief God Odin during the God-Slaying War.”

It was a binding tool made from a woman’s beard, the roots of a mountain, the sound of a cat’s footsteps, a fish’s breath, a bear’s sinews, and a bird’s spit. It was Gleipnir, a relic symbolizing the concept of contradiction.

Holding it in his hand, Demian smiled contentedly.