The Last King Of Darkness
Chapter 608 - 361: Battle of the Demons

Chapter 608: Chapter 361: Battle of the Demons

Rod spent three days at the Fire Hall.

These three days were the most fulfilling he had ever experienced, as he would head to the training ground as soon as he opened his eyes each day, practicing the techniques of fighting with his soul.

It wasn’t actually a type of sword technique but a way of using Spiritual Energy, a skill of perfectly controlling power.

It was not limited to just the act of slashing; steps, body shape, limbs—any category that involved using the turbulent Spiritual Energy to gain power could employ this technique.

After stepping into the threshold of "Soul Combat," Rod was shocked to find how rough and inefficient his previous use of Spiritual Energy had been. A large amount of Spiritual Energy was wasted and eroded as it transformed into a volatile state to provide him with power, resulting in his close-range physical combat level being extremely poor. Even the short-distance sprints and long-distance treks he had always been proud of had become a joke.

However, Sword Saint Galen actually had endless praises for his ability to escape, considering him the strongest among his peers. After stepping into the threshold of "Soul Combat," he was also the strongest when crossing one rank.

Rod was not entirely satisfied with this assessment. Why did it have to be called "escaping"?

Wouldn’t "strategic retreat" be more appropriate?

Galen did not care what it was called, only approvingly nodding to Rod’s mindset.

"Running away from monsters you can’t beat is normal behavior," he said solemnly. "No need to go and get yourself killed. If the sacrifice does not benefit humanity, then conserving strength is the best choice."

Rod found this prudent speech quite baffling, "Isn’t that an obvious choice?"

Galen’s expression turned somber. "Many people, especially talents like you, don’t think so. Sacrificing for humanity is considered a sublime honor, and death is just a return to the Holy Fire... I respect their choices, I only hope that unnecessary sacrifices can be reduced, that the Fire Sparks that should exist can be more."

Rod fell silent, his mind flashing through many thoughts, but he did not want the weighty memories to return, so he changed the topic.

"Master, how much of my Spiritual Energy am I utilizing now? Is it half yet?"

Now, with all his strength, Rod could strike with a force of 2700, which was a third more than before, reaching half that of a full Star Shuttle.

However, the Star Shuttle was an explosive damage, with a large range, and numerical value couldn’t be simply compared.

Galen shook his head with a smile, "We do not know its limit, and no one has ever seen Spiritual Energy fully utilized."

"Among the countless moments of Spiritual Energy movement, there are countless more moments to pinpoint, and in these countless of countless moments, only the God of legends, omniscient and omnipotent, can achieve maximum efficiency of Spiritual Energy at each moment."

"Therefore, we call it the ’Divine Realm’. To infinitely approach this realm is the dream of all physical combatants."

Rod scratched his head. The "Divine Realm" sounded too incredulous. He asked, "Then what’s the highest we’ve got now?"

"Alan."

It was him, as expected.

"How much can he slash?"

"Maybe he could reach tens of thousands," Galen speculated. "He hasn’t tested it in a long time."

Rod’s eyes widened, "Tens of thousands? Using my Spiritual Power Level?"

Galen glanced at him, "Of course, not only the Measurement Crystal, but also the Hall and mountains would be split open. There’s nothing inside the Royal City that can measure his limits."

Rod stood there stunned, his mind struggling to find peace.

He had thought the gap between him and the top warriors was simply in terms of absolute strength.

Now it seemed that the gap was far greater than he had imagined.

But Rod did not feel discouraged. The immense gap instead ignited his fighting spirit, and he trained even harder.

Galen nodded slightly. From a purely indifferent outsider to a close-range physical combat expert, he had taken only three days.

In three days, some with slightly lesser talent couldn’t even find their bearings.

This was unquestionably a top genius.

Galen’s resolve further solidified.

Among the shining new stars, he was also the brightest of the lot.

I must dig out his limits.

Galen clenched his fist.

Humanity must rise another star of hope.

----

On the fourth day, the flame emblem on Rod’s collar finally ignited.

This signified that he had transitioned into the front-line combat sequence.

Rod’s eyebrows danced with delight. He had been restrained for a long time, and the countdown to the Dream Invasion had begun. The Book of Knowledge and the puppets were all working at full capacity to repair the Dream Realm, and the Soul was wearing out very fast.

Not just the reserves in the Obelisk, but the souls on the Soul Altar had also been exhausted.

He had to go into battle.

But before departing, he wanted to make one more visit to Master Galen.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing he was going to battle, Galen showed not a hint of disappointment.

"Actual combat is conducive to your training progress," he said.

"Real combat is the only standard to test your techniques. According to your progress, it’s time for you to fight. A true battle acts like a forge, burning away the dross, weaving everything you have learned into your soul. When you return, you will have reached a new plateau."

"Go," he said.

With his heart set and no more apprehensions, Rod immediately went to the outer hall to accept his mission.

This time, the destination was Trolian’s most crucial outpost within the outermost layer of defense—

The Courage Fortress, guarding the Dead Land.

The Dead Land, situated at the border between the Dark World and Trolian, was enshrouded in ominousness year-round.

The spawn of ominousness—Demons—roamed within.

Demons were a particularly troublesome type of monster, having a special cluster attribute. Large groups of Demons often converged together, gradually forming a monstrous horde.