The Last King Of Darkness
Chapter 661 - 389 Nightmare Night

Chapter 661: Chapter 389 Nightmare Night

The Archbishop and the Guardian, both being extremely busy with affairs, bid farewell to Rod right after the ceremony and hastily returned to the battlefield.

Such top-tier combatants were far more occupied than Rod had imagined. There were parts of the battlefield in Trolian that he couldn’t see, as they were decided upon at the great Round Table, and his previous level was far from sufficient to be privy to it.

After Rod returned to the Fire Hall, he was immediately summoned by the Hero Church.

The Hero Bishop held a grand promotion ceremony for him, raising his Combat Level from Third Level to Second Level, further bestowing upon him the blessings of Trolian. The flame symbol on his collar transformed from one layer to two.

The Bishop said solemnly, "From now on, you are a Second Level Combatant. You may enter the Inner Hall, are qualified to participate in battles that pose a special-grade threat, can apply for a Soul Forging Master to cast a Soul Weapon for you, or bring your companions into the Hall, where they will enjoy the treatment of reserve personnel. Under special circumstances, you can also enter the Round Table Hall to partake in discussions about wars posing an absolute threat."

Rod’s heart skipped a beat as he asked, "A Soul Weapon... what does it require?"

The Bishop replied, "A weapon that resonates with your Soul is the best weapon for oneself, but it requires your Soul and various Source Materials. The forging process is extremely perilous, consumes a vast amount of resources, and it requires two thousand Hall Badges."

Rod hesitated, then asked in his mind, "Book, what about me forging a Soul Weapon?"

The Book of Knowledge immediately responded, "No, Master, your Soul cannot undergo any form of transformation or cutting."

"Is it because of the Dream Realm?"

"Correct. The Dream Realm does not support any form of change except for the expansion of its framework to control more Spiritual Energy. No existence may claim your Soul. That would be courting death."

Rod nodded; he remembered several individuals, intellectually impaired, who had tried to take over his Soul— their end was instantaneous obliteration and devourment by the Dream Realm.

It seemed that a Soul Weapon was out of the question. Two thousand Hall Badges were also far too expensive. After striving for so long and repaying his debts, he had just over thirteen hundred badges left and was nearly seven hundred short.

But just then, the puppet suddenly said, "Master, you could use a Phantom to forge a Soul Weapon."

Rod was startled, "Is that possible? Does a Phantom have a Soul?"

"Yes. Except for lacking a Core Layer, the Light State Layer and Gaseous Layer of a Phantom’s Soul are the same as yours."

"But damage to the Phantom reflects back on my Soul."

The puppet replied, "It only reflects damage, which may cause severe injury to the Master but will not affect the integrity of the Soul."

The Book of Knowledge interrupted angrily, "An invasion is imminent. How can the Master afford to be severely injured?"

Soul injuries are very difficult to heal. Rod nodded, deciding to postpone this matter for later.

The Hero Church is the only church of the Fire Hall, responsible for the initiation, blessing, and promotion of every member, busy with numerous tasks. Although the promotion ceremony of a Second Level Combatant is significant, it could not take up too much time.

No sooner had Rod stepped out of the church’s doors than the old Sword Saint Galen immediately found him.

His cloudy eyes scrutinized Rod, his dull eyes unable to hide his delight.

"Excellent, young Rod, we’ve finally reached this moment. Congratulations on stepping into the domain of the truly powerful, and congratulations in advance for facing the real darkness," he said.

Rod scratched his head, unsure how to respond and simply said, "Thank you."

Old Sword Saint Galen continued, "But as of now, only your level of Spiritual Power has reached this domain. Your skill and ability have not. You must begin Spiritualization training immediately."

Rod’s heart skipped a beat; he needed to master more techniques to leverage his immense Spiritual Energy and promptly replied, "Yes, you’ve arrived just in time... Your intuition is incredibly sharp, almost prescient."

Old Sword Saint Galen cracked a wrinkled smile.

"No, I am old now. Intuition fades with age and the decay of the Soul. Otherwise, I would still be fighting on the front lines and wouldn’t have become a has-been relegated to the rear."

Rod asked in surprise, "But aren’t you...?"

Old Sword Saint Galen chuckled lightly and said, "Young Rod, this arrangement comes after careful research and analysis by the Royal City’s Jinwoosi Academy and the Combat Department. You should know that the growth of every rising star touches countless hearts. Behind the glamorous mighty, there are numerous people standing; it’s just that you don’t see them in your daily life. We aim to minimize our presence and ensure their growth in the best possible way."

"Once they become towering trees, they will, in turn, protect many more. That’s the way we live."

For some reason, after hearing old Sword Saint Galen’s words, Rod felt a sense of melancholy, but he did not show it and merely said calmly.

"I will."

Old Sword Saint Galen looked at him, eyes full of expectation.

Then, the training in Spiritualization began.

Spiritualization is an advanced technique for the coordination of spirit and flesh. It allows the body to transform into a pure state of Spiritual Energy, tremendously enhancing the efficiency of Spiritual Energy use and maximizing the potential of the Soul Trait. Some Soul Traits may even only be fully utilized after Spiritualization.

The first step is the fusion of spirit and flesh. Old Sword Saint Galen told him to imagine his Soul and body merging into one entity, then invoke Spiritual Energy to weave through both Soul and body, resonating at the perfect frequency.