Chapter 204: The Swordgrave

The fight had looked easy. Cassian knew how fortunate he had been.

Sword of Space was only part of it. Julian had mentioned a Sword Array inside the city. Without Orion noticing his presence and drawing him out, they might have had to face that array directly. Who knew what it could do? Even Cassian’s force might have suffered considerable losses.

Celia frowned slightly.

"Some of his understanding of the sword seems to be lingering here. I think it could help me understand my own sword better."

"When a whale falls, a whole world feeds," Cassian said with a smile.

"A powerful being is an accumulation of energy, understanding, even rules. Whatever its race, some of that returns to the world when it dies. In ancient times, the deaths of truly great powers could change the world itself, even fill it with spiritual energy again. Julian was nowhere near that."

He was repeating things he had read outside his schoolwork. They came out rather impressively.

Celia looked at him with admiration.

"You know so much, Lord."

"Well said." Orion stepped forward. "And well fought. Your own strength is extraordinary. To have subdued Legendary troops like those Faerie Dragons as well... I’m impressed."

Cassian accepted the compliment without embarrassment.

"What will you do now, Lord Valcrest?"

Killing Julian so quickly had brought another benefit. He had revealed his own strength and the Faerie Dragons, while keeping his other cards hidden.

"You can keep calling me young Valcrest, if you like."

Orion had decided Cassian was an older power starting over. His strength was greater too. Respect was only proper, though Orion had no intention of being foolish enough to expose the man’s identity aloud.

Cassian guessed most of what he was thinking and laughed inwardly.

"All right, young Valcrest. What next?"

"You killed the Sword Saint with one punch. Naturally, the city belongs to you. I doubt its remaining forces will trouble you, so I won’t interfere."

Orion’s expression grew serious.

"But with the Region sealed for fifteen days, I can only stay here and hunt. I hope you won’t object."

The reminder irritated Cassian all over again.

There were ways to break a Spatial Lock. A Worldbreaker Talisman, for example. Most were Mythic items, far beyond his reach at present.

He would have to make the best of it. After reckoning the time, he thought he could still reach the Final Stage. Late, but not absent.

"Go ahead. Swordheart has excellent monsters for gaining Levels."

"Then I’ll take my leave."

"Good hunting."

Once Orion departed, Cassian had Seven and Liora keep watch for fifty kilometers around them. Only after confirming that the man was making no suspicious moves did he nod in satisfaction.

"A decent fellow. When we get back, I’ll ask Seraphine to check the family records for him."

Cassian sent the Sword of Space book to Veyra at the Domain through the Exchange. Her eyes lit up when she saw it. She used the book and registered the skill in the Eclipse Hall’s inheritance.

[Eclipse Inheritance updated: Sword of Space — Grade A.]

[Eligible Eclipse members may invoke the skill at Basic proficiency and begin training.]

"All of them. Learn it."

The inheritance reached the Praetorians and Legionnaires beside him, and the twenty thousand Legionnaires far away in Riftward. All gained access to the new sword skill.

"Enable it at Elara’s first Chapterhouse, Nessa’s second, and Maelin’s fifth as well."

Before sending the army in, Cassian completed another purchase through the Exchange. Twelve million Aether bought a Legendary Level-65 Heartsense Sword, with the transaction charge included.

He gave it to Rhea. She equipped the new blade, ready for the assault.

The Governorship contest was upon them. The third Marches Ranking might be involved too. This was no time to be stingy.

"All forces, attack!"

The Deep Layer opened. Dawnwings and Eclipse troops rose into the air and swept toward the enormous city.

Hero Command strengthened the army. Sacred Light shone on the Dawnwings, while Godslayer lent its power to the force. Cassian kept the Battle Name supplied with fuel.

Even he was a little surprised by the resistance.

Dozens of Sword Spirits. Hundreds of Sword Dancers. Thousands of Great Swordsmen. Tens of thousands of Swordsmen.

Orion would have stared if he had stayed to see them.

Cassian smiled. All that Battle Essence.

There were no outsiders to watch now. He ordered his people to use their full strength.

"Blizzard!"

"Skyblade Descent!"

"Severing Arc!"

"Sword of Space!"

"Crystal Storm!"

"Storm Body!"

"Void Entanglement!"

The attacks poured down. The city’s defenses collapsed beneath them.

Sword of Space did not disappoint. Rhea swung her blade, and the sword energy vanished. Almost at the same instant, it appeared before a Sword Dancer three hundred meters away.

The guard had no time to react. Its head left its shoulders.

"Calling it instant might be a slight exaggeration, but that’s a killing tool," Cassian said. "And it isn’t just for ranged attacks. Throw a few of those into a close fight, and the enemy won’t know what hit him."

He noticed the envy on Celia’s face.

He needed to find some Absorption Stones. A skill this good deserved a book for every one of his people who could not inherit it. Grain God, too.

Twenty minutes later, the fighting ended.

Nearly two hundred million Battle Essence. An excellent harvest.

Soon, Cassian found what he had come for.

"The Swordgrave is open to the sky?"

It resembled a great altar, built in a rough, imposing style. A sword statue several dozen meters high stood at its center. Nine cold forges waited before it, with no smiths in sight.

Swords stood embedded in the altar’s surface at every angle.

Cassian pulled out a greatsword at random.

[Iron Rhythm — Epic]

[Level: 110]

[Sharpness: 238 | Durability: 520]

[Physique +3,500 | Aether +2,800 | Spirit +2,000 | Load −2,300]

[Skills: Wraith Cry / Armor Rend / Echo Slash]

"A Level-110 Epic weapon. These aren’t decorations?"

He drew several more to examine them. Every one was at least Rare. A few were Epic.

"Are they just here to make the place look impressive?"

As an invader, he could not inspect the Swordgrave’s Building profile. He admired it a little longer.

He bought an Epic Heavenwork Design through the Exchange and paid for it. When he used it on the Swordgrave, orange light wrapped the altar. The entire Building contracted into an Epic Blueprint in his hand.

Cassian opened the Exchange again. This time, he found the trade he needed: his recovered Epic Swordgrave Blueprint and a billion Aether for a Legendary Swordgrave Blueprint. The quoted payment included the transaction charge.

"A billion. Weapon forges really do cost more than troop Buildings."

The Dawnwing Pool’s evolution had cost him twenty million. This was fifty times as much.

"Fortunately, I can afford it."

He confirmed the trade. The Epic Blueprint and the billion Aether left his possession, and a golden Blueprint took their place.

"Swordproof Stone. Skyiron. Earthcore Flame. Thunderwood..."

More than a dozen kinds of Legendary material appeared in the construction requirements. Cassian checked his stores. He already had the others; he would have to buy the Earthcore Flame.

With the Blueprint secured, Cassian went through the rest of Swordheart City like a swarm of locusts. He used Destroy on every remaining Building, collecting a vast quantity of resources.

By the time he finished, everything Julian Lind had possessed here was gone.

Cassian looked across the ground where the city had stood.

"All that glory in life, and nothing left when you’re dead."

His hand tightened around the Swordgrave Blueprint.

"I don’t want to die. So I’ll keep getting stronger."

Over the next half day, Cassian renewed the Enclosure’s fiftyfold acceleration, paying ten million Aether for another Realm Day. He used its extra time to finish arranging the Earthcore Flame purchase through the Exchange and gather the other Legendary materials from his stores.

When everything was ready, he set aside a separate section of the Deep Layer for the forge.

"Build the Swordgrave."

The Legendary Blueprint and the required materials were consumed. Cassian paid the construction charge, then confirmed the additional charge to finish immediately.

A slightly different Swordgrave rose within the space.

He opened its profile at once.