Chapter 123: The Power of Requiem

Daemon stood in the middle of the training ground, completely transformed.

Black flames covered his entire body, while dark lightning crackled around him. His appearance was no longer human, yet he did not resemble any monster either. Something far more terrifying had emerged—an existence that seemed to stand above both.

The ground beneath his feet had already begun to melt from the tremendous heat radiating off his body.

A single dark-red eye glowed through the flames.

Thalorien, who stood directly before him, could barely believe what he was seeing.

Just moments ago, he had considered Daemon nothing more than a weak human pretending to be powerful in front of Queen Morwenna. He had even thought that defeating him would be an effortless task.

But now, standing before this terrifying existence, Thalorien finally understood how wrong he had been.

This wasn’t an ordinary human.

In fact, he wasn’t even sure whether Daemon could still be called human.

What kind of power is this?

Thalorien gritted his teeth and decided not to underestimate his opponent any longer.

He activated his bloodline cultivation technique.

As an Evolution Stage cultivator, his aura surged out of his body. A powerful white energy spread around him, making the air tremble. The muscles beneath his armour tightened, and his enormous frame became even more imposing.

He firmly gripped his massive axe.

"Alright! Let’s see just how strong you really are!"

With a thunderous roar, Thalorien leapt into the air.

His enormous body rose high above the training ground, and he raised his axe with both hands. The weapon gathered his cultivation energy as he prepared to deliver a devastating strike.

"RAAAAAH!"

He descended like a falling mountain, aiming directly for Daemon’s shoulder.

Daemon didn’t move.

He didn’t even summon a weapon.

He simply stood there, allowing the enormous axe to strike his shoulder.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact shook the entire training ground.

Cracks spread across the ground beneath Daemon’s feet, and a massive cloud of dust erupted into the air. The shockwave forced several spectators to take a step backward.

Aelther’s squad members stared at the dust cloud.

Some of them had already begun celebrating.

"Did he do it?"

"That should have finished him!"

Thalorien landed heavily and held his axe firmly, waiting for the dust to settle.

However, the moment he saw what was standing inside the cloud, his eyes widened.

Daemon hadn’t moved an inch.

His shoulder remained completely unharmed.

There wasn’t even a scratch on his body.

Thalorien stared at his axe before looking back at Daemon.

"Impossible..."

Daemon slowly turned his flaming head towards him.

"My turn."

Before Thalorien could react, Daemon raised his right hand.

His entire fist was covered in black flames.

BOOM!

The punch struck Thalorien’s chest.

The tremendous impact shattered his armour, and his enormous body was sent flying through the air. He crossed the training ground in an instant before crashing into the distant wall.

The entire area fell silent.

Thalorien’s massive frame slid down the damaged wall before collapsing onto the ground.

He had been defeated.

And it had taken Daemon only one punch.

Aelther and his remaining squad members stood frozen.

Thalorien was their strongest member. Even among their fellow warriors, his strength was something they respected.

Yet he had just been defeated without managing to injure his opponent.

What kind of monster had their commander brought here?

Far away from the battlefield, Morwenna, Zephyra, and Sylphie had been watching from a safe distance.

Zephyra couldn’t contain her excitement.

"Father! That’s amazing!"

She practically jumped with joy, celebrating her father’s victory.

However, Morwenna was watching something else.

Her eyes remained fixed on Daemon’s transformed body.

"Daemon!"

She called out to him.

She wanted to know whether he was still conscious and, more importantly, whether he could control his body in that state.

Daemon slowly turned towards her.

The flames covering his body flickered as he raised one hand.

He couldn’t speak in that form, nor could he communicate with her through ordinary words. However, the gesture was enough.

He was still in control.

Morwenna finally relaxed a little.

As long as Daemon could control his body and understand what was happening around him, there was no immediate reason to panic.

Meanwhile, Aelther looked towards the two remaining members of his squad.

"Caelith! Lirael! You two, go next!"

Caelith was a young male elf who specialised in archery. He carried a finely crafted bow, while Lirael was a female elf who specialised in beast taming.

The two exchanged glances before stepping forward.

Caelith immediately raised his bow.

He pulled the string back, gathering his energy into the arrow. A faint glow surrounded its tip as he aimed directly at Daemon.

"Let’s see how you handle this!"

He released the arrow.

WHOOSH!

The projectile travelled towards Daemon at tremendous speed.

But before it could even reach him, the arrow entered the heat surrounding his body.

In the blink of an eye, it burned into ashes.

Caelith’s eyes widened.

"What?! How is that possible?"

He lowered his bow slightly, staring at the ashes drifting through the air.

He hadn’t even managed to make his opponent move.

Beside him, Lirael quickly assessed the situation.

She understood that an ordinary attack wouldn’t work against Daemon. Instead of wasting time with weaker beasts, she decided to summon one of her most powerful magical creatures.

She raised her hand and began chanting.

A magic circle appeared beneath her feet.

The ground trembled as a gigantic creature emerged from the summoning circle. It resembled a dragon, with enormous scales, powerful limbs, and a massive head. Its body was so large that the training ground barely had enough room to accommodate it.

Several squad members stepped away to make space.

Lirael looked towards Daemon.

"Attack him!"

The enormous dragon-like creature let out a deafening roar before charging towards him.

Daemon looked at the approaching beast.

Then, without showing any hesitation, he jumped.

His flaming body shot forward, and in the next instant, he landed directly on the creature’s forehead.

The beast shook its enormous head, attempting to throw him off.

Daemon placed one flaming hand against its head.

"Don’t move."

His voice was low and commanding.

The magical beast suddenly froze.

Its eyes moved towards Daemon, and its body trembled slightly. For a moment, it appeared confused, as though it couldn’t understand why it was obeying someone other than its master.

But after a brief struggle, it lowered its head and followed his command.

Lirael’s expression changed completely.

Her summoned beast had actually listened to him!

Daemon jumped down and landed on the ground.

He looked towards Aelther and the remaining members of the squad.

Before the others could step forward, Aelther stopped them.

"No. I’ll go next."

He looked towards his squad members.

"That’s enough. This is over."

Aelther summoned his sword.

Unlike Thalorien, he was a swordsman. His movements were refined, and his weapon was designed for speed and precision rather than overwhelming strength.

He tightened his grip and activated his Evolution Stage cultivation.

White energy spread across his body, surrounding him with a powerful aura.

The atmosphere changed.

Even though Daemon had already defeated their strongest warrior and effortlessly subdued Lirael’s magical beast, Aelther wasn’t willing to give up without testing his own strength.

Far away, Zephyra watched him step forward.

Her excitement slowly turned into nervousness.

"What if Aelther gets seriously injured?"

Morwenna glanced at her daughter.

"Don’t worry. Your father won’t let anything happen to him."

"I know that, Mother. But I still get nervous watching him fight."

Morwenna smiled gently.

She understood her daughter’s feelings. No matter how powerful Daemon was, watching someone you loved fight against him was never easy.

Meanwhile, Aelther raised his sword.

A brilliant light spread across its blade.

He gathered all his cultivation energy and charged towards Daemon.

"Here I come!"

His figure moved forward like a streak of light.

Daemon stood calmly, waiting for the attack.

CLANG!

Aelther’s sword collided with Daemon’s weapon.

For the first time since the battle began, Daemon was forced to respond with a weapon of his own.

He had summoned his Void Reaper Sword and used it to block the incoming strike.

But something unexpected happened.

CRACK!

A sharp sound echoed across the training ground.

The Void Reaper Sword began to fracture.

Before Daemon could react, the blade shattered under the force of Aelther’s attack.

The broken pieces scattered through the air.

Daemon’s body was pushed slightly backwards.

Aelther immediately followed up with another strike.

He didn’t waste a second celebrating his advantage. He knew that his opponent was far too dangerous to give him an opening.

His sword flashed again and again, each strike carrying the full strength of his Evolution Stage cultivation.

Daemon, however, wasn’t worried.

Behind the flames concealing his face, he was actually smiling.

Excellent. So he’s strong enough to push me back even in this form.

He was genuinely pleased.

After all, this was precisely why Morwenna had arranged the sparring session. He needed to understand the limits of his current power and learn how to control it.

Aelther’s sword came towards him once more.

But just before the blade could reach his body, Daemon disappeared.

THUNDERSTEP!

He combined his Thunderstep technique with the power of Requiem.

The two forces merged, producing an entirely different level of speed.

In less than a millisecond, Daemon appeared directly in front of Aelther.

Aelther’s eyes widened.

He hadn’t even realised when Daemon had moved.

Before he could raise his sword, Daemon’s flaming fist struck his stomach.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact sent a violent shockwave across the training ground.

Aelther’s eyes opened wide, and his mouth parted as the air was forced out of his lungs. His body lifted off the ground before crashing down several metres away.

His sword slipped from his hand.

He tried to move, but his body refused to respond.

Within seconds, he lost consciousness.

"Aelther!"

Zephyra immediately shouted.

Morwenna didn’t waste a moment.

She rushed towards him and released her healing power. A gentle glow surrounded Aelther’s body as the injuries caused by Daemon’s punch began to heal.

The energy gradually faded.

Aelther’s breathing returned to normal, and his consciousness slowly came back.

He struggled to sit up.

Daemon approached him.

Before Aelther could stand on his own, Daemon reached down and pulled him up.

He then wrapped his arms around him in a firm embrace.

"Aelther, you’re a really strong man."

Aelther looked at him in surprise.

Daemon continued.

"Now I truly believe you can take care of my daughter... and this kingdom."

For a moment, Aelther didn’t know what to say.

He had just fought against his father-in-law and lost. Yet instead of criticising him, Daemon was praising his strength and expressing his trust.

Aelther slowly returned the embrace.

"Thank you, Father-in-law, for believing in me."

His voice carried genuine gratitude.

Zephyra hurried over and examined him.

"Aelther! Are you alright? Does anything hurt?"

"I’m fine, Zephyra. Your mother healed me."

She carefully checked his face and shoulders before finally relaxing.

"Don’t scare me like that again!"

Aelther gave her a tired smile.

"I’ll try."

Nearby, Morwenna and Sylphie had been watching the entire exchange.

While everyone else was focused on Aelther’s recovery, Morwenna turned towards Sylphie.

"Do you remember when he used to take this form?"

Sylphie nodded slowly.

"Yes. I remember it very well. This is still the early stage, before his Requiem power fully takes control of him."

Morwenna’s expression grew serious.

"Then my suspicion is correct. If he continues growing stronger without learning to control it, Requiem might eventually take control of both his body and mind."

Sylphie glanced at Daemon, who had already returned to his normal appearance.

The black flames still covered his body, and the dark lightning continued to crackle around him.

"Before that happens, we need to help him," Morwenna continued.

Sylphie thought for a moment before asking,

"Do you think she will help him? It’s been four hundred years since we last spoke to that person. And lately, the relationship between humans and elves has become worse than ever."

Morwenna didn’t hesitate.

"This isn’t about elves or humans. It’s about Daemon."

She looked towards him, her eyes filled with determination.

"I believe she will help him."

Sylphie remained silent for a moment.

She knew exactly who Morwenna was talking about.

And if that person agreed to help, Daemon might finally have a chance to master the terrifying power sleeping within him.