The Last King Of Darkness

"Once you've truly trained and reached half my level, as you wish."

Olivia pouted her red lips, sent him a flying kiss, and chuckled.

"At your disposal, then."

Rod's eyes suddenly ignited with fire.

"Alright!"

He instantly regained his spirit.

"Then let's begin!"

—

Thus, this bout of hand-to-hand combat began at the evening of the first day, twilight hour, and continued until halfway through the morning of the second day.

A full ten clock hours.

During this long period, Rod stood up again and again, softened repeatedly, yet always persisted unyieldingly, striving to sense Olivia's essence.

Her transformation was so vivid, akin to a cocoon turning into a butterfly.

Rod quickly grasped the key.

Skill is limited; the true essence of combat lies in strength.

To control strength, to use strength, to believe in strength, to intimidate with strength is the path to real combat.

Mobilize the body's full force as much as possible, maximize the involvement of Spiritual Energy.

This was the answer he obtained after consuming 10 points of Divinity; prior, he couldn't keep up with Olivia's pace at all.

She transformed too swiftly, each transformation concluding with her fiercely beating Rod and then enveloping in Spiritual Light once again.

Repeating this process without a moment of rest or explanation, all relying on self-realization.

Without the Divine Sense, he couldn't understand the essence within.

And this didn't conflict with his "Divine Strike"; rather, due to involving more of the body, his Spiritual Energy elevated, and the power doubled.

But it still was far inferior to Olivia.

Each time, Olivia would suppress her Spiritual Energy to half a level lower than Rod's while practicing with him.

Yet Rod never executed a single move, punch, or strike successfully against her.

During combat, her entire body moved as if she were a falling leaf, a breeze, merging coordination and nature with tremendous power.

Ultimately, until Olivia completed her realization, Rod was far from reaching half her strength.

After the final encounter, Olivia smiled: "Little one, your path is long yet."

Rod, though somewhat unconvinced, faced the irrefutable fact and couldn't argue; suddenly, he thought of a question.

"Olivia sister, isn't your weapon the Moonlight Greatsword? Why train hand-to-hand combat skills?"

Olivia shook her head with a smile: "Who said the Moonlight Greatsword is my weapon? My Soul Weapon is this."

She bent down, displaying her majestic physique to Rod.

Smack!

"Where are you looking?"

Rod realized after being struck that her Soul Weapon was the silver pendant on her chest, which held a slender long sword.

"What is this?"

Olivia proudly said: "The sharpest blade! Forged from Source Material of destruction and devastation, it significantly enhances my Destructive Power, allowing me to merge with the Moonlight."

"Moonlight is my sword, and also my knife, axe, spear, and furthermore, my fist."

She paused, then asked.

"What about your Soul Weapon?"

Rod scratched his head: "The Master says it'll take some time."

"Make it quick."

Olivia said.

"A Soul Weapon is like your avatar; strive to fight and grow together with it. Only in this way can the relationship between you and it be more intimate, enabling you to become one and acquire the instinct of breathing together with destiny."

Rod's heart trembled, knowing that Olivia was imparting her experience. He immediately replied: "I will, Olivia sister."

At this moment, a figure emerged within the Space.

"Sister."

A clear, melodious voice sounded.

"You're training again!"

"Archbishop Horus and Soul Master Priscilla both said your growth should be moderate."

Olivia laughed: "Don't worry, Dark Moon, it's just a little."

It's the Dark Moon Princess...

Rod thought.

Turning his head to look, he felt in that instant as if endless brilliance entered his eyes.

She was a breathtaking beauty, wearing a beige long gown embroidered with red lace, her golden hair casually tied, her sapphire eyes reflecting this pure white world—deep like the ocean, yet the most pristine light. Her features were so harmonious, combining with her face to present a stunning beauty. Her demeanor was elegant and mysterious; as she entered this pure white Space, the monotonous world seemed to come alive instantly, becoming agile and colorful.

Rod's entire Soul seemed captivated by her, his mind inclining towards a desire to risk life and limb for her in a world-shattering way.

But the next moment, Olivia slapped him awake, exclaiming: "Dark Moon!"

"Understood, sister..."

The Dark Moon Princess replied slightly aggrievedly, and without any visible movement, a dark aura enveloped her, concealing her stunningly beautiful countenance, especially her soul-stirring eyes.

Only then did Rod seem to awaken from the dreamlike state, though the shock remained imprinted on his Soul.

"This... What happened to me?"

Olivia sighed softly: "It's her innate charm, don't mind it too much; except for a rare few, no one can resist."

The Dark Moon Princess approached Olivia's side, gently hugging her: "Sister, no man is good; should we just ignore him?"

Olivia gently patted her head: "This is Rod. He's not a man."

"What did you say?" Rod instantly became angry: "How am I not a man? Do I need to prove it to you right now?"

Olivia coughed: "Sorry, I meant you're not an ordinary man."

Rod then smiled: "Indeed, Dark Moon Princess, we'll be teammates fighting side by side soon. Please take care of me."

The Dark Moon Princess wrinkled her nose and didn't reply, turning around to hide behind Olivia.

Olivia helplessly laughed: "She's always like this, don't mind."

Rod certainly wouldn't mind, suddenly having a bold thought, albeit one he'd temporarily refrain from speaking, lest he risk being pulverized by these unique sisters.

He wasn't their match yet.

"Olivia sister, I need to return to Starry Sky City; their Spirituality is nearly depleted, I must go back to replenish."

Olivia chuckled: "Go ahead, our great hero, your contributions to the Royal City are unimaginable. Many among us have received incredible advancements because of you."

"In this battle, I'm looking forward to your performance, hoping you can wield an impact as great as the Fire Son."

"Both Alan and I will participate."

Rod nodded, understanding her intent.

"Goodbye, Olivia sister, goodbye, Dark Moon Princess."

The three days were running short, and Rod decisively bade farewell to the Moon sisters, quickly departing the Royal City, returning to Starry Sky City.

Currently, the majority of Starry Sky City's value has been fully excavated; all valuable relics explored, every resource collected.

Even the gates, despite being merely wrought from iron, were dismantled and transported back to the Royal City.

Nearby Starry Sky City contains no mineral veins; the scholars of Royal City believe this might be due to the Starry Kingdom's excessive mining, having depleted them.

Now, the main remaining value of Starry Sky City is the Star Chart that can produce Star Source.

However, as Rod applied Spirituality to the Star Chart, he suddenly discovered that this ancient assembly divine artifact had some corroded areas.

This shock was quite significant, and Rod promptly reported the issue to the Royal City.

Almost immediately, a top-tier team arrived at Starry Sky City, personally led by the bald master of the Mechanical Research Institute.

Their inspection revealed an unfortunate fact.

That is, the Black Fog from the stars has already begun to erode this divine artifact.

The Star Chart is destined to decay.

Rod asked with great concern: "Is there no way to salvage it?"

The bald master replied solemnly: "Unless we cease its use; as long as it's utilized, while it extracts Star Source from the stars, it also suffers erosion by the darkness therein."