Ch.9191. Power

Though I had been waiting for our reunion, now that I was face to face with Kaordix, I found myself unsure of what to say. The last time Kaordix had appeared was when spring was in full bloom, and now we were slowly entering autumn after the rainy season had passed.

The six-month gap was long. Longer than I had imagined.

[You look like you have much to say.]

Kaordix raised the corner of his mouth and chuckled. Rex nodded with a complicated expression.

“It would have been nice if you had given me some notice before disappearing.”

[I apologize. In my defense, I didn’t expect matters to take this long. Still, I wasn’t completely neglecting you. Though you may not have noticed, I was watching over you the entire time.]

Kaordix let out a hearty laugh. The past six months had been truly delightful for him. He had witnessed how rigorously Rex had trained.

No deity dislikes seeing their servant grow. While it was enjoyable, just as Rex had felt frustrated by Kaordix’s absence, Kaordix had experienced similar emotions. He desperately wanted to bestow rewards immediately, but had barely managed to suppress that urge for today.

[I also set up certain measures for contingencies. Thanks to that, we were able to thwart Boreas’s schemes. Though it wasn’t much help against physical force, causing you to face a crisis, you ultimately overcame it on your own. Well done.]

“Did you know that the Chaos Cult has taken an interest in me?”

[Yes. I’ve been observing you all along. To be precise, it’s not the Chaos Cult but Chaos itself that covets you. It’s not hostility. Pandemius is showing you favor. The problem is… he doesn’t care about the feelings of the one receiving that favor.]

Kaordix remarked in a dispassionate voice.

[From the beginning, he’s a deity who acts solely based on his own interests. In Boreas’s case, I could pressure him to back off, but Pandemius is a divine entity that even I cannot easily deal with. Don’t worry too much. Now that I’ve returned, he won’t be able to approach as aggressively as before.]

That meant he could approach in other ways. Kaordix didn’t say that Pandemius had completely given up on Rex. Rex thought the same. He recalled Shaharon’s whisper that someday he would come to the cult. The matter with the Chaos Cult wasn’t over yet. Nothing had been resolved. It had merely been postponed.

[You just need to become stronger.]

Kaordix formed a gentle smile.

[Strong enough that no one would dare touch you.]

“I know.”

Rex replied in a nonchalant tone. Even without being reminded, his mind was already filled with the desire to become stronger. While he had always had ambition, he hadn’t set specific goals before. At first, he had blindly resolved to become stronger because he didn’t want to lose precious connections… then at some point, he had become intoxicated with his own growth, enjoying how he was breaking free from an ordinary life and developing remarkably each day.

But now.

“I want to become an Apostle.”

He had decided to set a new goal. Apostle. When he first arrived in Lindvale, the Radiance had seemed so lofty. Knights had been objects of admiration since childhood, and before becoming Berger’s disciple, the moment he first saw him, he had been involuntarily amazed. He had wondered if it was permissible for a person to possess such immense power. But in the world, there existed realms that even the Radiance couldn’t reach.

Perhaps even an Apostle might be like a newborn to someone else. Nevertheless, he had decided to reach for the closest goals one by one.

[You will certainly achieve it. In a way, you’ve already halfway there, having reached the Radiance.]

Kaordix looked down at Rex with a pleased expression. Somehow feeling that gaze was lower than before, Rex opened his eyes wide and asked.

“Have you gotten smaller?”

Previously, he had to crane his neck completely to barely see the head, but now he could meet the gaze relatively comfortably. The figure had shrunk by at least half. Of course, it was still undeniably a giant.

[It means you’ve grown closer to me. Our connection has also become more intimate. It’s not strange. Rather, it’s a natural change.]

Kaordix readily answered the question. But not all doubts were resolved. Rex pointed to the side with his finger.

“And what is that?”

It was something he hadn’t seen before. The appearance resembled the semi-transparent divine form of Boreas he had met during the trial. A man with sharp features sat expressionlessly on a pile of snow. He remained motionless despite the gazes of Rex and Kaordix. His silent stare at the ground made him seem not like a living person but a corpse.

[A specter.]

Kaordix replied with a displeased expression. Specter. Mulling over that word, Rex looked at the man. His empty pupils were a deep red, and his hair was ash-gray like dark clouds. Having never seen such an appearance before, Rex examined the man up and down with curious eyes. Though he didn’t seem to possess divine power, strangely, Rex’s skin tingled and felt numb.

In any case, Rex’s doubts weren’t resolved by Kaordix’s answer. Seeming to notice this, Kaordix remained silent for a moment before adding:

[Don’t worry about it. It’s practically an inanimate object. As long as you don’t provoke it first, it will remain still like that.]

“That aside, why did it suddenly appear in my mental landscape?”

[It’s a long story. Let’s say it’s a byproduct. A byproduct that flowed in while I was unlocking the power. I didn’t expect it to emerge either. Unlike blessings, powers must be created anew each time. Even if I know the result, the process is unpredictable.]

At the mention of “power,” Rex recalled. The fragment of Pandemius that had brought Shaharon to Lindvale. After destroying the sacred artifact of the Chaos Cult, Kaordix had excitedly bestowed a power. It was a force different from a blessing. However, he didn’t know its effect. He had only been told that he would naturally understand when the appropriate time came.

Boreas had informed him that Kaordix had temporarily left to unlock something. Now it seemed that something was this power. The man sitting there was a byproduct created during the process of crafting the power. Setting aside whether it was appropriate to call a person a byproduct, it was an unexpected side effect that even Kaordix hadn’t anticipated.

Though curious about the man’s identity, Kaordix seemed to want to avoid the subject. Having been assured that it wouldn’t harm him, and not feeling it was something he absolutely needed to know, Rex dismissed his interest and changed the topic.

“So, what effect does it have?”

It’s a power that Kaordix had obtained after being away for half a year. So far, he had received three blessings: Steel Heart strengthens the body as one overcomes hardships and defeats enemies; Warrior’s Gaze refines the senses; and Usurper allows the caster’s body to recover when inflicting damage on enemies. Each one, while not flashy, directly aids in combat.

And power is a higher-dimensional ability than blessings.

[Mind Combat Training.]

Kaordix said with a triumphant smile.

[It’s a power that won’t immediately lead to dramatic achievements, but I’m confident it will be of great help to you in the long term. You asked about its effect. The effect of Mind Combat Training is extremely simple. It will bring you more intense and challenging battles.]

“What?”

[Don’t be surprised. The battles will take place not in reality but here, in your mental landscape. And most importantly, the training here will directly apply to reality.]

Rex, who had been looking at Kaordix with a dubious expression, showed surprise at the subsequent words. The mental landscape is not reality. While here, he feels neither hunger nor fatigue. He hasn’t been injured so far, but even if he were to get hurt, it wouldn’t affect his physical body in reality. Naturally, no matter how much he trained his muscles, they would return to their pre-sleep state once he opened his eyes.

[You’re starting to catch on, aren’t you? That’s right. Using Mind Combat Training, you can take the training from your mental landscape into reality. Both the divine power accumulated through sacred methods and the body trained by Steel Heart will be directly applied. Isn’t that wonderful?]

Kaordix murmured in a pleased voice, seeing Rex’s reaction.

[The true ability of Mind Combat Training is to create virtual opponents through illusions for realistic combat. Though they are illusions, the power within them is not fake. It can summon enemies from your memories, and if you want stronger opponents, I can project those I know.]

Even if one were to die while fighting these illusions, this is still the mental landscape. Mind Combat Training is a power created solely to aid in training. The achievements gained are kept, but death doesn’t occur. One can repeat battles as many times as desired until waking up. Rex understood how remarkable that was.

[Do you want to test it right away?]

“No.”

Rex shook his head. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the new power. Mind Combat Training was an ability he desperately needed, given his need for practical experience. However, there was something he wanted to ask first.

“Leonhardt.”

Kaordix’s brow furrowed. Though he seemed displeased, Rex couldn’t just let this go. With a somber face, he asked:

“Boreas called me Leonhardt. He said not only do I look similar, but my energy is also alike.”

He could have dismissed it as a common mistake. But since Kaordix’s protection had prevented Boreas’s approach, it became clear that Kaordix was hiding something, and it could no longer be dismissed as a mere misunderstanding.

[Do you know who that name belongs to?]

“…The first emperor.”

[I understand what you’re suspecting. Boreas’s words have confused your mind. But one thing is certain: you are not Leonhardt. That’s all I can tell you.]

Kaordix’s solemn face broke into a smile again.

[If you’re more curious, would you like to make a wager?]

“A wager?”

[Yes.]

Kaordix made a peculiar laughing sound and waved his hand. Rex turned his head with wide eyes. In the distance, at the center of the snowy field, a knight wearing full plate armor appeared. With a tightly closed helmet concealing his face, Rex instinctively realized that the knight’s power far surpassed his own.

[If you defeat him, I’ll answer your question.]

The knight drew a longsword and rested the blade on his shoulder, looking at Rex.

[It won’t be easy. He’s not a contemporary figure, but from the time when the Great War was raging…]

“I’ll do it.”

Rex answered immediately.

There was no need for lengthy deliberation.

[I thought you’d say that. However, I won’t go easy on you. The world of competition is harsh, even for my servant.]

That’s exactly what he wanted. Rex gripped his zweihander. Just as with other blessings, he naturally understood how to use Mind Combat Training.

“I’ll defeat him quickly, so watch closely.”

Rex approached the knight slowly with a smirk.

It was much later that he realized his opponent was at the level of an Apostle.