Chapter 143: Chapter 143: Blades of Entropy

As the words escaped his lips, Ulric’s eyes snapped shut, furrows forming across his face.

The moment he issued the command, he could feel the different elements of the talents he wielded stir restlessly within him, almost as if a seal placed over them had been lifted.

Given how rapidly they churned inside him, he supposed it wouldn’t be long before they exploded outward.

Thankfully, he had done a little research and knew this was normal. All he had to do was sit still and relax, letting the change unfold naturally.

But as time slowly slipped by, with several minutes passing this way, the looks of curiosity plastered across the crowd gradually washed away, replaced by doubt as hushed whispers began to spread.

"Why is it taking so long?"

"You don’t think the lord failed or can’t breakthrough?"

"Hmph!? What nonsense are you spouting? There is no failing when it comes to the lord!"

At the side, Rysten’s brows arched slightly, growing a little confused. To break through to D-rank, all one needed was the required experience and a D-rank talent or above.

All of which the lord had. On paper, this should have been as simple as drinking water. The breakthrough should have unfolded the instant he sat down.

He was not like people such as himself; those condemned to E-rank talents and below but who refused to accept the hand fate had dealt them.

After chasing countless insights his entire life and consuming treasures to refine his talent to the caliber of a D-rank one, he had pressed for the breakthrough despite the depressing odds and come out on top.

Even if he was weaker than regular D-ranks, he was still tens—if not hundreds—of times stronger than a regular E-rank.

If he could pull it off, why was the young lord taking so long?

"Should we go up and check on him?" Mistress Aria muttered, twirling a strand of her silver hair as she tried to hide the shard of panic flashing across her eyes.

Even though most breakthroughs were supposed to flow smoothly, there were occasional mistakes. Mistakes with dire consequences.

Once one failed to advance, the next attempt would be ten times harder. Maybe he was still not ready yet. Mistress Aria mused. He was still so young. It wouldn’t hurt to put off the breakthrough for a while to stabilize his mental state and boost his chances.

The other elders secretly nodded, agreeing with her train of thought.

But before they could act on it, another voice echoed out.

"I say we wait a little bit more."

"Graegor?" Rysten and the others turned to appraise the figure who had just spoken, the elder Greyson had sent to oversee Ulric’s last breakthrough.

Did he know more than they did? Seeing the gleam of confidence flashing across his eyes, they wondered.

Feeling the piercing gazes cast at him, Graegor ignored them as his eyes narrowed on the dark-robed figure. Inspecting him repeatedly before nodding slightly.

To a certain extent, he felt as if he knew the dark-robed youth enough. And looking at his frame, he didn’t sense any defeated air hanging around him. It was almost as if he was preparing.

Preparing for what? He didn’t know yet. He just had a feeling this breakthrough would be far more grand than the last. The only question was... by how much?

He didn’t have to wonder for long.

Almost half an hour since the youth closed his eyes, they snapped back open as he breathed out.

"Darkness."

Instantly after, a beam of spectral darkness shot forth in a brilliant display, soaring into the sky for hundreds of meters before suddenly exploding to form dark clouds that stretched for thousands of meters.

Effectively covering the sun, the land was plunged into darkness, with barely any light seeping through.

Thousands of meters back, the crowd watched the spectacle unfold in stunned silence. They could only stare blankly, gulping audibly as their hushed whispers died out.

When the clouds extended to hover above them, they felt prickling sensations across their skin.

The longer they stood under the cover of the clouds, the more intense the sensation became, until it felt as if their skin was actively being corroded. Forcing them to stagger back several steps.

What kind of power was this? A few people in the crowd gasped, shocked expressions plastered across their faces.

Unaware of the crowd’s reactions, Ulric remained unbothered as he sank into a trance-like state. Muttering a faint chant beneath his breath.

"I lend my energy to the realm... and the realm gives it back!"

As he finished the last part, the clouds above churned violently. Before coalescing and shooting back down as a beam that drilled into his body in waves of refined energy.

Far more potent, stronger, and better than what he had unleashed. To the extent that if he didn’t have his absurdly strong physique and a body already acclimated to the extremes of darkness, he had a terrifying feeling the darkness would turn against him and corrode him to nothing.

What he wielded was a double-edged blade. If he wasn’t strong enough to wield it, then he wouldn’t wield it at all.

Smiling wryly at the thought, Ulric felt the waves of energy reforging his body. His aura growing increasingly stronger by the second.

As he bathed in it all, he suddenly heard a cracking sound echo from deep within his body. Followed by the feeling as if a restriction placed on his very being had been lifted.

Understanding what was happening, a slow chuckle ripped out of his throat before soon morphing into straight-out maniacal laughter.

"It’s done," he wheezed, easing himself up as the waves of darkness fully settled into his being.

His first mortal limitation had been shattered!

No matter how far one ascended the ranks of power, they would inevitably die unless they achieved immortality. But not all powerful beings were the same. Once one crossed certain realms, their bodies changed so much they could no longer be called regular mortals.

Not just for their monstrous strength, but for additional lifespan. Now that he had broken through to D-rank, his lifespan as reflected in his system interface had broken through a hundred years to an astounding three hundred!

Even if he stopped his journey to power now, he could live for centuries. Well, unless he was killed before then. But that wasn’t what made him truly happy.

Pulling up the system interface, a mad grin stretched across his lips as he stared at the flood of notifications.

[Ding! Congratulations! You have leveled up to D-rank!]

[Ding! You have leveled up!]

[Ding! You have leveled up!]

[...]

All the reserves of experience he had hoarded poured in, pushing his level higher and higher with every passing minute. But he paid them little mind, discarding them all as his gaze fell onto the final notification.

[Ding! Your SSS-rank talent — Shadow Monarch — has bloomed into the Supreme Art: Blades of Entropy.]

As he stared at it, he tried rising to his feet but failed. Dropping to his knees as his crimson eyes fell into darkness, drawn into a vision.

No longer in the wastelands, he saw a dark-robed figure hovering in the air. Was that him? Ulric stared closely, seeing the striking resemblance.

But that didn’t matter for now. Before the dark-robed figure stood a great and terrible army, all marching toward him. The aura leaking from them sent chills down his spine.

What had he done to provoke them? And more importantly, why did the dark-robed figure seem so unbothered, disregarding their strength entirely?

He got his answer soon enough.

When the massive army drew close, the dark-robed figure waved his arm. Instantly, the air around him rippled and constricted violently before birthing two massive blades.

Almost similar to his blades of darkness, but hundreds of times larger. The runes and sigils shimmering within them were far more concentrated and complex, giving off a deathly aura.

The moment they emerged, the army suddenly burst into balls of dark energy... just by looking at them. Those who didn’t look barely held on for a few more seconds before they collapsed into wisps of dark energy that flew into the blades. The longer the blades hovered, the more they absorbed. Before long, even the light itself was extinguished.

Leaving only the blades and the dark-robed figure hovering in the empty void.

"This..." Ulric gasped as he snapped out of the vision, taking in multiple deep breaths. That power... it was just abominable. Was that the power of the Blades of Entropy?

Ulric breathed. Also, why was an art formed from darkness called a Supreme Art? Were there ranks to these as well?

Clenching his fingers tightly, he forced himself out of his mental barrage and suppressed the urge to burst into maniacal laughter.

He had glimpsed what could only be called earth-shattering power. What was even crazier... was that this was just the beginning.