Soul of Searing Steel

Finally coming to a realization, Roland’s entire body surged with searing dark gray Holy Light. Gradually surging and becoming boundless, it burned around the Holy Knight’s body, as if intent on changing him into a luminous human figure such as Igor, composed entirely of light.

Perhaps the most powerful of present Starfall-era Mycroft, the Holy Light legacy that originates from a god who walked the lands would naturally attempt to convert the young heir’s living state. Even so, that change only lasted an instant—it quickly and abruptly stopped, before shifted to another form under the will of its young master!

At that moment, the Holy Knight’s feet moved, becoming a rapid streak of beam that shot and attacked Joshua!

Bang—air and matter echoed as they broke. As Roland launched himself forward, he had combined his Warhammer and shield, the solid Holy Light squirming as if alive, finally morphing into a massive Shield Axe.

Swinging it swiftly, the Holy Knight turned into a streak of flash.

As gray Holy Light shone upon everything around, everything from stone, magma, metal to crystals were all clearly reflected—unaffected by weight or resistance, the Holy Light Shield Axe hence cut down at the warrior’s neck!

Joshua’s eyes sparkled at the supremely agile strike, able to tell that Roland was displaying power beyond Supreme pinnacle. If their fight continues, the Holy Knight could be forced into a corner like himself and Brandon, to seek that path of refinement hidden at the depths of their spirit!

Years ago, if he was not struck by the Stellar Bind attack by the spirit of Legendary champion Akhar Akyev on the world of Grandia, Joshua imagined that he would need at least one or two years to slowly consolidate his power. It would be the same for Brandon as well—he would never have quickly realized the Polar Blade that cuts through corona surges if the warrior had not kicked him into a star, and finally stepping out onto the path of refinement beyond Supreme.

The Holy Light Shield Axe was darting rapidly, but it appeared slow in Joshua’s eyes—when it almost reached the warrior, it was already blocked by layers of thick lifeforce barriers, stirring concentric circles as if ripples over water. Joshua did not even have to use his well-trained Steel Strength to stop that blow since it did not fit their original intent to spar at Supreme-pinnacle level.

That was why the warrior simply extended a hand, prepared to catch Roland’s vicious blow head-on before using his momentum for a suplex and throw him into the heart of the planet’s core.

But something unexpected happened.

Just as Joshua prepared to reach out and parry Roland’s strike, the lifeforce barrier illuminated by gray Holy Light suddenly changed—it suddenly lost all capacity to withstand impact, its defensive aspect becoming utterly dormant, and no longer reacting to any other supernatural powers in this world!

“A fine attack!”

Joshua raised his brow in response, showing delight instead of shocked—however, the Holy Light Shield Axe had cut through his barriers and viciously slashed down on his neck!

Craaa—aaack!

With a sound as if it were really metal clashing, Roland’s weapon collapsed into countless speck that vanished into thin air the instant it struck Joshua.

Roland swiftly retreated upon realizing that, but he was not surprised that his attack was ineffective—what left him puzzled was that Joshua had clearly caught on to the flaw in his attack, but did not exploit the opening to launch a counter. He had even thought that the warrior would grab his hand for a suplex and throw him down into the planet’s core.

Nevertheless, Joshua was now rubbing his neck with an unusual expression, his eyes narrowed at Roland who appeared thrilled and rather eager to fight. “That’s the power to change attributes,” he said quietly.

It seems that he was about to reach to the doorway to Legend some time before he asked to spar…

As Joshua lowered his hand from his neck, there was a distinct silver metallic scar in Joshua’s palm. It was the effect of Roland’s Shield Axe strike, which cut through Joshua’s defenses and left an indistinct wound.

Although the warrior’s clone only had Supreme pinnacle power and the body was not composed of Degenerate Matter armor, it was made from ultra-dense alloy that would not be destroyed by any ability below Legend, especially with the rather illusory Holy Light Shield Axe.

In such a case, there was only a single answer: Roland’s blow had unwittingly reached a level beyond Supreme, and his Holy Light was not the typical Holy Light of ordinary Holy Knights, but one with a unique attribute, a power that belonged only to himself.

And that attribute could actually briefly change the aspect of objects energy, causing active lifeforce to be rendered dormant, turning armor that was at once tough and fitting brittle!

“Using Holy Light to affect matter and hence change the world?”

With that thought, Joshua stopped. His intention in sparring with Roland was to pressure him into realizing his own ambition, but they would have to hold off their bout now that it had been achieved, though it may be a slight pity.

After all, it would only be interesting when they spar later, after he had truly ascended.

Now, Roland himself felt his body’s breakthrough. Now, his eyes were closed and his entire body billowed with gray flames of Holy Light, as if feeling the attributes of his own power.

But before he did, Joshua had generally predicted a part of his power’s essence.

It is Holy Light, the same Legacy.

Pope Igor’s path of the Holy Light was turning himself into light to replace other lights of the world, and alter certain constants within a certain domain by changing himself.

For Roland, however, it was using the Holy Light to affect other matter. Like how the severe pressure and heat of the earth’s crust would reduce sturdy steel into soft butter, the dull gray Holy Light would cause an unusual shift in objects and energy, creating something similar to dark matter, something that could yet be comprehended.

And that was Roland’s Legendary power in the future!