[Vol. 8] Chapter 160: A Nighttime Anecdote
Although many things from Illusory World and the strange phenomena linked to the power of the Reincarnation Divinity still can't be fully explained, to be honest, ever since Violet inherited Dawn’s legacy, her understanding and control over Reincarnation is now far deeper and stronger than her original hold on Radiance.
As the new owner of this divine power, it was no longer impossible for the priestess to extract the essence of the [Six-Line Array Palace] and forge six prototype Law Artifacts.
The only real problem was figuring out how to fuse this law-based power with a physical object.
Back in the days when Violet was still in the Academy City Sainz, trying to create the [Tear of Light] potion, she had already begun experimenting with ways to infuse law energy into real-world materials, so even people without divine power could use it in some way. But back then, it was still just a rough idea.
The process was extremely difficult. Although the [Tear of Light] was eventually created successfully and worked exactly as Violet had planned, it was ultimately just a one-time potion. It only contained the weakest traces of diluted law energy. For ordinary people, it was a priceless divine elixir. But for Violet herself, it didn't hold much meaning.
Dawn, who had tens of thousands of years to accumulate her experience, created divine artifacts using Reincarnation power, but even for her, each successful experiment came after countless failures and often took hundreds of years to complete.
Violet didn’t have the time, or patience, for that kind of trial and error. What she needed was a shortcut, a faster way to give others access to law-based power.
Maybe it was fate. Just as she hit a major wall in her experiments, Xiao Guang’s awakening of the Primordial Flame gave Violet a new opportunity.
If you think of law energy as rare ore used to forge divine weapons, then the Primordial Flame is without a doubt the ultimate forge to shape it. This flame could even change the nature of law energy, making it easy to combine with physical materials. When paired with “Reincarnation” divinity, which itself represents a different form of “Creation”, they were practically a perfect match.
Because of this, after repeated private experiments with her dragon girl, Violet used this powerful force, which contains both destruction and rebirth, to refine several pieces of Law Essence, each representing one of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. She then crafted these into six unique prototype artifacts.
Of course, it’s not like Violet did this out of pure generosity. She’s not the self-sacrificing type.
Even though these are called “artifacts,” including the [Ring of Insight] that Ayla now has, they are all still prototypes, not yet the real deal.
To put it simply… these things are basically growth-type weapons. They may sound awesome, but right now, they’re still in their baby form, weak and unfinished. They’ll need to be nurtured over time by the Chosen Heroes. Only by growing together with their users can they become truly powerful divine weapons.
For example, when Ayla mentioned that the [Ring of Insight] doesn’t have unlimited energy and can’t be used freely, that was true. The energy she’s using, called Soul Power, or SP, was only given in a small amount by Violet as “starting capital.” If she wants more, well… the young Hero will have to figure that out herself.
And as for the third ability of the ring, the reason Ayla can’t use it yet has nothing to do with her. It’s simply because the artifact hasn’t grown strong enough.
…Of course, someone isn’t about to admit how stingy she’s being with the power.
The info about these artifacts being “growth-based” will be passed down through the church later, but in a more majestic, holy-sounding way, something that fits the image of a “Chosen Hero.”
Ahem… it’s all part of a well-planned strategy! If they don’t go through trials and hardships, how will they become strong enough to carry the future?
And so, the two girls, each with their own thoughts, chatted while walking and soon found a place to sit in the main banquet hall, somewhere not too hidden, but not too noticeable either.
Since Violet had already arrived quite late, before too many people noticed them, the banquet officially began as the lights dimmed.
…………………………………………
Before long, the banquet was in full swing. Meanwhile, a certain black-haired girl had quietly slipped out of the hall, standing alone on the balcony, letting the night breeze wash over her.
Behind her, the celebration continued in full bloom, laughter, clinking glasses, lively conversations echoing under the bright lights. But all of that felt far away, completely cut off by the calm, quiet night. It was as if the brightly lit party and the peaceful darkness she stood in were two entirely separate worlds.
“Sigh~ I knew it. I’m really not cut out for this kind of place.”
The girl chuckled softly and gently swirled the crystal glass in her pale hand. The dark red liquid inside sparkled under the moonlight of early spring, tinged with a silvery glow that gave it a strangely enchanting and eerie beauty.
Then, at some point, her shadow, cast by the moonlight, began to stretch, and from it rose a sliver of moving darkness that took shape as a short-haired girl with bluish-gray hair, dressed in a tight dark outfit and carrying two slender swords on her back.
She knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully. Then she quickly looked up, her calm, emotionless gaze scanning over Violet before settling on the glass in her hand. After a pause, she finally spoke.
“Lady Violet, why are you out here drinking grape juice by yourself?”
“...?”
Busted right to her face, the “mysterious moonlit drinker” Violet froze slightly. She glanced awkwardly at the red liquid in her glass, the corners of her mouth twitching, and then quickly downed it in one gulp.
“Cough… Wh-what, drinking grape juice is a crime now?! It was too noisy inside, I just came out to get some fresh air. And what about you, new Chosen Hero, shouldn’t you be inside, basking in the admiration of the crowd? Why are you out here with me, catching cold in the night wind?”
Even though her attempt to change the topic was just as clumsy as ever, the girl known as Shadow didn’t seem interested in pushing the issue. Instead, she followed Violet’s lead, paused for a moment, and replied softly.
“The ones being admired are the three Chosen Heroes standing in the spotlight. Someone like me… if exposed to that light, wouldn’t be much different from a vampire. Right now, the only ones who know the true identity of the Hero are you, and the Goddess.”
“Ah… haha, fair point. But hey, you came at just the right time. I heard during the second round of the trials, in the Gate of Ghosts, you ran into some very troublesome enemies?”
Shadow stared silently at Violet, who gave a forced, awkward laugh, then lowered her head again and said calmly.
“You really do know everything, Lady Violet. Things got really dangerous at one point. If not for the Goddess sending a powerful helper to my side, I probably wouldn’t have survived. The enemy was very strong… but the emissary who defeated it was even stronger. Still, no matter which of them I compare myself to, I’m nowhere close.”
Her tone remained as calm and flat as ever, like she was just stating a fact that had nothing to do with her. But Violet saw something new in Miss Shadow’s eyes, something she had never seen in her before. A light that burned like stars.
It was a desire.
A deep, unshakable desire to grow stronger.
Back before the Hero trials began, in their last conversation, that light hadn't been there.
Violet smiled.
“There’s always someone stronger out there. It’s only when you climb to a higher place that your eyes can truly see how vast this world really is. So… do you still think the title of ‘Chosen Hero’ is meaningless?”
“......”