Chapter 324: Hopes for the Future

Realizing that his preparations were complete, the voice echoed through the space:

"The test will begin now. The rules are straightforward: fight with everything you have. However... you are forbidden from using any external power or elements. You will rely purely on your physical ability and the power of your weapon. If you break this rule, the benefit of the Primordial Energy will be removed."

Priam nodded without the slightest hesitation. Hand-to-hand combat and raw physical strength were, after all, his greatest specialties.

In the blink of an eye, the dark void around him was dyed in blood-red hues.

Emerging from the darkness in every direction, a massive horde of colossal lizards appeared. Each beast stood more than six meters tall, covered in gleaming red scales and radiating a bizarre, oppressive pressure.

Priam snorted. Those creatures were illusory manifestations shaped from Primordial Energy — but the threat and impact of their attacks would be painfully real.

A confident smile appeared on his lips.

’All I have to do is tear these things apart so the energy gets absorbed? Perfect. I love simplicity.’

*ROAAAR!*

The lizards let out terrifying roars. Those sounds didn’t even seem like they were coming from reptiles, sounding much more like the furious cries of gigantic tigers.

When the first one reached him at terrifying speed, Priam didn’t hesitate. Instead, he took a firm step forward and unleashed a devastating punch.

His black fists came forward like a collapsing mountain!

*BOOOOOM!*

The enemy, which had been charging at terrifying speed, was instantly reduced to fragments of crimson light.

Priam smiled. These gauntlets were truly brutal.

From afar, watching all of this, the entity’s eyes widened in shock.

It had imagined that Priam would have an extremely hard time dealing with the monstrous weight on his fists. Yet he had attacked normally, as if he wasn’t carrying anything at all.

Priam snorted as he moved across the battlefield.

The Fist God’s Legacy was truly incredible. After mastering the three Combat Arts, his physique and his ability to circulate energy internally — without directly projecting it outward — had risen to terrifying levels.

If it had been the Priam from before the mission, even after becoming a Sage, it would have been absolutely impossible for him to fight under all that weight using only his physical strength. But now, that burden seemed insignificant.

Maybe once he reached 100% of the metal’s capacity, he would really be screwed, but for now he could simply use his Elemental Physique to move in harmony with the winds.

That was why he was so excited about his new weapon. It was simply perfect.

Priam’s eyes shone with a battle-hungry light. Using only his physical strength to massacre his opponents unleashed his beastly side and ignited his fighting spirit in an intoxicating way.

*BOOOM!*

Relying solely on physical strength to fight was insanely satisfying.

*BOOOM!*

The third enemy was completely blown apart. Priam was fully immersed in the battle, flawlessly dodging multiple attacks coming at him simultaneously without giving him a moment’s respite.

His Transcendental Anima was operating at its absolute limit.

...

...

...

Hours upon hours passed, until two entire days had gone by.

The final day of preparation had finally arrived.

Priam fought without a single second of pause or retreat. The horde of enemies wasn’t diminishing at all; whenever he killed one, another instantly appeared to replenish the group.

With every victory, Ananke vibrated subtly around his fists, as if it were receiving a massive surge of power.

Some of that Primordial Energy also entered his body. Slowly, Priam could actually feel the Essence of Creation within him becoming more docile.

Ananke was already at the highest possible grade for a Spiritual Artifact. This made Priam wonder whether it would be possible to turn it into an Ancestral Artifact in the future, considering that he had an endless supply of crystals to use later on.

*BOOOM!*

Watching everything unfold, the consciousness of the inscription sighed in sheer admiration. Even after fighting for so long, he hadn’t weakened in the slightest. It had never imagined that Priam’s physique would be this abnormal.

The entity noticed the peculiar way he circulated Ether throughout his own body, optimizing his performance to astonishing levels.

After an incalculable number of enemies had been killed, the entity finally made a gesture.

Everything disappeared in the blink of an eye. The scarlet hues faded away, and the dark void returned.

"You have reached the maximum quota of Primordial Energy..."

Priam raised his eyes toward the pair of white eyes above and nodded. "Thanks. That was extremely useful."

Priam had perfectly understood how to fight alongside Ananke. The Ether injected into the weapon lasted for a considerable amount of time, only being consumed when it suffered a heavy impact or a rapid sequence of blows within a short period.

Furthermore, Priam had assimilated the weapon technique that Ananke already knew how to use: *Maximum Overload*.

Basically, the artifact could discharge all the Ether stored within it at once — both defensively and offensively. It was an extremely versatile technique, ready to be executed regardless of the form the weapon assumed.

Priam lightly waved his hand, and Ananke withdrew from his fists, returning directly to his spatial ring.

The voice echoed through the chamber once again:

"Two days and twenty-two hours have already passed..."

"WHAT?!" Priam’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t even felt the time passing. "I need to get back now!"

The entity nodded. At the same instant, Priam felt his body being pulled by an irresistible force toward the outside of that space.

...

Inside the pavilion, all the Elders had already given up waiting for Priam and returned to testing themselves.

Even so, whenever someone was expelled unsuccessfully, they would look in astonishment at the same point high above. How was it possible that he still hadn’t been expelled?

"!"

Suddenly... the black orb began vibrating intensely.

"He’s coming out!" shouted an Elder when she saw the figure emerge.

Right behind him, a soft light shone inside the orb, and in the next instant, it completely evaporated, vanishing without leaving a trace.

"What?! He actually did it?!"

Everyone present was left in shock. However, thinking about it, if he had remained inside for that long, that outcome was only to be expected.

Priam landed gently on the ground. Without saying a single word, he quickly walked straight toward the pavilion’s exit.

While the Elders pushed themselves until the very last moment to claim other weapons and techniques, Priam knew he had already wasted too much time there. What he had just obtained was more than enough for now.

He quickly ran to the building where his family was staying.

As soon as he approached, the door flew open, and Seien appeared in the doorway.

"Son!" His mother’s expression was filled with pure worry, as news of the great war that was about to begin had already reached her.

Priam approached to say goodbye and make sure everything would be alright, taking the opportunity to catch up with his twin sisters.

Since the battle would happen soon, the welcoming ceremony had been brought forward and held quickly just a day ago. The Elder Leader had given Seien, Boey, and Orlaith the Creation Runes; now, all three were completely focused on becoming Mage Masters.

As for the twins, they were with their respective factions, focused on training them.

For the next few years, disputes between factions would take place strictly within their own branch, while the inscriptions and mechanisms of the place would handle all the management.

Priam spoke with everyone and then said his goodbyes.

Not long after, he arrived at his faction’s territory.

Dandara and all her members were already waiting for him outside.

Priam looked at his six generals. Each of them radiated an almost irrational confidence.

The new thousand soldiers and the three newly added generals were still considerably weaker than the other half of the army, but that gap was closing rapidly. Dandara had devised meticulous methods to prevent this disparity from becoming a problem in the middle of the battle.

Everyone there had reached Level 5 of the Mage Master Rank. On top of that, as a reward for the mission, each of them had received an astronomical amount of points to spend however they wanted. In other words, it could be said that they had enjoyed 100% of everything that branch had to offer.

"You will be my right-hand men in this battle, as well as the heart of the entire army. So don’t get too cocky or think you’re invincible. The smallest mistake could cost many lives," Priam declared solemnly.

Everyone clenched their fists and nodded, overflowing with energy and determination.

Dandara walked over to Priam’s side, carrying Mirra in her arms.

She handed the little girl to him, then murmured with a slight smile, "Everyone has thoroughly studied the divine knowledge of the classes the Boss gave them. When they finally show their claws, I’m sure they’ll shock the entire world."

He nodded, satisfied.

Dandara explained that the orders they had received instructed everyone to gather in the square. The Sorcerers had already begun moving toward the strategic points they were supposed to defend, and they would certainly launch their attacks at any moment. Therefore, everyone needed to immediately take their positions and remain ready.

Understanding the situation, he took out his leader’s emblem.

Everyone was transported to the great square.

Right in the center of the square sat a gigantic Flying Warship. The vessel’s silver hull was adorned with countless pulsating runes. Just looking at it, everyone could feel a truly terrifying pressure. It was as if a Primordial Chaos Beast were sleeping there, rather than a machine.

An Elder approached Priam to explain.

That ship had been sent directly by the Central Elder for him to use. Although it looked imposing on its own, it was only one vessel belonging to the fleet.

Each branch had received one of these ships, but Priam’s served as the overall command vessel, capable of controlling all the others simultaneously if necessary. The ships could share energy, coordinate attacks together, or create a terrifying barrier as a group. It was a genuine weapon of war.

But...

"Unfortunately, our branch doesn’t have a high-level disciple capable of controlling the ship’s inscription. So you’ll have to use it in the most basic way," the Elder explained.

Priam heard that and let out a disdainful snort. That flying ship was gold being handed to pigs. The 11th Branch had no one...

"Well, that’s temporary. For now, it’ll be enough," Priam said calmly.

Suien was still far too young and weak to help, but he had high hopes for the future.

The other faction was already waiting in the square. So Priam ordered everyone to board.

Inside the Flying Warship’s command room, there was a communication inscription. From there, the Central Elder could send direct orders, as well as transmit information and anything else that was necessary.

As soon as Priam entered the room, Dandara took control.

"Let’s go!"

With a roar, Dandara configured the coordinates and began the departure. Many lives depended on them, so they couldn’t afford to waste any time.