The Void within the Maelstrom stirred again. However, it only moved once the last pristine white currents of [Origin Lightning] had been dispelled.

David categorized the intel for broader application and deployed another charge of [Origin Lightning] inside the Void Sapling. At the same time, he redoubled his efforts and drained his foe’s lifeforce even faster than before. He used the natural Aether in his Energy Pathways to produce more pure Blood and overclocked [Greater Restoration], fixing his broken arms.

Sickening crunches resounded as the bones in his right arm realigned themselves in a matter of seconds, allowing David to use his arms once again. He escaped the slowing attacks of the Void Sapling in front of him, reached for the Obsidian Blade, and sent pulses of Rend through it. The Intent ripped through the Voidling’s insides, tearing it apart until the creature disintegrated.

Only then did a message materialize before him.

[You have defeated a Void Sapling.]

More system notifications popped up, but David discarded them instantly, his stomach lurching as his danger sense perked up.

His head snapped upward, and he made eye contact with the third Void Sapling leaping out of the hospital from the fifth floor. One eyebrow raised, David conjured Serpent Fang again. He clutched the weapon tightly in both hands and raised the massive claymore high into the air. The Void Sapling screeched, and the Maelstrom released traces of the Void’s power for the first time. It surged into the Sapling’s arms, which extended as the darkness of the Void Barrier rippled and expanded.

However, David didn’t move. His feet dug deep into the concrete as he conjured and overclocked [Origin Lightning] using the remaining pure Blood of the bound weapon. A few Words of Power managed to slip out of his mouth as the Void Sapling descended. Not enough to conjure a reinforced crescent blade of Rend, but more than enough to empower Bloodlust as he let it loose.

The world exploded in crimson as Bloodlust surged in all directions. It carried his emotions and amplified them, forcing his hatred—but also excitement—upon the Voidling. Under normal circumstances, his enemies would pull back and hesitate, presumably trying to escape his thirst for their blood. However, the Void Sapling was different. It screeched again, Void rippling as its claws elongated to reach and harm David faster.

But in all the excitement, the Void Sapling seemed to have forgotten about Serpent Fang, tightly shrouded in crackling lightning currents. David separated a portion of the lightning from the blade and released a lightning bolt at the Void Sapling right before casting [Phantom Rush].

The lightning bolt struck the Voidling square in the chest and exploded, lightning currents erupting in all directions. The Void Barrier rippled softly—fiercer around the area of impact—yet it failed to cause extensive damage.

However, a moment after the impact, David disappeared. He deserted his spot and pounced toward the Void Sapling moments before it hit the ground. Using the accumulated momentum of both himself and the Void Sapling, David delivered a swift thrust, aiming at the center of the ripples in the Void Barrier.

Serpent Fang, still coated in [Origin Lightning], passed through the Void Barrier with little resistance. The wide blade pierced the grayish skin beneath the darkness and dug deeper. David felt more resistance as the blade sank into the Sapling’s small body, but he pressed on, instantly discharging the remaining lightning currents coating the weapon. Pristine currents seeped into the Void Barrier and flesh beneath alike, yet the Voidling didn’t seem to notice. It clawed at him, not even realizing the crimson barrier and armor shrouding David’s body.

[Bloodbound Bastion]’s shields shattered one after another as the Void-enhanced claws struck true, yet David didn’t move. He cast [Healing Link] and applied it to the Voidling before more pristine lightning bolts came to be.

He analyzed the damage and effect created by the lightning currents as they wreaked havoc within the Sapling and released more lightning bolts on the outside, examining the differences.

The Voidling pierced [Blood Armor] after a while, but by the time it reached Scalemore and David’s flesh, it didn’t have much of the Void’s power left to use. David twisted Serpent Fang. With the Voidling still impaled, he lifted the massive claymore and smashed the Voidling into the ground.

Tough fuckers! How the hell did Zachariah kill you guys in the last Cycle?

Images of a devastated battlefield containing death and destruction appeared in his mind, displaying a much older and tired version of Zachariah. David slowed after releasing a condensed beam of Rend into the Sapling, initiating its disintegration. More familiar system notifications popped up, but his focus remained on the open connection to the Sacred Beast Core.

Electra’s emotions and fragments of the memories it had retained even after death unraveled before David’s eyes, but he focused on the pictures of destruction—the thousands upon thousands of corpses of Protectors and natives alike surrounding Zachariah and what he presumed to be Void Fragments or their stronger brethren.

“Right… I forgot about that,” David muttered, collecting the empty Maelstrom once the Void Sapling was no more. He stored the Maelstrom in his spatial storage, curiosity pulling him back to the Sacred Beast.

You were there as well, weren’t you? And you remember.

They had already established that the gods could remember. Fortress had made that much fairly obvious when he had responded to the Regressor. But they never talked about it. To David—probably Zachariah too—everything had looked so obvious... but was it really?

More memories reached David, but they were mere snippets—no more than simple images picturing certain past events.

Complex emotions surfaced as well, making it incredibly difficult to tell what Electra was trying to say.

I swear… you better start talking to me once [Bloodlife Echo] reaches a higher level. Or we strengthen your Core enough to communicate with me differently. This is such a nuisance. Even the idea of binding a new Skill Rune for the sole purpose of understanding you is starting to make sense.

He took a deep breath, trying to discard the thoughts tormenting his mind.

You meant to say that you cannot remember everything, right? David inquired.

A wave of what felt like approval hit him. However, there was also something else—hesitation? Uncertainty?

You're not sure about these memories either. You can feel them, but they–...

More emotions reached him, and their connection pulsed vividly. It was more of a feeling, but the theory forming in his head felt right.

They appeared after I bound the Core to Deryadus’ Arm?

While it would be interesting to discover more of the past and to learn how much Electra remembered, it wasn’t enough to stay idle—not with more Voidlings roaming the capital, awaiting their reckoning.

David conjured [Blood Blast] and released it into the air. The bloody projectile exploded in the sky, and a golden portal popped up nearby. He dashed through the portal and emerged back on the skyscraper’s rooftop beside Maja.

“Are you fine?” she asked, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as he nodded, but the seriousness never left her features.

“Do you want to keep going? If so, where do you want to go next?”

David shook his head. He needed a moment of silence to go through the fight with the three Saplings. Reminiscing about the battle showed him how lucky he had been. The Saplings hadn’t been very powerful, and their Maelstroms hadn’t been nurtured by the Void. Then again, they were stronger than the average Sapling, given they had access to a Maelstrom containing the Void’s power.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

It was obvious he wouldn’t have defeated them under normal circumstances. However, studying the Void had been incredibly helpful in the destruction of the Void Barrier, especially when the Void Barriers weren’t all that powerful yet.

It had been a struggle when he encountered his first Void Barrier, and that would surely be a problem if the Voidlings used the Void to augment the Void Barrier. Fragments were most likely still too powerful to deal with easily—but David was confident. Especially with pure Blood at his disposal. It was the real deal.

[Origin Lightning] and [Primeval Pulse] were already powerful on their own, but their properties and lethality increased drastically when used with pure Blood. Their efficiency when used against the Voidlings elevated to new heights, reaching a terrifying level—all courtesy of the Transcendent Soul, of course.

David sorted the memories and information in his head before turning back to the wastelands. He had wasted more than enough time thinking. He approached the edge of the rooftop, his gaze drifting across the remains of the capital.

Two Saplings and a Fragment remained, but the latter was none of David’s concern—not until the Saplings had been taken care of.

“Can you bring me to the ruins over there? Three blocks south of the shopping center.” He pointed at the ruins of a massive building, and a portal snapped into existence.

David stepped through without a second thought and emerged on the cracked remains of a wide street. He spun around, [Bloodthrone Dominion] activated, and located his target.

The Void Sapling—a lanky creature the size of a small human—spun around. It charged ahead, but was struck by a bloody projectile that pierced the Void Barrier before it could cross half the distance separating them. [Healing Link], cast on a weak [Blood Blast], didn’t inflict any damage. It merely created a connection to the Void Sapling, examining it.

The Void Sapling slowed for a moment, presumably inspecting what had just happened. However, it only took the Voidling a few seconds to resume its charge. David watched closely, his focus lingering on [Bloodlife Echo] as he felt more links with a multitude of information coming to life.

Considering the information that reached him, Electra must have used [Healing Link] on a few dozen Void Infected, the other Sapling, and both Zachariah and the Void Fragment.

Zachariah didn’t kill you when you applied [Healing Link]. That’s… unexpected.

David was certain the Regressor would be too suspicious of the Mythical Electra to let her apply anything. [Bloodbound Bastion]’s Spark glimmered vibrantly at that thought, and his connection with Electra showed the Sacred Beast using the Spark to protect Zachariah three times.

He gave you the benefit of the doubt? Good.

David nodded, accessing the information provided by the links to adjust his tactic. The Void Sapling was about to reach him, but David ignored it as he cast [Phantom Rush] to weave past it.

The crimson phantom materialized where he stood a moment ago, and he pushed past the Voidling. It didn’t seem to notice him, but that didn’t stop the Sapling from tearing through the crimson phantom.

David slowed after a second and turned around, summoning a pristine lightning in one hand and a crescent-shaped blade of Rend in his other. Words of Power rolled from his lips with the desire to adjust the Intent a little. It shouldn’t require much, but Rend had to be adjusted just enough to infuse the power of the pristine-white lightning seamlessly. Unfortunately, doing so while an agile creature of the Void was charging him wasn’t all that easy.

The Sapling reached him again and attacked. But before its claws could reach him, David released Rend—pristine currents crackling alongside its surface. A thunderous sound erupted as he released Rend, and it rang out once again upon impact. The Void Barrier rippled and burst apart as the infused Intent unleashed its fury, but it took only a quarter of a second before it regenerated.

The result was not exactly what David had been hoping for, but it was more than enough for a first attempt. The Void Sapling’s momentum dropped for a moment, only to burst the ground underfoot as it barreled forward faster than before. It was fast—faster than the other Saplings had been.

David realized he couldn’t keep up with the Voidling, but that wasn’t necessary. He never expected to be faster than all his enemies. All he needed was to follow their movements—predict his foe’s movements.

David did exactly that, twisting his body until a crack resounded. He tuned out the pain and evaded several incoming attacks. Scalemore suffered more damage as the Voidling’s claws dug through it, but it granted him all the time he needed to retaliate. A second burst of Lightning Rend whipped out, followed by a second crescent-shaped blade coated in [Herald’s Blessing]’s grayish hue.

Two crescent blades struck the Void Sapling from close distance. The first, Lightning Rend, was to shatter the Void Barrier, and the second, augmented projectile to cleave through the creature behind the all-consuming darkness. That was how it was supposed to look—only for a trace of Void to erupt and enhance the Void Barrier.

David’s plan failed as both projectiles failed to pierce the Voidling’s defense.

It was unfortunate, but David shrugged inwardly. The information reaching him through [Healing Link] made more than up for the failed attack.

Its body is too weak to hold the Void for extended periods. The body is deteriorating as traces of the Void pass through it.

As interesting as the news was, it wasn’t like the Sapling’s body was permanent. Saplings would grow a proper body once their Maelstrom accumulated enough power to jumpstart the creation of new life.

Not that it will reach that level in death, he thought, a grin blooming as he felt a familiar pull.

He gave in to the pull and appeared behind the Void Sapling, hand pressed against its head as he released a burst of [Primeval Pulse].

His arms suffered again as a beam of pure lethality manifested in his palm, but David was more concerned about touching the Void Barrier. Would the Void infect him with a mere touch? He couldn’t be certain and prepared mind and body to sever his hand if needed. However, that turned out to be an unnecessary worry.

[Primeval Pulse] obliterated the all-consuming darkness it touched near-instantly before continuing its carnage. It burst through the back of the Voidling’s head and kept going until it emerged on the other side once again.

The Voidling turned to face David, its claws scraping across Scalemore, but it was to no avail. It disintegrated, and more system notifications emerged before him.

He picked up the Maelstrom after a quick inspection and stored it away. After launching a bloody projectile into the sky, David found himself back beside Maja.

“Good job,” he said, while already looking for his next target.

Should I deal with the other Void Sapling first? What about the Void-Infected? Do I have to deal with them as well?

Scalemore was already damaged, and the pure Blood within Serpent Fang had also been consumed. One of his Blood Storages was empty, and his Source had barely any pure Blood left either, leaving him with one full Blood Storage, a half-empty storage, and the Blood within the Sacred Beast Core to use.

Defeating these fuckers drains way too much energy. Not even pure Blood removes that obstacle.

Albeit unsatisfied about his efficiency in battle, it had to be said that he could defeat a handful of Void Saplings without any help. That wouldn’t have been satisfactory if the Saplings were an ordinary bunch that had yet to form their Maelstrom, but that wasn’t the case. Every Void Sapling in the capital had a Maelstrom and knew how to use it—more or less.

Images formed in his head, displaying the destruction left behind by Electra and her lightning. Clearly, the Sacred Beast did not need any help defeating the remaining Void-Infected.

“Move me near Zachariah. Five blocks north, though. One more Sapling is hiding over there,” David requested, and a portal formed beside him. He didn’t jump through it right away and added, “Move me to Zachariah, to a nearby building, once I’m done. He seems to be doing fine, but a little bit more help won’t harm him.”

He caught Maja’s nod and charged through the portal. Once outside, David cast [Phantom Rush], his head flicking left and right until it stopped on a small, darkness-shrouded creature. Not wasting any more time, he charged the beast, Words of Power rolling from his lips as he manifested two pristine-white crescent blades.

He never planned to give the Voidling time to retaliate and released the blades once he was close enough. Energy pumped through his Energy Pathways as he prepared to follow up with more deadly attacks, but that wasn’t necessary. Lightning Rend number one pierced the Void Barrier and cut faintly into the gray skin beneath before number two impacted. It passed through the Void Barrier’s gap and struck true, piercing skin, flesh, and bones in one go.

David had only just arrived before the Voidling when it started to disintegrate, system notifications confirming the kill.

“Well…” he muttered, excitement threatening to overwhelm him.

Manifesting Lightning Rend consumed a few droplets of pure Blood, but it was far more cost-efficient than [Primeval Pulse]. While that made sense with the Class Skill being an Advanced Skill that required more pure Blood than David could offer to unleash its full potential, [Origin Lightning]’s property was likely the crucial factor in Lightning Rend’s efficiency.

Then again, fusing Rend with [Origin Lightning] is quite taxing.

There were pros and cons with everything that revolved around the Voidling’s defeat, and that was fine. Regardless, the last Sapling was dead, its Maelstrom picked up and stored, and the Void-Infected would not live much longer. Just like the Fragment.

David released a blood projectile into the air and jumped through Maja’s portal once it manifested.