His body grew even fainter. Jessica reached out as if to catch his flowing hair, but she turned away, pressing toward the Blade of the Warlord. She took another step.
This time, the toes of her good foot were obliterated. Blood sprayed uncontrollably from the wounds. But she stood firm.
Orek's test was clear: with every step, she would lose a piece of herself. In the face of such repeated torture, could a person hold onto their conviction? Conviction wasn't something achieved in a moment of heat; it was forged through constant injury and obstruction. Only those who truly understood this could walk the path to the end.
The smile left Jessica's face. She looked at Orek with a wooden expression. He remained cold.
"Stop it, Ancestor Orek!" she said, her voice strained as if carrying a physical burden.
Orek walked up to her, expressionless, preparing to toss her out of the Rift. As I thought, the path of a warrior is not for her, he mused.
His power began to recede. The barrier shrank.
In that instant, Jessica lunged toward the Blade of the Warlord.
"Ancestor, my conviction is firm! But I cannot let others pay the price for me anymore! That is also my conviction!"
Her hair turned to ash in an instant. The skin of her scalp was stripped away, exposing bone. But she did not die.
"Kindness is a precious quality, don't you think, Orek?"
Raekor stood on a nearby height, her power expanding into a much larger, stronger barrier that shielded both Jessica and Orek's soul.
"Raekor, I will not thank you. It is noble for a warrior to be willing to die for their conviction," Orek said. His figure flickered and left the Rift. He had finally acknowledged Jessica as a warrior.
Raekor smirked, though the expression was grim. She thought of Joryz.
"Why must 'nobility' always be equated with 'sacrifice'? What do you think, Little Bear?" she asked the bewildered Jessica.
"I don't know... but Ancestor Raekor, I'm going to pick up that blade!"
Jessica looked at the weapon nearby. It pulsed with a legendary glow. Within that light, Orek's aura churned—wild, violent, and full of the spirit of resistance. She could feel his thoughts.
"Is that so? Then go."
Raekor smiled. Jessica was likely the first "little one" to earn a prize. Perhaps there was a bit of Orek's protective instinct involved, but Jessica was now a warrior recognized by a God of War. She wasn't strong enough to wield the true Blade of the Warlord yet, but Bul-Kathos would provide a suitable reward—a replica, perhaps, to help her learn Orek's way of battle.
Raekor followed behind as Jessica marched forward and gripped the weapon. Though she looked horrific—her scalp gone, her body mangled—the agony could no longer stop her will.
Whirrr!
The moment her hand closed around the hilt, the legendary glow faded, and the weapon became indistinguishable from a common blade. It was a weapon forged by Orek; it obeyed his will. Jessica had been accepted.
"Go back now. Auntie Malah can treat those wounds. They won't even leave a scar."
Raekor had forgotten about health potions; they weren't a standard staple in her time.
"I will," Jessica replied.
Raekor sent her out of the Rift. Jessica, however, had no intention of using a potion. she planned to keep the scars as a memento. As for whether Luke would care that she was "ugly"... she didn't give a damn. If he had a problem, she'd just knock him out and drag him home. Barbarians liked to use strength to settle arguments, and as a member of the Great Bear Tribe, Jessica had plenty of confidence in her strength.
Bul-Kathos stood at the epicenter of the explosion, motionless. The violent shockwaves hitting him were like a light breeze, unable to leave a mark. Above him, Kanai's Cube had stopped its transformation. Kanai would now become a part of him.
"Are you ready?" Volrusk's voice echoed, though he did not appear. He was bound to the dark depths, tending to the Holy Mountain's power, waiting for the day he would offer his everything.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"