Birth of the Demonic Sword

The mission strangely encountered only a few issues. The empty creatures were a constant threat that forced Noah and Sword Saint to fight while the group flew across the void, and some separate dimensions had trickier layers.

However, the experts didn't meet anything that could force them to deploy their real power. Their extensive preparations seemed to be enough to cover every unforeseen situation, but that answer didn't satisfy the most paranoid among them.

Noah had slowly realized that the void didn't contain great dangers. Heaven and Earth didn't even seem to bother about the worlds in their system. He might complete the mission on his own if King Elbas gave him the items required to avoid getting lost.

Of course, Noah never lowered his guard. He actually grew more careful as Shafu kept absorbing worlds in its separate space.

Caesar had told the group that Heaven and Earth were aware of their intentions. The experts were even succeeding in many thefts, but their actions didn't trigger any punishment. The rulers were basically allowing them to restore the world.

Noah didn't believe for even a second that Heaven and Earth had spent energy to destroy the higher plane only to open a path for him. The sole thought that the rulers could have committed such a colossal mistake was unreasonable, but the journey proceeded smoothly nonetheless.

The group had even failed to think of how Heaven and Earth could exploit their efforts. Noah would use the energy gathered in the mission to rebuild the higher plane, but those lands would carry his mutations, so the rulers couldn't transform them back easily.

Everything seemed to go against Heaven and Earth. They would lose two times due to the initial consumption of energy and the loss of some of their valuable sources of power. In theory, stealing the broken worlds had to be Noah's worst deed in the rulers' eyes, but they didn't even bother to slow him down.

The confusion and worry didn't make the group stop. The experts continued their long journey across the void and limited their energy consumption since the environment didn't offer "Breath" to absorb.

The experts even held back from seizing the light of the membranes since they didn't want to anger Heaven and Earth, so their energy inside their centers of power continued to decrease. Only their minds could sustain themselves without external fuel, but their dantians and bodies constantly moved toward their limits.

Everyone had predicted that outcome. The experts had devised special methods to prolong their endurance and remain in the void as long as possible.

Many had stored massive amounts of energy in special containers that they could use to refill their centers of power. King Elbas had even prepared some of those items for his companions, so their reserves never reached a critical state.

The magical beasts had it worse, but Noah allowed them inside Shafu's separate space whenever they were about to fell prey to their hunger. The process depleted part of the energy acc.u.mulated with the theft, but that outcome was better than having angry creatures losing control of themselves.

The journey across the void and the many areas created by the white separate dimensions made the experts face strange scenes and peculiar environments.

The experts ignored all the membranes with power under the eighth rank, but they inevitably glanced at their insides from time to time. Those weaker separate dimensions usually contained Mortal Lands, and the group couldn't help but admire the different environments they featured even if they didn't have much time to waste.

The short inspections couldn't satisfy their curiosity, but the group could only suppress that feeling. Those worlds were too weak for their needs, and they couldn't forget about their priorities anyway.

Instead, the stronger worlds reserved surprises that the experts could appreciate. Noah and the others had to approach planes of various shapes, fabric, and layouts. It even often happened that some of them carried weak wills that had resisted the relentless absorption.

Noah and the others were rank 8 experts who had lived for countless years, but the vastness of the universe managed to leave them speechless. The faint d.e.s.i.r.e to ditch Heaven and Earth's system and venture through the endless possibilities past the sky inevitably appeared in their minds as new peculiarities appeared.

Still, those thoughts would remain nothing more than dreams as long as their existences remained unable to generate energy on their own. Those incredible scenes ended up reminding them of their situation. Their laws required Heaven and Earth's system to survive since the void didn't offer anything.

"We have another proper rank 9 membrane this time," King Elbas announced after creating a crack in the void.

The group had grown used to the pace of the mission. They had stolen dozens of worlds by then, and they had even overcome the various challenges that those different environments put on their path.

The team had become a well-oiled machine that barely required conversations to know what to do. A few glances were enough to tell them how they had to approach the target.

Sword Saint, Robert, Steven, and Alexander stepped forward while King Elbas took out a few potions from his space-rings. Dealing with proper rank 9 membranes required multiple attacks that bordered the limits of the eighth rank and special items that could weaken their target, but the group already knew how to act.

King Elbas threw the containers toward the whiteness, and the four experts quickly followed. The items exploded when they touched the light and released a corrosive black substance that weakened the membrane's fabric and allowed the group to create a hole with a single wave of attacks.

More items flew out of King Elbas' space-ring at that point. Keeping a rank 9 membrane open was a problem since it was in its nature to remain closed, but the four experts could pull that off with the help of special substances and materials.

Yet, the effects of King Elbas' items would run out quickly, and the experts would be able to delay the closing of the hole by mere seconds at that point. Those who went inside the separate dimension had to act quickly or wait for their companions to reopen a passage.

Noah never feared those situations, and his presence inside the separate dimension was also necessary, so he shot through the hole as soon as it opened. Divine Demon and Wilfred followed him to ensure that everything went well, but their eyes inevitably widened when they realized what the membrane contained.

Proper rank 9 membranes could hide most of their insides until the experts actually crossed them. The same had happened there, so the trio could understand the target's nature only after flying past the whiteness.

A massive pale-purple jellyfish covered in layers of blue ground floated among the whiteness and seemed to ignore the pulling force that affected the materials on its body. Its giant tentacles hung from the base of its dome-shaped head, and crackling noises resounded in the area whenever they touched the light.

Even Noah hesitated in front of that massive creature. The rank 9 aura that flowed out of its figure made him realize that the target was too powerful for his group.

Noah didn't need to give any order. He turned, and his eyes met his companions' stern gazes. That short interaction was enough to make them understand how to proceed. They had to leave right away.

Still, the jellyfish showed signs of life when the three experts disturbed its sleep. Its tentacles lazily cracked on the white layer, and massive fissures opened everywhere.

Noah and the others hurried toward the hole, but the cracks reached its edges before them. Then, an explosion resounded in their ears, and a massive force landed on their backs.

****

Author's notes: The side effects of the vaccine are here. I don't know if a night of sleep will make them disappear, but I guess that resting won't hurt. I'll take a one-day break on "Demonic Sword" and write only one chapter for Chaos' Heir tomorrow(two if I really feel like it/better). Chapters will go back to normal on the 5th. I'm honestly sorry for putting you through this, especially so close to my past fever. I'll try to become immune to this stuff.