In addition to the updated map, Yaxiu's Soul Summoning sorcery spirit had also undergone new changes.
The Soul Summoning sorcery spirit took the form of a triangular bipyramidal hexahedron. Previously, only one face had glowed with blue light; after absorbing Valkas's Blood Tomb Soul Summoning sorcery spirit, another face lit up with red light.
"This sorcery spirit has successfully absorbed a sorcery spirit of the same name, unlocking new troop types: 'Blood Moon Servant', 'Adventurer', 'Bloodmad Hunter', and 'Two-Color Anchor'."
"Blood Tomb · Blood Moon Servant: Long-range soul damage +10%. 3 layers of armor. Form unrestricted. Can consume life to fire blood arrows. Consumes 1 point of soul power per unit."
"Blood Tomb · Adventurer: Melee soul damage +15%. Movement speed increased by 30%. Plunders 1 point of soul power for the commander per war unit killed. 2 layers of armor. Humanoid creature. Consumes 2 points of soul power per unit."
"Blood Tomb · Bloodmad Hunter: Gunplay and swordplay soul damage +20%. 4 layers of armor. Humanoid creature. Comes equipped with a longsword and the miracle 'Bloodmad'. Consumes 4 points of soul power per unit."
[Bloodmad: Use on self. Enter a state of lost sanity; attack speed and movement speed are drastically increased until death in battle.]
If "Adventurer" might have been a generic name that was merely a coincidence, "Bloodmad Hunter" could only point to the cult leader's archnemesis—the Blood Moon Country's ace profession, the Bloodmad Hunters.
In fact, after hearing the Sword Princess mention that a figure resembling a Star Prayerer had appeared in her country, Yaxiu had already suspected as much. These Blood Tomb professions fully confirmed his guess: the troop types of Void Realm factions were closely linked to professions in real-world society, or rather, every Void Realm troop type had a prototype in reality.
Speaking of which, back when they were being hunted down by the Empress Heroic Spirit, Yaxiu had also spotted Spider Tower troops wearing red hats. He hadn't paid it much mind back then, but thinking about it now, weren't those just the Red Hat security forces from the Gospel Country?
Still, was it that Void Realm troop types imitated real-world prototypes, or that reality contaminated the Void Realm, thereby giving rise to these troop types...?
Compared to the familiar Blood Tomb troops, the new unit that followed left Yaxiu scratching his head.
"Two-Color Anchor: 2 layers of armor. 20% Anchor. Consumes 2 points of soul power per unit."
[Anchor: When you encounter any external influence (physical attacks, mental shocks, curse weakenings, etc.) or spontaneously alter yourself (consuming sorcery power, buffing yourself, etc.), there is a chance of triggering the Anchor effect. Once Anchor is triggered, for the next 5 seconds you cannot be influenced by the outside world, nor can you influence the outside world.]
Unlike the other troop types, "Two-Color Anchor" had no prefix like "Star Hall" or "Blood Tomb," indicating that it likely did not belong to any specific faction. Furthermore, it offered no attack bonuses; its sole feature was the special trait: [Anchor].
At first glance, this effect seemed quite formidable: once triggered, one became immune to external influences, which was tantamount to invincibility. But the catch was that once [Anchor] activated, Yaxiu couldn't affect the outside world either, instantly turning him into an onlooker—wait, could this be an exclusive troop type derived from my title as the "Observer of the End"?
Yet this troop type was precisely what Yaxiu needed. If they were truly hunted down by the Spider Tower Legion, that 20% Anchor might help them evade several fatal blows. Even if Anchor restricted their ability to attack, it didn't matter—against a Heroic Spirit Legion, their own combat strength was completely negligible anyway; their primary strategy was to gas their pursuers to death with their sports car's exhaust fumes.
Sorting through his gains, Yaxiu looked up at Valkas. "You gave it to me just like that? Weren't you afraid I'd go back on my word? Besides, if you were willing to surrender, why didn't you surrender to those two sorcerers earlier?"
"I merely lack emotions; I don't lack brains." Valkas tapped her temple. "The Yaxiu Heath in my memories is a fool burdened by an excess of conscience. Moreover, I have no leverage over you. Giving them to you now or later makes no difference, so I could only choose to trust you. As for those two earlier... my memories told me they weren't trustworthy."
Yaxiu didn't think too deeply about it, assuming Valkas had simply encountered unfamiliar strangers, so of course she wouldn't trust them easily.
"Can't you surrender and leave?" Yaxiu asked, somewhat puzzled.
The Arena of Mortal Combat permitted surrender. It was normal for knowledge creatures and sorcerer projections not to surrender, since the former couldn't speak and the latter lacked self-awareness entirely. But a Heroic Spirit Commander was at least akin to an artificial idiot—why wouldn't she surrender either?
"You sorcerers can surrender, because once the arena drains your sorcery power dry, you leave the Void Realm and return to reality." Valkas uttered the phrase "you sorcerers" quite naturally. "But we cannot surrender. Because after the arena drains our sorcery power, we remain here, and the arena will continue to absorb our souls until we are completely fused with it.
"Sorcerers are different from Void Realm creatures. Although you outsiders cannot survive in the Void Realm long-term, in certain aspects, you possess advantages we can never match."
Only now did Yaxiu truly realize that he was conversing with a "Void Realm creature." To Yaxiu, the Void Realm was a place for adventure, a dating spot, an escape from reality. If Yaxiu ever decided one day to settle down with a wife and kids by a warm hearth and quit the Void Realm entirely, he could sever ties with it completely.
Yet for Valkas and her kind, the Void Realm was their reality.
Reverse golden rain, arenas, resource points, the Flowing Gold River... these wondrous spectacles that were rare sights to Yaxiu and his companions were mere local infrastructure for them to chart on a map.
Between them, life and death drew down an insurmountable curtain.
If sorcerers were all tourists and adventurers in the Void Realm, then Yaxiu was perhaps one of the very few who had gained a profound understanding of the indigenous culture. While other sorcerers could at best communicate with a Ragecleaver Dragon through roars, Yaxiu had already had deep exchanges with two Heroic Spirit Commanders, learning many truths that even Sanctuary legends might not know.
The Empress Commander had even grown exceedingly fond of Yaxiu after their exchange—so enthusiastic that she insisted on keeping him in the Void Realm. Forever.
Yaxiu's thoughts drifted: *If I die in the Gospel Country, does that mean I'll most likely become a colleague of the Empress Heroic Spirit? But my body is a Blood Moon native, and I've been through a Blood Moon Trial. Would the Blood Moon Sovereign get into a fight with the Omniscient Weaver over talent like me?*
"So only I can surrender and leave?"
"Correct." Valkas nodded. "Though if you insist on killing me, there's nothing I can do about it. I gave you all my sorcery spirits before I died, and now I've given you my Soul Summoning sorcery spirit as well. I have no combat power left."
Yaxiu suddenly summoned the Heart Sword sorcery spirit. Staring at Heart Sword, Valkas tilted her head up slightly, exposing her smooth neck, as if waiting for a final full stop.
"Do you want me to give it back to you?" Yaxiu asked.
Valkas was slightly taken aback, then shook her head. "Sorcery spirits cannot be traded in the Void Realm. The moment you unbind 'Heart Sword', it will instantly vanish and flee."
"Oh, right." Only then did Yaxiu recall that rule.
The female elf asked, "Furthermore, now that you've elevated this sorcery spirit to Two Wings, would you still be willing to return it to me?"
Yaxiu countered, "Wasn't this intended as a gift for your child?"
"Keep it for yourself." Valkas considered it for a moment. "However... speaking of which, there is something I would like to ask of you."
"As long as it's not asking me to become your colleague, I'm all ears."
"In my dying moments, right before the Titan Executioner executed me, I... 'Valkas' had a final message for my child in my heart. If you ever have the chance, please find that child and pass this message to her."
*I'm not in the Blood Moon Country anymore...* Yaxiu fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "All right."
The female elf gazed into the distance, as if looking at the non-existent final page of a book, reciting the story's epilogue in an indifferent tone: "I'm sorry... Live a good life from now on. I let you down. Whatever you do, do not follow my example and violate the Bloodline Prohibition Law."
Yaxiu was silent for a moment. "Earlier, you said you had no desires other than 'understanding memories.' So why do you want me to deliver your final words?"
Valkas glanced at him, the corners of her lips curving slightly upward into the only smile she had shown throughout the entire conversation.
"Yes... why indeed?"
Chapter 383