Chapter 1022: The God King [Pt 3]

"The Martial Zone is a separate dimension forged by the will of a Transcendent Martial Artist." Ciara began to explain.

She told me about how the Martial Blade God totally mopped the floor with her, Edward, and Lemi by using this power.

"The energy coming from that blade reminds me of the Martial Blade God. It's certainly Martial Zone." She finally concluded.

No wonder I couldn't sense the use of Dimensional Magic. It wasn't Magic, but Martial Arts that was being used.

'Has Edward reached the Martial Blade God's level now?' I was genuinely curious, but also a bit intimidated.

'I guess there's only one way to find out.'

I took steps closer to the sword, and Wu Jie nodded with a reverent smile. He remained close to the entrance, unmoving from his position.

"Aren't you coming with us?" I asked him, wondering why he was just standing there.

"Mortals have no business in the meeting of gods. I know my place, transcendent ones."

His response shook me, and while I felt it was too much, a part of me was refreshed by his treatment.

'Every world we've explored has somewhat been hostile to us, one way or the other, but this one... it's surprisingly so respectful.'

A world where we were treated as gods—where the strongest being that existed was even weaker than Kahn.

'Edward was able to grow in this place? Fascinating!'

I found myself anticipating our reunion.

"We're coming in Edward." I declared, finally holding the floating blade.

The moment I did, I felt a sensation—warm and familiar—course through me.

It felt surreal, and I felt everything around me change instantly.

Kuzon, Aloe, and Ciara were still with me, but my attention wasn't on them. Rather, the world that now surrounded me filled my thoughts.

It felt like an eternally starry night—like I was surrounded by the vastness of space.

The air around me shimmered with a celestial luminescence, casting a gentle glow upon my face.

I could feel the weightlessness as my body floated effortlessly, unbound by the rules of gravity.

Above me, the stars burned with an otherworldly brilliance, painting the cosmos with their radiant light.

As I gazed further into the distance, I noticed nebulae swirling with vibrant colors, like celestial paintings suspended in the darkness.

The interplay of hues, from vivid blues to fiery reds, was a sight that defied earthly imagination.

It was a celestial kaleidoscope, a visual symphony that ignited my soul with pure, unadulterated joy.

"This is...!" I exclaimed in a hushed tone.

It was amazing!

Not as amazing as Kuzon's special dimension, but it was on another level entirely.

"It feels just like I'm in the Martial Blade God's Zone again." I heard Ciara mutter. "Though this one is clearly less refined."

"It's not bad." This time it was Kuzon who spoke.

He had a stiff smile on his face, something reminiscent of being competitive.

'Is he intimidated by this?' I wondered to myself, stifling a laugh.

"To think Edward made all of this. It's amazing." Aloe added with a genuine smile.

Kuzon could really learn a lot from how she expressed herself.

All in all, it seemed everyone was so impressed by the special dimension we found ourselves in.

But the question remained...

"Where is Edward?"

That question was met with silence.

And then a voice appeared.

~Looks like we have visitors. Edward's friends, huh?~

"Who's there?" I responded instantly.

It felt like the one who spoke sent their words directly into my mind.

I glanced beside me, and it seemed like I wasn't the only one who heard the voice.

Kuzon, Aloe, and Ciara also had suspicious expressions.

'This isn't Edward's voice. It's also not a familiar feeling.'

"Leo sounds excited for some reason. Looks like we've just encountered a sibling of his." Kuzon muttered, sighing tiredly.

'A sibling? Does that mean... it's a Constellation?!'

~Precisely! My name is Aries, the Constellation of Will and Action.~

Suddenly, a bright white light manifested in front of us, forming a great white orb. My eyes couldn't properly recognize what dwelled within the orb no matter how hard I tried.

~Do not bother. Your eyes are incapable of perceiving me as of now.~

"I-I see..." It felt similar to when I was unable to hear the words of Aether when she addressed a particular topic within the Root.

~I was the Martial Blade God's Familiar, and as a dying favor from him, I was asked to consider Edward as his successor.~

'The Martial Blade God had a Constellation as a Familiar?!'

I thought he never had a Familiar, considering the fact that he never used it.

'Hold on... he had a Familiar as powerful as a Constellation, and he never displayed it's power?!'

When Karlia and I fought him, was he just going easy on us? He never even used his [Death] Arcana.

'He had so many unused abilities, and he never revealed them to us?!'

It seemed I had been ahead of myself by thinking I could win against him the way I was now.

'In the end, I never even found out how strong he was'

~The Martial Blade God never used me even once throughout our contract. It was still a great adventure watching him, though... seeing him evolve and devolve, and then finally actualize his goal.

Since he showed me something interesting till the very end, I decided to indulge him and accept his wish.~

"S-so that means you're Edward's new Familiar?"

~I have yet to decide. Currently, your friend is undergoing a trial. Should he succeed, he will be truly formed as the Martial God King, and will succeed the Martial Blade God.~

Was that why we couldn't see him? The Constellation, Aries, was currently putting him through a trial.

~Should he fail, however, he will forever live in the shadows of his predecessor.~