After his swordsmanship match with Andre, Bruce was exhausted too. His lower back and arms ached terribly, and even the slightest movement took effort.
My physical conditioning really is poor.
Bruce sighed inwardly. He still needed professional training to improve every aspect of his physical abilities. Otherwise, even the finest swordsmanship would be no match for someone stronger.
Brute strength could overcome any technique.
After resting for a while, Bruce left the Wind-Cutting Swordsmanship Club.
He had come to Rhode Town to assess his swordsmanship, but he also had something more important to do: buy the formula ingredients needed to become a Wizard.
Rhode Town had no shortage of suppliers selling all sorts of materials, both in shops and at street stalls. Bruce visited several reputable pharmacies as well as a few street herb vendors. Buying from both would help him gather the ingredients faster, while spreading his purchases around would prevent anyone with an interest from discovering the Potion Formula for becoming a Wizard.
Bruce took another precaution. He bought not only the ingredients required by the Potion Formula, but also a wide assortment of other materials. Most had no connection to the formula but were useful to Wizards.
Some were medicinal herbs for nourishing the body.
It never hurt to be careful.
That day, Bruce bought a large quantity of materials directly from the pharmacies. Even so, many of the ingredients required by the formula were still missing.
The herb merchant said the remaining ingredients would take at least two weeks to arrive. Rhode Town was only a small town, after all, and its pharmacies had limited stocks. They would have to bring them in from pharmacies elsewhere.
Bruce could afford to wait two weeks.
As long as nothing particularly urgent or unusual happened in the meantime.
Bruce had plenty to do while waiting for the remaining Potion ingredients. He had just paid for physical conditioning lessons, and he still had classes to attend.
Although he had yet to become a Wizard, that did not stop Bruce from studying the magic in the Dark Bible. Memorizing the incantations and runes in advance certainly could not hurt. He would have to memorize them after becoming a Wizard anyway, and learning them now would make practicing easier later.
Solid, consistent training was the foundation for overcoming his physical shortcomings. There were no shortcuts, though he could also brew some nourishing medicinal soups.
Danvers was still selecting suitable servants. The ordinary positions had already been filled, but she had yet to decide who would serve as the steward. There seemed to be some disagreement over the pay, and Bruce did not get too involved.
A week flew by amid his busy training.
Although he had told the believers in Zambesi to pray to the Dark Lord after a week and promised to descend, Bruce was not sure whether he could truly return to Zambesi.
He felt that he probably could.
That night, Bruce held the Dark Bible and waited for the prayers to sound in his ears, waited for the red light to spread.
He had already memorized the Potion Formula for becoming a Believer. He had also memorized some of the magic in the Dark Bible. He did not know whether divine power could substitute for a Wizard's power, but he could at least try.
The underground city of the Zambesi Kingdom, on the Western Continent.
As the day of the Dark God's return drew near, the underground city brimmed with joy and anticipation. Awaiting his divine grace, the people bathed, put on new black robes, and wore eager expressions.
Yet one person stood apart from the black-robed crowd.
That person was Amaya, the only Zambesi citizen in the underground city who did not worship the Dark Lord.
She had unexpectedly gained extraordinary power and had even openly challenged the god, yet the Dark Lord had spared her.
Amaya had forgotten what happened then. She remembered only that anger had overwhelmed her. By the time she woke, the Dark Lord had left, and she possessed extraordinary abilities.
Perhaps a god simply could not be bothered to quarrel with an ant.
Clutching the Ruby pendant hanging against her chest, Amaya felt lost as well. The god she worshipped no longer answered her. Although this gem, which had once hung on her god's statue, had granted her power, she knew full well that this power was nothing before the Dark Lord.
What path should Zambesi take?
Could the power I have now protect Zambesi?
Must we truly embrace darkness to gain protection?
God, please tell me!
Amaya looked at the black-robed people slowly entering the palace. Each person who entered was utterly quiet and solemn. Apart from her, every citizen of Zambesi had become a deeply devout worshipper of this Dark God.
The Dark Lord had become their spiritual pillar.
Amaya wanted to leave, but she also wanted another look at this Dark Lord.
The people of Zambesi all praise the Dark Lord's mercy, but what god of darkness is ever good? It is all a disguise. He will bare his fangs sooner or later!
Amaya looked at the eighteen black-robed figures standing closest to the steps leading to the divine throne. Six were Zambesi's leaders, while the other twelve were chosen ones selected by the Dark Lord. Today, they would receive his blessing and gain divine power.
What kind of power would they receive?
Inside the palace, the black-robed leaders sat in a circle around a fire and began to pray and offer praise. As their voices rose and fell, gray mist gradually gathered around the divine throne above the steps.
At the manor in Lane Village, Bruce sensed a disturbance. Prayers formed from strange syllables sounded in his ears, and a pulling force tugged at him. The people of Zambesi were summoning him. Without hesitation, Bruce projected his consciousness toward them.
This time, the Dark Bible did not emit its tidal surge of red light.
The scene before Bruce's eyes shifted unpredictably, as though the stars themselves were wheeling overhead. Soon, he was seated on the palace's divine throne, transformed into Eris, the Dark Lord.
He casually took the Divine Scepter in hand, his mind utterly calm.
Bruce released just a trace of the Dark Lord's aura. Wind swept through the palace, which filled with voices raised in praise.
"We pay homage to the great Dark Lord, the primordial Dark God."
Since Bruce had previously abolished human sacrifice, Zambesi's leaders had guessed that the Dark Lord was not an evil god and had no taste for flesh and blood. They had therefore removed the dried corpses and skeletons from the palace and replaced them with gems. Naturally, black remained the palace's dominant color.
Black signified solemnity and dignity.
"Divine Vision!"
The first thing Bruce did upon arriving was activate Divine Vision and gaze upon all the people of Zambesi within the palace.
Zambesi's leaders, the twelve chosen people, and Amaya.
None of them dared look directly at him except Amaya, who stared at him. But what could she possibly see?
Bruce did not care. Even Divine Vision could not penetrate the gray mist. How could Amaya's mere mortal gaze see through it to his true form?
Amaya watched the Dark Lord's figure emerge within the gray mist. There was only a blurred silhouette, carrying an unfathomably terrifying aura. With a single glance, Amaya knew she could not look any longer. Her hands and feet had gone cold, and breathing had become difficult. She could suffocate at any moment.
Bruce paid little attention to her, sweeping his gaze across the entire underground city.
As Zambesi's last refuge, the underground city held all of its precious supplies. After looking through them, he had found what he needed.
The Potion ingredients for becoming a Believer.
Bruce spread the Dark Lord's divine power throughout the underground city. He did not dare use it too recklessly, chiefly because he feared being discovered by other gods.
"Divine Power Seizure!"
After covering the entire underground city with divine power, Bruce used the Dark Lord's second innate ability. It allowed him to seize anything within the area covered by his divine power, drawing objects to him from a distance.
He drew all the Potion ingredients needed to become a Believer into the palace, then began mixing them in the proportions specified by the Potion Formula.
Since all the Potion ingredients were available, he would make it himself.
Watching the medicinal ingredients float in midair, no one in the palace dared speak. Though the god had said nothing, they knew the blessing had begun.