"Bang!"
A resounding roar, accompanied by rolling waves of sound and sand, spread out in all directions.
Following the sound, a variety of roars and screams followed.
A huge circular crater appeared beneath the city wall.
Sofia, covered in blood, was surrounded by a faint blue glow, which lifted her up and floated in mid-air.
Some blood stained her silver hair, adding a touch of battlefield charm to the already heroic Sofia.
She slowly raised her right hand, clutching the head of a demon.
She lifted it, grasping the demon's sharp horns.
"Valkyrie! Valkyrie!"
Such cries suddenly echoed from several locations across the battlefield.
Then the other soldiers joined in the shouting.
Then the momentum of the entire battlefield began to rise steadily with these cries.
Julia's command also led to the stirring classical music, which spread throughout the battlefield, stirring everyone's blood.
This effect was possible because the demon Sofia had slain was a demon general, a formidable force.
He possessed immense power, having demonstrated unparalleled dominance in the previous battle.
Under these circumstances, Sofia immediately confronted the demon, engaging in a duel of brute force.
In this battle of sheer strength, he pinned the demon down and slew it.
Brute force combat, in some cases, was incredibly visually striking.
After so many years of battling demons, nearly every soldier knew to avoid direct confrontation.
That was their forte.
But Sofia's heroic presence and the impact of his powerful strike instantly ignited the battlefield.
Taking advantage of this surge in morale, all the demons that had surged onto the city walls were quickly slain or driven back.
Seeing this, even the bloodthirsty Chaos demons knew now was not the time to continue the assault, and they slowly retreated like a tide.
A brief respite.
Sofia also transformed into a blue meteor and returned to Alka's side.
"Valkyrie," Alka said with a smile, looking at Sofia beside her.
Hearing this teasing, Sofia nudged Alka with her elbow and rolled her eyes at him.
At this point, Alka and Sofia's companions on the battlefield finally understood why Sofia's adoration had been so strong the previous night.
Clearly, during her absence, she had become the most prominent figure on other battlefields.
Warfare against demons is inherently cruel and hopeless, especially for ordinary soldiers. Although many soldiers held onto faith, cruelty and despair inevitably etched a deep veil in their hearts.
In such circumstances, Sofia provided a true reassurance.
And in such circumstances,it was also most likely that people would sincerely admire and worship such a powerful being.
She even earned the title of Valkyrie.
With the demonic tide receding, Alka and the others were finally able to leave the city walls and rest.
Moments like these were truly rare.
Amidst the Valkyrie's repeated praise, Sofia nodded and hurried off.
…
After more than two months of fierce fighting,
The demonic attack in front of the demon-proof fortress began to slow, becoming slightly less severe than before.
Alka and the others also began to disperse, providing support in various locations.
Because at some unknown nodes, it's always unclear how many demons will attack, increasing the pressure on some nodes.
When Alka returned from his second mission,
Greyfar found him.
Alka followed the messenger to Greyfar's office.
"Alka, you're here. Take a seat."
Alka nodded and, without hesitation, found a seat nearby. He took a leisurely sip from the glass of water beside him.
After their interactions, he had gotten to know Greyfar quite well. He appeared serious, but in reality, he had a deep dislike for all kinds of formalities.
Perhaps because of this place, most generals and soldiers valued efficiency.
Red tape was meaningless here; it only slowed down the various problems on the battlefield.
In this rapidly changing place, every general must possess the ability to stand on their own two feet.
Sometimes decisiveness is necessary, which also means that many generals here are actually using their full strength.
This is a situation with both advantages and disadvantages.
"You looking for me?"
Greyfar remained focused on the task at hand, but nodded without looking up.
He then said, "The situation at the Demon Hunting Fortress has begun to stabilize. Are you going to the Anti-Demon Fortress? It's the most important battlefield right now.
It's also the main target of the demonic attacks, and Parx is located there."
Hearing this, Alka pondered.
The Anti-Demon Fortress, as the name suggests, is distinct from places like the Demon Hunting Fortress, which are often referred to as fortresses.
This fortress is the core of the entire Anti-Demon Wall. Simply put, the core of the entire wall lies within this fortress.
A certain object within it serves to support the entire wall.
The reason the city wall has remained unbroken for so long is because this core can continuously repair the wall and allow users to modify it to a certain extent.
Therefore, if a node is destroyed, the core can be used to immediately extend the wall back a certain distance.
This prevents the enemy's advantage from rapidly increasing due to the destruction of a single node.
The Demon-Proof Fortress also guards the largest thoroughfare.
If it were breached, nearly the entire world, Scar, would be in danger.
When humanity first began to fight against demons, it was because countless ancestors shed their blood there to build that fortress.
Greyfarr basically rotated between the Demon Hunting Fortress and the Demon-Proof Fortress.
For Greyfarr, the Demon-Proof Fortress was the main battlefield, while the Demon Hunting Fortress was his resting place.
Because even if the Devouring Mouth led his troops to attack here, Greyfard wouldn't need to take it too seriously thanks to the fortress's advantage.
Remember this fortress. Greyfar, with his treasures, can completely suppress the Devouring Mouth, and coupled with the surrounding environment.
So, even though the Devouring Mouth was specifically responsible for attacking the Demon Hunter Fortress, he rarely appeared on the battlefield in person, knowing full well that it was pointless.
The entire sprawling battlefield was a tool for demons to deplete the human forces.
As humans were depleted, they would inevitably reveal fatal weaknesses.
For demons, most demons, even all demons, were expendable.
Trading ten demons for one human was a somewhat profitable trade for them.
During most attacks, Greyfard himself was not at the Demon Hunter Fortress. Only when the Demon Hunter Fortress needed him, or when it faced extreme danger, would he use special means to quickly arrive there.
This was a phenomenon Alka had observed recently, and Grayfart didn't hide it, nor did Alka ask further questions.
"But going now would be too dangerous. Let's wait," Grayfart said, suddenly realizing something.
"Why do you say that?" While Alka understood, it was only the understanding of an ordinary person.
It certainly wasn't the understanding of someone in a high position like Grayfart.
"Because I suddenly remembered that the Devouring Mouth would definitely trip you up there.
That's not just our main battlefield, it's also the demons' main battlefield. The Demon Lord and the two commanders are all there.
Although you're powerful now and seem to possess many treasures,
you're still essentially at the fifth stage, aren't you?"
At this point, Grayfart looked up at Alka. Faced with this question, Alka nodded, with no reason to hide.
Almost everyone on the battlefield assumed Alka and his group were at the sixth level, as they dealt with the sixth-level demons like chickens and dogs.
Just like how Sofia, with the help of everyone, had previously slain a powerful sixth-level demon with absolute dominance.
Anyone slightly stronger than Alka and his group, with discerning eyes, could see that they were still essentially at the fifth level. "That's the most chaotic area, and it's also where the abyssal aura constantly invades. So, there might actually be something going on in the Devouring Mouth.
It's best to wait until you reach the sixth stage before heading to that fortress to conduct offensive and defensive missions.
After all, there's no need to risk your own weakness against the enemy's strength. This is a very unwise choice, as I'm sure your caution will reveal.
Furthermore, if you want to spread your fame and expand your reputation, that's the best place. At the sixth stage, I believe you'll be able to unleash even more incredible combat power, making a name for yourself throughout the world."
Hearing this, Arka looked at Greyfar and asked something he'd been wanting to ask.
"I want to know: Why do all the powerful beings in the Infinite Sea intentionally or unintentionally spread their reputations?
Why is this? Is it related to the formula for becoming a god?"
Hearing this, Greyfar's expression shifted. He couldn't help but turn and stare at Alka, a rare look of doubt crossing his serious face.
Alka could sense that his doubt wasn't about Alka knowing the so-called formula for becoming a god; for a powerful being, such a thing shouldn't be a secret.
But his doubt didn't last long before a sudden realization struck him.
"By the way, how many years has it taken you to get from arriving at the Infinite Sea to now?"
Hearing this, Alka did a quick calculation: "A little over 10 years, but definitely no more than 15."
Hearing this, Greyfar nodded.
"No wonder. Thinking back, the only major event you seem to have participated in is the Flower Fairy's revival.
And it was indeed only during the Gemini Island event."
Alka nodded. Indeed, that was true.
They spent most of their time sailing the sea and searching for treasures.
The only time they had come into contact with any major powers was during the Flower Fairy's resurrection. Before that, they had had almost no contact with any major power, save, of course, the Holy Mother Church.
Come to think of it, they'd been roaming around the Twin Islands and the surrounding waters. Generally speaking, it was a relatively remote area.
They hadn't visited any of the well-known large islands. After all, large islands meant they were heavily developed, leaving them with a limited range of operations.
They were treasure hunters.
They couldn't just dig under someone else's building foundations.
"Right, I almost forgot you were a treasure hunter," Greyfar said.
"You're only at the fifth stage, so there's really no need to expand your reputation.
Didn't the church tell you?" Greyfar turned to Alka and asked.
Alka shook his head.
"Hmm..." Hearing this, Greyfar paused.
"This is something you'll know once you reach the sixth stage of strength. Of course, powerful people often know and even prepare in advance.
Since the Church hasn't told you, and the Reverend Mother hasn't told you either, then I'm even less qualified to tell you this. Perhaps I hope you'll find out for yourself when you reach the sixth stage."
After all, Greyfar did know something about Alka's situation. If he told anyone, he might actually be punished by the Reverend Mother, which would be unworthy.
After all, this matter was neither small nor insignificant, yet it seemed somewhat important.
"Don't be overly curious, it's not a big deal. Besides, it won't be long before you reach the sixth stage. By then, even if no one tells you, you'll know it yourself," Greyfar said.
Hearing this, Alka nodded, but didn't force the issue. He was simply curious, not desperate to know.
Because their reputation had already begun to spread. And the reaction just now had already given him some information: the spread of fame didn't seem to be driven by the formula for becoming a god.
Clearly, there were other reasons.
He was more concerned with something else.
"Then I want to ask you something. I want to know about the Curseblade family."
Hearing this, Grayfar, already puzzled, now looked at Alka with a face full of questions.
He was a little confused as to why Alka was interested in such a thing. It was obvious that Alka knew he was one of the last remaining descendants of the Curseblade family.
"You want to know about my family?"
Alka nodded, and without hiding anything, he said directly, "I'm on a treasure hunting team, so I'm interested in things steeped in history or the unknown, including the infamous Curseblade.
The weapon you're using isn't a Curseblade, is it?"
"You're quite discerning, you can tell that." Gray couldn't help but smile.
A rare smile appeared on his face, clearly delighted by this incident.
"Most people, almost everyone, thought the weapon I wielded was a cursed sword, but just as you said, it wasn't."
Greyfall couldn't help but look nostalgic as he spoke.
He began a brief account: "Our family is so famous that it even earned the prefix "Cursed Sword." We're called the Cursed Sword Family because of the scepter-level treasure called the Cursed Sword.
But if you know the history of the Saralan Empire, you'll know that our family was one of the earliest founding generals. We were also the first knights to follow the Saralan Emperor.
So our family has continued since that time, and the blade I wield is the true family heirloom.
Almost all members of the family are qualified to wield that treasure, and are suited to it.
However, the most famous Cursed Sword user, one of our ancestors, was also quite famous within our family.
He wasn't suited to the family's original treasure; with so many people, there are always exceptions.
But, relying on his own strength and talent, he mastered a new treasure: the Cursed Sword.
He also became the most famous figure in the family's history, so famous that outsiders even formed a false impression of our family."
At this point, Greyfort couldn't help but laugh. He still had great admiration for him.
"It's a shame. Although the cursed sword he wielded has been passed down through the family since then, few have mastered it.
Plus, the family's original treasure was a sword, so over time, people began to believe that the original sword was the cursed sword. It's quite interesting, isn't it? People always want to believe what they believe."
Greyfort suddenly said.
Hearing this, Alka nodded. Indeed, it was true.
"Since you want to know about the cursed sword, then you must want to know the last person to wield it, right?"
Hearing this, Alka nodded again.
"The final person to master its construction was a commander who was in charge of resisting the demonic invasion during the empire's destruction, and he was also the patriarch of the family at the time.
He was one of the few members of the family who could wield the cursed sword, and it is precisely because of this that the family's original treasure was passed down."
"His name is Lifepain, commander of the Third Legion. According to soldiers who stayed behind, he and most of the commanders remained on the front lines against the demons, including most of the family's most powerful members.
Probably in this area."
Greyfar stood up and drew a circle on the map behind him.
That was exactly where Alka and his team had set up camp, indicating that the demons had occupied most of the area at the time.
"The demons emerged from here and continued their attack towards this point."
Greyfar pointed to the depression in the center of the map, the source of the water.
The line he drew led directly towards the Stone Fortress. "The last remaining people formed a defensive line along the coast, using the surrounding islands for support..."
Greyfard simply summarized the situation for Alka.
"If you need it, I still have some records from that time."
Alka nodded. "Thank you, that would be great."
Then, curiously, he asked, "Aren't you curious about the sword's whereabouts? Or don't you want to reclaim it? After all, it's the symbol of your family, isn't it?"
Greyfard shook his head.
"That sword is just a symbol to outsiders. The true symbol is the one I wield.
Besides... even if I get it back, what good will it do? The Cursed Sword Family no longer exists, and I only have a few of my own.
I don't even feel any sense of honor or belonging to this family.
Even if I take it back, I'll just hang it on the wall, a decorative object that looks back at the past. It's meaningless.
This place is no longer called the Saralan Empire, but the World Scar.
We need to look not to the past, but to the future."
Hearing this,
Arka was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Thank you for your help. I'll take my leave now."
Greyfall nodded, and Arka pushed the door open and left.