Aside from the map update, Ash’s Soul Summoning Technique Spirit had also undergone new changes.
Externally, the Soul Summoning Technique Spirit was a triangular dipyramid hexahedron; previously, only one facet shimmered with blue light, but after absorbing Valcas’ Blood Tomb Soul Summoning Technique Spirit, another facet lit up with red light.
"The Technique Spirit has successfully absorbed a Technique Spirit of the same name, unlocking new troop types ’Blood Moon Servant,’ ’Adventurer,’ ’Blood Frenzy Hunter,’ ’Two-Color Anchor.’"
"Blood Tomb · Blood Moon Servant: Ranged damage to souls +10%. 3 layers of armor, shape-shifting ability, capable of expending life to shoot blood arrows. Each unit consumes 1 point of Soul Power."
"Blood Tomb · Adventurer: Melee damage to souls +15%, movement speed increased by 30%, each enemy combatant killed allows the Commander to plunder 1 point of Soul Power. 2 layers of armor, humanoid. Each unit consumes 2 points of Soul Power."
"Blood Tomb · Blood Crazed Hunter: Gun technique, swordsmanship damage to souls +20%. 4 layers of armor, humanoid, comes with a longsword and the Miracle ’Blood Frenzy.’ Each unit consumes 4 points of Soul Power."
[Blood Frenzy: Self-use, enters a state of lost sanity, greatly increases attack speed and movement speed until death in battle.]
While ’Adventurer’ could be a coincidence with a common name, ’Blood Frenzy Hunter’ could only refer to the sworn enemy of the Cult Leader’s life, the Kingdom of Blood Moon’s ace Profession the Blood Frenzy Hunter.
In fact, when Ash heard from the Sword Maiden that there was a person resembling the Prayer of the Stars in her kingdom, he had already anticipated this. These Blood Tomb Professions thoroughly confirmed his speculation: the troop types of the Void Realm are closely related to the professions in the real society, or rather, all the Void Realm troop types can find their prototypes in reality.
Speaking of which, when Ash was being hunted by the Empress’ Heroic Soul, he had seen troops wearing Red Hats from the Spider Tower, which he did not take to heart at the time. Now recalling it, wasn’t that the Red Hat Security Forces from the Kingdom of Gospel?
However, does the Void Realm troops imitate the real prototypes, or does reality permeate the Void Realm, thus producing troop types...?
Compared to the familiar Blood Tomb troops, the newly added troop types befuddled Ash.
"Two-Color Anchor: 2 layers of armor, 20% Anchoring, each unit consumes 2 points of Soul Power."
[Anchor: Whenever you encounter any external influence (physical attacks, Spiritual Shocks, curse weakening, etc.), or initiate a change within yourself (consume Magic Power, buff yourself, etc.), there’s a chance to trigger the Anchor effect. Once triggered, for the next 5 seconds, you cannot be influenced by the external world, nor can you influence it.]
Unlike other troops, ’Two-Color Anchor’ didn’t have a prefix like ’Star Hall’ or ’Blood Tomb,’ indicating it likely wasn’t an exclusive troop type to any power, and it had no attack bonus. Its only feature was the [Anchor] effect.
At first glance, this effect seems powerful: once triggered, you won’t be affected by the external world, effectively invincible. But the problem is that after triggering [Anchor], Ash also couldn’t affect the external world, becoming a mere spectator; wait, could this be a unique troop type derived from my title "Final Observer?"
However, this troop type was exactly what Ash needed; if they really were pursued by the Spider Tower Army, that 20% Anchoring might just help them dodge several fatal attacks. Even if Anchoring restricted their attacks, it didn’t matter—in facing the Heroic Soul Army, their combat power was utterly trivial, relying mainly on speedsters farting to fumigate their pursuers.
After organizing his gains, Ash looked up at Valcas, "You’re just giving this to me, aren’t you afraid I’ll go back on my word? And if you were willing to surrender, why didn’t you do so to those two Mages earlier?"
"I lack emotions, not a brain," Valcas tapped her temple lightly. "My memories tell me Ash Heath is a fool with an excessive conscience, and I have no means to restrain you, no matter when I give it to you. I can only choose to trust you; those two... my memories tell me they’re not trustworthy."
Ash didn’t think much of it, merely feeling that it was natural for Valcas to distrust unfamiliar Mages she had met.
"Can’t you surrender and leave?" Ash was somewhat puzzled.
The Desperate Arena allowed surrendering, and it was normal for knowledge beings and Mage projections not to surrender; the former couldn’t talk, and the latter didn’t have a consciousness of their own. But why didn’t the Heroic Soul Commanders, who were akin to artificial intelligence, surrender?
"You Mages can surrender, because once the Combat Arena drains your Magic Power, you will leave the Void Realm and return to reality," Valcas stated quite naturally using the term ’you Mages.’ "But we can’t surrender because, after the Combat Arena drains our Magic Power, we will still remain here. The arena will continue to absorb our souls until we are completely integrated with it."
"Mages and creatures of the Void Realm are different," she said, "you outsiders may not be able to survive in the Void Realm for extended periods, but in certain aspects, you have advantages we cannot match."
It was then that Ash truly realized he was conversing with a ’creature of the Void Realm’. To him, the Void Realm was a place of adventure, a romantic setting, a refuge from reality; but if one day he decided to settle down with family and hearth, he could completely cut ties with the Void Realm.
But for beings like Valcas, the Void Realm was their reality.
Inverse golden rains, combat arenas, resource points, the Flowing Gold River... these wonders that were rare sights for Ash and his kind were normal landmarks for them to chart on their maps.
Life and death had drawn a veil that was imperceptible to them.
If all mages were just tourists exploring the Void Realm, then perhaps Ash was among the very few who had deeply understood the native culture—other mages at best could now only communicate with the Violent Slash Dragon through roars, while Ash had had extensive interactions with two Heroic Soul Commanders, learning truths that even the legends of the Holy Domain might not fully grasp.
The Empress Commander even admired Ash greatly after their exchanges, so enthusiastic that she insisted on him staying in the Void Realm—forever.
Ash wondered, "If I die in the Kingdom of Gospel, would I most likely become a colleague of the Empress’ Soul? But my body belongs to a Blood Moonian, and I have participated in the Blood Moon Judgement. Would the Extreme Master of Blood Moon fight the All-knowing Weaver over me?"
"So the only option is for me to surrender and leave?"
"That’s correct," Valcas nodded, "but if you insist on killing me, there’s nothing I can do. Before dying, I’ve given you all my Technique Spirits, even the Soul Summoning Technique Spirit. I have no combat power left now."
Ash suddenly summoned the Heart Sword Technique Spirit, and Valcas gazed at the Heart Sword, slightly lifted her head, revealing her smooth neck as if waiting for a period to the sentence.
"Do you want me to return it to you?" Ash asked.
Valcas was slightly startled, then shook her head, "The Void Realm does not allow for the exchange of Technique Spirits. Once you release the ’Heart Sword,’ it will instantly vanish and escape."
"Right." Ash just remembered that rule.
The elf asked, "Moreover, you’ve elevated this Technique Spirit to two-winged. Would you still be willing to return it to me?"
Ash countered, "But wasn’t this the gift you intended for your child?"
"You keep it," Valcas pondered for a moment, "but now that you mention it, there’s something I want to ask of you."
"As long as it’s not about making me your colleague, anything goes."
"As I lay on the verge of death at the hands of the Titan Executioner, I... ’Valcas’ have a message for my child to be told. If you get the chance, please find that child and pass on my final words."
I’m no longer in the Kingdom of Blood Moon... Ash fell silent for a moment, then nodded, "Okay."
The elf lingered her gaze into the distance, as if looking at the nonexistent final page of a book, and with a detached tone, read out the ending of her story, "I’m sorry... You must live well, I’ve disappointed you, don’t ever follow in my footsteps, breaking the bloodline prohibition."
After a pause, Ash said, "You mentioned earlier that your only desire was ’comprehension of memories’, so why do you want me to pass on your final words?"
Valcas glanced at him, her lips curving into a slight smile, showing the only smile throughout their entire exchange.