Chapter 813: The Banquet of Chaos

Chapter 813: Chapter 813: The Banquet of Chaos

Ethan looked down at the Black Chaos Sword in his right hand, which continued to emit that humble, piteous metallic hum. The contrast between the blade’s ferocious reputation and the way it was begging to devour the relic was almost absurd.

"Alright, don’t get impatient," whispered Ethan, taking a couple of steps toward the colossal metal pillar. "Make the most of the fact that it’s trapped."

[Go ahead, Master], encouraged Crul from his shoulder, watching with narrowed eyes. [Place the tip of the blade directly against the staff’s surface. Let it sense the essence of divine iron and wood.]

Ethan raised the Black Chaos Sword and pressed the dark tip of the blade against the etched surface of the Monkey King’s Staff.

The moment contact was made, a dull snap echoed through the subterranean chamber. The metal pillar began emitting an intermittent golden flash, attempting to activate its ancient defensive runes to repel the intrusion. However, being wounded and deprived of its former master’s power, its defenses were nothing more than a feeble attempt at resistance.

ZIIIING!

From the blade of the Black Chaos Sword, dozens of threads of dark, purple energy burst forth. Like the ravenous roots of an ancient tree, the chaotic filaments drove deep into the pillar’s body, piercing its layers of mystic protection and beginning to siphon the staff’s golden spiritual essence.

The pillar trembled, letting out a metallic wail that shook the subterranean temple’s very foundations. Cracks began spreading across its surface, and the golden brilliance contained within began flowing in continuous streams toward Ethan’s sword.

"This energy...", Ethan said, feeling a heavy, burning current travel through the hilt and course through the meridians of his arm.

"The staff carries the weight of the heavens and the will of a demon king," explained Crul, hovering around the blade to monitor the process. "Don’t absorb that energy into your own body; let the Black Chaos Sword refine it completely within its core. Otherwise, the sheer density of that relic will tear you apart from the inside."

Ethan nodded, channeling the flow directly into the blade. The sword began to glow with an increasingly dense violet shade as the chaotic runes etched along its edge rewrote and expanded themselves.

The process of devouring lasted for over two hours. Bit by bit, the colossal pillar that seemed to hold up the chamber’s ceiling lost its volume and luster, cracking until it turned into a husk of withered stone and metal. Finally, with a crash, the staff disintegrated into a rain of golden dust that was absorbed down to the last speck by the Black Chaos Sword.

When the dust settled, absolute silence returned to the chamber. The Black Chaos Sword in Ethan’s hand felt perceptibly heavier, and its edge emitted a pressure that made gravity warp around it.

Ethan swung the sword through the air, unleashing a metallic whistle so sharp it sliced through the air ten meters away without needing to channel spiritual energy.

"It feels completely different...", commented Ethan, gazing at the new golden and violet patterns tracing along the dark blade.

"It has absorbed the staff’s density and firmness," said Crul, landing back on his shoulder with a satisfied smile. "Its physical structure and capacity to withstand energy have increased by at least three tiers. Now you are one step closer to awakening its true form."

Ethan smiled, sheathing the sword before turning back toward the stairs leading to the surface.

"It’s time to go back," Ethan said. "Isabella must be waiting for me."

"Wait," said Crul, landing back on his shoulder. "Before you put it away, check its skills. Let’s see which of the staff’s properties the Black Chaos Sword absorbed."

Ethan closed his eyes and focused his mind on the blade’s spiritual core. Feeling within the flow of chaotic energy, he perceived the new runic mark etched into the sword’s hilt. As he channeled a sliver of intent, the information unfolded in his consciousness.

The absorbed ability allowed the sword to alter its physical proportions at will—extending to reach the horizon’s distance or shrinking down to needle fineness while retaining its crushing density.

"The skill it absorbed is [Mystic Pillar of the Heavens]," revealed Ethan, opening his eyes as the sword’s blade lengthened slightly before returning to its normal size in his hand.

"Excellent," Crul smiled with satisfaction. "The staff’s second-best skill."

Ethan raised an eyebrow in curiosity, looking at the creature on his shoulder.

"The second best?" asked Ethan. "Was there a better one than altering its size?"

"Yes, of course," explained Crul. "The best one was Immortal Celestial Flight. When weapons fully awaken, they gain consciousness, and that consciousness allows them to control their surroundings to become independent flying weapons. The fact that you didn’t obtain it means the staff’s spirit was already dead. Its soul was surely extinguished eons ago... I thought it would resist much more."

Ethan gripped the hilt of the Black Chaos Sword with greater firmness, feeling the latent pulse of the new rune in the palm of his hand.

"Let’s test the new power," Ethan said.

He tightened his grip and executed a casual upward slash, without even channeling an exaggerated amount of spiritual energy. Instantly, the dark blade emitted a deafening hum and lengthened by dozens of meters in a fraction of a second. The extended edge sliced through the subterranean chamber’s ceiling like butter, cutting through mystic stone, layers of earth, and the ancient structure all the way to the surface.

A thunderous roar echoed across the entire valley as the ground split in two, leaving a colossal chasm connecting the bottom of the temple with the sky outside.

Ethan gave a light tug backward, and the sword returned to its natural size in the blink of an eye.

"Impressive...", murmured Ethan, gazing at the flawless fissure he had just opened to the surface. "Even when it extends that far, I don’t feel it getting any heavier."

"It’s a weapon forged by a demon god," explained Crul, crossing her arms on his shoulder. "Even if it only retains a fraction of its original power, it’s not something a human could ever replicate."

Ethan raised the sword before his eyes, observing the violet and golden patterns now tracing along the edge.

"In that case... how strong is my sword?" asked Ethan.

"Extremely strong," Crul answered in a serious tone. "It was the sword of the Abyss God and was forged from the spine of a Black Chaos Dragon. That’s where its devouring attribute comes from... it shares quite a few traits with you."

Ethan formed a smirk, contemplating the abyss of light he had just opened above their heads.

"A devouring attribute for someone who is never satisfied...", Ethan whispered. "Sounds perfect to me."

With a fluid motion, he sheathed the Black Chaos Sword and used the newly created chasm to soar directly toward the surface.