Chapter 718 World ‘Reborn’ (2/2)

Meanwhile, the balrog was quiet for some time. It was until Joshua asked if he should form a body for it that Syndicate appeared to finally regain consciousness, and answered with a rather mixed tone, ”My Lord, you have my gratitude. I just never imagined that I would get a new body so quickly, and I'm not prepared.”

”Huh…”

Compared to Ying, Ling, Karin, Amelia and Lisa who were unsure what was going on, Joshua could tell Syndicate's thoughts at once. While he certainly was not sensitive in emotional matters, the warrior was not blind, and hence spoke to the balrog in spirit. ”Only by having a body could you accompany her normally and protect her… What is there to hesitate about? Do you still intend to be a locket for life, hiding inside a girls' body?”

***

Syndicate's fidgeting was a mere brief interluded. Soon, Joshua had separated its form from Lisa's heart.

The actual process was simple. In the tenth of a second, Joshua cut apart Lisa's clothes, skins, and bone—but even before her nerves could react, the white body of the balrog was drawn out, while Steel Strength sewed her body back together.

It was a major operation that would have taken at least a few hours for normal surgeons, but lasted less than the blink of an eye with the warrior at the helm. After a blur in everyone's eyes, they soon realized that there was a white, fluffy dumpling that was half-energy and half solid in Joshua's right hand. In response, Lisa's eyes widened at her chest that was no longer tightened, staring instead at the dumpling in her master's hand.

”That, that is…” She exclaimed, her lips slightly parted.

It was precisely the true form of the balrog Syndicate, an advanced class of elemental slime, a higher lifeform that fundamentally far surpassed such formless creatures. Born in the Abyss filled with toxic and radioactive heat, it was a balrog that destroyed all things, born as an incarnation of divine lightning, thunderclouds full of electromagnetism. It could become a Holy Light Liege that could heal all things, emanating radiance, while also being an eligible protector of the mountains and the jungles, a guardian of nature.

Now, that cluster of lights that was fully elastic squirmed like a heart, as Syndicate awaited its sovereign to rebuild its body.

However, Joshua did not move at once… It was not difficult to draw the balrog out, but building a fitting body for it was a problem.

Although Joshua had long since learned Creation, and it was easy to build a living body. He could regenerate as he liked himself, having an indestructible and eternal lifeforce, although that was because his body was an assemblage of Steel Strength, a condensation of his power that could regenerate naturally. Nevertheless, when it came to the body of others—especially unique profound beings like the balrog—he would need help from special trace elements.

Joshua sensed his surroundings. However, after spiritually scanning half of the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds, the demiplane clearly did not have any of those unique trace elements that existed only in the demon's homeworld, the Abyss.

”Master, should I contact the researchers?” Ling asked, having slipped into the recovery room with Ying. The black-haired youth could tell what problem his master was considering, since Joshua once mentioned a similar issue about Creation in the past. ”This is the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds—it's convenient to go anywhere from here.”

”There's no need,” Joshua shook his head in response. ”There's no need for such lengths.”

Although it was not as if the warrior could not fuse unique trace elements out of thin air, since it was a special exclusive substance which was also formed from Steel Strength, materializing it was just a little troubling… But in truth, the warrior would not even have such issue, since he had preparations when he mastered Creation.

Looking up slightly towards Mycroft, Joshua summoned inwardly, ”Light, to me!”

Thus, with a ringing jingle, a perfectly round luminous orb appeared in Joshua's left hand out of nothing.

Light's appearance appeared to take everyone by surprise, as all of them apart from Joshua stared blankly at the orb and said nothing. In truth, that was normal—Light, being a clone of a World Will that had devoured considerable Steel Strength fragments, embodied Authority that already surpassed most Extraordinary individuals. What was unusual about it being able to teleport?

Joshua's previous tests had even proven that Light could carry a person along when it teleported, before returning the subject to its original coordinates. Its teleportation completely ignored all seals of space and time, even transcending worlds… Naturally, the prerequisite was for Light to know the corresponding coordinates, such as the position of Joshua, who shared a profound link with it.

”Come. Create seventeen standard quantum of R3 Abyssal elements, and twenty-three standard quantum of G Abyssal elements.”

Joshua did not say much, instead directly ordering Light to create things, which the orb did after a pleased jingle. As Joshua had previously created objects, mysterious, fluorescent and flashing powders appeared out of nothing.

Afterward, the warrior built a cluster of solid energy that was similar to Syndicate's original form with those elements as core, although the mass was similar to a normal human.

”Syndicate, you can now create any body you like. That probably would not be difficult for you.”

When that was done, Joshua threw Syndicate's body into the energy before it could react, while it also directly fused inside it. The large cluster also rapidly transformed, and when that was done, the warrior, with Ying, Ling, and Light in tow, turned and left.

What would follow was a private matter for Syndicate and Lisa—he did not have to interfere as an elder. What was more, he was more concerned with Light's proficiency at Creation.

”Not bad, Light. Looks like it wasn't a waste feeding you those Steel Fragments—there might be more gains if it continues.”

The luminous orb pranced around with the praise, although Joshua soon made Light pause motionlessly in the air: the warrior had drawn out a shard with a purple-green gleam.

It was the Steel Shard from Simboa that carried 'unconditional empowerment!

”Here, for you.”

Joshua smiled as he passed the Steel Shard to Light, watching it as it excitedly consumed it.

After many journeys to other worlds and interaction with many Steel Python, Joshua had a considerable understanding of the World Wills as beings.

The true form of Light was a luminous human figure located at the Bloodmoon Abyss, and was unquestionably its Abyssal Will, but was one unlike typical Abyssal Wills. The self-sacrifice ritual of the Xillians before that destroyed their civilization had turned all of their lifeforce and souls into the Blood Moon, becoming an embryo that gestated the human shape of light, providing it a solid form in the physical realm.

And Light was its child—or to put it simply, a platform placed with Joshua to liaise with the warrior, and essentially a physical (newborn) World Will. Compared to matured Steel Pythons, it only lacked fundamental experience since the Bloodmoon Abyss was already destroyed, its continents shattered into countless floating islands, while scarce few was left of its Authority.

Joshua had fed Light Steel Fragments for fun had actually greatly aided and supplemented its growth, empowering the World Will's authority. That much was apparent from Light's proficient abilities of Creation and elemental conversion… Joshua knew that his efforts would not be wasted, since the help he would gain from Light's growth would far eclipse those few pieces of Steel Shards that could create just a few Supreme-tier champions.

In the end, it was a 'World' reborn.

”Eat, mature, and grow.”

Stroking Light's neck as it digested Simboa's fragment, Joshua narrowed his eyes which flashed in silver radiance. With Ying and Ling flanking him, the warrior smiled and whispered quietly, ”it's only when you've really grown and matured that you could really become my aid.”

And Light appeared to hear Joshua. Its core whirled, emitting a unique and inaudible voice. It was not the jingle it was used, and the voice itself was stifled by the luminous orb's own energy processing.

But if anyone could hear and understood what the voice said, the voice that compounded with Mycroft Basic and appeared similar to clear wind chimes—a voice belonging to Light alone—had a simple meaning.

”Yes, father.”