94 Something Lacking?(Part 1)
--- Akira ---
After manipulating the nameless fellow, we swiftly located and dealt with the remaining First Children and core facilities.
Unfortunately, he met his demise when one of the Knights of Rounds, Loki, suspected him of being a spy, given that whenever he went, we would follow. However, I had already extracted all necessary information from him by then, so it didn't pose much of a setback.
Furthermore, I managed to gather some insights about the other Knights of Rounds, excluding the True Leaders, which could prove valuable in our future endeavors.
Loki
Hel
Jormungandr
Freya
All these names are from Norse mythology, but if you take a closer look at the others, you'll notice they're drawn from various Greek mythologies.
However, Fenrir doesn't seem to exhibit traits consistent with his legendary counterpart. Does this imply that these names are merely chosen for their aesthetic appeal?
Many authors tend to draw inspiration from mythologies when crafting characters, a trend evident across numerous stories I've encountered.
While I can't deny the appeal of such names—they're cool and often carry straightforward meanings—it's true that crafting characters around them can be relatively simple.
However, when it comes to the True Leaders of the Cult, it's a different story. Their identities remain shrouded in mystery, making it impossible for me to make any informed guesses about their appearance or names.
With countless possibilities for names that could suit the upper echelons of the Cult, attempting to speculate feels futile.
Their level of secrecy is such that even the Knights of Rounds, who are deeply entrenched in the organization, seem to possess limited information about them.
Well, not like the spy I planted was in a position to get information of that level.
I'll attempt to break one of their minds and mold a new puppet to gain further insights.
However, there's one aspect that's concerning me.
Despite my Authorities growing more potent and my strength increasing day by day thanks to my [Strength] Growth Skill, among other factors...
My Combat Prowess is stuck at [Highest].
I could sense there's something missing for me to break through this rank, despite my continuous growth.
When I questioned Alpha about it, she replied, "Something lacking? Well... that might be hard to discern without a proper spar."
Even though we've spent years devising plans to dismantle the Cult together, upon reflection, we've never tested each other's limits.
There hasn't been a situation where such a test was necessary.
In the past, I could sense a significant gap between us, whether it was emotionally or in terms of strength.
But now, things have changed.
I need to get to the bottom of this as fast as possible, and she can probably help me on that.
The thing is, with enough Magical Power, you can pull off some seriously overpowered feats.
Cid Kagenou always operated on a different level.
But I'm convinced that those who have reached an [Extreme] level of Combat Prowess, who possess a solid understanding of Magic fundamental combined with their immense Magical Power, could potentially replicate similar feats.
Who knows, they might even be able to bend the laws of this world or worse. That's why I can't afford to remain at my current level.
For that reason, I asked Alpha to spar with me.
As for my quest tasks, dealing with the corruption within the Holy Church proved a bit more challenging. There wasn't any concrete evidence to go on, which was a bit of a headache, but nothing too serious.
While wiping out the Holy Church altogether might have been tempting, it wasn't an option due to the conditions of the quest. It required me to cleanse the corruption without destroying the institution itself.
I'm uncertain about the Cult's ability to produce more tears in the future, but I imagine they're feeling the pressure.
Their plan seems pretty straightforward. The remaining Knights are gathering their forces from all corners of the world to launch an attack on the Capital.
While we've managed to thwart some of their efforts, even an organization as formidable as Shadow Garden can't cover the entire globe.
Currently, their membership stands at less than 2000 individuals, which, while impressive, falls short for a global operation.
Most of these new recruits have been freed from Demon Possession by my intervention. It's worth mentioning that they are all women, as the Curse predominantly affects females.
It's amusing to see Cid Kagenou's harem expanding so smoothly. However, I can't help but wonder if it's alright that the loyalty of those I've cured lies more with me than with Shadow Garden. But does it truly make a difference?
Not really, because I won't be in this world anymore in the future.
However, I've made sure to ask every person I've cured to look after Alexia in the future. It brings me peace of mind knowing she won't face danger alone.
While Shadow Garden is currently allied with me, there's no guarantee they'll maintain that alliance solely for Alexia once I'm gone.
She possesses great power, and there may not be any more enemies left once I'm finished with this world, but I still worry.
Love, as they say, is bittersweet.
That's only part of the reason I've chosen to cure them myself, though.
One significant benefit is that I can absorb Magical Power released from the Possessed, which is an incredibly advantageous perk.
In the past, I've been limited to absorbing only 15% of the Magical Power. However, after the Authority of Mana was significantly strengthened as a result of my Sword Awakening...
[You will absorb and convert the Magical Power you have controlled]
[Absorbed: 1%]
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[Absorbed: 10%]
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[Absorbed: 15%]
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[Absorbed: 30%]
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[Absorbed: 45%]
[Your Authority is not strong enough to completely absorb the residual Magical Power]
[The rest of the Magical Power will dissipate into the air]
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[Your Skill [Mana Control] has leveled up]
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The results were visible.
Even though talents and skills didn't always advance with each cured Possessed, after a significant number of targets, I had accumulated enough Magical Power to completely transform myself.
Now, my Magical Power could be compared to a vast sea.
Anyway.
The Cult of Diablos has set its sights on the Capital, so there's no need for us to chase after them all over the world. We can simply wait here until they're ready and confront them directly.
In the meantime, we'll need to devise a proper plan.
---
Author's Note:
As always, I apologize for no chapter yesterday.
My plan to end things by Chapter 100 is going smoothly. Next Chapter we'll skip the marriage (which will happen in those few weeks when the Cult is ammassing their strength) and explain what Akira is 'lacking' for [Extreme] Combat Prowess before heading directly to the final battles.
