After confirming his plans with Jane De Blyth, Enoch entered the mind of the Angelbird.
The process was simple. Once done, he could simultaneously control both his physical body, though with far less efficiency than before, as well as the Angelbird itself.
He could see through the creature's eyes. Its vision was tinted with a constant red hue.
As the Angelbird rested atop Enoch's hand, its eyes turned towards Jane, whose own were closed in focus.
Moments later, a golden light began to emanate from her body, fluttering into the sky like a butterfly.
The light represented Jane's spiritual body, which she used to draw a portal into the spirit realm.
Enoch had never witnessed such a thing before. Through the Angelbird's eyes, he watched as Jane's spirit formed a portal of golden light and travelled through it.
With some hesitation, he flapped the bird's wings and took off, entering flight and soaring into the portal.
The moment the Angelbird crossed the threshold, Enoch felt a rush of weightlessness.
The world around him shifted. The forest, the trees, and the sky above all faded into streams of light. Colours bled together, twisting into shapes he could barely comprehend.
Then came silence.
He found himself hovering above a vast landscape of golden mist. Beneath him flowed rivers of light.
Strange shadows drifted through the realm, their forms eerie and frightening. Everything seemed beyond Enoch's comprehension.
In the unseen distance, Enoch could feel immensely powerful presences turning their gaze upon him.
Thankfully, he was within the body of the Angelbird, not his own spirit, which followed an immoral path.
He dared not imagine what kind of attention he might draw otherwise.
"This way."
Enoch spotted Jane's golden light fluttering in the distance. It moved in what seemed a random direction, but he had no choice but to trust her.
Without hesitation, he took flight once more, following her through the spirit realm.
After what felt like a minute of chasing Jane's golden light through that incomprehensible world, it came to a stop.
"Here," her voice came delicately. "If you exit the spirit realm at this point, you'll find where Nero Servus and his team began. Though I can't say what else lies beyond."
Enoch could not speak while inhabiting the Angelbird's mind, so he simply waited in silence.
After a moment, Jane seemed to understand what he wanted. Her spirit let out a worried sigh as she opened a portal that revealed nothing of the other side.
"Please be careful, Your Majesty. Nero Servus is not merely the son of a pope. He is a powerful man who seeks to merge religion with war," she warned.
Enoch didn't care.
Without waiting, he beat his wings and flew towards the portal.
But before he crossed the threshold, he thought he heard a faint voice whisper to him.
"Godeater... Godeater..."
The sound sent chills through his spirit.
He was not even in his physical body. What sort of being could still recognise who he was?
Wishing not to find out, Enoch passed through the portal and was thrust back into reality.
---
He emerged above a small lake surrounded by the trees of the Strategem Forest.
To his surprise, it was eerily quiet. No voices, no movement. There was no sign of the enemy team.
At first, he wondered if Jane De Blyth had chosen the wrong location.
Then he saw a lone figure seated by the lakeside, staring at the Angelbird.
The man stood as Enoch approached, his brow furrowed into a deep scowl.
Being a religious man, he likely recognised the creature, though confusion flickered in his eyes, unsure who its master might be.
After Enoch circled the area and confirmed the Pope's son was truly alone, he couldn't help but laugh. The sound that came out as a bird's chirp.
He flew down to where Nero waited and activated the Angelbird's ability.
Bodily Exchange.
The Angelbird burst into a cloud of white mist that obscured everything around it. When the mist cleared, Enoch stood where the bird had been.
Back where Jane was, Enoch's physical body would now have swapped places with the Angelbird.
Enoch and Nero faced one another. The Prince wore a faint smile; the Pope's son, a look of barely restrained anger.
"How has a man who walks an immoral path come to possess a pure creature?" Nero taunted.
Enoch scoffed. "You seem so sure I walk an immoral path. If that's true, you're bold indeed. What's stopping me from breaking the rules of this Mock Battle and killing you right here?"
"Don't be foolish," Nero replied. "You're only on the Shadowed Path. I don't believe your soul has fallen so far as to be beyond redemption."
He lifted his head towards the heavens.
"Besides, good will always triumph over evil. The true Creator walks with me."
Enoch didn't respond. He had no patience for such sermons.
Instead, he looked around and shrugged.
"Where are the rest of your men?"
"On a hunt," Nero answered confidently. "I can defend myself just fine."
That nearly made Enoch laugh. He was done talking.
We'll see about that.
He lifted his arm, palm facing the Pope's son.
He summoned one of his newly learned abilities: Kurohono.
Black flames erupted from his hand in an instant. Having never used the power before, he couldn't yet control its form precisely.
It roared forth like a dragon's breath, scorching the grass below to ash as it spiralled towards Nero.
Behind the flames, Nero's eyes widened. Though he had not underestimated the Prince, he hadn't expected a power so dark.
[Passive Effect "Abysall Instinct" Activated]
> physical and magical strength increased by 50%.
Nero leapt aside, splashing into the lake and barely dodging the flames, which struck a distant tree and set it ablaze.
Enoch's eyes widened too, a smile spreading despite the pain in his core. His mana nearly drained.
But at the same moment, he felt something stir within him. It was like a renewal deep in his spirit.
[Breakthrough Achieved!]
[Copper → Bronze]
In an instant, he had advanced to the second soul level, having met the condition: to use one's class ability whilst at 100% soul progression.
It was the easiest soul Level to progress to. All others required some sort of objective or ritual. Some were so difficult that people would often remain stuck at a singular soul level for years.
Enoch's core refilled with mana. More than ever before. His whole being felt renewed.
But there was no time to revel in it. He turned his gaze to the water, where Nero had vanished.
The man was hiding in fear...
Enoch circled the lake, ready to strike again.
Moments later, Nero emerged on the opposite side of the lake, gasping for breath.
Seeing he wasn't preparing to attack, Enoch lowered his arm and approached slowly.
As he neared, the drenched, panting Nero rose defensively.
"That was an attack meant to kill!" he spat. "I knew it, you do walk an immoral path!"
Enoch ignored the accusation. It was time to test another skill.
He activated Shadow Step.
At once, black mist poured from his body, seeping into his skin until he became a living shadow.
His vision darkened, and all physical sensation fading away.
Nero's eyes widened, but before he could react, Enoch moved five times faster than before.
A black blur swept past him. As Enoch passed, he tore the pendant from Nero's neck, leaving a bloody gash.
Reappearing behind him, Enoch returned to physical form.
Ding!
The toll of a bell echoed through the trees, which was the signal that a leader had been eliminated from the mock battle. All members of Nero's team would immediately be collected from the arena.
Then came a system notice for Enoch.
[Temporary Passive Effect Acquired: Sunburn]
He'd expected this; it was the cost of Shadow Step.
Sunburn: After use, the user must avoid sunlight for one minute. Exposure causes searing pain and halves movement speed.
[0:57 seconds remaining]
There was no cover here, so he braced himself.
His body grew heavy and sluggish, each movement incredibly slow.
Still, he had enough time to face Nero Servus, who furiously raised his hand, palm faced towards the Prince.
"The True Creator grants me the power to dispel all evil!" Nero roared.
A golden light began to glow from Nero's palm.
---
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