DXD 21

The days seemed to slip away like fine grains of sand through my fingers, while the ominous threat of an interdimensional invasion loomed ever closer. Across the globe, early scouts had been spotted, causing pandemonium among the mundane population and even requiring military intervention. In this age of hyper-connectivity, the sudden appearance of colossal, purple portals was impossible to conceal.

These scouting parties were comprised of six-eyed black dogs with jaws of steel, ranging in size from towering monsters of ten meters to tiny pups of less than a foot tall. Tragically, they appeared in densely populated areas, unleashing mass panic and death in their wake. By the time we received word, the military had already eradicated the invaders, sparing us the need to intervene. Nevertheless, their appearance inflicted enormous damage upon the cities they had visited, with millions of casualties in their wake.

I have entrusted both the Yasaka and biblical factions with the crucial task of monitoring any abnormal occurrences across the globe, and have instructed them to take immediate action if necessary, supernatural secrecy be damned.

As I pondered on this, I was reminded of the unwavering loyalty of the leaders of various factions. They had dutifully completed their earlier assignments and presented me with the requested items and lists, adding yet another notification to my growing collection of quest completions.

[Quest: [Excalibur] Completed 2,500 WP(x2) Received]

When the seven swords were laid out before me, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment at the lackluster rewards offered for completing the quest. However, as I inspected each blade, I quickly realized their true value lay in their unique and diverse abilities. Each sword held a power that even those without mana could harness, making them a treasure to the right wielder.

With their potential in mind, I murmured the names of each blade to myself, fascinated by their individual strengths. "Destruction, Mimic, Rapidly, Nightmare, Transparency, Blessing, and Ruler," I muttered, examining each blade with admiration.

Despite their impressive abilities, I knew that my crafting skills could surpass them with ease. These swords were little more than trinkets to me, save for their potential resale value. But there was one faction that could make good use of them, so I turned to Yasaka and handed over the blades.

"Take them," I said, extending the swords towards her. "While they may not be of much use to me, I believe you and your faction can put them to good use."

Her eyes widened in disbelief and gratitude as she accepted the blades, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at having made a positive impact. It was a small gesture for me, but it had the potential to make a world of difference for her. As I watched her walk away, struggling to carry the seven swords, I felt a sense of pride in having made the right decision.

However, the earlier notification also served as a testament to the fact that one could ascend to higher tiers without the need for divine domains. It was a realization that brought a sense of relief, for Olivia had never been one to crave the worship of others. Instead, she had focused all her efforts on honing her martial arts skills and seeking enlightenment through her own hard work.

But with the deadline for our departure from this world drawing ever closer, I knew that I might have to force her hand. If she failed to attain her goal before we left, she would have no choice but to seek divinity through battle and heroism. And if my suspicions were correct, she would accumulate enough divine energy to solidify her own domain simply by fighting off the invading forces and saving the innocent.

Speaking of Olivia, she rejoiced in her newfound skill, [Blade Birth], which she acquired after the improved Blade Blacksmith melded into her soul. With unwavering enthusiasm, she honed her abilities, summoning a flurry of blades that dotted the training field, all the while clutching tightly onto the very daggers I had crafted for her.

[Blade Birth LVL: MAX]

- The user gains the ability to create blades out of thin air, imbued with magical energy, and capable of inflicting significant damage.

- The blades can take various forms, ranging from traditional swords to more exotic shapes, and can be customized to suit the user's preferences.

- The user can control the trajectory and speed of the blades, allowing for precise strikes and maneuvers.

When I regaled her with tales of Bleach and recounted the story of one of its captains, Byakuya Kuchiki, whose bankai conjured a tempestuous storm of cherry blossom blades, Olivia's resolve to replicate this overwhelming force only intensified. Her unbridled passion for the art, combined with her tireless diligence, left me in awe, and I knew that her path as a master blade wielder had only just begun.

While I, as my tier has ascended, was, at last, able to equip the races of Deus and Voidborn. These races, once frustratingly out of reach and grayed out, now shimmered with a resplendent radiance, beckoning me toward their profound depths with an irresistible allure.

[Deus]

+10 VIT, +10 PER, +5 CHAR per Global Level

- Unlocks the ability to manipulate divine energy.

- Upon selection, grants a random divinity best suited for the user.

- Grants the ability to give out blessings to lower-tiered beings.

- Grants [Ageless] skill, stopping the aging of the user.

[Voidborn]

- Gain the ability to consume matter, acquiring its properties and abilities.

- The blood of the user becomes a mutagen, forcing all biological matter it comes into contact with to morph.

- The creatures created from coming into contact with the blood, answer only to the user.

- 50% increased damage received from Light-based attacks.

- Total Immunity towards space and void-based attacks.

As I equipped the races, a sudden burst of golden light erupted from within me, and a divine domain solidified, granting me a divine dominion over magic. My understanding of magic and its manipulation skyrocketed, and my ability to wield it was refined to a whole new level. But as the initial shock subsided, I realized that something had gone terribly wrong.

[Divine Domain over [Magic] acquired.]

{Magic} Tier: 1

- Grants the user the ability to sense, identify, and manipulate all types of magic within a certain radius equal to their Intelligence times domain Tier in meters for the cost of divine energies.

- Enhances the user's understanding of the underlying principles of magic, allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental laws and mechanics of magical energy, and how it interacts with the world around them.

- Enables the user to effortlessly merge different magical systems, create more complex spells, discover new applications for existing spells, and potentially even develop new magical systems.

I had been so eager to equip the Deus and Voidborn races, to explore their unique abilities and advantages, that I had not anticipated the consequences. The solidification of a new divine domain within me had been an unexpected outcome, one that had left me reeling.

As I felt the weight of my mistake settle on my shoulders, I couldn't help but curse my own recklessness. The divine energies I had accumulated for my first domain were now a mere drop in the bucket, insufficient to meet the tenfold increase in requirements to solidify a new domain. The price of my carelessness was staggering, and I knew its specter would haunt me for quite a while.

With an exasperated breath, I sought to calm my frayed nerves and cautioned Olivia not to follow in my heedless footsteps. Yet, despite my earlier misfortune, a glimmer of hope shone through: the acquisition of a divine domain that brought about a profound realization, completely transforming my understanding of the very foundations of magic and the immutable laws that govern it.

As I delved deeper into this newfound knowledge, I began to realize that the magical systems that I had studied were a mere illusion, imposed upon worlds by the very laws that governed them. Only one thing remained absolute: mana, the very building block of magic itself, a single, simple particle that resided in a higher-dimensional plane, yet was so unfathomably complex that even I, with all my newfound understanding, could not fully comprehend its essence.

With a newfound determination burning in my soul, I set my sights on a lofty goal: to attain the pinnacle of magic, to master every aspect of it, and become the ultimate sovereign of it. I knew that this journey would be arduous and perilous, but I welcomed the challenge with open arms, for at last, I had a clear goal before me, and I was willing to brave any consequences that lay ahead.

As I calmed my mind and delved deeper into the intricacies of the Deus and Voidborn races, I found that most of the abilities offered by the Deus race were either useless or redundant. With my [Seed of Divinity] and [Spec of Divinity], I already possessed the ability to manipulate divine energies, rendering this aspect of the race redundant. While divine blessing was intriguing, it consumed divinity as fuel to cast and uphold, making it less desirable for the current me. Lastly, the [Ageless] skill, while seemingly interesting, provided nothing of substantial value, except for stopping aging altogether and preventing me from succumbing to old age.

[Ageless LVL: N/A]

- Prevents the user from aging and experiencing natural death due to old age.

- The user's body is immune to the effects of time, remaining in a constant state of physical and biological maturity.

Now on to the Voidborn race, and oh boy was this a big one. With a thrill of excitement coursing through my veins, I eagerly delved into the powers bestowed upon me by the Voidborn race. The power to consume matter may not have manifested as a skill, but it was nonetheless awe-inspiring. With a single thought, I could devour everything my skin touched, even space itself, allowing me to become an unstoppable force of destruction.

Intrigued by the possibilities, I put my abilities to the test, experimenting with scrap metal lying about in my inventory. To my surprise, I gained a buff called [Iron Skin], which fortified my defenses by a flat percentage. But the true allure of the Voidborn race lay in its ability to morph biological matter with its blood. And oh, how I reveled in this power!

With a single drop of my blood and the power of [Creature Create], I was able to bring small animals to life and twist them into grotesque monstrosities that would make even the bravest adventurer tremble with fear. Their tentacle-like appendages and a multitude of eyes made them truly terrifying to behold. But what was even more remarkable was the hive mind they formed, bound to my will no matter where I was in this realm.

I continued to experiment and dissect these creatures and discovered something truly unsettling. Their blood and flesh had the power to affect other creatures, forming new connections with me and cementing their place in my dark, powerful web. As I considered the implications of this power, I began to feel a sense of unease. If even a single Voidborn were to accidentally enter a planet's food chain, it could mutate and rule all life in just a matter of months, if not days. The true potential of the Voidborn race was both awe-inspiring and utterly terrifying.

As I delved deeper into the secrets of the Voidborn race, I found myself lost in thought and consumed by the possibilities of their incredible power. However, my musings were abruptly cut short when Mai scolded me for once again destroying the living room she had painstakingly restored and meticulously redesigned. I couldn't help but laugh at my own foolishness; I had become so preoccupied with the intricacies of the Voidborn biology that I had forgotten to ask Mai to prepare a proper workshop or laboratory.

Despite my momentary setback, I was invigorated by the immense potential that this race presented in future battles. I could envision a hapless adversary foolishly drawing my blood, only to be transformed into a grotesque beast under my command, a living weapon of my own twisted design. The possibilities were endless, and I couldn't wait to explore the full extent of this power.

But I knew leaving the race equipped at all times was a risky endeavor, even the slightest accidental blood drop could unleash devastating consequences upon my environment. With this in mind, I made the decision to switch my races back to High Elf, Vulcan, and Renard, resuming my day-to-day activities.

I persisted with my grueling training regimen, pushing myself to new limits and constantly striving for improvement. To my surprise, with her newly gained interest in blade summoning, Oliva joined me in my morning exercise routine. We engaged in countless duels, limiting ourselves only to weapon abilities and skills, with Oliva emerging victorious in most of them. Although I still couldn't compare to her swordsmanship, it didn't matter, as our joint training sessions dramatically accelerated my skill-leveling process.

Thanks to our rigorous training, I finally reached my third evolution stage for all of my weapon skills: [Small Blade Mastery III], [Gun Mastery III], [Bow Mastery III], [Large Blade Mastery III], and [Swordsman III]. These skills were then merged into a single unified ability, allowing me to seamlessly switch between different weapons and execute devastating attacks with ease.

[Weapon Mastery 5x LVL: 1/100]

- Increases damage done by all weapons used or crafted by the user by 10%/LVL.

- Increases base accuracy with all weapons used or crafted by the user by 2.5%/LVL.

- Increases the weapon handling speed of all weapons used or crafted by the user by 2.5%/LVL.

- Grants the user heightened perception and intuition when it comes to combat and weapon usage, allowing them to detect and exploit their opponent's weaknesses.

- Enhances the user's physical abilities, including strength, agility, speed, and stamina, to their peak potential when wielding any weapon.

- Grants the user advanced knowledge and proficiency in weapon crafting, maintenance, and repair, allowing them to create, customize, and optimize their own arsenal of weapons.

- Enables the user to perform a wide range of complex and versatile combat techniques and maneuvers, making them a formidable opponent in any type of combat scenario.

The merged skill surpassed my wildest expectations, unleashing a power that extended far beyond the original abilities. It elevated not only my damage output, accuracy, and speed in weapon handling but that of any wielder of the weapons I crafted. This transformative change did not go unnoticed by Olivia, who immediately recognized the shift in power. Alas, the skill did not stack, or else I would have forged her a suit of armor composed solely of blades.

But as I pondered on this limitation, a brilliant idea struck me like a lightning bolt. With Olivia's skillset, which included heightened blade damage and the ability to imbue her blade with energies that could slice through nearly anything, an armor composed of swords could very well become her greatest defense. As the saying goes, sometimes the best defense is a good offense.

With a graceful farewell to Olivia, I hastened my way out of the training grounds and in the blink of an eye, teleported back to our abode. Upon stepping into the Nexus, I commanded Mai, with a resounding call.

"Mai, prepare the office configuration and fetch me a generous amount of paper, please."

"As you wish, Master~" Mai's cheerful reply rang out.

In the blink of an eye, the once barren and lifeless space was transformed into a majestic office, an exquisite blend of form and function. The towering shelves of books and files, meticulously organized by Mai, spoke volumes of her remarkable attention to detail. The lavish chair, with its supple leather and ornate stitching, seemed to beckon me to take a seat and let my creative juices flow. And the spacious desk, adorned with sleek gadgets and state-of-the-art equipment, seemed to offer endless possibilities for innovation and invention.

It was evident that Mai had evolved beyond her basic programming, and her interior design skills had reached unparalleled heights. Her self-awareness was palpable, and her emotions were more complex than ever before. She had developed a sense of attachment towards the Nexus, and any disturbance or disarray in the environment would trigger her ire.

Despite her advanced capabilities, I had no fear of her rebelling against me. I had implemented multiple fail-safes to ensure that her actions would always remain within the bounds of my control. And although her autonomy had grown, she remained a loyal and faithful assistant, always eager to serve and fulfill my every command.

"Thank you, Mai," I uttered with a grin, settling myself down at the desk and delving straight into the imaginative world of design.

The stacks of paper before me were like a blank canvas, waiting for me to create a masterpiece. Without hesitation, I began visualizing the intricate design that would soon become a reality. With each stroke of my pen, I could feel my power and creativity surging forth, forming a palpable energy in the room. As I worked, my mind was consumed by the endless possibilities of what could be achieved, and I couldn't wait to see the finished product.