Birth of the Demonic Sword

The dense dark gas capable of expressing different shapes of the "Breath" of the darkness element could be useful. Still, it wasn't a divine item, and Noah had already created his darkness.

His goal now was to build something stronger that didn't follow the laws of the world. The core item would also be his darkness, which was already outside Heaven and Earth's system.

So, the gas could only help him in his meditation.

As for the mirror, it was a divine item, but it didn't suit Noah's main inscription method.

It would still help him during his experiments, and using it with the Divine Deduction technique would reduce the time needed to complete his tests. Yet, it wasn't something crucial to his cultivation journey.

Also, the time spent in the experiments wasn't exactly wasted. Noah's expertise would increase as it did his understanding of a specific topic.

Reaching results more quickly was generally better. However, Noah would grow more slowly as an inscription master if he faced fewer failures.

All in all, both items were useful and could improve his current situation, but their effects would be minimal since his foundation was already sturdy. They weren't necessary.

On the other hand, Noah found the diagram interesting, even if it didn't provide any evident benefit.

The fact that Shandal didn't manage to discover its effects after millennia of research was a clear sign of its value. Also, it involved the darkness element, which meant that it required a cultivator with the same aptitude to work.

Human cultivators couldn't look at it either, and Noah could only think that its power had to be incredible to produce such effects just in its diagram form. Hence his decision to pick it.

There were even his instincts involved in the matter. Noah felt as if those intricate lines hid an incredible power that he wasn't able to put into words due to his poor understanding of the laws.

Noah and the Demons excluded most of the group when it came to deciding the last item. They still had a spot available, and they thought that it would be better to choose something that could benefit the Hive as a whole or their Patriarch.

Yet, that matter was too private to include June and Faith, and the three of them eventually choose to exclude even Daniel since they would have to discuss Chasing Demon's individuality to pick a suitable item.

"It's life, Noah," Dreaming Demon said as the three of them walked through the corridors of the castle. "Rufus' individuality is about life."

Noah nodded at her words but didn't probe further. He could vaguely guess that Charming Demon's death had influenced the Patriarch's individuality, but that would be a private matter that only his friends could know.

Noah was the Demon Prince and the possible heir to the seat of Patriarch of the Hive. Still, he wasn't as close to Chasing Demon as those with whom he had shared most of his life.

It was mostly a matter of cultivation level. The two Demons had learnt to know Rufus when they were in similar or close ranks, while Noah was just a human cultivator when he first met him.

Even with his incredible growth, there was still some distance between Noah and Chasing Demon. Their relationship couldn't help but be a bit complex since Divine Demon was involved in their meeting.

Chasing Demon worshipped his Master, and he had acted according to that feeling when Noah claimed his inheritance. The two of them had then begun to know each other better through the years, but the duties of a Patriarch and Noah's adventures always left little time available.

They didn't have the chance to become close yet, and things could only change when Noah reached his level.

So, the Demon's judgment was above his in the decision of the item. It would be up to them to pick something that suited the Patriarch or the Hive in general if they didn't find anything suitable.

Noah was there mostly because of his instincts, expertise in particular fields, and because his status made him eligible to know such information.

It didn't take much to find the perfect reward for the Patriarch. The three of them had already explored the castle twice and knew what could go along with his individuality.

Noah and the Demons found themselves in front of a small humanoid puppet made of a brown-red clay. It was only the size of a man's fist, but an oppressing aura came out of its figure.

The puppet was something capable of unleashing power at the bottom of the divine ranks, and it involved the earth element, which matched Chasing Demon's aptitude. Also, it was useful both to attack and defend, which even benefitted the Hive as a whole.

"None of us has found such a perfect match, and he didn't even need to come here!" Flying Demon exclaimed before exploding into a loud laugh.

His words were on point. All the members of the group had to settle for items that only neared perfect suitability. Instead, Chasing Demon would obtain something that matched both his individuality and his role as Patriarch of the Hive.

However, there was no malice in Flying Demon's words. He felt truly happy for his friend, and his companions thought in the same way.

"Can we even carry it outside of the dimension?" Noah asked as he inspected the puppet. Its size made it appear harmless, but his instincts told him not to come near it.

"It says here that we only need to keep it away from the ground," Dreaming Demon pointed out as she read the description under it.

"Do you want to do the honors?" Noah asked while taking a step back.

Flying Demon couldn't help but reveal a smirk at his action, and he spoke through his teeth as he turned toward his lover. "Let's make your snake touch it first."

"Indeed," Noah quickly agreed with him. "You told us that she wouldn't remember anything anyway once your mental energy leaves her mind."

Dreaming Demon nodded at their suggestion before focusing on her connection with Raphaelle to summon her in that hall.

Once the group settled the matter of the rewards, they only had one last decision to make.

The eight of them wouldn't have problems carrying outside those items since they had chosen them considering that issue. Yet, some of them would have to bring them in their hands since the rewards were too powerful to enter their space-rings.

Noah was an exception due to his rank 6 storage device, but even he had to make some room to accommodate the stuffed winged beast.

As for the diagram, its lines were intricate and exuded a strange aura, but they were still just part of a diagram. It wasn't an issue storing it inside his ring.

The problem that they had to discuss now concerned their return to the outside world, and, more specifically, how long they would spend inside that separate dimension.