After a moment of contemplation, Rhett once again opened the Home panel.
[Head of Household: Rhett Green]
[Second Generation Members: Tucker Green, Riley Green, Taylors Green]
[Third Generation Members: Dick Green, Tracy Green, Cares Green, Kazena Green, Aileen Green, Abel Green]
[Home: Green]
[Home Core: Not Activated]
[Text Simulation]
[Real Simulation]
[Fate Points: 4217]
Sure enough, the "Family History" section at the bottom had disappeared, but when Rhett attempted to add a section himself, he found that it was still impossible.
Rhett speculated that this might be due to the Home Core not yet being activated. After all, the glowing elder had mentioned that only by claiming a world would the Home be infused with sufficient vitality to respond to commands in a more personalized way. For now, it was just a mechanical operating system, unable to make additional changes...
"In the end, it all comes down to first eliminating the orcs and the Blood God Patriarch..."
Rhett sighed softly and opened his eyes, his gaze now calm and composed.
Recalling the previous simulation, where the Dragonman was set to attack the next day, Rhett, despite being absolutely confident in his own strength and having a solid grasp on victory, still planned to give himself some additional safeguards.
He then reopened the system, intending to spend the next few simulations focused on comprehending the arcane mysteries. Now that he had reached the Saint level, the speed of comprehending the arcane had greatly increased, and Rhett was determined to take advantage of this to fully master the Arcane of Coalescence and the Arcane of Dissolution, thereby becoming one of the world's pinnacle forces! Much like the legendary Timos from ten thousand years ago, who had achieved mastery over four arcanes to their ultimate perfection.
[Would you like to start a Real Simulation? Each day simulated will consume 1 Fate Point.]
"Yes, simulate for one day."
As a ripple spread out before him, Rhett glanced around, giving orders for everyone to remain on standby before quickly immersing himself in the process of comprehension.
Since breaking through to the Saint level, just as King Milan had said, it was as if he had left a profound mark on the world's essence, and the world had opened its doors to him, making the arcane forces of the world much clearer.
It was like gazing at the night sky—where once he could only observe with the naked eye, now he had a telescope...
His spiritual power extended like tendrils, parting the clouds to reveal the day. In the workings of the world, the earth elements, which appeared still, were in fact moving and radiating extremely subtle yet profound forces. Now, Rhett could capture even finer changes, particularly in the Arcane of Coalescence, where the transformations were most pronounced.
Rhett could deeply perceive the solidification of each element, as if an action scene had been slowed down several times, allowing him to see every detail of the process with unprecedented clarity, like a revelation that brought forth a myriad of new insights.
As for the Arcane of Dissolution, the progress was somewhat disappointing. While the speed was indeed faster than before, it still wasn't as easy to comprehend compared to the other arcanes...
In the sea of elements, Rhett was like a whale swimming in the deep, immersing all his senses in it and thoroughly enjoying the experience...
During this time, Rhett ignored the passage of time. With each simulation, Rhett consumed all 4,000-plus Fate Points, achieving considerable results.
Now, before his eyes, each earth element rapidly transitioned between states of cohesion and dispersion, changing tens of thousands of times in a single second, displaying incredible complexity.
"Phew, finally... The Arcane of Coalescence has been fully comprehended..."
Rhett sighed with a sense of accomplishment. Four thousand Fate Points translated into several decades of time. During these years, he had trained tirelessly day and night, without the help of spirits. Even with the blessings of the Saint level and the advantages of the Arcane of Dispersion, it still took him this long—proof that the world's will was indeed on its last legs...
He opened his eyes. Now, with three fully mastered arcanes under his belt, the only one left was the Arcane of Dissolution, which remained shallow in its comprehension. However, he was already content. His current level of power might even surpass that of the Blood God Patriarch!
In theory, he could now be considered the strongest person of his time! Only actual combat could confirm this...
"Rhett, have you really reached the Saint level?"
A cautious voice came from the front. Bomir squeezed through the crowd, his expression complicated as he looked at the figure before him, filled with a deep sense of awe. When they first met, Rhett's strength had been weaker than his own, but in less than a month, it was as if a miracle had occurred—Rhett had suddenly become one of the world's top elites. It was hard not to feel as though he was in a dream.
"That's right, perhaps it's the world's favor..." Rhett responded calmly, without further explanation, before standing up and asking, "How many orc prisoners do we have?"
Bomir was taken aback, momentarily forgetting that Rhett was still a vice corps commander and he, the deputy commander, instead reporting as if he were addressing the supreme commander, his tone tinged with respect:
"This battle has resulted in the annihilation of over 60,000 orcs, with 5,000 taken prisoner. Our losses are under 20,000."
"Not bad. I always said that victory would be ours!" Rhett nodded, his tone steady. "Given the magnitude of this victory, the orcs will not sit idly by. There's a possibility that an orc Saint might intervene. You should lead the troops back to the Cold Current camp as soon as possible."
Bomir's face immediately turned serious. He was aware that Commander Ankus had gone to intercept the Saint-level Dragonman, who could appear at any moment. He replied earnestly, "Understood. Rhett, be careful on your own. I'll take the troops back now."
"Yes, and make sure to assign some of the prisoners to Taylors for execution," Rhett added after a moment's thought.
"Consider it done, no problem at all!" Bomir agreed readily, not questioning the request.
With that, Rhett's body turned into a swirl of sand and vanished from sight.
The powers of a Saint were not merely a simple enhancement of spiritual strength. Besides a greater affinity with the world, Saint Magisters and Saint Knights also achieved a new height in their control over elements and combat energy.
For example, while Rhett appeared to turn into sand, it was fundamentally different from when he used the Arcane of Dispersion. In terms of combat effectiveness, the Arcane of Dispersion was undoubtedly superior. However, in this state, his spirit and body merged with the earth elements, making him feel like a part of the world itself. Moving was effortless, naturally increasing his speed and enabling flight.
The battlefield operations were highly efficient. Within a few minutes, the soldiers, led by Bomir, retreated like a tide, disappearing beyond the horizon.
The battlefield was now empty, save for the blood-soaked soil and the mountains of corpses. Rhett floated in mid-air, like a victorious general standing atop a throne made of bones!
In this war, there was no doubt—he was the ultimate victor!
In his elemental state, Rhett soared through the sky. Merged with the elements, he was no longer bound by the laws of the mundane world. He could fly like a bird or swim like a fish.
Additionally, as an Earth Saint Magister, he possessed an extra ability—Earth Meld!
Indeed, all Saint-level beings could transform into elements or energy, each with their own unique strengths. For example, Wind Saints were still the fastest, and Water Saints could live indefinitely in water as if it were their home. But as an Earth Saint, Rhett had a unique advantage that others could not match—he could burrow deep into the earth.
The world consists of land and sea, but while anyone can swim in water, not everyone can freely move through the earth. Even Saint-level beings, after transforming into elements, could not move through the earth as Rhett could. This was a unique limitation—although each elemental force had its specialties, it was difficult to achieve a comprehensive balance.
Wrapped in a yellow glow, Rhett flew through the air for a while, then descended deep underground, traveling several miles below the surface. He was surrounded by endless rock, minerals, and ordinary life forms, with even powerful extraordinary creatures being rare.
Initially, he had hoped to discover a lost underground city or ancient ruins, but it seemed that hope was in vain. However, he was prepared for this—after all, he was not the first Earth Saint. If there were secrets hidden underground, they should have been discovered by his predecessors long ago...
He then began casting various spells, familiarizing himself with their practical applications. He started with the most basic Earth Spike, then moved on to Earth Armor, casting each spell one by one. Now, with the perspective of a Saint Magister, Rhett's control and perception of elements were far superior to before. He could keenly sense that these spell models and paths were indeed the most efficient and powerful combinations of earth elements.
For instance, with his immense spiritual power and control, Rhett could crudely compress the elements to create a single earth spike. However, by following the Earth Spike spell's path, he could increase the speed several times, reduce the energy consumption significantly, and still maintain or even enhance the spell's power.
Rhett could also condense rock swords or spears, but a quick comparison showed that these were inferior to Earth Spike in every aspect. They were simply not worth practicing, let alone using in combat.
As sand flew through the battlefield, Rhett imbued each particle with arcane power. The sandstorm swept across everything, erasing all traces of life as if a flood had broken through a dam, leaving nothing in its wake.
In no time, the entire battlefield was cleared of corpses and blood.
All that remained was a barren plain, devoid of even a single blade of grass, exuding a strange and terrifying aura.
As the sand settled, Rhett reappeared, standing amidst the vast plain, his eyes reflecting deep thought. It seemed... his idea wasn't so bad after all. By harnessing his vast spiritual power and control over elements as a Saint, if he could transform the environment during a battle into a high-concentration earth element world, where he could further imbue the elements with arcane power, he would undoubtedly hold an absolute advantage in combat.
Of course, to achieve this, the arcane's comprehension level had to be exceptionally high. Earlier, he couldn't imbue every particle of earth with the power of dissolution—he could only control a layer of sand at the ground level, gradually moving and sweeping it across the battlefield to accomplish this feat.
Afterward, Rhett devised several Saint-level combat techniques, testing and practicing them on the spot.
Before he knew it, most of the day had passed.
Two streaks of light, one silver and one blue, tangled together in mid-air, clashing fiercely and sending out sparks and the sound of metal clashing, speeding towards the direction of the original battlefield.
"Ankus, you can't stop me! This human genius must die!"
"Kaima, if you dare, don't blame the Kingdom of Jinlun for taking equivalent measures. This will benefit no one!" Ankus's face was pale, his heart filled with anxiety. This Dragonman's combat abilities were too comprehensive, and he couldn't do anything about him for the time being!
"Hahaha, I already said, I don't care! And your world has long been on a decline. To be honest, I'm not afraid of a mutual death scenario. This human genius might just be the world's last struggle!" Kaima was covered in wounds, but under the flow of silver light, they were continuously healing. His arrogant aura remained undiminished as he continued with a domineering tone, "As long as I kill him, your last hope will be snuffed out. What awaits you is the extinguishing of the world's remnants, to be ruled by us orcs! Haha!"
"Wishful thinking! Humanity will cleanse you of this cancer and welcome the dawn of victory!" Ankus gritted his teeth, pouring more power into his sword, imbuing it with a surge of wind energy. In an instant, he unleashed a ten-meter-long spear-like pillar of energy, aiming it at Kaima's eye.
In that critical moment, Kaima twisted his neck, swinging his left leg sideways, aiming for Ankus's waist. But Ankus was prepared, swinging his sword downward in a diagonal arc, releasing a half-moon-shaped blade of energy.
Kaima bent his left leg at the last moment, using the spikes on his knee to counter the half-moon blade. But unexpectedly, his tail, covered in glowing silver spikes, lashed out from the other side. Each spike emitted a faint silver glow, and there was no doubt that if struck, it would pulverize bones and flesh alike.
Ankus's pupils shrank, and in the nick of time, he circulated his wind energy rapidly, sending a powerful wave of energy from his left palm. The energy spun into an oval-shaped blue shield, which sent out a powerful gust of wind, forcefully pushing back the silver tail.
Using this momentum, Kaima smirked, breaking free from Ankus's entanglement and once again flying towards the battlefield, showing no intention of continuing the fight.
"Damn it..."
Ankus, watching the silver light ahead, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, unleashed his wind energy and chased after him once more.
An hour later, the two clashed again.
This time, as soon as Ankus caught up, he unleashed a space-ripping blade of energy, while Kaima condensed silver mist, forming a shield in front of him to defend. But suddenly, a sense of impending doom struck the Saint-level Dragonman, causing the muscles on his back to twitch slightly.
"Had a bit to drink today, feeling a bit dizzy. Four thousand words for now—time to sleep. Will make it up tomorrow."