The floating sword tilted, its tip pointing downward, shooting toward Charlie.
*WHOOSH!*
However, Charlie remained calm. Instead of dodging, he raised his hand and tightly gripped the hilt of the sword. Instantly, the Divine Power enveloping the blade flowed into his body, attempting to penetrate his defenses.
"Interesting. Even without a wielder, you can exert this much power. I want you even more now."
Charlie knew that the Sacred Sword Severian was the strongest Elemental Waffe in this world, and even the Armor of Fafnir couldn't withstand it. The reason he dared to hold it with his bare hands was that no matter how powerful a weapon was, it required a wielder to unleash its full potential.
Thus, the Sacred Sword Severian without a wielder couldn't damage his Armor of Fafnir.
*BUZZ!*
Instantly, the immense Divine Power transformed into a series of powerful impacts that repeatedly shook Charlie's hand, which was tightly gripping the hilt.
"Want to compete with me in energy capacity? Bring it on, who's afraid of who!" Charlie smiled fearlessly.
Since awakening the Infinite Essence skill, he had never felt the exhaustion of energy.
*BUZZ!*
Next, Level 4 power erupted, flooding the Sacred Sword Severian with extraordinary energy. The wild vibrations of the sword suddenly ceased, as if forced to submit under the absolute pressure flowing from Charlie.
*BUZZ!*
Charlie's hand remained firmly gripping the hilt, and at the same time, unparalleled Magic Essence swirled around him. Like a storm churning the ocean, the Magic Essence flowed endlessly into the Sacred Sword Severian, attempting to forcibly tame it.
*BUZZ!* *BUZZ!* *BUZZ!*
As if truly angered, the Sacred Sword Severian erupted with even greater Divine Power. The vibrations in the air grew more intense, and flashes of holy light radiated wildly from its blade. The sword's aura shimmered in a dazzling golden hue, while the pressure it exerted was enough to crack the ground beneath Charlie's feet.
*BOOM!*
The collision between the two terrifying energies reached its peak, as if an invisible bomb had been detonated, creating a shocking shockwave that spread in all directions.
"Aside from the protagonist blessed with plot armor, I don't think anyone can tame you... But that's all."
*BUZZ!*
Amid the shaking shockwave, Divine Power and Magic Essence continued to clash in the air, creating an energy storm that trembled the surrounding space. Like two different forces trying to devour each other, the Divine Power of the Sacred Sword Severian stubbornly resisted, but Charlie's Magic Essence remained unstoppable.
Charlie stood firm in the midst of the energy vortex, gripping the hilt tightly. His caramel eyes shone sharply, reflecting unshakable determination. The sword continued to vibrate wildly, trying to break free from his grasp, but his Level 4 power prevented it.
"Although your Divine Power capacity is immense even without an Elementalist supplying it, your power will run out sooner or later... But my Magic Essence will never run out!"
He was confident that if he continued to use such power, the Divine Power of the sword's spirit would eventually be depleted.
On the other hand, if he wanted to exhaust all his Magic Essence, it might be an exaggeration to say it would last until the end of time, but it would certainly last until he grew old.
*BUZZ!* *BUZZ!* *BUZZ!*
Inside the sword, the Sword Spirit groaned in anger, refusing to submit. Waves of Divine Power erupted more fiercely than ever, creating tremendous vibrations that cracked the ground beneath them!
However, despite the continuous onslaught of Divine Power, Charlie stood firm. The Divine Power wasn't enough to penetrate the Armor of Fafnir.
"Still not giving up?"
Charlie could feel the Divine Power continuously vibrating from the Sacred Sword Severian, gradually weakening.
As time passed, the Sacred Sword Severian began to lose its ability to sustain itself.
Knowing the true reason why the Sword Spirit of the Sacred Sword Severian rejected Elementalists who wanted to contract with it, Charlie played his trump card—The Chosen Savior skill!
"My body is not only capable of reflecting most magic and immune to sharp weapons, but it is also immune to all kinds of negative forces. Whether it's weakening, petrification, poisoning, curses, or even instant death, none of them work on me."
As those words left Charlie's mouth, the desperately vibrating Sacred Sword Severian suddenly stopped and became still.
'Good, it's starting to hesitate. This is my chance!'
Seeing this reaction, Charlie continued to speak.
"I know words alone aren't enough. So, try using your innate curse power. Don't worry, even if I die from lying, it's not your fault, but rather me overestimating myself."
*BUZZ!*
As if the Sacred Sword Severian wanted to verify the claim, Charlie's hand, tightly gripping the hilt, was continuously covered by heavy steel.
*CRUSH-BANG!*
However, the phenomenon stopped. Not long after, the steel climbing up Charlie's arm shattered, turning into pieces that fell to the ground.
"See? Now, will you submit to me?"
After saying that, Charlie once again used Spirit Contractor.
"..."
The Sacred Sword Severian vibrated slightly but no longer resisted. It slowly accepted the Magic Essence flowing from Charlie's body, and its own Divine Power intertwined with Charlie's Magic Essence, merging into one.
Then, after an unknown amount of time, intricate patterns began to etch themselves onto the back of his left hand.
Several swords crossed each other, forming a complex symbol that glowed softly.
The Mark of the Spirit.
This was undeniable proof that the contract between Charlie and the Sacred Sword Severian had been perfectly formed.
*BUZZ!*
As the contract formed, the Divine Power surrounding the sword grew brighter, forming a dazzling vortex of light. Subtle vibrations rippled through the air as the Sacred Sword Severian underwent a drastic transformation.
Charlie watched as the previously worn blade began to emit a majestic silver light. Its surface became glossy, radiating an awe-inspiring aura.
Then, the transformation reached its peak.
From its simple form, the sword now transformed into a double-edged blade with a shimmering silver blade, adorned with faintly glowing blue crystal accents. Its golden guard formed an elegant arc, adding an extraordinary sense of grandeur.
Charlie could feel that this was the true form of the Sacred Sword Severian.
Terminus Est.
The Strongest Sword Spirit!
'In the original work, Kazehaya Kamito tried to manifest Est, but his connection wasn't strong enough due to his own reluctance to form a contract, resulting in her taking the form of a small dagger. On the other hand, I have no such mental barriers. So, the Est manifested now is the Sacred Sword used by Areishia Iddris in the past to fight Solomon.'
Unconsciously, Charlie felt a faint pulse within the sword, as if something—or someone—was communicating with him through the newly formed contract bond. However, before he could delve deeper into that feeling, a sharp voice pierced the surrounding tranquility.
"A man?! What is a man doing here?"
Charlie frowned and turned around, only to find a man and a woman standing at the entrance of the corridor.