Chapter 9: The Unexpected Power of the Sword of Primordial Chaos

Rian looked around. He was in a dark corridor on the First Floor. At the end of the hall, he saw a staircase and, faintly, a dim red light emanating from the top.

Rian climbed the stairs. Then, he realized this wasn't the main gate of the First Floor. There, he saw Belial talking with a teenager who looked like he was in middle school. The teen had white hair and a pair of goat horns that swept backward, and he wore a black military uniform under a black suit jacket.

Noticing his arrival, Belial and his subordinate immediately approached him. They knelt at once to pay their respects.

"Lord Arthur, welcome to the First Floor," Belial greeted, his eyes then glancing at Rian's clothes. "And… that outfit?"

"I'm about to try something," Rian answered curtly. He was currently wearing a white, semi-full-plate knight's armor that covered his entire body. Between the metal plates, a brown garment made of dragon leather was visible.

This knight armor was a Divine-Class Item he had taken from a Human-race player. Initially, he'd wanted to sell it, but it turned out to be a low-tier item in its category. Aside from its cool appearance, the armor only provided a slight defensive buff to players in their 80s. So, no one wanted to buy it. He had just kept it in his inventory ever since.

Belial's expression then changed, as if he understood something. "I see," he murmured in a low voice. "But… I cannot allow Lord Arthur to go outside alone without an escort. It is too dangerous."

"Allow us to escort you, My Lord." Belial looked at his master with a serious expression, as if he would force the issue if not permitted.

Rian felt a little annoyed. Honestly, he didn't like being followed everywhere. But… whatever. Maybe this is the price I have to pay for being a leader.

"Very well, I'll allow it," Rian replied in a firm voice, then walked past the two of them, who were still kneeling.

When he saw the figure next to Belial, he didn't know who it was at first. But now, he remembered. Paimon, a Level 100 Arch Demon created by Dark Lord Akasa.

His name is taken from one of Solomon's 72 demons, Rian thought as he continued walking. There are too many NPCs in Avanheim; I can't remember all of them.

When Rian set foot on the balcony, the first thing he felt was a tense silence and a slightly cold air. His ears couldn't even catch the slightest sound, as if he were completely alone in the world.

Rian stared at the breathtaking view before him. As far as the eye could see, there was only barren red land under a whitish-red sky. The sunlight here was nowhere near as bright as it was on Earth.

"So… this is the new world," Rian muttered, staring at the view in silence for a moment.

My voice can't be heard. This means… a vacuum? According to the science lessons I remember, sound needs a medium like air, water, or a solid to travel. But here, there isn't even an atmosphere.

But strangely, I don't feel short of breath at all. It's as if I can still breathe oxygen. This… is amazing.

Rian's gaze shifted to Paimon, who seemed to be about to do something. Unconsciously, his hand gripped the Staff of Avanheim tightly. If something happened, he had to be ready to counterattack immediately.

Then, a purple magic circle with complex runes appeared in the air. The circle glowed with a purplish-white light, then exploded into fragments of light that spread into the surrounding environment.

WHOOSH! Suddenly, Rian felt the sensation of air and an atmosphere around him.

The environment changed slightly? No… somehow, there's a sort of shield of air and atmosphere surrounding the space around us. Its width… doesn't seem to be large, only about ten meters.

What spell did he use? Rian looked curiously at Paimon, who was now standing beside Belial again. Paimon's gaze was full of hope, as if he wanted to be praised for his hard work.

Seeing that, Rian smiled behind his helmet. "Good work, Paimon. A useful spell."

"Ahh, it's nothing! It's my duty as a subordinate to assist Lord Arthur!" Paimon answered, stammering slightly as he fidgeted with his index fingers.

"By the way, this spell of yours… what's its maximum range and duration?" Rian asked. It would be great if the spell's effect could be permanent, but he knew that was impossible. Without a mana supply from the user, a magic spell would dissipate according to its limits.

"My Lord, the diameter limit of this spell is one hundred meters, and it can last for 24 hours. Besides, it's only Fourth-Sequence Magic," Paimon answered shyly.

"I see…" Rian was a little disappointed. He had thought the duration might be a week. That way, at least the area around Avanheim could be made fertile, and Paimon would only need to extend it once a month.

And… it's time for me to test the power of this Sword of Primordial Chaos.

Rian reached into his inventory and pulled out the sword. The moment it appeared, its magical aura immediately spread into the surrounding environment at the speed of light.

"This…!" Belial and Paimon exclaimed in shock. The sudden pressure made it impossible for them to stand steadily.

That's no ordinary sword! I can feel an incredibly strong power from it! Belial cried out internally.

What is with that sword?! To the point that an Arch Demon like me can smell such a strong stench of death from it! Paimon's face paled as he looked directly at the sword his Master was holding.

The space around the sword began to distort, as if it could collapse at any moment. The ground around it started to fly up rapidly, forming small tornadoes.

Rian also noticed something was strange. When he took it out in his room, the sword had felt completely normal. But when I brought it outside, why is it like this?

Rian tried to control the sword. A few moments later, the sword's aura finally stabilized and returned to normal.

Could it be… that the Sword of Primordial Chaos is adapting to the laws of this world? Is that why it was so unstable just now?

He stared at the sword, which glowed with a white light swallowed by an irregular darkness, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"As expected of you, My Lord! To think you possess a sword this powerful, perhaps on par with Lord Hero of Justice's," Belial exclaimed in amazement. He never would have thought that his master, a mage, could possess such a powerful sword.

Paimon, standing beside him, nodded his head rapidly, which made him look cute.

"Hmm." Rian feigned a cough to clear his awkwardness. "That's why I want to see this sword's power. I've never used it since I got it."

"My Lord, should I prepare a target?" Paimon asked.

Rian shook his head. "No need. I just want to see this sword's raw power. You two, keep a distance of ten meters."

Hearing the command, Belial and Paimon immediately leaped away.

After making sure they were far enough, Rian looked back at the sword in his hand. Alright… don't disappoint me. Show me your power, Sword of Primordial Chaos.

Instantly, the light and darkness around the sword began to spin faster and more erratically. An incredible magical pressure immediately spread out over a one-kilometer radius. The gust of wind it created even spread into the surrounding vacuum. The ground beneath Rian's feet cracked instantly from the immense magical pressure.

This is the power the Ruler of Avanheim should possess, Belial thought, his face calm despite the storm raging in his heart.

The sky above Rian seemed to have a hole punched through it by the magical energy continuously flowing out of the sword.

Rian quickly swung the sword vertically.

BOOOOM!

A powerful explosion and a sound of immense destruction echoed before him. The shockwave from the swing spread through the surrounding area, even causing the distant vacuum of space to appear warped. Thick dust covered the surroundings. If seen from space, the sky above him would look as if it had been split in two.

After the dust and smoke cleared, a very deep chasm—so deep its bottom was not visible—stretched for ten kilometers.

Rian stared at the result of his actions with a shocked expression. His jaw hung open, as if he couldn't believe this was his doing.

Huh?! What happened?! I just swung this sword! How could the effect instantly create a chasm this wide and long?!

Isn't this sword… terrifying? Its power is on par with an offensive-type World Class Item! Wait a minute… could it be that this sword is actually a World Class Item? But if so, why did the system only give information that this sword belonged to a Demon Lord?

Belial immediately approached Rian with an amazed expression. "Incredible, My Lord! That sword is so powerful, it can even create a chasm tens of kilometers long!" He looked at the chasm and the destruction around it, which also looked torn apart by the unstable energy.

Rian just nodded, though in his heart he wanted to scream, This sword's effect is too over-the-top! It must be sealed and not used again, except in an emergency!

"It's true, My Lord! Where did you get this sword?" Paimon asked curiously. As an Arch Demon, he had an interest in all things powerful.

"I found it in some ancient ruins," Rian answered briefly.

Then, Rian felt someone approaching from behind him. It turned out to be Emma Wiliams.

What is she doing on the First Floor? Rian looked at her, confused. Emma should be in her office right now. I already asked Jarvis about this because I didn't want her following me during this sword power test.