Rogue Villain-Chapter 292: Useful

’So, Ichor, martial arts, finding out the conditions for my immortality, and finding more fire for Smelting Furnace so that it can finally refine Heavenly Iron. I should also try to find the other half of the trident.’

After compiling the information from his Nominus card, Ackster arranged a list of priorities.

’But first...’

Ackster got up and looked at Mazar’s corpse. He took a step toward it and flew over it like a rubber ball.

’I have to get used to this body.’

Ackster wasn’t sure how since he didn’t know the details of how he had come back to life, but his current body’s Stats far surpassed his old one. And since it was in perfect harmony with his soul, mind, and all that, Ackster could bring out its full potential. The upgraded Diamond Body also gave him quite the boost beyond what his Stats showed.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Ackster to at least learn how to moderate his strength. It would take some more spartan practice before he could control it well enough to execute his martial arts. But Ackster was strong enough to survive without that for a while.

So, once again, Ackster approached the two halves of Mazar’s body, wiping drool from his mouth.

However, he sensed something when he got close, and he had to stop.

After a moment, a pitch-black sword with a glossy surface and rich color floated out of the dragon’s corpse. It hovered in the air with its tip facing the ground.

"Motherfucker."

The sword had shed all cordiality and faced Ackster with a menacing and threatening aura. After consuming an entire dragon’s worth of high-quality vitality, it didn’t need to rely on Ackster’s abundant but subpar life force.

Ackster glared at the sword.

"Thieving fucking sword. That dragon was mine, you fucking bastard."

Ackster flashed through the air, much to the cocky sword’s surprise. Without the sword being able to react and without holding back, Ackster axe-kicked the sword into the ground. There wasn’t even time for a sonic boom. The sword instantly pierced the ground and flew downward like a worm burrowing through dirt.

"Goddamn shit."

Ackster continued cursing the sword while eating the Mazar’s corpse. Even without the lingering vitality that would have stayed in the corpse and kept it fresh even after the dragon’s death, the body was still in pristine condition. Each bite reinforced Ackster’s body through the power of Smelting Furnace and Monster Muncher.

However, after his most recent metamorphosis, his strength was already too great for a single bite to make much of a difference. It was first after he devoured the entire dragon that he felt a noticeable increase.

But that wasn’t the only thing.

’Seriously?’

Ackster had been hungry, but he had still considered the possibility. It was unlikely, but it had happened. He had inherited the Seed of Calamity.

’I guess a stronger fire is next on my list.’

However, since he ate it, the Seed ended up inside Smelting Furnace instead of his body. Ackster felt like his Diamond Body could have withstood the effects of the Seed even without the Smelting Furnace. But as long as the Seed was contained to the Furnace, he could rest easy, even if his fire wasn’t strong enough to burn it.

Ackster was a little surprised that not even the combined efforts of the blue sun, the Sun God Token, and the Smelting Furnace could incinerate the Seed. But it wasn’t all that strange. The Seed was a condensation and extension of an existence capable of conquering an entire world.

Although the blue sun and Sun God Token were powerful, especially the blue sun since the Sun God Token had just started burning after a long sleep. The blue sun came from Trana when she transcended her limits using a Covenant, but it was the bare minimum needed to guarantee Ackster’s death and then some. It wasn’t a display of her true strength.

However, the combined heat of the blue sun, the Sun God Token, and the Smelting Furnace had been enough to begin working on the broken trident. Yet, the Seed remained untouched.

That was surprising. The Seed was apparently better than the Heavenly Iron in the broken trident.

’Or maybe not.’

When he thought about it a little more, Ackster realized that the Sun God Token was also made out of Heavenly Iron but had a completely different interaction with the fire and heat of the blue sun. It wasn’t the material that was at fault. It was the refinement process that had made the broken trident.

’Now then...Fire...The world’s core it is.’

According to Trana, the two most likely places to find a fire hot enough to smelt the Heavenly Iron were the core of the world and the Celestial Realm’s smithy. He had no way to go to the Celestial Realm. And even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to snag a piece of the fire there.

However—

"My lord?" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Ackster was brought out of his thoughts by a careful voice right before he jumped out of the mountain range.

He looked into Trana’s old cave.

"Mara?"

Ackster hadn’t expected her to still be in the valley. Or that she would be alive if she had stayed.

"My lord!"

Mara rushed out of the cave and threw herself at Ackster. Ackster could easily dodge, even if he were a little worried about how he hadn’t noticed her presence. But Mara’s eyes were filled with tears.

She had waited for him despite his death. Ackster also realized that he most likely hadn’t noticed her presence because she was hiding. That meant she was strong. Mara was useful. If he had looked, Ackster was confident he would have found her.

But still, Ackster was in a new realm after his death and rebirth. He could sense everything in the valley, even subconsciously.

For having worked so hard and reached such a level of usefulness, Ackster could reward her with an embrace.

"Mara, a question."

"Anything, My lord!"

"How long has it been?"

"It has been a little more than a year since Mazar came to die, My lord."

Mara let go of Ackster and stepped back as she bowed to hide her embarrassment and shame and to apologize.

’A little more than four years left, then.’

With the time he had spent in the valley before and after his death, a lot of time had passed. However, Ackster’s mind was calm. He had wasted a lot of time being dead. But he could hardly call it a waste when he had acquired his current strength.

Ackster nodded.

"Alright."

His mind was calm, but his body was impatient. It wasn’t a waste, but he had to make the most of the time that was left.

"Mara, we have stuff to do."

"Yes, My lord!"