Shiayar's low murmur dissipated in the evening breeze, unheard by anyone.
"If... I can still return."
But soon, he withdrew his gaze.
Then he looked up, towards the still Red Moon in the distant sky.
CRACK—
It was the sound of something breaking.
This time, what Shiayar had obtained was a complete Stars Chalice.
It could also be called—an entrance ticket to the Divine Throne.
The moment he grasped the Stars Chalice, Shiayar's ears and the ocean of his mind were suddenly filled with countless frenzied whispers. It instantly filled him with an urge to praise the moon.
Unlike the Ancient God of Twilight's Divinity that had been sealed for hundreds of years and had become inactive, this time, the "Crimson Red Moon" was a freshly condensed Stars Chalice. It still harbored the remnants of the will of that ancient god of the Abyss, whose seductive and corrupting whispers were infinitely more potent than those of any Evil God or contamination Shiayar had ever encountered.
"So you want to bewitch me into becoming your new flesh?"
Shiayar looked at the Stars Chalice emitting a strange blood-red glow and couldn't help but smile.
"If that's the case.
"Then, as you wish—
"As long as you're not afraid."
He grabbed the blood-red Stars Chalice in one swift motion.
Then, without a moment's hesitation, he directly implanted the blood-red crystalline Divinity into his left chest.
BOOM—
Light exploded brightly.
However, that was not the light of the Crimson Moon. It was the flame of the magictech furnace core burning.
In Shiayar's eyes, the Runes of the Alchemy Matrix were slowly spinning.
Jet-black invincible metal overflowed, then was constrained, configured, and transformed by the Alchemy Matrix into piece after piece of metal components.
And on Shiayar's chest, at some unknown moment, a magictech furnace core, shining like the sun, had appeared.
The blood-red Stars Chalice of the Crimson Moon sank into the Core of the Furnace, its eerie glow instantly devoured by the searing white light. Then, offering no resistance, it was swallowed by the magictech furnace core.
CLANG. CLANG.
The jet-black river of invincible metal engulfed Shiayar.
Then, one metal component after another formed around Shiayar, refining, assembling, and connecting. The sounds of colliding metal components echoed.
After just a few moments, a gigantic, jet-black metal construct stood in Shiayar's place.
The originally incandescent magictech furnace core, tainted by the Stars Chalice of the Crimson Moon, now blazed with a luridly blood-red flame, surging skyward.
This was the newly transformed Black Knight.
Although using the Stars Chalice as fuel meant it could not last and was only a one-time consumable, at least for the time being, the Black Knight was no longer simply able to contend with Legends. Instead, he had now surpassed the level of ordinary Legends, standing in a realm no mechanic had ever reached before.
Shiayar, controlling the black-and-red interlaced Mecha, slowly raised its head.
Then, his gaze landed on the highest place amidst the Thrones.
Upon the slender, silver-haired figure wielding the Sacred Sword.
Under the dome of the sky, above the earth, there were neither people nor gods. There was no audience whatsoever, even on the ruins of Camelot, which stood independent of the river of history.
The two looked at each other across the vast sky.
"So, my King," Shiayar smiled slightly, his soft words drifting through the entire world devoid of heaven and earth. "Since no one can correct your mistake.
"Then—
"Allow me to teach you this final lesson."