The Saint of Calamity stared at the group of seven before him, still relaxed as he observed them, his focus landing on Zaira, "The Human Hero, huh."
"I knew something like this might happen."
"You're…strangely calm." Zaira said, expressing her pleasant surprise, "Why are you calm even though I have enough power to destroy the Demon Empire?"
She stared at him, surprised to see no Mental Energy originating from him. Moreover, she was feeling a strange sense of overbearing sensation from him, as if everything was still under his control.
This was shocking because once Zaira devoured an entire world, her power reached a whole new level. Just the sheer quantity of Mental Energy at her disposal was enormous, not to mention the thoughts she could harness to unleash terrifying abilities, strong enough to destroy entire Empires casually.
But despite that, she didn't have any confidence in killing the Saint of Calamity, alarming her.
'So, this is the Saint of Calamity.' She nodded in thought, tensing up in response. But surprisingly, the Saint of Calamity didn't express any intention to fight.
"What's your goal?" He asked, sporting a calm smile, as if everything was still under his control.
"I want to develop." Zaira replied, "That's all."
"Pretty simple goal, but…" He spoke after a moment of thought, "Your growth would change the fate of this world and all the worlds out there. So, are you really thinking about it?"
"Yes." Zaira nodded resolutely, "I'll do this. Even if I don't have any grand motives, just the fact that I need Mental Energy to consume is enough drive to do this. And, only thoughts of the people can produce Mental Energy."
"I see…" The Saint of Calamity nodded as he tapped the throne he was seated on, conjuring a barrier that surrounded them as he said, "For a minute, Magister wouldn't be able to pry into this place. I've only developed this ability now, so it would take a minute before he too can access this."
"What…are you planning?" Zaira asked, frowning in response.
"Do you like this world, Zaira?" The Saint of Calamity asked, "Now that you have information regarding the other worlds out there, what do you think?"
"From one Conjurer to another, what's your honest thought?"
"This world…" Zaira closed her eyes, sighing as she recalled their power system in comparison to the world she visited and those whose information she obtained from the statues, sighing as she spoke, "Our world has enormous growth potential. It can become more complex once more Saints emerge and accelerate the development of the world."
"And, this is indeed my home. That'll never change, which is why I wanted to conquer this place."
Upon seeing that she was being honest, the Saint of Calamity said, "You know, the current you isn't invincible, right?"
"I know that. No one is invincible." Zaira retorted.
"Yes, but there's a chance you can become one." The Saint of Calamity smiled, "If you work with me, that's possible."
"What's your offer? I'll decide depending on that." Zaira spoke, realising that the Saint of Calamity's ambitions were grander than hers, understanding that the Demon Race's invasion on the continent was just a front, concealing his true objective.
"I'll conjure you a world, a world fit for your species of mind dwellers." The Saint of Calamity spoke with a solemn tone, causing everyone to shudder for he had seen through their true identity. "There's a limit to how long you can sustain yourselves like this."
"You're terrifying, you know that?" Zaira sighed, raising her hands in defeat, "How did you know about our true selves?"
"Let's not talk about that for now. We have limited time." The Saint of Calamity continued speaking, "I'll create a world for you to live in. And in response, you'll help modify this world and make it break from Magister's control."
"Do you not like Magister?" Zaira asked next, wondering what was up. After all, Magister was an entity symbolised by all the magical worlds. He was practically a representative of all worlds wielding mana.
"Magister wishes to develop this world in a way it harmonises his powers originating from other worlds better. But, that wouldn't tap into this world's true potential, which I wish to develop. So…" The Saint of Calamity smiled, "I want to make this a world that uses mana but isn't under Magister."
"How will you do it?" Zaira frowned before asking, "What do you need me to do?"
"Give me one of those that you inserted into your children." The Saint of Calamity asked.
"Here you go." Zaira condensed a bubble whose surface was covered by needles, throwing it to the Saint of Calamity, not hesitating in the least.
Boom!
The moment it appeared before him, the Saint of Calamity conjured a Pseudo-Saint Demon Tamer, causing the bubble to seep into his mind before he shouted in pain as his body melted into a sphere that was refined.
An instant later, a choker formed that the Saint of Calamity held, observing it as he muttered, "Great, this was what I was aiming for."
"What's…that?" Zaira asked in curiosity, watching Yela continue to note down everything enthusiastically.
"A Relic." The Saint of Calamity stated, "At least, that's what I'm calling it. It's the next level of a Magic Tool's growth in that it can grow endlessly by absorbing the mental imprints of its wielders. This is what those at the level of a Saint would create and wield in the future."
"Is that a counter to my powers?" Zaira frowned.
"No," The Saint of Calamity said, "Not a counter, but a trade. Your species will visit this world in the future and contribute to its development. And in response, you'll gain the most precious of Mental Energy for your growth."
"It's a trade relationship." He smiled, extending his hand to conjure a tiny, revolving sphere that he gently pushed towards Zaira, "This is my end of the deal. All you need to do is supply it with Mental Energy to grow it. That's the best result you can ask for, right?"
He grinned, "It's similar to a Relic but one that allows the mental imprints to reside within."
"A world of my own…" Zaira's eyes lit up in shock as she stared at the tiny world before her, inserting some Mental Energy into it to see it grow. Her lips curled up to reveal a smile as she uttered, "You're terrifying, Saint."
