Noah felt a heartbeat in his mind as strength began to leave his body. He was utterly drained, and his dantian was empty too.
Another heartbeat echoed inside him, and his body started to revert to its human form at that sound. Forging the sword had completed his individuality and interrupted the transformation since his existence had stopped striving for that perfect state.
The compound didn't add something to his body. The shape of the Cursed Dragon had always been there, but Noah had purposely compressed it in a human form. The primary energy that had gathered inside him under the orders of his mental sphere had only focused his dantian since there was nothing else to improve.
Yet, when his existence changed, his body naturally returned to its previous form, even if a few features remained. His skin had become rough, and he could notice a few sparse scales on him even if they weren't black like those of the Cursed Dragon.
His nails had become black and metallic. They would resemble claws if they were more prominent and pointy, but they had returned to their previous shape, fortunately. His size had changed too. He was at least ten centimeters taller than before.
His soft hair had become more robust. It was still long and a bit wild, but it had assumed metallic properties that made it reflect part of the light that landed on it.
Even though he had reverted to his human form, he wasn't entirely the same since his body had pushed him toward the shape that better suited his newfound existence.
"You threw away my gift to keep your precious individuality," The snake said as it looked at Noah, "I don't know if I should feel disappointed or amazed. There are few beings that can stop the influence of my compound on their own."
The snake turned its head away from the tired figure on the floor. It had lost interest in Noah now that he had chosen his side. After all, he had already triggered the chain reaction with his roar, so he wasn't that valuable anymore.
On the other hand, Noah completely ignored its words. The heartbeat inside his mind carried pure but intense desires that forced him to focus on its source.
The source of those foreign sounds was his connection with his latest creation, the black sword that had released a cry at his birth.
Noah had realized during his peculiar state that he had to create something able to carry the entirety of his individuality to express it in its fullest. That understanding had led him to forge a living being made by all his creations and iconic assets.
The Will-consuming runes were an expression of his strongest emotions and carried enough primary energy to create spells in the fifth rank. His old sabers were the blueprints and the proof of his expertise in the Elemental Forging method, together with the Instabilities. His corrosive black smoke was the deadliest material in his possession, and the energies in his dantian were a pure expression of both his individuality and properties as a hybrid. The Liquid Dantian was a center of power and also a good source of energy.
His flames then had to force everything together and stabilize his greatest creation so far: A lifeform!
Noah had understood that only creating life could complete his individuality. The destructive aspect of his individuality had managed to sever the fate chosen by Heaven and Earth, so his creation had to give birth to something outside of their plans, another mistake, just like him.
The sword was part of him, but it was also something separated from his existence. It was a pure materialization of his journey.
The sword roared again since Noah wasn't paying attention to it. It acted just like a child that cried to express its most basic needs.
'It's probably a mess outside, and I'm in no condition to fight.' Noah thought as he understood the needs of the sword.
The snake didn't like hearing that second cry. It didn't want anyone to disturb its investigation of the Tribulation, especially in such a crucial situation.
It turned to look at the sharp form laid on the floor in annoyance and began to focus its mental energy to crush it. However, the sword escaped before the pressure could hit it and flew toward Noah, who was still in the process of recovering from the transformation.
"Interesting," The snake said, "What is it? The inscription methods of your world are indeed superior to ours."
The rank 6 existence was interested in Noah's creation, but he had never been talkative when he decided to fight. In his mind, words were useless when a situation reached a point where only one side could survive.
Noah mustered his strength and grabbed the flying sword that released a happy cry when it came in contact with his skin. It was the innate happiness that any lifeform would feel at their first contact with their parents.
Noah felt those intense emotions through his connection with the sword. They were the same being, but, at the same time, they were two different existences.
He couldn't focus on those emotions though since he wouldn't have other chances to catch a being in the sixth rank by surprise if he didn't act quickly.
Noah swung the sword without putting too much energy in that gesture, but it understood his intentions and used its power to produce an attack.
A black, draconic claw came out of its sharp edge and shot toward the ceiling of the large hall. The power behind the slash matched that of a spell in the fifth rank, and it even carried the corrosive properties of the partial Demonic Form.
The snake felt amused when it saw that attack. It was evident that Noah was in a poor state, but it didn't believe that his aim could be so off. Worry though appeared in its eyes when it understood that the claw had never aimed for its body. Instead, Noah had purposely targeted the part of the ceiling on the opposite side from its position.
"No!" The snake shouted as its vertical pupils constricted, and its mental energy covered the entirety of the hall before focusing on that smoky claw.
The attack lost part of its power under the pressure of those mental waves. Yet, there was a limit to how much that ethereal force could hinder the path of his corrosive offensive.
The claw shrunk as part of the black smoke vanished to pierce the layer of mental energy, but an intense sharpness spread from its shape at that moment.
The features carried by Noah's attack were perfect to counter mental waves, but he was still against a being in the sixth rank. The entirety of the claw had disappeared before touching the ceiling, except for a tiny gaseous shard that crashed on the gray marble and created a small hole in it.
The snake could only stare in fear as the "Breath" from the outside world seeped through the castle and raged at its presence.