Three days of rest had brought Bell's mind and body to their absolute peak.
Those same three days also brought him to the long-awaited moment.
At dawn, Bell awoke.
In the spacious room, he sat alone on the bed.
Because today was critical, he had slept apart from the goddesses for the past three days, doing everything he could to maintain the best possible condition.
Bell sat silently. Like someone still half-lost in sleep, he needed time for his thoughts to settle and his mind to clear.
"..."
Only after a while did light return to his blood-red eyes as full awareness rose.
"Today is the day of the final ritual."
He took a deep breath. The cold air flowed into his lungs, its clarity sharpening his senses. Today mattered more to him than to anyone else.
He had woken early—too early. Beyond the curtains, everything was still pitch black; dawn had not yet arrived.
But for Bell, it was not early at all. It was time.
Aside from the ritual to sever the 19 Exaltations within the "Falna System" and ascend through a new channel, there was another vital ceremony: the destruction of every Concept he had gained from the "Type-Moon System."
"Runes will be left for the final stage. The rest needs to be destroyed."
Drawing another deep breath, Bell summoned the "Type-Moon System" and selected all one-star and two-star concepts.
[Destroy selected Concepts?]
Yes.
Bell confirmed without hesitation.
When all the selected Craft Essences vanished, he immediately sensed something missing within himself.
Something at the very foundation—like the bottommost block of a structure had been loosened. The sensation was deeply unpleasant, but unavoidable.
He didn't continue destroying the next group immediately. Instead, he waited and began stabilizing his condition.
'The effects are still there, but the damage isn't serious.'
The impact lingered, but nothing fundamental had collapsed.
Back then, the one- and two-star Craft Essences had helped him greatly. At that time, Bell had been weak—inside and out. Those lower-tier items had patched over his flaws, providing immense support when he needed it most.
But as his strength grew and his foundation solidified, losing some of that supplemental power was no longer a major issue.
Even so, Bell understood the principle: 'A thousand-mile embankment collapses from an ant's nest.' Even a small flaw could affect his completeness. So he adjusted himself carefully.
After spending time feeling the hollowed-out part within him, he began regaining its shape. What surprised him was—
It wasn't impossible to fill it.
'If I refill it with my own understanding of power, the emptiness can be restored. The loss isn't absolute. I can replace what the Craft Essences provided with my own cognition and strength.'
The discovery startled him.
It was excellent news—it meant the power granted by these Craft Essences wasn't irreplaceable.
And it also made him grateful.
'Good thing I didn't draw too many Craft Essences back then.'
Indeed. While the power they offered was exceptional—instant growth without effort—it was far too unnatural. That was why, after relying on the "Type-Moon System" to survive the early crisis, Bell had barely used it again.
Seeing the result now, he knew restraint had been the right decision. Otherwise, the "debt" he owed would have been impossible to repay.
Once he'd restored his condition and filled the void with his own strength, Bell turned his attention back to the system.
Some Craft Essences had been absorbed into pure energy, but others had manifested into physical items he frequently used—most notably, the Kuji Kanesada and the Hydra Dagger.
The Kuji Kanesada was truly excellent. As the sword once wielded by that Root-connected Servant, it served him well, even helping him deepen his understanding of many monsters.
As for the Hydra Dagger's toxin, it thrilled him every time he used it. Even gods could not resist its venom—it had played a major role in various operations against divine adversaries.
Aside from such tools, there were also disposable items.
But since their cost-effectiveness was low, Bell had always stockpiled them rather than using them.
This was the perfect time to destroy them.
However, when he came to Kuji Kanesada, he hesitated—then chose not to destroy it.
He retrieved the sword from his spatial storage and gently traced a finger along its blade.
"Destroying you feels too abrupt. When I meet your former master again, I'll return you myself."
He could sense that day was drawing near. Returning it personally felt more sincere than simply erasing it.
As for everything else, he destroyed them all—except for "Runes," "Robust Health," and "Goddess's Essence."
That included the five-star Craft Essence "Personal Training."
Yet strangely, this time the destruction had almost no effect. Compared to the disruption caused by losing the one- and two-star Craft Essences, the disappearance of these higher-tier ones was barely noticeable.
Even the five-star Pioneer item caused no ripple at all.
It baffled him.
"Why isn't there even the slightest impact?"
"Personal Training" had been his earliest Craft Essence, the one he'd relied upon most. Why did destroying something so crucial leave no emotional trace?
It had helped him immensely—perhaps because it was a learning-type Concept. Still, the lack of reaction felt strange.
Bell couldn't understand it.
But for now, he set aside the question. He needed to destroy the second-to-last Concept.
"Robust Health," the Concept he had stripped from Arash.
It had helped him tremendously.
But it was time to let go.
[Proceed with destruction?]
Yes.
Bell selected destruction without hesitation.
A blinding light consumed his vision—so overwhelming that he lost consciousness instantly.
...
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