Starting the Advancement

Rose's question was a good one.

Olivia provided an explanation. "Because no matter who they were, none of them ever found the correct way to use the Sword of the Earth. Naturally, they couldn't discover its secrets."

"The correct way to use it?"

"That's right. The proper way to use the Sword of the Earth is for the user to hold the sword and pierce their own heart."

"..."

Rose fell silent upon hearing this method.

Stabbing oneself with a sword?

How could a normal person ever think of such a thing? It was no wonder the Sword of the Earth had remained in the Moriah Empire for so long without anyone noticing its function.

But how did Olivia know about this method?

Rose glanced at Olivia but didn't ask the question. Instead, she thought about what Olivia had just said.

Was this sword meant for her?

Meaning, she had to stab herself?

Feeling a bit anxious, Rose asked Olivia, "Sister, will I really be okay if I stab myself with this sword?"

"Of course you'll be fine," Olivia said with absolute certainty.

"Really?"

"Of course it's true!"

"Then... I'm really going to do it?"

Rose raised the Sword of the Earth and lined up the tip with her heart, gesturing tentatively.

She looked at Olivia innocently as she did so, as if seeking confirmation one last time.

Olivia said firmly, "Go ahead, Rose. There won't be any problems."

"I understand."

Since Olivia had said so, Rose stopped hesitating.

She took a deep breath, and with a sudden thrust, she drove the sword through her heart.

She didn't feel any pain.

As the blade passed through her heart, the entire Sword of the Earth immediately underwent a subtle change, transforming from a physical entity into an energy form before rapidly merging into her heart.

Thump, thump.

Rose felt her heart begin to beat violently. A mysterious power radiated from her heart, quickly permeating her entire body.

A sensation of purification enveloped her, making her feel as though her entire being had become much more refreshed.

Rose soon realized what kind of benefits she had gained.

Just as Olivia had said, by merging with the Sword of the Earth, she could sever all negative effects on her body. From now on, things like curses would essentially be unable to harm her.

Of course, that wasn't all.

She also felt a mysterious change spreading through her, and strange images began to flash through her mind.

Though unfamiliar, she felt as if these were things she had personally experienced.

It was a bizarre feeling—unfamiliar yet strangely familiar.

It was as if her distant memories were beginning to revive.

"I... I think I remembered something,"

Rose muttered to herself, clutching her head as she tried to think, but she couldn't see anything clearly.

The images were merely fragmented snippets, disconnected from one another, preventing her from fully understanding what had happened.

"What did you remember?" Olivia asked curiously.

"It's too blurry. I can't really say what I saw. the images are very unclear." Rose frowned slightly, unable to describe the specifics.

"If the images aren't clear, don't force it. Let these things happen naturally," Olivia suggested, thinking it was better not to push it.

Regardless, the purification of the Sword of the Earth was constant. Now that it had merged with her, the images Rose could see would likely become clearer over time.

This was also the reason she had given the Sword of the Earth to Rose.

"Thank you, Sister Olivia."

Rose now understood how much the Sword of the Earth would help her.

Perhaps before long, she would be able to recall the memories she had forgotten in the ancient past.

She would be able to remember who she truly was.

This gave her a sense of hope for the future.

Afterward, Olivia took Rose to a nearby city to rest for a while.

To be precise, she let Rose stay there to rest, told her she would be gone for a few days, and then entered the church headquarters.

Through the magic mirror, Olivia knew that Charles had already prepared all the materials needed for her advancement at the church headquarters.

The materials required to advance from an Evolver to a Destroyer were innumerable, so even the church headquarters had needed some time to collect them.

Of course, it hadn't taken too long, as the church's resources were vast.

After finding Charles, Olivia quickly collected her numerous advancement materials and then went into a meditation room.

Upon entering the meditation room, Olivia first took an incredibly massive bathtub out of her Amber Tears.

Yes, advancing from an Evolver to a Destroyer also involved taking a soak.

However, the specific steps were different.

First, because of the sheer quantity of materials, the bathtub itself had to be very large.

The bathtub Olivia brought out was a full hundred meters in length and ten meters in height.

Once it was out, she began placing various materials inside.

There were 32 types of liquid materials, which she poured in all at once according to the proportions.

Then there were various plants and herbs—over 100 kinds—which she integrated into the liquid.

In addition, there were minerals with unique effects and even sheets of paper inscribed with Sylvan Runes.

The countless materials were enough to make Olivia's head spin.

The amount of materials required for this advancement was truly ridiculous.

Without a major power backing you, reaching this step would be incredibly difficult.

Then again, it seemed like there were no Destroyers who didn't belong to a major power.

In short, the preparation alone took Olivia a long time. Only then did she slowly shed her clothes and immerse herself in the bathtub.

Though it was called a bathtub, she could easily swim or even dive inside; the space was enormous.

Next, she simply needed to soak for a few days.

As Olivia began her advancement, one acquaintance after another began to appear outside the meditation room.

"She's already started advancing toward Destroyer. Although I knew her advancement speed was fast, this is still surprisingly quick."

"It's truly unbelievable. Without us noticing, she's actually reached this step."

"This speed is just too fast. One can't help but be envious."

"I am witnessing the birth of a miracle."