A few breaths later, Kairos reopened his eyes, with a strange silver light flitting across that is remnant of the Time element.

A couple of barbarians approaches. They thought Kairos as vulnerable and sought to take him down.

Without defending himself, Kairos turned his head towards Alan and shouted, “Use your Ki Barrier and protect everyone.”

The barbarians that are about to surround him suddenly appeared as though they were moving through a thick swamp and became many times slower.

Then afterwards, he turned towards Von Cixton.

Just as his eyes found his target, he disappeared from sight leaving his attackers stunned.

After Kairos left, the strange restrains on their bodies disappeared.

Almost at the same time, he appeared next to Von without any hint. There wasn’t a movement in the air announcing his arrival, nor was there a fleeting trail of afterimages left behind Kairos that accompanied someone who came over with great speed.

The place Von is at, the backline, had already been compromised. He was channelling all his attention to fend off the attackers. When Kairos appeared, he had a great shock, and almost accidentally blasted his enemies together with his cousin sky high.

His cousin, Lux Cixton, who had been tasked with protecting the ranged units stood nearby in his Molten Walker golem.

Lava and flames surrounded him, but it didn’t deter the war-crazed barbarians from leaping onto his back and trying to rip into him.

His golem stood tall above the men, however it only made him a bigger target. Over twenty enemies crawled up and down his back, slamming their weapons into the melted rocks on him.

It will be a matter of time before this giant is brought down.

As more ambushers enter the fray, the Saint Empire cultivators who are specialised in far range attacks became bogged down.

Without projectiles that could shoot them down, the Frosthral barbarians took to the air.

Space solidified under the feet, allowing them to walk up into the sky as though there is an invisible stairway.

Very few attacks came their way as expected, only hundreds while they numbered in the thousands. It will take very little effort to avoid.

They looked at their enemies from above with weapons in hands.

Kairos looked up at them and said to Von beside him, “Lend me your abilities.”

Von was shocked at his words and he turned his head quickly towards Kairos with a face full of questions.

Can abilities be loaned? If that’s possible, then what’s the point of gaining abilities?

People can just create an ‘Abilities Market’, buying or borrowing the talents they want.

When Von saw Kairos’ expressionless face and his slightly dulled eyes, he was shocked.

“This guy is still in a trance!?”

Kairos stiffly repeated again, “Lend me your abilities.”

Von subconsciously nodded his head. If there must be someone he should trust his life to right now, the number one candidate will definitely be Kairos.

Without turning his eyes away from the barbarians standing on air, Kairos’ hand went over to Von’s forehead and plucked out something.

When Von looked at what Kairos held between his fingers, he saw a strange silvery light wiggling like a live animal and at the same time, he felt his connection with the Time element severed.

He observed the situation with great curiosity and found that the link was not totally gone.

An insubstantial connection remained. If Kairos return what he took, then what was loss will be wholly restored through this bond.

As if having all the time in the world, Kairos slowly moved his hand back to his side. He released the strange bundle of light then started making seals with his hands.

Each seal imprinted into the air, surrounding the silvery light. His speed was incredible, within a second, dozens of seals were created. Some repeated, others slightly different.

More and more seals appeared, each seal took position in an intricate formation.

When the last seal is done, it flew over and filled up the final spot and as though a gear was set into place, the entire piece activated as a giant rune.

It was as though writing tiny letters to form up a single letter, however, the tiny letters are like numbers, while the single, large, letter is obviously part of a language.

This is the true form of Seals and Runes.

Runes are words of a heavenly language, while seals are as a set of numbers, calculated to form a certain mathematical logic.

If runes can call upon the true names of all forms and display their power, then seals are meant to increase, decrease, take away, multiply, or calculate different mysteries of the world.

That is why seals can contain wild powers, can bind enemies, can nullify sound or light. Reverse seals can unleash hidden potentials, activate passive energies, detonate what should be stabilised.

That is why, the Devilheart family head inherit the base word “Calculate” and the rest of their members took on words related to it.

Kairos’ creation is an incredible wonder, possible only because he was still in the midst of his trance. He had touched upon the mysteries of the Time and Space elements and had not came out from that state.

It was how he could slow down those trying to attack him with time dilation, and how he could appear next to Von as though he had travelled through time, and how he could borrow Von’s abilities by plucking it out from space.

Most incredulously, the trance helped him formed the rune.

If those who are well-versed in seals look at this new rune floating beside him, they will released that it is made up of merely two types of seal symbols. If simplified, one is positive, the other is negative. In numbers, they will be 1s and 0s.

Through those ones and zeros that he wrote he created an entirely unique existence.

The use of it is unknown to all but Kairos himself. No, perhaps, even as its creator when he get out from this trance he wouldn’t be clear of what it symbolises and what it can do.

Kairos reached out towards the rune.

The moment his finger touched it, a silver dragon flew out of his body and into the rune.

Fire dragon, Frost dragon, Lightning dragon, and now Time dragon.

Without knowing when, Kairos already gathered four of them in his body.

Finally, those fighting noticed a pale glow that seemed to cover all the spilled blood and the sparks of battle.

Once soaked in this light, everyone felt they were brought into a mysterious place where time runs differently.

At the same time, Alan who had been anxious to save his team of Shield Guards were rapidly forming a Ki Barrier.

He had heard of Kairos’ words and had been following without hesitation.

Of the five brothers, only Alan extensively researched about Ki Barriers.

Somehow or rather, he became fascinated by Ki Barriers and how it could become a lifesaver. For other practitioners, Ki Barriers are also part of their cultivation method or a martial technique developed through the ages.

For Origin Cultivators like them, they did not find any special methods to strengthen or train their Ki Barriers.

When he approached the other four brothers regarding this, all of them went into a deep state of thought.

Exactly why does such a refined and wondrous cultivation method fail to mention the way to use Ki Barriers? It became the greatest mystery for the five and after much discussion… they gave up.

But, today they will get answer to it.

When Alan desperately wished for a way to save his subordinates, he was surprised that the Origin Cultivation method customised for him by Kairos, started to answer his call.

It fully supported his growth and provided a way. It was as though his cultivation method was a pot of soil… but it wasn’t just a regular pot nor regular soil.

It was made perfect for him.

The pot could grow as he grow, and the soil could provide whatever nutrient he required.

Alan’s desperate wish to protect his team led him towards the Dao of defence, and a new path opened up before him. He could feel his Dao Heart move into the right place.

There was inspiration like never before and they turned into words that imprinted into his soul.

‘The heart to protect is a heart of love, of cherishing those who exist, and to not let them come to harm.

To protect oneself is to cherish oneself, but to protect others is greater.

The strength to protect oneself is respectable and powerful. Yet, the strength to protect others must be much more.’

In the past, Alan had not a passion in the art of defence but walked on this path because of his bond with his little turtle. As the bond strengthened over time, he also walked further on this path.

But he was rather hesitant from the start, because he dreamt of becoming a powerful existence feared for his strength, to charge in and out of enemy fire with a gleaming blade that drips blood.

It was cooler to be a top cultivator that others feared than a stoic guardian that had little firepower.

He immediately sought out his brothers, telling them of his of his dream, but how he had been walking the reverse because of his contract beast had been granting him insights in defence instead.

The four of them were immediately intrigued and enthusiastically tried to give suggestions to him.

Jim who was the first to speak as usual, had a great empathy, “Don’t just train in your defence, you should train in speed as well, so you could run away if you can’t protect yourself. And if you can run away before you lost, it isn’t a defeat either.”

Jim is well-versed in running away.

Tommy who is steeped in the cultivation of his Dharma Body also had fellow feelings, “He’s right! And if the other person gives up, then you’ve secured a win. That’s pretty good too!”

Surprisingly, Kairos also nodded in agreement, “The best offense is an impenetrable defence!”

Observing how Alan is turning more depressed with each encouragement, Edward attempted to console Alan, “At least you will never know defeat.”

It took a while before Alan cheered up.

Although all he received were advices that goes against his original goal, he couldn’t help but feel that they are passable logic.

Especially Kairos’ ‘the best offense is an impenetrable defence!’ the more he thought about it, the more sense it made.

If he could become invulnerable, then what happens if an invulnerable fist hit someone?

“Huahahaha!” Just thinking about it caused him to burst out laughing.

Perhaps at the end he will still reach his goal, but just through another path!

He had not imagined that because of his decision he so sorely lacked attacking power that one day he will be standing on this battlefield, smacking his foes with two sticks-turned-shields.

Above him, as if answering Alan’s wish, the goddess Minerva lifted her head up and smiled at the soldiers.

Instantly, no matter if their eyes were on her or not, the Saint Empire troops felt a strange warmness arise in them.

It was the goddess’ blessings.

A name appeared in their mind: Minerva.

In surprise and a mystifying peace, they uttered her name in their hearts, and before their eyes, the goddess’ avatar turned into countless butterflies that covered the battlefield.

They were enchanting things.

Each butterfly was made from a soft, encompassing light that felt comfortable to behold. They floated lightly over the heads of the people below and quickly scattered across the battlefield. Each butterfly picked a person below and lightly landed on their shoulders and a blue glow wrapped around the person protecting him like a Ki Barrier.

As this is happening, Kairos is just waking up from his trance. The light returned to his eyes as the strange rune before him exploded and returned to nothingness.

From the vanished rune, a ray of silver light suddenly shot out and struck Von Cixton on his forehead and the young master of the Steel Rose family could feel the abilities he loaned out had been returned.

Von looked around with a strange expression on his face. Whatever Kairos is doing did not seem to take any effect.

The war continued to rage, the battles returned to their previous intensity.