Primordial Expanse: I have the Strongest Talent!

The battlefield was a cacophony of chaos as Alex, now drenched in the deep red blood and sweat, stood amidst the remains of the Red Demons he had just helped vanquish.

The two awakened fighters, their breaths heavy but spirits lifted, nodded their thanks once more before regrouping with the nearby Federation soldiers.

Alex's eyes scanned the horizon, constantly alert for the next threat.

He could feel the weight of Virtue's Edge in his hand.

It felt lighter than before, but it contained much more power than it previously did before it just lay dormant, waiting to see blood for months.

He pulled up its details to see what had changed now that he had a moment to breathe.

[Virtue's Edge]

[F+ rank (Growth type)]

[A sword like no other. This blade was forged by Mikhail, a grandmaster swordsmith as his final work before he disappeared, never to be seen again. Forged in the heart of a volcano, it is particularly fond of the fire element.]

[F tier effect - When combined with the fire element, the power produced with each slash will be doubled.]

Alex did a double take when he read through the details of his sword.

Not much had changed, but there was a new addition at the end of the details, and it had grown two ranks.

But the new addition at the end was what he was most interested in.

'Double the power when combined with the fire element…' Alex mused.

'No wonder it felt so easy cutting apart those Red Demons!'

Alex realised instantly why each of his swings felt so buttery smooth during the battle earlier, and he couldn't help but be ecstatic with this change.

It only complemented his fighting style even more, and it had no drawbacks for him whatsoever.

And judging from the fact it had the title 'F tier effect' before it, he had a good guess that more and more effects would join in as the sword grew in rank.

And if the first effect was so good already, he couldn't wait until he unlocked the others.

As Alex considered his next move, a faint sound, almost imperceptible amidst the din of battle, reached his ears — a sound that sent a chill down his spine.

A low, grumbling growl.

Alex turned towards the source, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a group of figures emerging from smoke and debris.

They moved with a predatory grace, their forms imposing and menacing.

'Elites.'

Alex could tell immediately that they were not the typical Red Demon soldiers he had been cutting down; these were elite warriors, their auras already reaching him even though he was miles away from them.

He imagined that this was how he looked and felt to the opposing Red Demons before he cut them down.

Leading them was a figure that immediately caught Alex's attention.

Taller and more imposing than the others, this Red Demon exuded an air of command.

His skin was a dark crimson, almost black, and his eyes glowed with an eerie, predatory light.

He carried a massive, jagged sword that seemed to hum with unknown power.

'A Red Demon prodigy!'

Alex was surprised, but more angry.

He gritted his teeth, as he realised that the Red Demons had the same plan as the humans.

He had already found out that the federation sent him there as a sure fire way to win this system back, as he was already considered one of the top prodigies in the federation.

But it seemed the Red Demon race had the same idea.

This Red Demon leading the group of elites was 100% a prodigy just like him.

He could feel it in his aura alone.

"Human!" the prodigy leader bellowed, his voice dominating the air around him.

"You have slain many of my brethren. I am Varkoth. Remember that name, because I will be your end!"

Alex felt Varkoth's aura and immediately felt that he might have finally met a match on this battlefield.

Varkoth was C- rank, two ranks higher than Alex himself, also a Mutant class.

But there was no mistaking Varkoth for the common soldiers on this battlefield.

He possessed C+ rank variant class strength too.

Alex's strength came from his two main talents, Phoenix Flames and Soulforge, so he could only guess that Varkoth had at least one S+ rank talent backing him up to have such raw power at his rank.

Behind Varkoth, the four other elite Red Demons stood nearby. Each of them radiated a terrifying strength.

Alex tightened his grip on Virtue's Edge, feeling the blade pulse in response to the approaching danger.

"Bring it on," Alex muttered, his voice steady and unwavering.

Varkoth's lips curled into a sinister smile.

"With pleasure."

The battle began with a sudden, explosive clash.

Gormak, the biggest of the four elite, a massive brute wielding dual war hammers, charged forward.

His war hammers swung with devastating force.

Alex dodged the first swing, but just as he was about to dodge the second, he was hit with a surprise he was not expecting to see at all.

Gormak's second war hammer started to become more flexible, more malleable, and twisted mid air, elongating itself in the process.

'He has a metal type talent!'

Alex could tell what had caused this change, Gormak had to have some kind of talent that could manipulate the metal that made up his war hammers.

But he was too late to dodge, so he could only protect his body with his arms.

He felt a massive and sudden bone breaking blow impact his arms.

He didn't dare to use Virtue's Edge to try and block, in fear that it might be too damaged if he did so.

In turn, his wrist on his right arm was shattered from the impact, and he was sent flying backwards until he hit a small mound, digging further into the dirt and rock until his momentum was finally stopped.

'Even his four henchmen are stronger than most of the Red Demon soldiers on this battlefield…'

Alex was in for the fight of his life this time around, and the odds were against him 5 to 1.