Chapter 22
It has the same name as one of Lucifer's spells, which must be why his eyes had widened the instant he saw what Theodore's magic circle could do. "How…How can you use that?"
"Feels familiar doesn't it? I'm surprised that 'you' of all people could use a holy spell."
"…It won't work on me," Lucifer let out a chuckle. "It would never work on me, I'm an angel! Evil Vanquish only smite those who have sinned! You can't hurt me with that spell!"
Theodore hissed, his patience running thin. "Are you delusional? Of course it would work, you must've done something so terrible that even 'he' didn't give you a chance for redemption."
"I…" Lucifer was taken back by what he'd said and he lowered his head in shame.
Theodore took his silence as the signal and released the spell, immediately the magic circle moved to the floor and expanded until it was larger than the ice cage, golden pillars rose from around the perimeter of the arcane as pale orange fire lit up on top of the towers one by one.
Suddenly, Lucifer fell onto his knees while the ice chains shattered from the mysterious force pushing down onto them, it was as if gravity had grown stronger within the distance of the spell.
A ball of pale fire gathered in front of Theodore while multiple rings made of light surrounded it. His and Lucifer's Evil Vanquish had the same effects, but the appearance was clearly different.
It was supposed to be an angel's skill, something divine, it would obliterate any and all evil that dared to show up in front of them.
Lucifer's version of the spell was corrupted, dark and sinister; it wasn't used as a shield against the wicked, but a weapon against the weak.
The fire ball grew in size until it was almost as large as Theodore's head, that was when he knew the attack was ready for use. "…Let's talk for a bit."
"What?" Lucifer lifted his head, confused as to why the snake had decided to talk to him. He'd already given up on fighting back since he would know best what sort of spell 'Evil Vanquish' was, once one's caught within the boundaries of the sacred pillars, they'll never be able to get out, surviving 'Judgment' was even more of an impossible feat, even for him.
"I want to know something."
"…Know what?" Lucifer narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
Theodore let out another hiss, showing his anger. "Why did you come here?"
"…" The demon king was quiet for a moment. "What do you mean exactly?"
"People died," Theodore's thoughts briefly went into the past, during his first monster expedition, his other set of classmates had all been slaughtered because of a group of goblins, another was killed mercilessly by a minotaur that they'd unknowingly provoked. "If not for you guys, many good kid's futures wouldn't be destroyed, and we wouldn't have to worry about keeping ourselves safe for the sake of our family."
Lucifer blinked. "You talk as if you're human."
"Because I was one, until a 'monster' killed me."
"Ha." The fallen angel huffed, shaking his head slightly. "So you made a deal with a god? That would end way worse than seeking revenge the normal way."
"I don't care."
"You do you, I guess." Lucifer tried shrugging, but the powerful force was pushing him down way too hard for him to properly move. "But I don't even know why we were transported here."
"How can you not know? Even a dragon knew something about it." Theodore was suspicious.
"I really don't know, I've only been informed that I might get sick from dimension hopping but that was it."
"…Seriously?" Theodore really hoped that someone as powerful as Lucifer might know about why the monsters had appeared on earth, but it seemed that getting information would be a lot harder than he'd initially thought, maybe some were told of the reason and some weren't.
'How can an unrelated dragon know but the goddamn devil doesn't?'
"I'm speaking the truth, I only like twisting words but lying isn't my thing."
"Okay, that's enough talking." Suddenly, ice chains manifested from the floor and wrapped around Lucifer once again, catching him by surprise, they tightened around him hard enough that he was unable to move afterward.
"That…That was unnecessary." The demon king chuckled, struggling to breath because of the chains and his wings were strapped tight against his back, adding more burden to his body.
"I'm not blind, you were trying to cast a spell."
"How can you prove that? You're being too paranoid…" Lucifer was truly a bad liar, Theodore could see it all plastered on his expression.
"Demonic energy isn't that hard to detect when it's used among holy magic."
"…F*ck."
Theodore laughed. "Good bye!"
The fireball of holy magic swiftly guided through the air, when it made contact with the ice cage, the bars shattered and made way for the powerful attack, it would only take another second for it to reach its intended target.
A loud 'BANG!' erupted from the middle of the circle, a whirlwind seemingly made from holy magic spiralled up into the starry sky above, it burned so brightly that even Theodore had to look away from it.
In a matter of seconds, the fire tornado dispersed into flickers of flames and the pillars scattered away like dust, in the middle, the large magic circle flickered out, leaving behind only a dark red orb around the size of a basketball.
[You have completed one of the requirements for the Main Quest#2]
[Rewarded 'Accelerated Evolution' (1 Time Use)]
[The Fragment of the Original is suppressing the Chaos within you, your skills have returned to their respective levels.]
[You killed the Demon King of Pride: Lucifer. Gained '???' EXP.]
[Level Up! You're now Level 40. Excess experience points will be stored for your next evolution.]
[Please pick a new Bloodline.]
<<3rd Bloodline
(The choices have been updated due to your recent accomplishments.)
-Jörmungandr
Description: A serpent hated from birth, it was cast into the ocean that surrounds Midgard in hopes of extinguishing its strength before it could grow, however, its tenacity outgrew its enemy's malice and it became large enough that it could encircle the earth, its body length so unimaginable that it managed to bite its own tail from the otherside of the world, it is said that once Jörmungandr releases its tail, Ragnarok will begin.
-Naga
Description: A semi-divine being powerful enough to give out blessings just like gods, their powers vary depending on their areas and some even believed that they could manipulate the weather, and some thought that they're a border between the living and the dead. Angering these beings can cause misfortunes and even curses to befall those who dare to disparage the Nagas.
-The Serpent of Old
Description: Within the Creator's Garden, the whole world happily spent their days enjoying divine luxury under a simple request to never touch the Fruits, humanity would've continued to live out their lives in eternal happiness if not for the Serpent, wicked and mischievous, it whispered sweet white lies into their ears and eventually causing them to Fall. It would later be punished for its deceptions but its spirit still lives till today.>>
[Oh? Interesting, they're all powerful picks.] Asclepius sounded intrigued.
[Do you want to hear my suggestion?] Ouroboros spoke next.
"Suggestion?" Of course Theodore would hear what the deity had to say, so far Ouroboros had never disappointed him.
[Do you know who 'The Serpent of Old' is?]
"No? Isn't it just a talking snake?" Theodore's choice was going to be Jörmungandr simply because he knew how powerful it was, it might even surpass his other two Bloodlines, and the potential abilities he could get was tempting too, as the World Serpent, he could practically destroy anything he sets his eyes on.
[Well…It wasn't told clearly but that's Lucifer.]
"Huh? I just killed him though?" He guessed that the Bloodline would become weaker since the original owner had died, it made sense after all.
[The Original's death has nothing to do with its power, besides, Lucifer being dead makes it even better to choose the Bloodline.]
"Why?"
[The spot of 'Demon King of Pride' is empty, if you pick his Bloodline then you can get that title as well, including his 'Demon Arts'.]
"What about Jörmungandr?"
[It's a powerful option, but I won't recommend it. If you want the Jörmungandr line, you can simply go find that snake and kill it.]
"What…?"
[That orb on the ground, it's similar to gaining a Bloodline but it's only a fraction of the whole thing. Only powerful creatures will drop them upon death.]
Theodore was now torn between the two options, Ouroboros had given very valid points, Jörmungandr might be one of the strongest beings in Norse Mythology, but so was Lucifer, and instead of only 'borrowing' the Bloodline, he now has the potential to 'own' the Bloodline.
"Is the power difference that big?"
[Yes, it's easy for me to tell since your current control over Chaos is nowhere near what I can do, and it's not just because of those…levels either.]
"…Asclepius?"
[Yes?]
"What do you think?"
[To be frank, the Norse gods are…quite weak, unlike us Greeks, they can die.]
[Odin is strong though.] Ouroboros protested.
[Yet a dog ate him.]
[Well, the choice is yours, my favorite mortal, I gave you my opinion.]
Theodore stared at the list with hesitation. "System, can you show me what skills I could get if I choose the Jörmungandr line?"
[Yes.]
< [Bloodline Skill: The World Serpent]
The following skills stem from the aforementioned Bloodline Skill.
-World Crusher [Skill]
The Midgard serpent is well-known for its size, it can easily encircle the entire world with its length, with this skill, you can temporarily double your size and Attack stat for 20 Minutes. However, this comes with the cost of reducing your speed by half and disables you from using or receiving any speed-related buffs.
-Deicide [Personal Attribute]
On Ragnarok, the legendary battle between Jörmungandr and Thor caused heaven and earth to shake from their sheer strength, eventually, both of them would fall but this only shows that despite having the power of gods, the World Serpent can kill even the strongest among them. Gaining this ability will allow you to deal more damage to deities.
-Master of All Poison (An upgrade from the skill 'Master of Poison')
When Jörmungandr had emerged from the ocean, its cries spread poison all over the battlefield, the water became deadly and the air was filled with eerie miasma, its poison was so powerful that even the gods couldn't withstand it.
[More Bloodline Skills can be obtain through other conditions]>>
"…" Theodore loved the sound of every single one of those abilities, especially 'World Crusher', it wasn't hard to guess that upgrading it would allow him to grow bigger, maybe even large enough to encircle the world.
But he needed to be sure with his choice. "Show me the skills for 'Serpent of Old'."
< [Bloodline Skill: The First Fallen]
The following skills stem from the aforementioned Bloodline Skill.
-Lord of Souls [Skill]
The Serpent's eyes can see through all, uncovering the deepest, darkest desires of those he looked at, truth cannot get past his gaze and secrets cannot be kept from his persistent curiosity. He, the great dragon, was also the damned's master, all life that'd been lost are under his dominion. He can ease a soul's pain but can also destroy it in an instant. Inheriting this skill will allow you to see people's souls, giving you the ability to detect emotions, lies, and even read into their memories. You can also kill something completely by destroying their soul, this prevents reincarnation and judgment, lost or broken souls will either wander the earth with no memories or they'll be sent to their Eternal Purgatory, when this skill's level is high enough, you can manipulate the soul to a wider extent.
-First Deceptor [Skill]
The Devil's whispers had caused the Fall of Man, his words corrupted the mind and deceived with white lies. He'd appeared in the form of a Serpent, tricking many to question his identity and became the First Deceptor. With this skill, you will become a master of deception, you can make anything sound believable as long as it's within logic. In addition, you can choose to become a serpent in man's clothing. Leveling up this skill is essential for strengthening the credibility of your lies and 'Charm' points can affect your influence when using this skill.
-Hell's Master [Personal Attribute]
The Serpent rules over the netherworld, all demons bow to his prowess and worship him out of both fear and respect, if he shall be cast into eternal flames then he would rather embrace it and govern like a king. Gaining this attribute allows you to assert your authority over demonic creatures and even claim a domain within the Underworld as your own, this skill's level can give you more control over Hell.
[More Bloodline Skills can be obtain through other conditions]>>
Theodore turned his head towards the mysterious orb on the ground, getting intrigued by the latter option more now. "System, how does that ball thing work?"
[Consuming it regularly will cause harm to the body, it is recommended that you use 'Ambitious Snake: Devour' to process the Status Orb's power.]
"Status Orb? What will I gain from eating it?"
[Consuming this Status Orb will allow you to take ownership of the 'Demon Lord of Pride' title, and you'll gain one to three related skills from it.]
"Can I see what skills I can get?"
[Negative. The Status Orb contains all the power of its previous owner, it'll adjust and give you the skills depending on your current strength, attributes, and other factors.]
Theodore hummed in understanding. It was practically telling him to choose Lucifer's Bloodline so that he could get a higher chance of rolling for good skills when he consumes the Status Orb. "Alright then, one more thing, is there any other way I could get the Jörmungandr bloodline?"
[Yes, you can get it by either making a 'Bloodline Contract' or consuming Jörmungandr's Status Orb.]
"In other words, I ask him nicely or I kick his ass and take his name."
[…Precisely.]
"Then I'll pick the 'Serpent of Old' line."
[Very well.]
[Your final Given Evolution Line will be the 'Serpent of Old']
[Would you like to use your 'Accelerated Evolution (x1)'?]
"Yes."
[Presence of two powerful Bloodlines detected. Comparing…]
…
[The Ouroboros Serpent is stronger, minimal chances will occur to your body.]
[Congratulations, you have completed the Main Quest #2. Would you like to view your rewards?]
Theodore would feel slightly tingly all over his body, but it would quickly dissipate after a few seconds as sheets of translucent skin fell off of him, the sheds meant that his evolution was completed, the Accelerated Evolution reward had saved him a lot of time.
"Hm? Ouroboros is still stronger?"
[The Evolution has upgraded the skills 'Gaze of Wisdom' and 'Tongue Receptor']
[Your status window has been updated, would you like to view the changes?]
He wouldn't worry about it right now, it doesn't matter anyway which Bloodline was stronger, as long as he can grow more powerful by possessing them.
As for the main quest rewards, he'll check it out after he gets the evolutions over with.
"Yes." He nodded and a screen appeared in front of him.
< Species: The Ouroboros Serpent (30 Meters)
Titles: 13th Zodiac: Serpent Bearer.
Lvl: 5
EXP: 2,000,000/8,900,000
Skill Points: 1,209
HP: 700,000/700,000
MP: 10,000/10,000
Rank: S+
Attack: 800 (S-)
Speed: 850 (S)
Defense: 1,200 (S+)
Charm: 200 (D)
Intelligence: 500 (A-)
Magic: 900 (S-)
Elements: Ice. Fire. Draconic. Lightning. Divine.
Personal Attributes: Gaze of Wisdom (Lvl.7). Thermal Vision (Lvl.MAX). Venom (Lvl.5). Agility (Lvl. 3). Tongue Receptor (Lvl.6). Deitify (Lvl.MAX). All-Speak (Lvl.MAX). Greater than Dragons (Lvl.MAX). Dragon's Heart (LVL.MAX). Scales of the Serpent (Lvl.1). Apex Predator (Lvl.MAX). Asclepius' Guidance (Lvl.MAX). Final Desperation (Lvl.MAX). Hell's Master (Lvl.1). [NEW!]
Unique Magic: Frozen Disaster (Lvl.1). Immortal Flames (Lvl.1)
Skills: Ambitious Snake: Devour (Lvl.3). Master of Poison (Lvl.2). Persistence (Lvl.2). Uriel's Blessings (Lvl.2). Wild Thunder (Lvl.1). Asclepius' Secrets (Lvl.2). 13th's Knowledge (Lvl.1). Lord of Souls (Lvl.1). First Deceptor (Lvl.1). [NEW!]
Bloodline Skills: Embodiment of Chaos (Lvl.4). Super Regeneration (Lvl.MAX). Corrupting Touch (Lvl. 3). Divine Blaze (Lvl.MAX). Coldest Death (Lvl.2). Predator of All (Lvl.2). The Great Cycle (Lvl.1). Forgotten Star (Lvl. 1). First Fallen (Lvl.1). [NEW!]>>
Theodore realized that he'd grown another five meters from this evolution, he turned his head to look behind him and saw his tail almost touching the other side of the throne room, the diameter of his body was large enough that he could most likely flip a tank upside down with a light flick.
He would worry about his body size later though and he shifted his attention to the Status Orb on the floor. When he used his skill, he realized that instead of the usual snake silhouette, only the head had appeared, it was definitely because he'd gotten way too big for it to properly manifest.
"How long is it going to take?"
[Your body is still under Accelerated Evolution's effects and the time has been reduced to 5 Minutes.]
"Okay, can I leave the dungeon first?"
[Negative, the Status Orb needs to be processed for the ■■ Gate to open.]
Theodore felt slightly uncomfortable about it, he was worried that Eugune might be in pain the longer he dragged this out, but he couldn't do anything so he needed to be patient and quickly sort out his skills.
He first decided to look into what 'First Deceptor' could do.
"System, what did it mean by 'A serpent in man's clothing?'"
[You can temporarily turn into a human.]
"Oh I see—What?"
This was big news for Theodore, he wasn't thinking much about it at first but he figured that his large build might be a problem for navigation, if he'd taken the World Serpent bloodline he might've grown bigger than this.
Not only that, having arms and legs would surely be a lot more beneficial for him.
"I thought you said I couldn't be a human again…"
[Your appearance might be that of Homo Sapiens but you are, and will forever be, a serpent in this life.]
"That's fine. Anyway, how long does the skill last?"
[Shape Shifting has a duration of 12 Hours and a cooldown of the same time.]
"Great, what if I turn back and forth from snake to human?"
[The time will be added and subtracted accordingly, strategic shifting is possible.]
Basically, he can spend five hours as a human and turn back into his snake form any time he wants, then he'll have seven hours left to spend as a human later. 'Useful, very useful, I can plan my movements a lot better with this.'
Afterward, Theodore decided to reread the other new skills that he'd gained, wanting to understand how he could potentially use them with his other abilities.
He was especially interested in his evolved ice magic, the spells that he once knew had changed completely and new ones had implanted their incantations into his memory, although he still needed to experiment with them.
He was still saving the main quest rewards for later, since he figured it would be best if he started reading into his new skills instead of immediately adding more abilities.
Though after only a few minutes of scrolling through his status window, the awaited notification finally rang out.
[The Status Orb has been consumed.]
[The Eternal Purgatory has been cleared. You can now leave the dungeon.]