Chapter 217: The Seven Deadly Sins!
A steady, terrifying power flowed into Novak through the black-light virus, drawing him in with its dark allure. As intriguing as this power was, it came with limitations—the Duke of Hell's demon body, though potent, was still constrained by the Cosmic Will. Despite its high-level nature, it wasn't all-encompassing.
Yet Novak knew not to be overly greedy. After his job upgrade, he would be able to enhance his black-light virus awakening even further, bringing his power closer to its ultimate potential.
The 200 exclusive evolution points granted by the black-light virus were valuable, but Novak's main focus was on the transformative skills he was gaining:
>Hellfire—Desire (S-Level): A hellfire infused with the essence of Slaanesh(Prince of Pleasure). When activated, it envelops the user, granting a 50% boost to all attributes for one minute. Additionally, it inflicts soul damage on enemies, with strength increasing in proportion to their desires.
Hidden effect: Cooldown time, ten minutes.'
A dark red flame ignited in Novak's palm at his command, flickering like the sinister smile of a devil born from desire.
Satan stared at him in astonishment. "Is that the power of Slaanesh, one of the Seven Deadly Sins? Honored Novak, the power within you is like a life-stone beneath the fountain of creation. Its mysteries are unending!"
Indeed, the black-light virus's devouring ability was remarkable. Since becoming the master of the abyss and undergoing further transformation by its powers, Novak noticed that the virus's consumption rate had increased—a hidden advantage he welcomed.
"The Seven Deadly Sins?" Novak mused aloud.
"In my prime, they were my power embodied: Pride, Greed, Slaanesh(Lust), Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, and Wrath. These Seven Sins are eternal truths. Of them, Slaanesh's power is the weakest under my control, for the abyss's oldest succubus queen, Meikanxie, claimed this authority at her birth. When I perished, the powers of the Seven Sins scattered, only to be grasped in fragments by lesser beings," Satan explained.
Novak simply nodded, uninterested in Satan's tales. With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed the flame in his hand and cast a quick glance at the S-level devil blood, which the black-light virus had also absorbed. He stowed it in his inventory and picked up the Duke of Hell's severed head from the ground.
As he did so, his eyes fell on something peculiar. Because the Duke of Hell's soul had escaped, his death wasn't recognized as a complete defeat. Consequently, no typical cosmic will rewards—such as skill books, job scrolls, or equipment—had dropped.
But now, amidst the items, something unique lay before him: a crafting blueprint.
Another crafting blueprint?
Novak was momentarily stunned.
From his past life's knowledge of the apocalypse, he remembered that equipment crafted from blueprints was exceptionally powerful, especially at S-rank and above. Yet crafting blueprints had an incredibly low drop rate—almost absurdly rare. Any such blueprint that surfaced on the market was priceless.
Until now, only four blueprints of this kind were known to exist:
The first was the Zombie Claw.
The second, an evolution of the Zombie Claw: Biohazard.
The third came from the Red Star Mental Hospital itself: the Hell's Call – Shepherd's Horn.
And now, standing before him was yet another equipment-crafting blueprint.
Novak's eyes widened slightly as he read through the blueprint's details, momentarily stunned.
>Hellfire Feather Wings of Underworld Flame - Production Blueprint
>Special Armor - Wings (S-Class)
>Description: Special wings forged from the flames of hell itself, imbuing the wearer with extraordinary power.
>Materials Required: Hellfire (Abyss Fire), Phoenix wings x100, Flame Core x1
>Note: "With these wings, one can conquer both the sky and the flames."
Novak's pupils contracted. Wing equipment? Such items were rare treasures, valued on par with special Horcruxes! It seemed the sixteenth demon god of the abyss was indeed a valuable ally.
After placing the blueprint in his backpack, Novak let out a breath of satisfaction and turned to the others, who were still dazed from the recent events.
"All right, dungeon's cleared. Let's get moving~"
Ian swallowed hard. The events that had just unfolded had shaken his understanding of the world to its core, leaving him almost paralyzed with awe. Only after a moment did he manage a nod.
Zezelia and Yuzuru, meanwhile, were less shaken; though the boss's appearance had been spectacular, they had long since accepted Novak's extraordinary strength. It was carved into their minds that this level of power suited him.
Yet Ian, still bewildered, couldn't help but stare at his mission panel, now updated with new information:
Devil Ancestor (S)—Mission Completed!
>You have finally uncovered the mystery of your bloodline and understand why this curse-like power exists. In a desperate bid to rid yourself of it, you summoned the sixteenth demon god, the Duke of Hell, with the intent to kill him—a foolish ambition.
>However, among your companions stands a being of unimaginable greatness. To him, even the Devil Duke of hell is insignificant—a mere fraction of his power.
>The secret of your lineage, your family's dark history, means little to him. But as his companion, you now know all, including the fate of your long-lost sister, Rika—originally named Hana by your family.
>So, what will you choose? Enter hell to find your sister, submitting yourself to her protection as she guides you, or place your hopes in the vast power of this great presence beside you, hoping he might grant you this small favor along your journey?
>But first, don't forget to claim your mission rewards!
Mission Completion Reward: High Devil Earl Bloodline (S)
Ian stared at the mission notification, utterly dumbfounded. He gazed at Novak in disbelief, struggling to understand why even the Cosmic Will, in its mission description, would speak of Novak in such a reverent tone.