Chapter 218: The Mysterious Eye! Winifred's Return!

"Honored Novak, please believe me—I can be far more valuable to you than that treacherous fool Beelzebub! He's betrayed me once, and he'll do it again. You're the only one I can truly rely on. With Aga Reiss on our side as well..." 

"Don't worry," Novak interrupted with a calm smile. "I'm not entertaining that idea just yet."

This encounter had triggered a hidden event in the Red Star Mental Hospital—a near hell-level dungeon. Though Novak hadn't secured the coveted first-clear achievement, he was content after making rounds in the Capital City with Yuzuru, helping her successfully break through to the tenth level.

Initially, Novak had indeed considered selling Satan's Lifemark to Beelzebub. But he quickly dismissed the idea. As Satan had pointed out, any deal with Beelzebub would be one-sided; even with his mastery over the abyss, Novak understood that a fair negotiation with the devil required power. Unlike the god of trades, Zogwort, Beelzebub was untrustworthy, and Satan's potential usefulness was undeniable.

"Aga Reiss," Novak said thoughtfully, "does he have a dark spar of sufficient quality? I'll need one for the 500th floor of the abyss. See if he can provide it."

"Of course!" Satan responded eagerly. For him, having Novak express a need was reassuring—indicating his role still had purpose.

Dark Spar, a special forging material condensed from the power of darkness, was rare and varied in quality. For Novak, obtaining one meant a great deal. After defeating the Duke of Hell, he'd retained the demon's head and horns, both crucial for crafting the 'Hell's Call—Shepherd's Horn', a blueprint he possessed. With the right materials, this blueprint could yield an S-rank helmet—a powerful piece by any measure.

Novak was determined not to risk any setbacks with this equipment. He'd already secured other essentials, like hellfire or Abyss fire, but the dark spar needed to be flawless.

During a prior expedition into the abyss, Novak had acquired a special token from the succubus queen, Meikanxie. As long as he carried it, any demon lord of the succubi race would submit to him without question. Establishing alliances with true gods in the abyss was a key component of Novak's larger strategy, so he was intent on taking advantage of any diplomatic inroads available.

This return to the abyss would focus on another strategic goal: books. He planned to retrieve various texts, particularly those sought by the fourth and seventh of the Winifreds.

While Novak harbored plans to ally with the most unconventional true god, the enormous Abyss Hydra, other gods like The God of Wolves and Assassins Yeenoghu and Baphomet, Lord of the Minotaurs and Beasts held him in low favor, making further pursuit unnecessary.

The Ferryman from the Underworld presented a unique case. Whether he'd be friend or foe was still uncertain. That would be a matter for another time.

For now, Novak's upcoming journey to the abyss had a simple aim: to gather more of the poetry coveted by the Snake Demon, World Devourer, Winifreds.

—— [Note: Juggernaut here means Lord of the Abyss.]——

On the 350th floor of the Abyss, above the endless dark sea, one of the enormous nine heads looked intently at the figure before him, brimming with excitement.

"Honored Juggernaut, words fail to express the gratitude I feel for your gift! I can only offer you this verse, written in honor of my dearest Juggernaut:

'Abyss, though layered to infinity, you cannot halt my Master's journey; 

O sea, your depths cannot contain my gratitude for him; 

The Master and I are blooms of art in this endless abyss; 

Not even Heimer Puffy, god of death, could dim this light of creation— 

This light that illuminates the friendship between me and my Lord.'"

Novak raised an eyebrow, watching the seventh snake head's rapt expression, its massive, ethereal form somehow both awe-inspiring and bizarre. Was this… poetry?

Maybe. Probably?

Even if this was poetry, Novak thought, it wouldn't win any praise from the literary circles before the world's end, let alone from the elderly poetry critics. But he forced a nod, giving an exaggerated thumbs-up to meet the eager gaze of Seven, the seventh head.

"Unparalleled! Truly once in a lifetime!"

Seven's delight intensified. "The fluctuations of Master Juggernaut's soul tell me you're sincere! You truly are my confidant and best friend, Master!"

Internally, Novak sighed, hoping his next "gift" from this so-called best friend might be a bit more practical.

He turned to the fourth head, handing over a stack of books. "Here are the books I promised you last time. They include introductory texts on my country's language and various foreign languages. Once you grasp the basics, you'll be reading fluently in no time."

"Thank you, dear Juggernaut! By the way… what was your name again?"

Novak's forehead creased. Was the fourth head reliable, or was this Abyss Hydra simply a bundle of eccentricities with no "normal" member?

He glanced at Seven, whose eyes sparkled with admiration, and realized that leaving sooner might be wise. But just as he was about to, the fourth head continued:

"To repay the Juggernaut's kindness, I offer you this!"

Unlike Seven's poetic gesture, the fourth head's gift was much more useful—a skill book. And not just any skill book.

[Eye of Peeping Secrets (S-Class): A passive detection skill that can be activated to analyze and uncover secrets about anything, providing special insights depending on the user's spiritual power. All knowledge stems from this power, for books are the greatest creation—Winifred, Floor 350]

"This!"

Novak's eyes widened with a spark of excitement. Detection abilities had long been one of his weaknesses, and he hadn't expected to find a remedy so unexpectedly.

After bidding farewell to Winifreds, Novak moved deeper into the Abyss, arriving at the 500th floor. Here, following a brief "friendly exchange" between Satan and Aga Reiss, he secured the much-needed dark spar.

With Aga Reiss's outrage toward Beelzebub and his murderous intentions as a parting note, Novak finally departed the Abyss, his Shepherd's Horn materials ready.

At last, he was prepared to begin the forging process.