LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 125: Transfer of Demonic Essence
*Ding!*
[Charisma improved by 3 Points!]
"Hmm…"
With his new set of piercing blue eyes, Cassius observed the pop-up, then turned his head slightly to the side. Seeing the astonished expression on Hellion's face made him chuckle, even more so when he noticed her favorability increase by five or so points.
'It seems like this Sphinx has taken a liking to this new appearance of mine,' he thought, amused. 'Well, it is very Egyptian, and I can imagine the appeal.'
"You… Why do I sense the Bloodline of a Sphinx within you? What exactly have you done?" Hellion inquired, her mouth slightly agape. "...This shouldn't even be possible… Even if the Bloodline I sense is of a lower rank than mine…"
'I did notice that she looked kind of restricted when we were fighting, almost as if she were not used to moving around in her own body, but I never expected her actual Bloodline to be so high.'
Even with Cassius's specialized sight Skills, the most he could decipher from her description was that her Bloodline was above SS-Rank, and that she had once been some sort of deity…
The deity part was extremely unclear, but just what was shown was more than enough for Cassius to determine that her true power far exceeded the S-Rank. However, somewhere along the way, likely thousands of years ago, she had lost her status as a god of the people that used to reside in this fractured land.
She had been reduced to no more than the Boss Monster of a monotonous station, coined the 'Guardian of HELL's 1st Floor.'
"Are you bending the Will of Heaven?? The way you are able to grow stronger through conflict, and now this mysterious Bloodline acquisition… Are you a Defyer of Heaven's Will?"
"Heaven's Will?" Cassius mimicked. "No, it's nothing like that. Hmm… Who really knows how I do what I do? Perhaps it is just the hand of God at work? A miracle I am… humble I am… not."
Hellion eyed the Egyptian-like man, yet backed off quickly as she instinctively knew that she would never get anything out of him.
"Child, you are mysterious," she said. "But keep your mysteries. Revealing them when we pass into HELL's 1st Floor will only bring you misfortune. Yet, you can rest assured; as one who holds within her vast knowledge of HELL—a living guidebook of sorts—I will impart unto you all the information you require."
"But first, do you need help getting through the Gate? Although I could go unconscious if I assist, I can do it if need be."
Cassius's eyelashes flickered as he stared at the stunning face leaning over his right shoulder. "You truly are too kind for your own good," he said with a smile before summoning a small Hellish key. "But I will not need your help this time around; perhaps another day, though."
For the third or fourth time that day, Hellion's neutral expression once again reflected surprise. She watched in silence as the Human/Sphinx grabbed hold of something that shouldn't even exist.
"That Key… It seems to contain the essence of HELL… Are you planning to open up the Gate with that?" asked Hellion, genuinely confused as to why she sensed what she did.
Cassius looked away from the curious Egyptian beauty, a slight grin plastered on his otherworldly handsome face. "Indeed I am."
He threw the nightmarish key into the air, then watched as it shot forward and plunged itself into an opening in the Gate that hadn't been there before. Both the key and the Gate produced a dazzling crimson light that enveloped everything within the surrounding dozen miles. A deep, thrumming creak resounded, signifying the opening of both sides of the Gate.
"That actually… worked…?" Hellion, although having already assumed it would, was still shocked. "Only I should have the authority to open the Gate to HELL, so how did this happen?"
Cassius smirked but did not elaborate.
He sauntered toward the wide opening in the Gate. Looking ahead, he saw a vast expanse of darkish-red land, with demons of varying levels of terror flying and leaping about.
However, before he could take his first step into this Hellish world, Hellion stopped him. "Before we go in, I'll need to give you all of the Demonic Essence I carry with me from the Trial Gate Area of HELL. You've somehow been absorbing Demonic Essence from the demons you've killed, have you not? What I sense to be the Bloodline of a Demon King in you also appears to be a byproduct of this absorption process."
Cassius came to an abrupt halt, then observed the serious expression Hellion was making. "Will this transfer of Demonic Essence affect you in any way?"
Although puzzled by this question, she truthfully answered, "No, the Demonic Essence I'll be transferring to you is not my own. It is the accumulated hate and evil of the miasma that festers in this world I guard. My own Demonic Essence, on the other hand, is… it's complicated…"
Cassius secretly breathed a sigh of relief, yet still asked, "Your power will be affected, won't it?"
"Naturally. But you don't need me for my power, do you?"
"…You are correct…"
"Then let us debate this no more. I'll give my Demonic Essence to you, as keeping it within myself will surely make your death all the swifter, with enemies tracking me and subsequently, you."
Cassius mulled it over for a moment before nodding. He needed that Demonic Essence to further progress his Demon King Bloodline anyway. She was simply saving him the trouble of finding more powerful demons to slay and assimilate with.
"Then stay still," Hellion ordered. "If you move too much during this process, both you and I could perish."
Cassius showed his compliance by remaining as still as a stone statue, which then gave Hellion the go-ahead to activate a forbidden technique. It was one she hoped never to use again, yet was doing so anyway. Though, at least this time, it wasn't her own power being taken from her.
Without idling any longer, Hellion summoned forth a massive blood-colored sigil. Adorned with ancient, indecipherable letters and symbols, it shone with an unmatched demonic brilliance.