Chapter 121
“I found myself liking you. It’s a waste for someone like you to remain under Heavenly Demon. Abandon her and come under me. I will promise you my succession!”
At the sudden proposal, I shut my mouth.
This was… quite unexpected.
Sensing my reaction, Lord Biden whispered.
“It won’t be easy to decide right away. But think carefully. What can Heavenly Demon truly do for you?”
“…….”
“She is certainly powerful and unmatched. But what does that actually do for you?”
“That is……”
“Heavenly Demon is arrogant. She believes herself to be the most noble and complete being. As if there is no one beneath the heavens superior to her.”
His words were filled with blatant envy and jealousy toward Heavenly Demon.
“She is a woman who looks down on everything in the world. Do you think being her disciple makes you any different?”
“Then what can you offer me, Lord Biden?”
“Are you weighing your options?”
“If that was rude, I apologize… but yes.”
“Heh, I like that attitude even more.”
With a gleam in his eyes, he spread his hand.
The cloak of demonic energy wrapped around his body expanded, engulfing the entire area.
“Uaaaah!”
“No! I’m scared!”
“Please, save me, please!”
The test subjects in the lab convulsed as they were consumed by fear.
An indescribable chill seeped out from the black cloak covering the area.
Clank. Clank.
The grating sound of metal colliding echoed.
The rhythmic noise resembled marching soldiers.
Soon, a parade of Death Knights exuding dense killing intent began.
They stepped onto the laboratory floor and bowed before Lord Biden.
Each of them radiated power comparable to high-ranking Heroes.
He gazed at his knights with satisfaction.
“You asked what I can give you? Look well. Even these are merely a fraction of my army.”
It was undeniably impressive.
With his power, he could likely devour an entire nation alone.
“I will give you what Heavenly Demon cannot.”
“What she cannot give…?”
“Power, wealth, and glory! All Demons will bow before you. I will grant you countless women.”
“But if I become your successor, my master won’t stay silent.”
“Will she really?”
A sinister smile spread across his face.
What was he relying on?
There was no way Lord Biden could match Heavenly Demon.
No matter how many Undead he commanded, they were meaningless before her strength.
“You still don’t understand how things work here. If you come under me of your own will, Heavenly Demon can do nothing.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
“It’s simple. She is powerful, but within Pandemonium, she holds no influence. She is merely a high-ranking executive in name.”
So he intended to use the organization’s rules because he couldn’t win in strength?
Still, his claim wasn’t entirely wrong.
As he said, Pandemonium was run by the other High-ranking Executives excluding Heavenly Demon.
If she attacked Lord Biden, the others wouldn’t stay silent.
They would fear they might be next.
Wait… wasn’t this actually a good situation?
Using Heavenly Demon to trigger internal conflict within Pandemonium.
Her strength alone was equal to the combined power of the five High-ranking Executives.
If things went well, she alone could eliminate all of them.
But there were problems.
First, would Heavenly Demon really go that far for me?
Second, once everything was over, would she let me live after realizing she had been used?
It was extremely risky.
And lastly… there was someone in Pandemonium who controlled even Heavenly Demon.
The leader of Pandemonium—the being known as the first Demon.
Even if Heavenly Demon moved against the executives, would that leader just sit back?
I shook my head.
Too much of a gamble.
And if I accepted Lord Biden’s offer only to be abandoned by Heavenly Demon, I’d end up with nothing.
“I’m sorry. I cannot accept your proposal.”
“You’re more loyal than you look.”
“I cannot betray Heavenly Demon.”
Yet Lord Biden showed no displeasure and instead tossed something toward me.
“Why this?”
“A proposal is a proposal, and a reward is a reward. This is for your merit. Take it. And my offer still stands—think it over.”
I looked at the black gem in my hand.
What was I supposed to do with an item that turns you into a Lich…?
Ding—!
A familiar notification sound rang out, and a blue message window appeared before my eyes.
【Item detected: Life Vessel.】
【Skill 【Lamb】 licks its lips.】
【Skill 【Lamb】 absorbs the Life Vessel.】
“Wait—!”
“What’s wrong?”
The Life Vessel in my hand suddenly began to melt.
No, wait—
It just absorbed it on its own?
I was only holding it!
Without even giving me a choice?
Panicking, I tried to shake off the liquefied Life Vessel.
But instead of falling off, it absorbed into my body even faster.
Thump.
The Life Vessel flowed through my body and gathered at the center of my chest.
The pain was like my heart was being crushed.
“Ghk…!”
“Are you alright?”
The researchers rushed toward me.
Clank.
But Lord Biden’s Death Knights blocked them.
His eyes gleamed.
“Oh?”
“Ughhh!”
“Devil Knight, do not reject the power. Accept it.”
Damn it… for something called power, this pain was…!
“What… did you give me…?”
“I gave you a normal Life Vessel.”
He clearly knew something about my condition, yet offered no explanation.
Damn it…
My vision blurred from the endless agony.
Then, I felt the sensation in my fingertips fading.
No—it wasn’t just a feeling.
My skin and muscles were turning into dust, leaving only bone behind.
The moment I saw that, my mind snapped back.
If this continued, I’d become a living corpse.
I activated the Demonic Authority I had been suppressing.
【Trait: Demon’s Body activated.】
The Power of Restoration filled my body, repeatedly destroying and regenerating it.
A fierce struggle began between the Demonic Authority and the Life Vessel.
After some time—
The Power of Restoration began to devour the Life Vessel.
【Hidden condition achieved.】
【Life Vessel and Trait: Demon’s Body are fused.】
【Trait: Heart of the Demon blooms.】
【Stored Authorities in Skill 【Lamb】 are registered to the Heart of the Demon.】
【You have obtained Trait: Demon’s Body and Heart of the Demon.】
【Hidden Trait condition met. Body evolves.】
【Metamorphosis begins.】
Crack.
As the pain gradually subsided, cracks spread across my skin like a hatching egg.
What the hell is happening?
At that moment, black energy exploded from my body, sweeping the surroundings.
A refreshing sense of release washed over me, as if all resistance had vanished.
Then a new message appeared.
【Trait: Extreme Demonic Body acquired.】
【Power of Demonic Authority increases.】
【You have obtained a body infinitely close to that of a Demon.】
【Trait: Pressure acquired.】
【You overwhelm lower species.】
【Corrosion Rate increases by 2%.】
The flood of messages was overwhelming, but I had no time to process them.
Power overflowed from my entire body.
Lord Biden approached me.
“Interesting. Very interesting. You were already strong, but now you’ve transformed into something entirely different. Congratulations on your achievement, Devil Knight.”
“Thank you.”
Achievement…
If this had happened back at the Academy, I would’ve simply been happy.
But after training with Heavenly Demon, I knew better.
Power gained without a price always carried danger.
This sudden surge of power would be difficult to control—and even harder to understand.
I calmly analyzed the situation.
Lord Biden hadn’t tampered with the Life Vessel.
The cause was the SS-grade skill 【Lamb】.
It had acted on its own and absorbed the Life Vessel.
The message window often treated 【Lamb】 as if it had its own personality.
Still… a skill disobeying its master?
On top of that, gaining Extreme Demonic Body had significantly increased my Corrosion Rate.
By 2%.
Considering it usually rose by 1%, this was a huge jump.
That put it at 8%.
Not a good sign.
Then, a researcher beside me looked at me with desperate eyes.
“Devil Knight… please restrain your power.”
“Restrain my power?”
“The pressure you’re emitting.”
Right, I had gained the Pressure trait.
I closed my eyes and concealed my presence.
The researchers immediately began breathing easier.
Watching them, I organized my thoughts.
“Lord Biden.”
“What is it?”
“Did you anticipate this outcome?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking if this achievement was your intention.”
No matter how I thought about it, something felt off.
In Pandemonium, I was too valuable to lose.
Yet he gave me a Life Vessel—a reward that could turn me into a Lich or Death Knight?
That didn’t make sense.
There were only two possibilities.
Either there was another vessel besides me—
Or he knew I would survive consuming it.
His eerie gaze glowed.
This time, I couldn’t read him at all.
“You have grown stronger and closer to greatness. Do you find that displeasing?”
It was neither confirmation nor denial.
I stared into his hollow eyes.
Damn it.
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I looked away.
There was nothing to gain by pressing him further.
Even if I had grown stronger, I couldn’t forget what stood before me.
A High-ranking Executive of Pandemonium.
I still had no means to deal with him.
Once I leave here, I need to obtain an item that can seal his Undead.
Originally, I planned to search for the treasure at Mount Baekdu first—but that changed.
Demons were unpredictable.
I needed counters against the High-ranking Executives.
And information too.
Thus, my encounter with Lord Biden ended on an uneasy note.
As I left, he called out to me.
“My offer still stands. But don’t assume the opportunity will last forever.”
Now that I had experienced this, I could guess his true intention.
It wasn’t because I was capable.
He wanted to secure me in advance—
The future Demon of the End.
He probably planned to benefit from me once I awakened as the Final Boss.
Suppressing my unease, I turned my back on him.
I wanted to check on Test Subject No. 66, but his gaze lingered on me until the very end.
If he noticed my interest, it could become a weakness.
So I returned to Heavenly Demon’s residence.
As always, she stood looking down at the mountain.
Suddenly, Lord Biden’s words echoed in my ears.
‘She is a woman who looks down on everything in the world. Do you think being her disciple makes you any different?’
Then, her gentle voice brushed past my ear.
“Disciple. Did my words seem that amusing to you?”
“…Pardon?”
“I clearly told you to refrain from using Demonic Authority, yet you dared to wrap your body in such ominous energy for something as trivial as that body.”
Her tone was calm.
But cold sweat ran down my entire body.
Ah.