"WTF! This really is an insane amount of health!" Orson couldn't suppress his excitement.
In Infinite Dimensions, mages often struggled with mana management in the early game. But once they reached higher levels and obtained better gear, mana became less of an issue, especially with high-tier recovery potions and mana regen items.
The real problem? Mages were fragile by nature. Even with the ability to unleash S-tier forbidden spells capable of obliterating the battlefield, the lengthy casting times of these powerful skills made them vulnerable to assassins and archers.
Even the Ice Prison Ring, while classified as an S-tier ice spell, was more of an aura-based skill than a devastating forbidden curse.
This was why, during the annual World Star Cup, most mage players opted for A-tier or lower instant-cast spells to secure quick victories rather than loading up on high-damage spells that required long casting times.
But now, with the Super God-grade Divine Soul Seal, Orson imagined a completely different scenario.
Picture this: a god-tier rogue sneaks up on him, landing what should be a guaranteed fatal blow... only to look up and see the mage's health bar rivaling that of a boss.
The rogue's reaction? Priceless.
"Blank, get ready to duel me for 300 rounds," Orson muttered with a wolfish gleam in his eye.
While the health boost from the Soul Seal was thrilling, Orson knew it wasn't the main highlight—especially since his Crimson Lizard King, a giant meat shield, could usually take the hits for him. (Whether it wanted to or not was irrelevant; a loyal employee knew its duties.)
The true game-changer was the active skill: Eye of Truth.
This skill allowed the user to uncover the origins of ancient artifacts and divine relics, as well as gather clues about missing pieces.
Orson's eyes sparkled. As a seasoned "archaeologist" in the game, he had unearthed countless damaged relics, including fragments of divine artifacts. However, most of these items were too broken to retain their original power.
It wasn't uncommon to find a piece of a divine artifact, only for the system to demand the remaining 99 fragments—or even more. At the time, with his limited strength and resources, completing such a collection was impossible.
Most of the fragments ended up sold to merchants for paltry sums.
But with the Eye of Truth, things would be entirely different. Finding just one fragment would lead to clues about the others, significantly accelerating the collection process.
"This skill feels oddly similar to the appraisal skill introduced with later life professions," Orson thought.
In his previous life, some players had paired the Epic Rank Soul Seal designed for appraisal with their high-tier appraisal skill, creating a synergy that allowed them to identify hidden treasures.
These players would scour underground markets, turning seemingly worthless "ancient items" into legendary artifacts, amassing immense wealth.
One player even used this strategy to establish the Treasure Pavilion, earning the title Pavilion Master and becoming one of the wealthiest figures in the game.
With this Divine Soul Seal, Orson wouldn't need to dedicate himself to the appraisal profession or hunt for a specific Soul Seal. He could recreate the Pavilion Master's legendary feats effortlessly.
Orson turned his gaze to Cain, who was blinded by greed. From the God-Emperor's actions, it was clear that Gaedashiram had always intended to favor his descendant, Cain.
The temptations outside the palace were likely designed to lure players into taking a portion of the benefits, only to challenge the near-invincible God-Emperor again and again.
Orson had gleaned a hidden clue from the reward description: "if you believe you are the rightful one."
This suggested that obtaining the Heavenly Spirit's Right Eye required already possessing it in some form. Without it, even taking the God-Emperor Sword would only yield a powerful weapon, not the Soul Seal embedded within its hilt.
Without the Right Eye, no one could trigger the hidden mechanisms in the legendary quest. They would never summon the BlazeKing fragment. Instead, they would likely be instantly killed by the God-Emperor's soul.
Cain, meanwhile, was seething with anger and disbelief. The God-Emperor's soul had extinguished, and the throne room was eerily silent.
Orson stared coldly at Cain, whose health remained at a precarious 1 HP. With a flick of his Heavenly Fire Staff, Orson launched a Chaos Magic Ball, now enhanced by Dragon Curse.
"Stop, traitor!"
Enluka roared and lunged forward, trying to shield Cain from the fatal blow.
But a massive shadow streaked across the room. The Crimson Lizard King snarled, its claws striking at Enluka's weak points with ruthless precision.
God-Emperor's Blessing!
A golden ripple erupted around Cain, blocking the incoming attack.
"The Flame Dragon!"
Unfazed, Orson raised his staff and unleashed three consecutive Flame Dragon Blasts directly at Cain.
God-Emperor's Blessing!
MISS!
Invincible!
Invincible!
Orson's expression darkened. Cain's status now displayed the God-Emperor's Blessing, granting him invincibility for a full minute.
"Mortal, return the sacred relic of my lineage!"
Cain's killing intent surged as he roared, his battle sword vibrating with energy. He no longer feared anything now that the God-Emperor was gone.
"Divine Combat Will!"
"Divine Combat Arts!"
"Divine Resolve!"
Orson's eyes twitched as Cain's health skyrocketed, regenerating at a rate of 5 million HP per second until it reached over 50%.
Golden divine energy surged around Cain, amplifying his stats further. His attack power soared, and his health approached 120 million.
Orson quickly inspected Cain's updated stats:
[Awakened Cain: Level 50]
Title: Imperial Count, Dragon Warrior, God-Emperor Bloodline HP: 70,000,000 / 120,000,000 Attack Power: 30,000 Skills: God-Emperor's Legacy, Dragon Combat Arts
Cain's array of physical and magical shields rendered him nearly untouchable. His health and attack power now rivaled a Royal-class Entity.
"Warning: You have not reached Level 50. The Divine Soul Seal [Heavenly Spirit's Right Eye] cannot be bound. If you are killed, it will have a 100% chance of dropping to your enemy!"
"Great… I really did come here too early," Orson thought grimly. Losing the Soul Seal wasn't an option—it was his greatest advantage after reincarnating.
But despite the dire situation, Orson sneered, responding coldly: "Shout all you want. What difference does it make?"
With a flash of the God-Emperor Earrings, Orson retrieved his injured Crimson Lizard King and stepped into a spatial warp.
"Damn that God-Emperor! What a scheming old fox! Brilliant—just brilliant!"
Reappearing on the other side of the God-Emperor's Palace, Orson's face remained cold and determined.
All he needed to do was maintain his distance. Once Cain's invincibility ended, even with his inflated stats, Cain would be nothing more than dust beneath Orson's feet.