233 Perfect Integration, Artificial Nephilim! (1/2)

The impromptu side quest and the system's comedic tone brought Konrad no relief. As the black crystal siphoned his blood and the very essence of his demonic lineage, Konrad's skin paled, and his eyes widened with blood filling and leaving the sclera at a rapid pace.

Shivering, he channeled all the infernal forces remaining in the black mar and some of the more overbearing energies lying in the purple ram amulet to stop the lineage siphoning.

*Crack*

But as the demonic energies' pressure suppressed the crystal, cracks appeared on its surface, clearly telling Konrad that if he interrupted the process, the crystal would collapse, bringing alongside it the loss of this once in a lifetime opportunity.

That was only the first issue. More importantly, if the crystal collapsed within his heart, the consequences were hard to fathom! Even if he didn't die, he'd surely experience lasting damages!

For the first time in a very long time, Konrad's face violently distorted, contorting in a horrible grimace.

Played!

The system and that damnable father had joined hands to play this joke on him!

How could it not know that exposing the statuette to a vast source of infernal forces would automatically trigger the crystals' release? With its perfect eyesight, how could it not know of the crystals?

It knew, of course it did, and purposefully omitted the information to leave him no choice but to dive into this situation!

”Son of a…”

But Konrad couldn't finish his words, the veins on his temple beating harder and life leaving him at breakneck speed. The integration was failing, his blood and essence seemingly unable to satisfy the crystal's greed.

”Traitorous scum…I…will never forget this.”

Konrad inwardly pledged before letting the entirety of his demonic powers erupt! Purple filled his sclera while his skin turned red and two imposing pairs of horns sprang from his forehead. A pair of flesh wings sprouted from his back, and alongside it, Konrad's demonic energies reached a new level.

Tapping in his deepest reserves, he stimulated his bloodline to the limit, using his essence to contain the crystal and mend the cracks that formed beforehand. The cracks vanished, and the crystal began using the massive blood and essence it robed to entirely meld with Konrad's heart, all while harmonizing the foreign force with his veins.

The excruciatingly painful process dilated his pupils and made him quiver like an average mortal undergoing a violent seizure.

”RAAAARGH!”

Konrad roared and forcefully stood up. Draining the last bits of infernal forces within the mar, he used it to supplement his own bloodline and essence, allowing his inner body to sustain the integration.

Meanwhile, the mar went from black to transparent, the toxins and infernal forces within cleared, making the scattered treasures simple to spot.

At the same time, the soaring demonic energies sprouting from the deepest recesses of the mar erupted in a purple brazier, alarming the clashing forces above.

…

Initially, Jasmine's whip effortlessly terrorized Volker. But as the fight went on, and he released his strongest innate skills, the situation reversed, and he slowly regained the advantage.

The same scenario repeated on all battlefields. Only the ninety disciples failed to turn any waves, some killed, and the rest suppressed by the combination between Daphne, Faidra, and Aliki.

”Weren't you being arrogant? Did you really think your evil art could corrupt a spirit of my caliber? Nonsensical!”

Volker sneered while his body bathed in blinding sunlight. In that instant, sitting crossed-legged, with his arms folded, in the middle of his daunting sun, he looked like a celestial being descended straight from Heavens to punish immorality.

Jasmine remained impassible, her Origin Sight drawing Volker's pattern.

”I already know that you've been using Origin Sight to obtain my pattern. But so what if you do? Do you think I've never met anyone with Origin Sight? Allow me to be blunt, before supreme strength, grasping the pattern matters not!”

Volker raised his hand, gathering his solar force for a fatal strike. But at that time, the infernal forces within the mar vanished, and from black, it returned to a clear, transparent hue.

At the same time, a new source of infernal forces seemed to burst from the bottom of the mar, shooting toward the sky in an intimidating brazier of purple flames.

Alarmed, all turned toward the purple brazier, and Jasmine's eyes shone with fright.

”Konrad? Wait…his lifeforce is weakening. How could it be?

Something went wrong…horribly wrong.”

Jasmine inwardly thought while shifting her attention from Volker. The same thought echoed in the minds of all the others.

”Turning your back to your enemy? Courting death!”

Volker stretched out his hands, causing his solar force to erupt in a massive explosion aimed toward Jasmine!

But at that time, in a twister of purple light and flames, vast demonic energies burst from her form. And within her right hand, a spiked, jet-black hammer appeared!

With a one-hundred-eighty-degree turn, Jasmine swung her Man-Breaker at the incoming solar explosion, dispersing its force in a single blow.

”Plans changed. I no longer have time to play with you.”

Volker's eyes widened in fright, and he aimed a wobbling index at Jasmine's anxious face.

”Y-you…are a demon noble…of Talroth's lineage?

How could it be? How could it be?! What is the mean-”

But before he could finish, Man-Breaker's suppression force erupted and crashed onto him, locking him from all sides. Jasmine vanished, reappeared before him, and brought her demonic war hammer down in a ferocious smash!

*BANG*

Volker's left arm was directly lopped off, and he plummeted toward the ground!

”AAAAARGH!”