"Of course, by the terminology of this world, what happened was that
As a devil, he was extraordinarily sensitive to the sacrificial rites and prayers of the primary material world. Through Leilin's repeated probing, it had been confirmed that this Great Devil Lord had sunk into an extremely deep sleep, completely unresponsive to any external stimuli.
This immediately threw the multitudes of devil believers who worshipped the Lord of
"Once a deity or devil loses the ability to respond to prayers and bestow divine spells, their fall is not far off…"
Leilin sighed. Throughout history, there had been gods who perished not because of external forces, but because the stream of faith gradually dried up. It was a truly tragic thing.
"
Leilin sighed again: "But such beings would be, at minimum, eighth-level wizards who have found their own path. Even in the world of gods, there might not be more than a handful…"
Pulling his thoughts back from their wandering, Leilin turned his gaze to the statue once more.
"Since Beelzebub has fallen into slumber, there's no longer any need to be cautious about certain matters…"
Bluntly speaking, having absorbed most of Beelzebub's memories, Leilin was now practically a genuine Great Devil Lord. It was even quite possible that he could gradually siphon away the deity's faith and ultimately usurp his position.
But that would require formidable power. Leilin's current clone was still merely a sixth-level mage, to say nothing of the ability to bestow divine spells upon believers.
Even to usurp a divine throne, at minimum one needed to possess divinity!
"The Laws of Gluttony and Devouring are decent enough, but in the world of gods, they've already been branded as the domain of devils. If I were to master abilities of this nature…"
Leilin shook his head with visible regret. If he still intended to make his way in the primary material world, he naturally could not base himself on this kind of divinity. Moreover, when he had reincarnated into this alien world, he had brought no such power with him — or rather, even if he had, the world's origin force would have washed it away entirely, rendering it useless.
"The road must be traveled one step at a time. Fortunately, even a collapse of faith requires a process — the believers of the Lord of Gluttony won't dissipate that quickly…"
"And even if they did, it would simply mean one less convenient channel and source of income for me. There's no need to take such a risk. Better to stick to the original plan and proceed steadily…"
A sharp gleam flickered in Leilin's eyes, and his hand clenched with sudden force.
Crack! Crack! The Devil Lord's statue crumbled to ash in his grasp, scattering bit by bit across the floor.
"Still, even I have to admit — much of what the devils offer is genuinely useful!"
Leilin plunged his hand into the blood-filled basin on the table and fished out a blood-stained dagger.
The dagger had an elegant curve. It was not particularly long overall, rather compact — like a refined work of art.
At the end of the hilt sat a grotesque devil's head, its many compound eyes seeming to radiate a cruel light in unison. A pair of devil wings formed the crossguard, and numerous patterns like veins spread across the entire blade. The whole dagger emitted a hazy crimson glow, and with blood still dripping from its tip, it appeared all the more sinister…
"It's finished? The Devil's Blood Dagger!!!"
Joy flickered through Leilin's eyes. At that moment, the Chip's voice rang out in his mind, accompanied by the dagger's detailed specifications.
[Devil's Blood Dagger — Weight: 918 grams — Length: 9 inches — Materials: Kelo bird bone, Blood Alloy, Weeping Wraith — Effects: Possesses the exclusive power of a devil. Can drain the flesh and blood of hostile targets, amplifying the wielder's abilities. — Description: An extremely evil dagger, suffused with an aura forbidden by the gods, heralding death and misfortune. — Creator: Leilin Fairolan] "Not bad at all!" Leilin rolled the dagger between his fingers, watching it flash with a dull, cold gleam in the gaps between them.
In Beelzebub's memories, there were countless such items. In truth, it was precisely this kind of easily obtainable power that the deity used to lure the believers of the gods in the primary material world into corruption.
And this Devil's Blood Dagger, even by Beelzebub's standards, was considered an excellent item. To bestow it upon a believer, unless that believer first sacrificed a fifteenth-level or higher priest of an enemy god, or massacred an entire small city — well, don't even think about it.
"If we're talking about power that can be gained in the shortest possible time, devils and demons are absolutely the top choice! Truly honest and straightforward — it's just that the price is often far more terrifying…"
Leilin sighed.
His cousin,
But compared to someone who was merely collecting sacrifices for a demon, Leilin's own methods were far more sinister. He was essentially half a Great Devil Lord already — every drop of flesh and blood drained by the Devil's Blood Dagger would be consumed by him personally!
"The Devil's Blood Dagger has been forged, but how effective it truly is will require more experimentation. Especially regarding the contamination issue…"
Leilin frowned. The reason he had spent so much time crafting the dagger was precisely to modify it and avoid certain side effects.
After all, Beelzebub was never going to be generous out of the goodness of his heart. What he offered was clearly meant to lure believers toward corruption. The Devil's Blood Dagger, for instance, would gradually contaminate the wielder's mind even as it enhanced their power, potentially triggering a gradual transformation into a devil.
Beelzebub himself was a devil, so naturally he feared nothing of the sort. But Leilin was different! He still needed this human identity! In the future, he would inevitably deal with many churches and high-ranking priests — if he showed any signs of being half-devil, what then?
"Through the Chip's simulation, I've already confirmed that the energy contamination issue of the original Devil's Blood Dagger has been resolved. But there's still one problem — the alignment aura. This kind of behavior is clearly an act of corruption and evil. I wonder whether I can conceal it…"
Harboring this thought, Leilin walked directly into the manor grounds.
"Young Master!" A guard who had been training nearby hurried over and bowed. The man wore leather armor, and the longsword in his hand gleamed brightly — clearly, after the assassination attempt, Leilin had immediately increased the manor's security.
"I recognize you — Howard, isn't it? Come with me!"
Leilin glanced at the guard. The man was obviously a trained farmer, only slightly stronger than an ordinary person.
"At once!"
A master's orders could not be refused. Howard agreed immediately and followed behind Leilin as the two made their way down to the dungeon.
After dismissing everyone else, only Leilin and Howard remained in the dungeon — along with the unfortunate assassin Manck lying on the floor.
"Howard, can I trust you?" Leilin's voice was soft, yet carried a peculiar, almost intoxicating quality.
The tone filled Howard with a vague sense of foreboding, but his sense of duty quickly reasserted itself. He snapped to attention: "I am willing to give my life for your commands, Young Master!"
"Good. Look into my eyes!" Leilin tilted Howard's chin upward. His pupils seemed to contain a mysterious, swirling vortex.
"First-level Spell — Charm Person!"
Under the effect of Leilin's spell, the focus quickly drained from Howard's eyes. His entire body went limp, as though he had become a walking corpse.
"This First-level Spell…" Leilin mused over its capabilities. "It's simply a spiritual power-based charm —对付 ordinary people, it's unstoppable. But against a professional warrior, it would be extremely difficult. If the target were someone like Jacob, it might only stun them for a few seconds…"
"Hold this, and cut off one of his fingers!"
Leilin pressed the Devil's Blood Dagger directly into Howard's hand and ordered him to act.
"Mmm… mmmgh…" The bizarre scene sent a jolt of dread through Manck on the floor. Unfortunately, with both hands and legs already broken and his body bound by heavy restraints, there was nothing he could do but struggle futilely.
Howard's eyes were vacant, but he executed Leilin's command with perfect precision. He held the Devil's Blood Dagger in one hand, pressed Manck's hand flat against the floor with the other, and brought the blade down without a moment's hesitation.
Thud! A muffled sound of steel cutting through flesh rang out, accompanied by Manck's agonized scream.
A bloodied little finger was severed clean off by Howard's blow, writhing on the ground like a small worm.
"Heh heh heh… mmmgh…"
At that moment, the Devil's Blood Dagger in Howard's hand suddenly blazed with light. The devil's head at the pommel seemed to let out a hideous cackle, all its compound eyes shooting out an eerie, wicked radiance.
Layer upon layer of veins writhed across the dagger's surface, devouring the blood upon them. Crimson threads began snaking along the hilt and burrowing into Howard's body.
The severed finger on the floor withered at a speed visible to the naked eye, quickly shriveling into a dry, blackened cinder — like a piece of burnt wood.
"How does it feel?" Leilin asked directly.
"The dagger is very hot — there's a warm current flowing into me," Howard answered honestly.
"Chip, scan his body data!" A faint fluorescent glow flickered in Leilin's eyes.