Chapter 67: Ch 67 : A Legion-born

With a single thought from Sunny, Mammon came to life. His form, which had been a static sculpture of malevolent grace and sinister authority, was nowhere to seen, instead he bowed before Sunny, his movement fluid and regal, a gesture of deep respect. After a few pleasantries, Sunny gave him system access and asked Thea to show him the way. Following Thea’s directions, Mammon arrived in front of a sprawling, ancient forest filled with mutated monsters and monstrous beasts. Nova was already there, her figure a steady, calming presence. Mammon approached her, his voice a low, melodious murmur. "Hello, sister." Nova’s smile was warm and genuine. "Hello, Mammon. Are you ready?" Mammon looked at Nova, his eyes reflecting Nova’s deepest greed. The vision that appeared to him was astonishing. Nova was filled entirely with greed, He hadn’t seen many life forms yet, but the vast knowledge that came with his talent told him this was a greed of a magnitude that is difficult to find in even the most greediest person, a greed that had no return. He laughed softly to himself as he used his another ability to find the source of this greed. It was the same as his own: an insatiable desire to be the most helpful, the most powerful, the most useful demigod for their master, Sunny. Nova, understanding Mammon’s peering gaze chuckled softly. She tore open the space, and a shimmering tear appeared, leading straight to the demonic realm. Mammon waved his long, clawed fingers at her in a silent goodbye. Nova, her own smile unwavering, waved back. After Mammon crossed the boundary of the realms, Nova watched the departing figure for a while before restoring the tear to its original state. Sunny, watching from his throne, decided against worrying for now. "There are still two hours left for the next talent acquisition" he said to himself, "I should not worry about it for now." In the desolate, cracked landscape of the demonic realm, a hunched figure crawled, his body wracked with a sudden, overwhelming weakness. The air was a suffocating blend of sulfur and stale blood, the ground a jagged mosaic of shattered rock and bone. "If it weren’t for my A-Grade regeneration talent being lost, I wouldn’t be in this predicament!" he snarled, grinding his teeth in a fury born of humiliation. "It’s all because of that cursed dragon! I will kill him next time I see him." This person was the Legion-Born demon, Xar’gath. He had lost 167 talents in Veridia, and the sudden drop in power had left his body frail and weak. If it weren’t for his tactical retreat, he would have been dead. Suddenly, a calm voice, filled with a subtle, predatory undertone, cut through the oppressive silence. "Oh, a fellow Legion-Born." Xar’gath looked behind him and saw a demon walking towards him. He sat cross-legged on the ground, his gaze wary and suspicious. "You look hurt. Do you need water? Or elixirs? I have some here," the other demon said, his voice laced with a strange, naive innocence as he pulled a small pouch out of his bag. A powerful, distinct aroma wafted from the pouch—it contained a rare SS-Grade elixir, a healing potion for demigods. Xar’gath’s eyes widened at the sight and scent. "Who are you? What is your race?" Xar’gath questioned. "Can’t you see my aura?" the other demon replied with an air of faux naivety. Xar’gath inspected the aura, sighed in relief, and greeted him. "So, you are also a Legion-Born. My name is Xar’gath, the right hand of Demon Lord Deimos." "Oh, the right hand of a Demon Lord? That sounds cool," the other demon said, his eyes glinting with a hidden spark of something cold and calculating. "My name is... Mammon. I was just born last month." A sliver of hope sparked in Xar’gath’s heart. He needed to regain his strength, and this little demon was a goldmine. "I can give you anything you want," he said, his voice full of desperation, "just help me. Give me that medicine." "Anything..." Mammon’s lips curled into a fleeting smirk, but he quickly hid it, returning to his naive persona. "Okay, take it." Mammon handed him the medicine without hesitation. Xar’gath gulped down the elixir, and he immediately felt his condition improving. But he also felt a strange, new connection with the demon. He shook his head, dismissing it as the concept of fate, but the feeling lingered, a subtle hum in his soul. "How is it?" Mammon asked with fake concern. "It is okay for now, but I may need more later," Xar’gath replied, his body quickly absorbing the remaining effects of the medicine. After half an hour, he was able to walk again. "Follow me," he said. "I will take you to see our demon leader in the capital." During their journey, the Slow-Poison talent started to take effect. Xar’gath felt a creeping weakness he couldn’t explain. He asked Mammon for multiple medicines, food, and water, even though he didn’t need them. It’s already been a month since they were travelling to the direction of the capital. And the effects of Slow-poison kept on stacking with each trade. "A thousand kilometers to the north from here," Xar’gath grunted, his condition visibly worsening, though he was completely oblivious to it. This was the true power of the slow-poison, which had cost Sunny 7 billion faith points. Xar’gath, a creature filled pure malice, was not without his own tricks. He subtly emitted a high-grade poison of his own, designed to slowly kill Mammon. Both were playing a deadly game of poison, and the one who lasted the longest would win. Mammon was the winner, but only because of Thea, who had manifested multiple antidotes to counter Xar’gath’s poison, keeping him safe. After walking a few more steps, Xar’gath fell to the ground, his body collapsing in on itself. He tried to push himself up, but his strength was gone, consumed by Mammon’s slow-poison. The voice of Thea sounded in Mammon’s head, calm and logical. [He is about to die. You should take the antidote from the spatial ring on his neck.] Mammon waited for a moment, and when Xar’gath stopped moving, Mammon squatted down near his body and took the spatial ring.