Chapter 353 Chapter352-Golden Palace
A grand palace filled with boundless treasures.
John's eyes took on the shape of gold coins as he stared ahead at the throne where a massive divine sword was embedded — a weapon of legendary quality.
This was the pinnacle weapon in the entire game, only wielded by gods.
As John neared the divine blade, streams of data flashed across his eyes.
Under the enhancement of the Zero Time Difference Calculation, John abruptly halted, forcefully resisting the pull of Greed, refraining from drawing the magnificent sword.
All of this was an illusion.
It didn't require much thought, especially when one of the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed, aims to incite insatiable desires in people.
With his innate skill, Zero Time Difference Calculation, all was seen through; this legendary blade bore an unparalleled curse.
John surveyed the surroundings and shouted, "Is this all you've got? Give me something tangible..."
As his words faded, all the exotic treasures around him transformed into real gold.
The very ground beneath him was now made of the precious metal.
Facing a palace forged of gold, John nonchalantly picked up a golden bean from the side, storing it in his system space.
He wanted to test the repercussions of taking these treasures.
Upon storing the bean, it appeared in his backpack, followed by a cold, stern notification:
[Player Galewind is cursed by Greed. HP limit reduced by 1 point.]
John's demeanor instantly turned grave.
Indeed, being cautious in an unfamiliar environment was never wrong.
Merely taking a tiny gold bean led to such a severe curse.
There's no such thing as a free lunch, especially in a game where one's life force can be drained so easily.
Looking at the treasures and the radiant swords in the distance, John's gaze grew calm, showing no desire or emotion.
He realized the sin of Greed was about sacrificing one's life attributes or other qualities in exchange for these riches.
What would have happened if he had initially reached for that grand divine-grade weapon?
John couldn't help but ponder.
The mere thought of grabbing that legendary blade, risking potential backlash that might zero out his account, was chilling.
Fate had its price tag set in the shadows.
John chuckled coldly.
Drawing his Divine Blade, he swung at the nearby golden structure.
As the blade descended, the gold transformed into tiny creatures.
Through a data-focused lens, John began scanning:
[Name: Money Rat]
[Level: 100]
[Attributes: ...]
As John's attack landed, the Money Rat dropped a series of items, all emitting a purple glow, tempting John to pick them up.
John merely gave them a cursory glance, choosing not to collect any.
He scoffed inwardly, "Is the Apostle of Greed a fool? Do you really expect me to believe that ordinary creatures drop equipment of Rare quality?"
With John slashing through them with ease, the number of these minor creatures dwindled rapidly.
Upon the defeat of the last Money Rat, a silhouette emerged upon the throne.
A woman appeared, dressed in a gown crafted entirely of gold, her skin adorned with various gemstones, and atop her head rested a massive purple crystal.
Every step she took resulted in a shard of crystal dropping to the ground.
She reminded him of mermaids from certain tales – those who shed pearls when they wept.
A system notification echoed:
[Name: Apostle of Greed]
[Level: 300]
[Attributes: ...]
Without hesitation, John thrust his Divine Blade towards her, only for the Apostle of Greed to effortlessly dodge.
The Apostle of Greed looked at John with intrigue. "I am curious," she began, "what can truly stir your Greed?"
Being an apostle born of Greed, she held a formidable reputation in the abyss.
No one had ever escaped the grasp of Greed.
Yet, the man before her seemed indifferent to gold, treasures, rare items, and even the legendary artifacts.
This indifference made the Apostle of Greed curious.
She couldn't sense any Greed emanating from John, whose demeanor remained unflappable.
This lack of desire not only puzzled her but also instilled a tinge of fear.
The more one was consumed by Greed, the more they bestowed upon her, making her stronger.
Yet this man before her was utterly unmoved.
John's response was not words but action.
He attacked with the Divine Blade, using the Zero Time Difference Calculation to anticipate the Apostle of Greed's escape route.
Prediction: Attack successful!
A blood-red system notification flashed before John's eyes, displaying a critical hit of 2 million!
John intensified his assault, watching as the Apostle of Greed's HP rapidly decreased. Suddenly, the Apostle of Greed slashed at John.
With a serene voice, the Apostle of Greed declared, "Bind!"
The gold on the ground began to melt and solidify into massive chains, attempting to ensnare John. But in that very moment, John effortlessly broke free from the chains.
As long as he resisted his Greed, refraining from collecting the rewards that fell to the ground, he would remain unaffected by that malicious curse.
In comparison to the Apostle of Wrath's offense and defense, the Apostle of Greed was on a completely different level.
Wielding the Divine Blade, John forced the Apostle of Greed into retreat. Under the pressure of John's relentless assault, she couldn't hold her ground.
With a single swing, John ended her life and then shifted his gaze to the dropped item:
[Name: Heart of Greed]
[Quality: Rare]
[Attributes: Boosts all attributes by one hundred percent]
[Note: One of the materials to ignite the God Flame]
Employing the Zero Time Difference Calculation, John began integrating the model of the Heart of Greed into his mental database, streams of data flowing before his eyes.
With a sharp and ferocious energy radiating from his Divine Blade, John shattered the Heart of Greed with a single strike.
The voice of the Apostle of Greed echoed in despair, "No!"
The Heart of Greed began to crack, with streaks of light emerging and eventually exploding into fragments.
As the Heart of Greed disintegrated, a purple radiance emanated from it.
The scattered shards of the Heart of Greed began to coalesce.
John observed the new item that appeared before him, scanning it with his data-driven vision:
[Name: Heart of Greed]
[Quality: Rare]
[Effect: Divine Elevation]
[Note: How did you discern the real from the fake...?]
John, using the Zero Time Difference Calculation once again, thoroughly inspected the Heart of Greed.
Only when he was certain of its authenticity did he place it into his backpack.
He murmured in response, "How did I discern the fake? Greed truly blinds and stupefies. The previous Apostle of Sloth dropped the Heart of Sloth which only had a mere five percent boost. But you, you escalated it by twentyfold, and it's just a 'Rare' item."
"Damn, even 'Unique' items don't possess such enhancements..." John couldn't help but let his sarcastic spirit manifest. Truly, Greed was a sin.
As John's witty remarks faded, the surrounding gold, divine artifacts, and precious treasures began to dissipate, turning into dust, and swiftly scattering.
...
At the throne of the Storm Cathedral, Pope Xitell sat regally, his expressions continuously shifting.
When John entered the hidden trail, Xitell sensed that the abyssal presence which had plagued him for years in Storm City was waning.
Now, a singular potent abyssal aura, dense like storm clouds, was consolidating.
In the present state of Storm City, Pope Xitell felt the aura and commented with slight unease, "This represents the final and most potent power of the abyss. I wonder if you can pass through it."
One of the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride!
The ancient prophecy once stated: Among the Seven Sins, Pride is the most severe!
All wickedness originates from Pride.
As chronicled in the ancient scrolls, Pride is also the original sin, the source of all malevolence.
Pope Xitell comforted himself, murmuring, "Regardless, even if he doesn't surpass this stage, it's not a grave concern. After all, the power of the abyss has been weakened. Even if a single abyssal essence were to instigate an anomaly, I would risk my life to defend Storm City."
"By the time the Thirteen Councilors arrive, we will be able to suppress this essence's master—Lucifer!"
All these abyssal presences are gateways, and the apostles are mere pawns.
The true puppeteers are the demons representing the Seven Deadly Sins.
They possess god-like combat prowess.
Among them, the mightiest is the representative of Pride: Lucifer.
Should the Apostle of Pride emerge from the abyss, he could harness Lucifer's might—a power of divine origin.
Pope Xitell, picking up a piece of jade with a hint of reluctance, soon hardened his gaze.
A beam of light materialized, projecting an image—within it was John.
Pope Xitell addressed the image of John, saying, "Young one, ahead lies the mightiest of demons. If you choose to retreat now, there will be no punishment."
Upon hearing this, an item materialized in John's hand:
Exit Pass from the Trail!
John glanced at the pass that would allow him to leave the trial.
He then tucked it into his pocket, undeterred by Pope Xitell's words.
Seeing that John stored the exit pass without using it, the jade in Pope Xitell's hand shattered dramatically, turning into fine powder.
Inside the trial, John remained entirely composed.
As a seasoned gaming veteran and a perennial top-tier player, he had always been at the forefront!
He was unafraid to scale peaks and face challenges head-on.
John mused internally, "Having come this far, why would I retreat? I'm also curious. Only Pride remains among the Seven Deadly Sins. I wonder if he can truly manifest his arrogance before me."
John adjusted himself to peak condition, utilizing various enhancement items, and began his advance.
The surrounding light gradually faded, and ripples disappeared as John stepped forward.
He ventured directly into the pillar of light, heading to the 12th level of the Twelve Trials of the Hero.
The final stage?
Does it hold a formidable demigod? Or perhaps a deity?
John showed not a hint of fear. With the advantage of Zero Time Difference Calculation, he was transported back in time, becoming the young leader who once led his guild to victory.
Dominating numerous games, he was the spotlight, the undisputed top player.
For John, challenges were meant to be embraced.
Faced with the ultimate boss, he was ready for battle!
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