Chapter Ninety-Four: Evolve, Enoia!

Watching the beam of light descend from the heavens and envelop Enoia, Jan’s expression did not change in the slightest. Yet in truth, he had already clenched both fists, his face grave and solemn. He knew perfectly well that this choice was a gamble, for both him and Enoia alike.

In the dungeon system, a hero unit had two opportunities to evolve on its own. Once they reached a certain level, they would advance to the next stage. Their power would then increase dramatically. For lower-ranking hero units, if fortune favored them, they might awaken the hidden bloodline or power within their bodies, leaping over the dragon gate in a single bound and gaining formidable strength and skills.

Of course, most of the time, such evolutions came to nothing. In the game, the chance of a low-tier hero becoming a unit above Gold rank was no different from a beggar winning the lottery and becoming a millionaire. If this were still a game, any player seeing Jan’s decision would surely sneer at it. Enoia was only a Silver unit; no matter how lucky she might be, the most she could evolve into was Gold. And the higher the card’s rank, the more experience was required for later evolutions. Especially in this real world, where an NPC in front of him could not simply be refreshed at will, endlessly farming maps and monsters for experience as one could in a game was practically impossible. Rather than wasting such a precious item on a Silver unit, it would be better to invest it in a higher-ranked one.

But Jan knew that if they followed the ordinary path, Enoia would almost certainly never level enough to evolve. Her duty was that of an adjutant; one could say that in day-to-day life, she was the one assisting Jan in managing and monitoring the entire dungeon. Thus, unless absolutely necessary, Enoia could never venture out to fight like the other hero units. And without that, it would be very difficult for her to gain enough experience to evolve. If he wanted Enoia to evolve, this was the best chance.

And for Jan, it was also a promise.

The pillar of light gradually dimmed.

It was not that the radiance had faded, but rather that darkness was slowly surging up within the beam, replacing the brilliance. The air began to grow cold, and even the magical torches illuminating the study were shaken and trembled ceaselessly in the frigid wind of the soul. Soon, the white pillar of light turned utterly black. Sensing this marvelous force, Jan raised his head, folding his hands before him, and fixed his gaze intently ahead.

“Ah…”

With a sound so faint it was almost inaudible, the condensed black radiance suddenly spilled downward. Like some tangible substance melted into water, it flowed to the floor, then vanished swiftly into the gaps between the stone slabs, leaving no trace behind. And Enoia’s figure appeared once more before Jan’s eyes.

At first glance, the girl seemed unchanged from before. But upon closer inspection, one would discover that her dress was even more splendid, and her entire being radiated an air of elegance and refinement. If Enoia’s first impression before had been that of a noble young lady, then now, should she step outside, no one would find it strange to mistake her for a princess.

Her jet-black, form-fitting gown outlined the girl’s figure and graceful curves perfectly, while dark red lines like fresh blood formed beautiful patterns against the black background. The lace trim at the hem of her skirt remained as dim and unsullied as ever, even under the glow of magical firelight. Yet that very dimness created a striking contrast, like a streak of black upon white paper; far from being overshadowed, it instead appeared all the more dazzling.

But what caught Jan’s attention most of all was Enoia’s skin.

Before, Enoia’s complexion had been iron-gray, the unmistakable color of the dead. At first Jan had not been especially used to it either, but after some time, it had ceased to be a problem. On the contrary, he had even felt that it was part of Enoia’s unique charm. That beauty shrouded by death, when savored carefully, could evoke a truly admirable sensation.

But now, that iron-gray complexion had completely vanished. The girl’s skin remained fair, smooth, and delicate, yet it no longer carried that stiff, cold feeling tinged with death. Instead, it was imbued with a certain vitality. And precisely because of that, Enoia had acquired a unique allure she had not possessed before, as though the boundary between life and death had become distinctly manifest within her body. Her fair skin, her captivating eyes, the slightly upturned corners of her lips bearing a smile, her exquisite features—all of it seemed to have become the most wondrous creation of the Maker at this moment, inspiring one to praise the beauty of life itself. Merely seeing Enoia smile would make one feel as if standing atop a grassy hill, looking down upon a sapphire lake, a verdant forest, and singing birds, one’s heart light and unburdened.

Yet where there is light, there must be shadow.

Within the shadows cast by her long golden hair, at the depths of those blood-red eyes, what Jan saw was cold, merciless death. Like understanding that autumn has come the moment one sees withered leaves drifting to the ground, that darkness wordlessly proclaimed the end of all life. It was as if one stood in a graveyard piled high with tombs, gazing at scattered coffins and white bones, and inevitably coming to understand a truth that could never be escaped. Whether rich or poor, strong or weak, noble or lowly, all shared the same ending.

Still, what drew the most attention was Enoia’s newly updated profile.

Ghost War Maiden — Enoia Alkunis Gold SR

Race: Undead
Combat Power: 3.5 stars Death is inescapable, and cannot be resisted. It descends upon everyone fairly, without exception.
Management: 3 stars She possesses outstanding knowledge and management ability, and will become a trustworthy right hand.
Influence: 3.5 stars For most people, the words she speaks from those enchanting lips are the truth of this world.
Loyalty: 5 stars Your souls are intertwined, and there is nothing in this world that can separate them.

Traits

Spirit Communion — Hidden within the lament of souls lie heavy secrets. Skill enhancement +10
Intelligence Gathering — Nothing escapes her ears and eyes. Information gathering speed +15
Scythe of Death — Before death, all are equal, without exception. A certain chance to ignore defenses and unleash an instant-kill attack

Held Skills

Soul Reading: The ability to manipulate another’s soul in order to read information
Army of the Dead: The ability to call the dead back to life
Tomb of Souls: The ability to create soul prisms

“Phew…”

Seeing this, Jan let out a long breath. From Silver rank, she had leaped straight to Gold SR. Though still somewhat below Patilina, for a non-primary combat unit like Enoia, such power was already more than sufficient. In particular, that chance to ignore defenses and unleash an instant-kill attack was nothing short of a killer trump card. It meant that when Enoia fought an enemy, even if the other side were armored with a hundred layers of magical defense, they might still die on the spot from a gentle touch by Enoia. Though, judging by the system’s usual stinginess, that probability was probably less than one percent—but it was still better than nothing.

But what Jan valued most was Enoia’s newly acquired held skill, Tomb of Souls—the ability to create soul prisms.

Soul prisms!

At the sight of those four words, Jan almost felt his entire body shudder.

For the Prime Material Plane, soul prisms were a very unfamiliar thing. Perhaps many erudite mages did not even know what they truly were. But for the inhabitants of the Demon Realm, soul prisms were precious objects on par with diamonds and platinum in the mortal world. After all, if someone obtained and absorbed a soul prism, they could acquire all the power and knowledge possessed by that soul itself. To put it plainly, the Legendary Star Jan had obtained before was, in a sense, also a kind of soul prism.

But soul prisms were not something just anyone could make. In general, only high-ranking demons had that ability. Jan, though the son of the Demon King, had never learned how to create them, because his own power was not especially great. That earlier Legendary Star had been produced by the system after Jan completed a quest and automatically extracted Gustav’s soul; it had nothing to do with Jan himself. Moreover, not every soul could be used to make a soul prism. It was much like making pottery from clay: the difference between good clay and poor clay was enormous. The foremost condition for creating a soul prism was that the target must be powerful; the second was that they possessed intensely strong emotions. Whether desire or hatred, either would do. In any case, for demons, only such fierce emotions made the best seasoning.

Because the conditions for making soul prisms were so demanding, and because most Demon Kings had exceedingly high standards, soul prisms were not numerous in the Demon Realm, and their price was correspondingly exorbitant. Jan was certain that if he could produce three or five soul prisms on Gustav’s level and put them up for auction, the wealth he obtained would be enough to hire a demon army no less formidable than those of his siblings.

“Enoia, how do you feel?”

Thinking of this, Jan felt rather moved, and then looked at the girl before him and asked with concern.

At his question, Enoia first looked down at her own hands. Then she closed her eyes and thought for a moment before answering.

“It is strange, Master… I feel as though many memories and pieces of knowledge that I never had before have surfaced in my mind… No, it feels more like they were always there, and I had simply forgotten them, only to remember them again now. And I can feel that my power is much stronger than before…”

As she spoke, Enoia extended a hand. Very soon, lightning flickered and danced at the tips of her slender fingers, then condensed in an instant into a long scythe. Arcs of light kept rising from the blade, carrying with them an intensely chilling aura of death.

“Excellent.”

Seeing this, Jan nodded in satisfaction, then rose to his feet and looked at Enoia.

“But practice is the sole criterion by which truth is tested…”

“I understand, Master.”

Hearing Jan’s words, Enoia blinked, a playful smile appearing at the corners of her lips.

“I will make sure to entertain our dark-skinned guests who have traveled so far to come here.”