Chapter 336
Illusory Blood · Child of the Moon
Eivass didn’t hesitate at all. To obtain a Gold Tier Slot—something that only existed in theory—during a ritual to ascend from Tier Two to Tier Three…
If he missed this opportunity, not only would Twin be displeased, but he wouldn’t forgive himself.
After confirming his choice with his consciousness, he felt his body slowly float upwards. Eivass’s spirit ascended further, hanging high in the air.
In the next moment, a magnificent eye slowly opened, illuminating the void. The colors within were indescribable and beyond Eivass’s comprehension. It seemed to be iridescent, or perhaps some special color—countless lights streamed from it, illuminating the entire world.
It was then that Eivass realized another him was suspended beside him. A mirror lay between the two of them, causing the eye in the air to become a pair. A shadow projected beneath Eivass, while the Eivass in the mirror cast no shadow.
From the shadow beneath Eivass, the Shadow Demon, rendered unconscious by the paused time, was drawn out and transformed into Beyad’s form, suspended behind Eivass. Like static on a television screen, the mirror flickered and blurred a few times, and another “Beyad” appeared behind the other suspended Eivass. However, this Beyad was not exuding black smoke—instead, it possessed a pair of scarlet pupils. This was not the Shadow Demon, but Beyad as the Child of the Moon.
In the next moment, the “Beyads” behind both Eivasses dissipated simultaneously. Eivass was suddenly pulled by a strange gravity and crashed towards the mirror in the center!
As the two Eivasses, one within and one without the mirror, collided violently, Eivass suddenly opened his eyes and jolted awake in bed.
Eivass’s system panel automatically popped up, with updated changes:
Demon Scholar LV20: [Demon Contract – Level 6 (0%)], [Demonology – Level 4 (80%)], [Basic Ritual – Level 4 (39%)], [Curse – Level 3 (56%)], [Shepherd’s (Essence) – Level 3 (0%)]
Mana Pool: 52/52 (Light), 44/44 (Dark), 55/55 (Fire)
Path Traits—
Lit Paths: Devotion – Third Layer, Transcendence – Third Layer
Transcendence/Beauty – Illusory Blood (Child of the Moon): You can now switch your race between Human and Child of the Moon through a ritual. When switching to Child of the Moon, you gain the same racial traits and abilities as a “Child of the Moon.” This is considered a disguised form that cannot be seen through by spell effects, but the illusion shatters when severely injured or struck by a blunt object, like breaking an ordinary mirror. There is no cooldown when this effect is actively ended, but if the illusion is shattered by external forces, this ability cannot be used again until the next new moon/full moon.
“Holy crap, I’m not short on mana anymore!!” This was Eivass’s first reaction after seeing his updated panel. Now, his three attribute pools combined could directly create Illusion Cards for Wind and Earth attributes.
Not only could he seal Punisher Demons, but even the King of the Wild Hunt!
…The only problem is, while he could create the cards, he might not be able to defeat the opponents. The King of the Wild Hunt, as a top-tier Phantom Demon in the world, was only half a tier below the Fallen Heavenly Envoy who would later be summoned by the Ouroboros Ring. If Eivass could subdue the King of the Wild Hunt, he would have the confidence to challenge the Fallen Heavenly Envoy.
Moreover, even if he succeeded in sealing it, it might not be easy to use immediately. Eivass’s main body still lacked a Fire attribute mana pool, which meant that even if he sealed the King of the Wild Hunt, he would have to switch forms to use it—but his disguised form could not participate in combat, as it would easily shatter. Furthermore, only one Phantom Demon could be present at a time.
The Child of the Moon form lacked Fire attribute mana, meaning Eivass could not use Shepherd’s Method, Illuminator, or Fire Worship, nor could he summon Little Butterfly.
However, with this obtained slot, Eivass no longer needed to risk experience penalties and deviation to pursue a third Path. Simply gaining a few points of mana was still relatively easy. The Church’s High-Tier Divine Arts could provide some permanent temporary mana through blessings, and high-level Alchemists could synthesize rare potions that increased the mana pool cap. Ruins occasionally yielded Purple Tier Slot equipment that increased mana capacity. Eivass didn’t need the thirty or forty points required for card creation, only a few points to activate cards, not even five—this difficulty was not high. Not to mention, Avalon’s black market would surely have equipment that increased Wind attribute mana—the staves used by the Law Masters in the Inspection Bureau who were responsible for tracing crime scenes had this effect. As a Minister now, Eivass could have royal craftsmen custom-make a supernatural artifact with the same effect without issue.
However, not being able to defeat the King of the Wild Hunt was a minor issue. Eivass was currently the only Sin Scholar in the world. The King of the Wild Hunt wasn’t going anywhere, and the Fallen Heavenly Envoy hadn’t descended yet. Eivass could safely develop his strength until he was completely confident before making a move, lest he fail and provoke the enemy.
Both of Eivass’s professions had entered a plateau phase at Tier Three. He would be looking for job change materials next, so the pace of his Ascension Ritual could be slowed down. Moreover, while he was at this stage, his Path Power was balanced, allowing him to focus on cultivating his Phantom Demons using the Shepherd’s Method. When school reopened, Eivass would be studying abroad in the Church. The “Illuminator” profession had not yet appeared, so Eivass might need to go to the Church to find clues for his job change. Before then, he could focus on resolving Avalon’s issues. Currently, having two Paths at Tier Three was sufficient. He could fish without worrying about being unable to handle the “fish”—he wouldn’t scare them into faking death and hiding, nor would he be so weak that he’d have to *fight* the fish. If his strength wasn’t enough, he could find a way to increase the Shadow Demon’s level.
“—Judging by your reaction, your Ascension should have been successful, right?” Sherlock’s cold voice sounded from the side. “You’re smiling so disgustingly.”
“Indeed… What about the others?” Eivass smiled and reached out to pat Sherlock’s head, but Sherlock impatiently pushed his hand away.
“I’ve also woken up, Young Master,” Lily said, opening her eyes from beside him. Before Eivass could ask, she directly replied, “My slot this time was two purple and one blue. After careful consideration, I chose a Purple Tier Slot called [Shadow Incarnation]. Because you mentioned before that you have this slot, I felt it might be better than the other one…”
“Oh?” Eivass blinked in surprise and delight. “That’s really good!” Hearing this familiar slot, he knew Lily’s Ascension Ritual points must have been substantial. This would supplement Shadow Affinity, further enhancing the Shadow Demon’s combat power, and also provide Lily with some mana. She had never chosen a Vessel slot before, so gaining an additional 14 mana was a significant improvement. From Tier Three to Four, blue slots were rarely encountered. However, obtaining a Vessel slot from a composite slot was still possible. In that case, Shadow Incarnation could be directly converted into two levels of Shadow Affinity, thus maxing out Shadow Affinity. Lily could also directly convert it into a two-level Vessel slot—which would directly add 42 mana. Especially since Lily was not just an Assassin now; she also had the Witch profession. Witches could also cast spells using Dark attribute mana, and Spellcasters never had enough mana. As for Lily’s other purple slot, Eivass decided not to ask. This was good enough. It was like a final exam—once it’s over, don’t compare answers. After all, you can’t go back and knock out the invigilator to change your answers. Especially when that invigilator was one of the Nine Pillar Gods.
Unlike ordinary Ascension Rituals—where only Apostles typically supervised—this time, one of the Nine Pillar Gods was personally present!
“Haina hasn’t woken up yet?” Eivass glanced at Haina, his voice dropping slightly. Haina’s face showed signs of pain, as if she were having a nightmare. She was sweating profusely and struggling.
Sherlock shook his head. “It’s only been less than two hours… She’s ascending from Three to Four, so it should be difficult.”
“Then I hope she passes successfully,” Eivass sighed and offered a sincere blessing.
“What about you?” Sherlock asked bluntly. “Seeing your silly happy face, your gains must be even greater than Miss Lily’s. Can you show us? If not, forget it. Pretend I didn’t ask.”
“I say, you asked for this yourself,” Eivass chuckled, unhesitatingly blurting out the sentence he had been holding back for a long time. “How did you know I obtained a Gold Tier Slot?”
“—Huh?” Sherlock froze.
(End of Chapter)
