Chapter 258: The Garden
Lilith took a deep breath, her fingers lightly tapping on the armrest of her chair as she gathered her thoughts.
"The Seed of Knowledge works on all organisms, elevating their power to the highest potential. In your case, reaching the peak rank in this world was just a matter of time, meaning your potential is not at all worse than mine, maybe even better," she explained, not forgetting to compliment him for added points.
Unfortunately, her compliments didn't even register in his mind.
What Potential?
He had the system, giving him all the potential he could ask for.
It would be weird if someone surpassed him in that department with all the cheats he possessed.
But the pressing question remained: did he really require the Seed of Knowledge?
Were its rewards worth the risks?
'System,' he asked internally, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the outline of his chin, 'any insights on the power of Primordial Devils?'
[System: Negative. That classification predates the most recent data available.]
'Can I reach that level someday ?'
[System: The host possesses the capability to surpass the level of a Demon God. However, confirmation of superiority over a Primordial Devil or a fully empowered Archangel requires additional information.]
'I see,' he nodded thoughtfully. 'If even the system lacks data, then the Seed may really be worth the risk' Experience tales at m-vl-e-mpyr
'Wait, System,' he continued, shifting slightly in his seat, 'my race is categorized as Legendary Rank, aligned with demons. Why am I unable to access the Devils Race?'
[System: Angels and Devils were absent during the first system scan, resulting in incomplete or unavailable information. Other foreign entities are also not included in the System's database and require updates.]
'So the system's limitations are much bigger than I had assumed,'he mused inwardly.
He had to see it for himself, whether it was worth it or not.
So, regardless of the risks and uncertainties, he knew he couldn't rely solely on the limited insights provided by the system.
"Okay, I will assist you, but first, I need clarification," he agreed.
Lilith's lips curled into a knowing smile, her posture relaxed and attentive. "What would you like to know?"
"Are you collaborating with other Demon Lords? I'm sure you already know that I am being hunted," Reign asked.
"The Abyssal Alliance?" she echoed softly, her own fingers tracing patterns on the polished surface of her desk.
"Yes," he affirmed with a nod, his gaze steady.
"Don't worry, I'm in hiding as well. If they knew of my true nature, they would not revere me as their ancestor; they would likely hunt me down to check if they could gain power from eating me so I would never ally myself with them," she replied.
"Valid point," he acknowledged her reason.
He couldn't deny that he was also intrigued by the idea of consuming her and observing the results.
If it weren't for the opportunity to find the Garden, he might have considered a way to eliminate her with minimal risk.
"And what about other devils?" he pressed further.
"I have not encountered anyone yet after coming to the human world. The portal to Hell opened just over a year ago for a split second so I don't really know if there are others like me," she clarified.
"So this body is just a vessel, like the angels?"
"Not like Angels, Devils just manifest an avatar—we don't really need a vessel. But we also need to start from scratch in the human world," she clarified.
"So what happened if your avatar die ?"
"No big deal, really. I'd wake up somewhere random in Hell, deal with a bit of backlash. But while I'm here in the human world, I can't access hell or return just like that. Death's the only way back, and traveling between realms is a hassle, almost impossible " Lilith disclosed.
She saw no reason to withhold such information if it served to foster a deeper sense of trust between them.
Reign absorbed her words thoughtfully, his fingers lightly drumming on the armrest of his chair.
'Start from scratch, huh?' he mused inwardly.
"Let me guess, you've gained power through deals?" he suggested, his eyes flickering with intrigue .
"Yeah, even this organization was built on a contract. The more outrageous the deal, the more power I get when I fulfill it," she admitted openly, her gaze locking confidently with his.
"Why does it seem like your way of gaining power has more integrity than the angels'?" he pondered aloud. .
"It's not just a feeling. Devils pursue power with a business-like attitude. At least we don't fake miracles or pretend to be holy to win human favor," she asserted, her tone carrying a hint of disdain towards angels who often used such tactics.
Reign nodded thoughtfully, recognizing an ironic truth in her words, despite her devilish nature.
They continued their conversation, delving deeper until Reign had addressed some of his most pressing questions.
Finally, they arrived at the main topic: the location of the Garden and how they could uncover its whereabouts.
"The Garden's location can only be discovered once we obtain the six keys. This," Lilith said, reaching into the middle of her breast area , "is one of them."
She withdrew a key, pure black and emitting an aura that seemed both visible and ethereal.
"Can I touch it?"he raised his hand, and without hesitation, she handed the key over to him.
"It's warm," Reign commented casually.
"I… " Lilith blushed slightly in response, but quickly regained her composure, realizing he was simply noting the key's temperature, and not hinting that it was warm because it came from her cleavage
[System: Error]
'Error? So you can't analyze it?' he asked.
[System: Affirmative]
'What if I eat it ?' he asked.
[System: Bad Idea]
Seeing that the system couldn't extract any information from it, he handed the key back to her.
"So how many do you have ?" he asked .
"Just one, " she replied with a smile.
"But don't worry. Now that we have this, it'll be much easier to find the others. You see, the reason it's warm is because it reacts whenever another key is nearby," she explained, raising the key and giving it a shake to emphasize her point.
"So, you're searching for a key in this city, right? What's the status?" he asked.
"I have some leads, but it will still take time," she replied honestly.
"Alright, I'll..." Reign was trying to say something when he was cut off by a knock on the door.
Lilith's expression changed abruptly. She had instructed everyone never to disturb them unless it was urgent news.
"Excuse me," she said as she stood up and walked towards the door. She opened it, revealing Dan, who was visibly anxious.
"What is it ?" she asked.
"Miss Lilith, one of our labs on the outskirts has been attacked," he reported urgently, his breath coming in short gasps.
"Which one ?"
"The one that was making the serum," he replied, shifting his weight nervously from one foot to the other.
"Do you know who attacked us?" she asked, stepping closer to Dan, her eyes narrowing . She did not appreciate this turn of events.
Dan rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around nervously before meeting her gaze.
"We don't have all the details yet, but our surveillance team is working on it," he replied, his eyes darting away.