Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener - Chapter 388

Chapter 388: Chapter 388: Who Exactly is the Archduke of Blood?
The Succubus leaned in seductively, her eyes sparkling with allure, almost maximizing her powers to their utmost extent. But it was definitely not to slay an enemy. Rather, she intended to pin this humanoid demon down and enjoy him thoroughly.

Sterl found himself at a loss for words. “I’m sorry, but I’m in a hurry. Otherwise, out of respect for Licitris, I might have let you live for a few more seconds.”

The moment Sterl spoke Licitris’s name, the Succubus’s expression changed! It seemed she knew something. Sterl was well aware that beings with self-awareness appearing in the hell trial were likely akin to that female player who granted him his first Iridescent-Level ability—those who had made a pact with the Swallowing Heaven system or some layer of hell during their lifetime.

This Succubus knew something about Licitris. Unfortunately, Sterl had no time to inquire further.

Ordinary demigod opponents would likely fall easily under the control of a Succubus if they hadn’t specialized in the mental domain, leading to a swift demise. But Sterl swiftly drew the Flowing Water Blade. He pierced the Succubus’s heart with one strike, then gently laid her down, letting her collapse into his embrace.

The Succubus eventually transformed into a myriad of twinkling lights and dissipated. “If you are an acquaintance of Licitris, consider this a courtesy to him,” Sterl murmured softly as he held the Succubus.

[Brave hero, you have overcome endless temptations; your reward tier has risen once again!]

[Next, you will face Supreme-level enemies—show your valor!]

Sterl’s expression remained calm as he returned to a standing position from his half-kneeling embrace. Before him lay an endless sea of blood, slowly roiling and gathering until a hand suddenly shot out.

It was a… weakened version of the Archduke of Blood!

Sterl had been prepared to act immediately, but something felt off. He had never seen the true form of the Archduke of Blood before, only a heart. Now he observed—the differences between the weakened version of the Archduke of Blood and the one resurrected with the Origin of Chaos were stark.

The external form of the Archduke of Blood radiated a yellow and orange hue, adorned with a protective layer of scales. In contrast, the Supreme version of the Archduke of Blood had far fewer scales, appearing significantly weaker in defense, with its primary color a mere bright red.

“What’s going on here?”

Sterl’s mind stirred as he seemed to grasp a crucial piece of information. However, he also felt something was off because the deities in the outside world and the two Divine Level demons likely knew the true form of the Archduke of Blood. They didn’t seem to question it at all.

Sterl pondered this.

Meanwhile, the Archduke of Blood within the trial glanced around casually. “Another one?”

“Damn that original body of mine, it’s gotten easier for him while I’m left suffering here. How much longer do I have to endure this?”

“Hey, you from the outside, can you tell me how that damned original body is doing? Has he managed to ascend to godhood yet?”

His tone was weary, almost as if he didn’t expect an answer. The Archduke of Blood slightly raised his hand, manipulating the blood and tides. The crimson liquid quickly enveloped Sterl.

At that moment, Sterl hadn’t made a move yet, but he noticed something amiss. The Archduke of Blood in the outside world hadn’t activated any blood-related skills. He could stir the blood in the river valley, but that wasn’t the same as transforming blood into weapons for use…

Sterl’s Origin of Chaos was equivalent to the Blood Law and Divine Power; he simply couldn’t use it at the moment due to his insufficient level. He could clearly sense that the Archduke of Blood out there was manipulating the sea of blood in a different way!

“Could it be that this isn’t the Archduke of Blood at all, but an imposter?”

“But what’s the point? Why disguise oneself as a dead Divine Level demon?”

Sterl couldn’t wrap his head around it. Even if another Divine Level demon wanted to make trouble, there was no need to impersonate the Archduke of Blood, as that would draw the ire of the deities from the main world. After all, the Archduke of Blood was fighting on his home turf. The two Divine Level demons would also be extremely wary of him.

Sterl was still unaware that the Archduke of Blood had been killed by Licitris and the Lord of Evil Spirits; otherwise, he would be even more baffled. In that context, impersonating the Archduke of Blood would only lead the two Divine Level demons to suspect that you were out for revenge, and to protect themselves, they would go so far as to hunt you down again…

With all these lingering doubts swirling in his mind, Sterl felt increasingly perplexed, yet nothing made sense. Ultimately, he could only conclude—it didn’t matter!

Whether that being outside was the Archduke of Blood or not didn’t change the fact that this demon, having obtained the Origin of Chaos, was despised by the world. If Sterl killed him and obtained Fortune, he could evolve his cheat, rid himself of the Blood of Contamination, and even… gain the Holy Spirit Bloodline permanently!

At that moment, as he was enveloped by the sea of blood, Sterl turned and twisted his waist. Star power transformed into liquid and coalesced into a sword blade, which he slowly lifted and pressed down.

Countless strands of filthy blood, forming a killing array, suddenly froze.

Supreme level?

To Sterl, they were nothing more than ants that could be extinguished with a mere flick of his hand.

Shattered Void!

Countless blades of light swiftly manifested. With incredible speed, they shredded the sea of blood created by the Archduke of Blood into countless fragments! As the space fractured, it was as if the very essence of the Archduke of Blood was being torn apart—his life source, his heart, was ground into pieces.

Afterward, his arms and a few segments of his lower legs, since their remaining pieces were slightly larger, slowly twisted and transformed into two new versions of the Archduke of Blood. The split-off forms of the Archduke of Blood initially appeared somewhat dazed, standing still as if they had lost consciousness. It wasn’t until two beams of light descended from the sky and took control of their bodies that they began to move.

Then, the hearts of the two avatars came to a standstill amidst a dazzling blade of light. The aftermath of Sterl’s Shattered Void completed the execution once more!

“The Archduke of Blood has such capabilities. Perhaps he was deemed dead at first but later revived because he can create avatars after death,” Sterl pondered. “As long as there is a scrap of physical tissue left, he can be reborn? No wonder he was already recognized as dead by the Hall of Valor and the other two major forces, yet he could still resurrect.”

Sterl mused over this. If he weren’t in a hurry, he would have been more than willing to have a few words with the Archduke of Blood in the trial. The entity he faced seemed to be a fragment of the true Archduke of Blood’s will; it appeared that the Archduke had made some sort of deal, likely with the will of this layer of hell, trading for resources to aid his own growth…

That’s probably why the avatar harbored such hatred for the “original body,” paying the price of being eternally trapped in the trial in exchange for the original’s strength… Who wouldn’t feel resentful?

At this moment, Sterl felt a chill in his heart. He understood that dealing with a blood sacrifice was going to be more troublesome; just because he had killed it once didn’t mean it was over—this being could still revive.

In the worst-case scenario, he would have to shatter all of the Archduke of Blood’s remaining limbs after defeating him, and then kill the Archduke of Blood again after he revived from those remnants. It was going to be quite the hassle.

Sterl felt a slight headache coming on, though if luck was on his side, breaking the Archduke of Blood’s true form once would net him Fortune, greatly increasing his margin for error…

After eliminating his Supreme-level opponent, a brilliant light shone before him.

[Congratulations on completing the most challenging trial; what lies ahead will be a fight for your life, one that is nearly impossible to survive. Prepare for your final struggle.]

[Your reward level has increased.]

Even in the trials of hell, a crisp sound echoed, and the dark red light above radiated a feeling of divine grandeur. Sterl then noticed that the trial arena of the hell trial displayed a semi-transparent state—he suddenly became able to see the scenes from the outside world.

The five Divine Level entities had already detached from the hell trial long ago. They murmured to each other, but due to the spatial barrier, Sterl could not hear their voices clearly; he could only guess their words through lip-reading, primarily deducing that three of them were the deities from the main world.

The Lord of Evil Spirits had no mouth. Licitris, as a Succubus, had a body structure vastly different from that of humans. As Sterl watched the Succubus Queen’s lips move, he felt a rush of blood surge within him. Additionally, since the three deities from the main world sometimes communicated telepathically, Sterl couldn’t perceive their words, but he still managed to catch some hints of their conversation.

“Who… who are you?”

“You’re not the Archduke of Blood at all.”

“Why does the Blood of Contamination have no effect on you?”

“Damn it, could you be a being from the upper realms?”

“No, no! The Blood of Contamination isn’t ineffective against you; rather, you can ignore any burden that this body brings. No wonder my techniques didn’t work!”

“This is not the Archduke of Blood at all!”

At this point, the five Divine Level entities seemed to grasp the situation. Sterl had initially wanted to observe a bit longer, but the deities merely emitted some meaningless exclamations. Knowing that the Archduke of Blood was a fake held no real significance. The entity truly controlled the endless blood in the river valley and possessed the powerful Origin of Chaos.

The five Divine Level beings still had to defeat this “Archduke of Blood” if they hoped to survive.

As the blood-red light gradually faded, a figure resembling an angel descended from the sky, its wings displaying a gray-black hue. This was one of the special races Sterl could choose when creating his alternate account—a fallen angel.

Previously, the Demon of Terror and Cruelty, Lovic, had already shown Sterl just how terrifying a unit from a special race could become as it evolved. He immediately felt a sense of impending danger; even though the Divine Level units in the hell trial were inferior to true gods, they could still wield Divine Power, albeit with their divine authority lacking some of the rules’ strengths.