Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener - Chapter 530

Chapter 530: Chapter 530: Finally Obtaining the Soul Treasure! Am I Being Tricked?
In his heart, Sterl cursed the high-level divine authority, but on the surface, he maintained a composed smile.

It had to be said, the subsequent terms were still quite tempting. This divine authority was certain that Sterl had visited the royal treasury of the Kingdom of Orichalcum. The offer to choose ten items at will was irresistible; no one could turn down such an opportunity.

Even Sterl was a bit surprised at the generosity of the Kingdom of Orichalcum. But if they could truly annihilate these obstacles, who would care about ten items? Even twenty or thirty would be worth it.

“Very well, I see your sincerity,” he said, nodding in approval. The tense atmosphere dissipated instantly, and everyone else let out a sigh of relief. If Hades and the high-level divine authority had fallen out, things would have been complicated.

First of all, Morette and Eterna, the gods saved by Hades, would certainly not intervene. The others would likely just watch from the sidelines. Even if they tried to suppress Hades, they wouldn’t achieve their goal. Instead, it would only cause the Kingdom of Orichalcum’s reputation in this world to plummet. Local powerful forces, who feared being abandoned once their usefulness was exhausted, would never join them, no matter the rewards offered.

Thankfully, none of that happened. It was just a few resources after all. If this had happened earlier, before they understood Hades’ true value, they might have been surprised or even displeased, possibly even protesting. But now, all they could think was that the offering was insufficient; it didn’t adequately reflect their gratitude and sincerity.

“I’m glad you’re satisfied, Mr. Hades. This is the contract between Lady Diana and the royal city. As long as Lady Diana is willing, she may directly nullify the contract,” the high-level divine authority continued, pausing briefly before pulling out a dark purple glowing orb. Sterl’s gaze was immediately drawn to it. He recognized the orb instantly. In fact, it was one of the main reasons he had chosen to join the Kingdom of Orichalcum. This was his target—the Soul Treasure of the Kingdom of Orichalcum!

“This is the Soul Treasure of our Kingdom of Orichalcum. Now, it is yours.”

The high-level divine authority’s expression was somewhat complex. The orb was known as the Soul Treasure of the entire Kingdom of Orichalcum. It was a rare and valuable object that existed independently of the royal treasury. Once considered the Kingdom’s most powerful secret treasure, it was also the key to Orichalcum’s rise.

Unfortunately, the conditions to use this treasure were not only harsh but also practically unacceptable. Since the kingdom’s founding and the disappearance of its original creator, the treasure had been left unused.

There were two main reasons for this. First, no one was qualified to wield it. Second, even if someone was eligible, no one was willing to use it. There had even been a brutal civil war once over this very treasure.

Since then, the Soul Treasure had been completely sealed off, isolated from the outside world, and few ever mentioned it. Who would have thought that now, it would be handed over to an outsider?

Of course, the high-level divine authority’s regret was more for the history surrounding the treasure. In his eyes, the Soul Treasure didn’t hold much value. If it was given away, then so be it. Moreover, by calling it the Kingdom of Orichalcum’s most precious treasure, it added a bit more leverage in their dealings.

The other gods looked at the glowing orb, their gazes varying—some calm, some complex, and some filled with emotion. But Sterl could sense that the allure of this Soul Treasure was not even close to that of the contract.

With a casual toss, two items appeared in Sterl’s hands. At once, the information about the Soul Treasure flooded his mind.

Unlike the partial information Morette had shown him earlier, this time, he received the complete details of this secret treasure!

Instantly, an overwhelming sense of excitement and exhilaration surged within him! He almost couldn’t hold back from bursting into wild laughter.

“I’ve hit the jackpot! This is it, I’ve really made it!”

Looking at the effects of the Soul Treasure, Sterl’s heart surged with joy—he felt like he could almost fly!

While he had once harbored some doubt about his ability to sweep through everything and complete his legendary story, now, with the Soul Treasure in hand, it felt like a sure thing.

The power of this artifact was truly terrifying—it was incredibly potent!

The reason why this high-level divine authority, and even the other gods, seemed indifferent, even a bit dismissive of the Soul Treasure, was because of the extremely strict conditions for its use. First, the user’s soul had to be extraordinarily powerful and resilient. Secondly… when used on others, there was a prerequisite: the person using it must ensure absolute loyalty from the bearer of the treasure.

No wonder no one cared about it. No wonder it was so casually handed over. The first condition, about the soul’s strength, was already a dealbreaker. Even for high-level gods, the strength of their souls wasn’t particularly impressive. What determined the strength of a soul, however, was the soul’s level.

Normal gods had soul levels around 5 or 6, while his soul level was already 62!

As for the absolute loyalty clause, even legendary beings would never voluntarily pledge such loyalty to a god. And using coercive methods to ensure loyalty would only lead to rebellion and war.

Thus, this treasure, which should have been incredibly powerful, had become a worthless, wasteful relic—a chicken rib that no one bothered with, despite its immense potential.

But for Sterl, this was undoubtedly an incredibly rare and valuable top-tier treasure. As for the detailed information and effects of the Soul Treasure, he didn’t examine it too closely, lest he inadvertently reveal the truth—that he could actually use the Soul Treasure.

So, on the surface, after holding the Soul Treasure in his hands, he first displayed a joyful smile. Then, it quickly froze, and he frowned, staring at the crystal-like dark purple orb with a somewhat gloomy expression.

“Are you messing with me?”

He raised his head and looked at the high-level divine authority before him, then turned his gaze to Morette. At this moment, Morette was practically bowing to the ground, not daring to meet his eyes.

Diana, on the other hand, flinched. A mix of nervousness and confusion appeared on her face. It wasn’t that she didn’t know, but when she was with Sterl, she had been so preoccupied with other thoughts that she completely forgot about it.

Immediately, her mind scolded herself, filled with worry. She feared that Hades would misunderstand her and create a rift between them.

“What… what should I do now? Diana, you’re such an idiot!”

She repeatedly cursed herself in her mind, tears nearly welling up in her eyes, unsure of how to explain. After all, for this Soul Treasure, Sterl had almost been killed by the traitor Boris!

Sterl couldn’t help but laugh inwardly at this scene. This girl was still worrying about how to make it up to him.

The other gods were all maintaining silence, observing the situation with a calm demeanor. They knew well the effects and limitations of the Soul Treasure. To be honest, only a legendary god with powerful Divine Power—one capable of creating worlds with a mere wave of their hand—could freely use this treasure.

However, beings of that level had no interest in such an item, and those who would be interested were unable to use it. It was a tormenting paradox.

When Sterl had first requested the Soul Treasure, everyone knew he had been played, but no one could deny that this treasure was valuable. After all, it was the most powerful and coveted artifact in all of the Kingdom of Orichalcum.

In simple terms… it was immensely precious, but its value was almost null. It served better as a decorative piece with historical significance.

Ahem.

The high-level divine authority coughed twice, trying to ease the awkward tension of almost laughing. Seeing Sterl’s disgruntled expression gave him a feeling of satisfaction. Even this domineering, arrogant man could be tricked.

Upon hearing this, a look of “shame and anger” appeared on Sterl’s face, as though he had just realized that this was precisely the thing he had specifically requested.

After a moment of silence, the anger on his face gradually faded, and without saying a word, he stowed the Soul Treasure and the contract into his space.

“This time, I’ll choose six items.”

His voice seemed to be suppressing deep anger, sounding somewhat hoarse. The high-level divine authority before him seemed to have anticipated this reaction and agreed without hesitation.

“No problem, Mr. Hades. We can certainly fulfill this request.”

Upon hearing this, Sterl snorted coldly. “I’m only doing this for Diana’s sake. But if something like this happens again, don’t blame me for turning hostile.”

“Rest assured, Mr. Hades, the Royal City will never let your efforts go unrewarded.” The divine authority then glanced toward Diana. “Thank you, Lady Diana. You are a hero of our Royal City.”

Although it was meant as a compliment, Diana felt a pang of guilt in her heart. Her face turned a deep shade of red with embarrassment, and she became flustered. This time, she had truly betrayed this person who had been so focused on her.

Sterl suppressed his emotions, signaling that the matter was now closed.

“Mr. Hades, your privileges have been unlocked by the Royal City. After this meeting ends, you may go directly to the treasure vault and select what you wish.”

“Mm.”

Sterl nodded, his face returning to a calm expression, though inwardly he was bursting with joy. He hadn’t expected to receive yet another opportunity—it was a complete stroke of luck.

“My acting skills are really getting better and better. If I had gone back to Earth without this power, with my acting alone, I could have made it big, no problem.”

He thought to himself, then casually chose a spot to sit down. After this battle, the temple now appeared even more spacious, with a certain desolate feeling hanging in the air.

Soon after, the high-level divine authority began the meeting, focusing on the actions of Ashen’s side.