Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener - Chapter 536

Chapter 536: Chapter 536: This Time, I Really Got Screwed!
For those who refused to follow commands and arrangements, demigods and even gods were directly dispatched to forcibly destroy them. However, for those who were willing to join the army under threats and promises, Ashen opened up its treasure vault.

A contribution system was also established. As long as they accumulated enough contribution points on the battlefield, they could exchange them for anything within Ashen’s treasure vault!

Although for ordinary legends, even a single item required a vast number of contribution points, at least there was now a glimmer of hope, something that provided inner balance and comfort.

Moreover, those who performed outstandingly could even earn the opportunity to perceive the Law Power. This gave the legendary figures even more drive to risk everything. After all, refusing the command meant certain death. But if they followed it, even though they would have to fight against the Kingdom of Orichalcum, with some luck, they might seize the chance to become demigods, or even attain godhood!

As for those in the second and third classes, they didn’t even have the right to resist. They could only be controlled and manipulated, for killing third-class and second-class individuals was no different than exterminating a swarm of ants. Their role was solely to be consumed in the formation, their lives offered as sacrifices to create a barrier that would restrict Divine Power. In simpler terms, they were tools—tools that had no control over their own destinies.

Sterl casually glanced over the situation. At this pace, the Ashen army would be fully assembled in no more than a week. It might even take only two or three days before they were ready to march toward the Kingdom of Orichalcum. The other reinforcements could be filled in as needed.

Next, he checked the movements on the Orichalcum side. During his and Diana’s chaotic period, under the direction of a higher deity, Eterna and other gods had begun a large-scale purge of the entire capital. Dozens of spies were captured and executed, and preparations for the coming war were being laid out.

They were recruiting soldiers, setting up formations, and building numerous war cannons in the capital, including Magitech Cannons that could even kill demigods.

In fact, the Kingdom of Orichalcum had made a large investment, offering resources meant for their gods to recruit warriors. Even though everyone knew that Orichalcum was an invader, the promise of great rewards would surely draw brave souls. After all, for most beings, who ruled the world was of little concern. What mattered was what they could gain from it.

This was human nature—or rather, the inherent flaw found in all intelligent beings. But this very desire was also the driving force and key to continuous development.

“Everyone else is preparing, so I can’t be an exception.”

Sterl felt a surge of excitement in his chest. The more armies Ashen gathered, the happier he was. It was the perfect opportunity for a bloody rampage, to plunder souls like a madman and refine them into pure soul power.

After getting a clear understanding of both sides’ movements, Sterl used his authority and once again entered the treasure vault of the Kingdom of Orichalcum.

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s still breathtaking.”

Looking at the mountain of wealth and a dazzling array of items before him, Sterl felt an itch in his heart, eager to take everything.

However, while he couldn’t steal it all, he could pick six items he wanted—without needing any contribution points!

With a flick of his mind, he activated his authority to select the six highest-value items. Yet, despite activating it, the contribution marketplace didn’t open.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Sterl was stunned. He tried again, but still couldn’t access it. At that moment, a flood of information rushed into his mind. Upon receiving it, Sterl froze completely.

The so-called six opportunities to randomly select items from the vault… were actually… a blind pick!?

“Damn it…”

A surge of anger welled up within him. Was the Kingdom of Orichalcum trying to treat him like a fool!?

The so-called “blind pick” didn’t mean choosing with his eyes closed. It meant selecting items without being able to assess their value or properties. This way, he might pick something that looked impressive, only to find out it was a diamond-tier item after the fact.

To make matters worse, diamond-tier items had already been discarded by him long ago—back when he was still second class. Only divine-level items held any real value and could benefit him now.

But if the gods of the Kingdom of Orichalcum knew what Sterl was thinking, they would surely cry out in injustice. To them, “random selection” was exactly what it sounded like—choosing items without knowing their value. Otherwise, the six opportunities to pick items would have allowed him to select the six most valuable treasures.

After all, this was the entire treasure vault of the Kingdom of Orichalcum, containing the wealth of the entire capital. Not only did it hold treasures useful to gods, but it also included items that even high-tier gods or those with powerful Divine Power could use. The most precious items were worth half the kingdom itself!

If the selection process were truly open, one could easily empty the entire Kingdom of Orichalcum’s centuries of accumulation in just a few picks. Clearly, that was never going to happen!

But in Sterl’s eyes, he had truly been screwed over!

Although he had indeed caused some trouble in this battle, leading to extremely heavy losses for both sides’ gods, that didn’t change the fact that the people of the Kingdom of Orichalcum had no idea. They didn’t know, and as long as they didn’t, it wasn’t his fault. On the surface, he had single-handedly reversed the tide of battle and saved the Kingdom of Orichalcum from certain destruction.

And yet, after all that, they were still so stingy and petty? It was simply too much to bear!

“Fine… do they really think I have no temper?”

A cold light flashed in Sterl’s eyes. However, six opportunities to choose freely were nothing to be passed up, especially when he still had 130,000 contribution points left unused. Once he had digested these rewards, there would be plenty of ways to deal with them on the battlefield.

He took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anger building in his chest. Originally, he had planned to use this opportunity to select the few treasures he had been eyeing. Now, he would just have to rely on luck.

Though the selection was a blind one, and he couldn’t see the items’ details, Sterl still felt confident. After all, to a certain extent, if he had a keen eye, he could still pick out valuable items.

And Sterl, from the beginning until now, had only ever obtained extremely precious items. The more one saw, the more of an expert one became. He was far more likely to pick treasures than most.

With that thought in mind, he walked straight into the heart of the vault. As he did, a semi-transparent screen appeared over every item. This was a method used to block information. With the power of the capital, even an existence with immense Divine Power would find it incredibly difficult to pry into the specifics of the items.

But Sterl didn’t mind. He continued to wander through the vault. It was so vast that standing inside it felt like being in a massive human race temple, surrounded by mountains of various treasures. Gold and silver piled up everywhere, and in this immense space, he felt almost insignificant.

But there was a simple rule: the more ordinary the item, the more carelessly it was stored—often piled up haphazardly. On the other hand, truly valuable items were arranged in formations, floating in midair, or stored in various chests and display stands.

In short, Sterl took a moment to assess the situation, and soon found himself overwhelmed by the sheer variety of treasures before him.

“Damn it, how am I supposed to choose?”

Just moments ago, he had been full of confidence, but after sifting through a few items, he nearly lost his composure. No matter how roughly he scanned, the remaining items were still far too many.

After all, he only had six chances, and every time he used one, it would be gone. Once this opportunity was used up, unless he could somehow forcefully conquer the Kingdom of Orichalcum and take control of the vault, he probably wouldn’t have another chance to pick anything from this treasure trove.

However, if others knew what he was thinking, they would probably be speechless. Because, apart from the piles of ordinary items, everything else in the vault was anything but ordinary. Even those stacked mountains of items—if he picked any one of them at random—would still be treasures rare and valuable to legendary-level powerhouses!

Sterl, with his picky nature, was probably suffering from what could be called “decision paralysis” in this situation.

“Forget it, I’ll just pick something at random and gamble on my luck,” he muttered after a long pause.

For a moment, Sterl was at a loss. The aura of these items was undetectable to him, as all the information was blocked by the vault. Not even the radiance of the treasures could be seen. He had considered summoning the Star Radiance Dragon to help him—dragons were known for being sensitive to treasures—but after thinking it over, he decided against it.

He suddenly realized that dragons had no resistance to shiny things. If he let the dragon out, he would probably have an even harder time choosing.

Still, there was one thing he was certain of: anything that looked like armor or weapons was likely just that—equipment. Meanwhile, items that appeared strange or ordinary on the surface might actually be the real treasures, or even rare and valuable items with special abilities.

Just like the Soul Devourer Sphere he had obtained—if you removed the eerie purple mist that surrounded it, and the countless tortured souls trapped inside the sphere that seemed to struggle and scream, and then hid its sinister aura, no one would ever guess that this was anything other than an ordinary object.

So, to play it safe, he decided to choose something more akin to equipment.

With that in mind, he stretched out his hand and, using his power, pulled towards him an item floating in midair. It was wrapped in an invisible energy field, and resembled a pair of boots.