The moment Novak laid eyes on the Gluttonous Face, he was stunned!
It was a perfect human face—so flawless that one couldn't even determine if it was male or female.
But now, something has changed!
Its eyes burned scarlet, brimming with madness and an overwhelming killing intent—so intense, it felt as though it could slaughter everything in its path!
What a terrifying face…
Novak instinctively drew a sharp breath.
Even more unsettling, two devilish horns now protruded from its forehead, giving it the appearance of a demonic visage.
His eyelids twitched rapidly. This wasn't how it looked before—not even close.
What the hell happened in two hours he was gone?!
Without hesitation, Novak withdrew his consciousness from the secret warehouse and returned to White Emperor City.
Then, he retrieved the Gluttonous Face.
Surprisingly, it no longer radiated the same overwhelming madness as before.
For a brief moment, it seemed… calm?
Still, Novak remained wary, watching closely.
Minutes passed.
Gradually, the scarlet killing intent in its eyes began to fade.
The frantic chewing motion—which had been so eerily aggressive—also started to slow down.
Finally, its gaze locked onto Novak once more—no longer as a mere artifact, but as if it were a living being staring directly at him.
And then—
A brilliant light emerged from its mouth.
!?
It was a dazzling cascade of colorful streamers, illuminating the surroundings with an otherworldly glow.
At that very moment, a strange sound echoed—
Boom… Boom… Boom…
Then, another sound followed—
Plop… Plop… Plop…
It was the rhythmic beating of a heart.
Yet, this wasn't just any heartbeat.
Somehow, it resonated with Novak's own, affecting the very rhythm of his pulse.
Each throbbing beat sent an oppressive, almost suffocating sensation through his chest.
Even with his powerful physique, Novak found himself frowning, an uncomfortable pressure weighing on him.
And yet—
His face showed nothing but excitement!
Because at this moment—
Novak knew exactly what this meant.
This… was the birth of an SSS-level bloodline!
The power of bloodlines was already extremely rare.
Higher-grade ones? Even rarer.
Although S-rank and above weren't necessarily unique, the truth was that Advanced Bloodlines were so scarce that they might as well be one-of-a-kind.
And the higher the rank, the rarer they became.
In both his past and present life, Novak had never encountered an SSS-level bloodline.
Even in the distant future, the Devil's Blood bestowed upon Aga Reiss by Satan himself—after ascending from the Abyss—was only SS-rank.
Of course, the Monarch of Eternal Night had no real need for a bloodline boost.
For him, it was merely symbolic—a mark of absolute submission to Satan.
But still, the fact that even the Devil's Blood couldn't surpass SS-rank spoke volumes.
SSS-level bloodlines were beyond the reach of even the divine!
Normally, such a power could only be nurtured within a powerful clan, passed down through generations.
And even then, one would have to ascend to the realm of true gods for their bloodline to truly evolve to such a level!
But now—
Novak had completely bypassed that process!
Through the Gluttonous Face, he had actually condensed an SSS-level blood essence!
His fiery gaze remained locked onto the artifact.
Then, as if reluctantly conceding defeat, the Gluttonous Face slowly opened its mouth…
And spat something out.
For the first time, Novak saw reluctance on the Gluttonous Face.
And when his gaze fell upon the miniature heart, his breathing grew shallow.
It pulsed with a black-red glow, yet along its edges, seven-colored light flickered and flowed like a living current.
Within it, an infinite, unfathomable magic churned.
It was as if a twisted, eerie smile bloomed from the very depths of this black abyss.
This heart… is the Abyss itself!
And Novak?
He was its rightful master!
A deep sense of conviction surged within him.
The moment he reached for it, he could feel the call—the power urging him to merge, consume, and command it.
The boiling blood of the Abyss resonated with the Demon's Blood already in his veins, as if they were destined to become one.
Yet Novak did not act recklessly.
Instead, he examined the item in his hands.
[Pure-Blood Demon King Bloodline (SSS)]
"The blood of the Abyss is a power unique to its depths. Any creature transformed by the Abyss carries the mark of the Demon's Blood! However, only true pure-blood demons inherit the overwhelming might of the Abyss Demon King—the chosen rulers of darkness!"
[Requirements for Use: Unknown]
Bloodline of the Demon King…
An SSS-rank power.
As expected!
But…
Why are the usage requirements unknown?
Novak frowned. He didn't understand.
Yet now was not the time to ponder over it.
With the power of the Abyss as his trump card, what did he have to fear?
Countless life-or-death battles, endless choices—they had forged his strength, his foundation, his very being.
And now, with the chance to become the master of the Abyss itself, a profession so rare that even Gods lacked knowledge of it—how could he hesitate?
To hold back now would be a disgrace to this legendary potential!
Novak's eyes burned with resolve.
No more hesitation.
He slowly parted his lips—
And swallowed the glowing black-red heart whole.
Even though it had emerged from the Gluttonous Face, Novak no longer viewed that thing as human.
There was no room for disgust or hesitation.
Even the gods themselves wouldn't turn their noses up at an SSS-level bloodline—what was there to be concerned about?
The heart, infused with the power of Demon's Blood, slid down his throat.
The moment it entered his abdomen, it burst apart, releasing an icy mist that surged through his body.
Then, an even colder current spread into his limbs and bones, seeping deep into every fiber of his being.
For a moment, it felt as if he were submerged in a frozen spring, his entire body numb from the cold.
"There doesn't seem to be anything unusual about fusing an SSS-level bloodline—"
His words had barely left his mouth when—
A violent shock coursed through his body.
Instantly, he collapsed onto the bed.
And then—
It was as if hundreds of thousands of needles, fine as ox hair, pierced through every pore of his body at once.
Agonizing pain flooded his nerves, bones, and soul—
A pain so intense that he nearly cried out in sheer torment.
But before the pain could completely consume him, before he lost all consciousness, one final thought surfaced in his mind:
"I swear… I'll never jinx myself again…"