Chapter 7: Beelzebub Walks Into the Trap
Stealing bloodlines is a troublesome affair. More accurately, stealing the bloodline of an Abyss Titan is a troublesome affair.
As a key to opening the door to the highest permissions of the Abyss, the bloodline of the Abyss Titan is not just a drop of blood that you can put into your body and be done with it.
If anyone dares to do so, the only choice awaiting them is to be twisted into a monster.
Even a Dominator has to segment the infected flesh.
Abyss World, Underground Eastern Swamp.
Beelzebub stood in his laboratory, looking greedily at the dark red blood before him.
The air in this laboratory is clean, and the environment is tidy. Apart from the virus garden, there's not even a single bacterium in the entire lab.
It's hard to imagine such a laboratory being built beneath the foul and stinking swamp sea.
"Truly fascinating bloodline," Beelzebub murmured, gazing at the blood.
This batch of blood was proliferated and differentiated from the flesh Richard gave him — a child's play for a Dominator.
If Beelzebub is willing to spend time and resources, he could even use this bloodline to create a body for Richard.
In the collection room of this lab, there are countless such things, even a body of Samuel has been made.
But being able to create a body and being able to pass the Abyss's validation with this body are two different things.
Even if Beelzebub creates a body of an Abyss Titan, he cannot obtain permissions by transferring his soul into it.
Because to the Abyss, Beelzebub is still Beelzebub, just with one more avatar.
Even if he destroys his own body, this new body still remains an avatar.
Since Richard did not imbue Beelzebub with his blood, the body Beelzebub created of an Abyss Titan is equivalent to an already activated activation code, impossible to activate again.
To steal the bloodline of an Abyss Titan, Beelzebub must integrate the bloodline into his own body, merging it with his own bloodline.
This is akin to the sudden birth of a new Abyss Titan.
Undoubtedly, this method of stealing is extremely difficult. Because Richard, when he integrated the bloodline, spent literally hundreds of years.
But that was for a level 6 creature.
Beelzebub is a Breaking Limit Sovereign of spiritual evolution, and even though he was beaten by Richard using permissions, his talents cannot be denied.
For Richard during his Sixth Circle period, integrating the bloodline required an extremely slow process.
But for Beelzebub, once preparations are made, integrating the bloodline is as simple as putting an elephant in a refrigerator.
With a wave of his hand, the blood floating in the air was enveloped by a resin-like liquid, turned into a piece of amber, and stored away.
Though after today, becoming an Abyss Titan, this bloodline means nothing to him anymore.
But the significance of this drop of blood lies not in its use, but in what it represents.
It is Beelzebub's monument on the path to the highest permissions of the Abyss.
With a wave of his hand, Beelzebub formed a space rift. His large, portly hand reached inside and swiftly grabbed a batch of dark red, tar-like viscous liquid.
This is the Abyss Titan bloodline matrix he created during the year he waited for Samuel's return.
With this bloodline matrix, even a Great Wizard could create Richard's body — as long as he can withstand the pressure of a Dominator.
However, Beelzebub did not rush into the bloodline theft.
He knew that Richard gave him his own flesh precisely with the intention of having him steal the bloodline.
So, before performing the theft, he needed to ensure that Richard truly remained dormant.
He looked towards the center of the world. As an ancient Dominator, although he does not possess the permissions of these Dominator-level Abyss Titans, in application, he surpasses Richard and Talal Peak by far.
Using the Abyssal Will, Beelzebub clearly saw Richard's body recovering. The soul within his body was also incredibly stable, as if sleeping.
"Hehe, Wizard, you slipped up, didn't you? You never thought you'd be beaten into slumber by Samuel."
Beelzebub let out an evil chuckle. The large mouth on his belly suddenly opened wide and swallowed the batch of matrix.
Immediately, countless Abyssal spells appeared all over his body. Sheets of small mouths also surfaced on his skin, chanting Abyss Prayers like incantations.
Under the effect of the Abyssal spell, an evolution field unlike the Abyss Evolutionary Force Field or Life Editing enveloped Beelzebub.
Under the effect of the evolution field, the life information in the bloodline matrix penetrated evenly into each of Beelzebub's cells.
The life core in the cells, under the influence of the evolution field, combined with this life information and then began to shatter and reorganize.
What took Richard hundreds of years to complete, even relying on Earth Vein Nourishment during his Sixth Circle, was occurring on Beelzebub at a speed visible to the naked eye.
At this rate, integration would be completed in just twelve hours.
By then, the Abyss will welcome a third Dominator-level Abyss Titan.
…
In the center of the Abyss World.
Richard's consciousness observed his body from a third-person perspective.
He watched as his bones were reshaped, muscles reorganized. Watched as new organs grew in his abdominal cavity, and nerves took root and spread in his flesh.
This was a novel experience, and also an excellent lesson.
Though Richard had a comprehensive understanding of his own body, his time exploring his own form was still too short.
Knowledge requires time to accumulate.
The reshaping of his body deepened Richard's understanding of his own form. Although it did not significantly enhance his combat power, it greatly advanced his Alchemy.
The quickest way for an Alchemy Wizard to grow is by emulating a Master's work, pondering the Master's design.
And Richard's Titan body is a culmination of the wisdom of countless sages from the Titan Civilization, a Master among Masters.
But just as Richard was observing, his soul suddenly sensed a summons.
Someone was using the Abyssal Will to call him.
Richard was slightly surprised, then immediately realized it was the call of the King of Titans.
"Beelzebub has made his move? He's truly impatient."
Richard smiled and shook his head, his soul then connecting to the Abyssal Will, entering the archive room.
The King of Titans was sitting on a chair as always, with a projection in front of him, showing Richard's body being reshaped, and Beelzebub integrating the bloodline.
"You're here, come to watch the show."
The King of Titans greeted Richard, and a chair appeared beside him.
"This little guy has some good ideas; without my backing, you'd really have a hard time with him."
Richard sat next to the King of Titans, curiously watching Beelzebub in the projection.
"What is he doing?"
"Integrating the bloodline to become the new Ancestor of Titans."
"Huh!?"
Richard was astonished and asked, "My bloodline already contains the entire legacy of the Abyss, how can he still integrate it?"
"Hehe, that's where his brilliance lies."
The King of Titans looked at Beelzebub, his tone carrying praise.
"This little guy is outstanding in bloodline research. Even the biological Great Elder of our time, the Great Seeder from Crystal's side, and the Life Great Sage of the Furnace Man only surpassed him in breadth.
In terms of research depth, they are on the same level as this little guy.
Never underestimate the future generations."
Richard was shocked: "Beelzebub's research is so deep? Then why is his combat power so weak?"
Knowledge means combat power, which is common knowledge among the majority of Wizards.
And in the Abyss, knowledge should transform into combat power faster than even for Wizards.
But Beelzebub's combat power was far from what it should be.
"Weak?" The King of Titans scoffed, "Why don't you try prohibiting his Abyssal Spells? Prohibiting his Abyssal Spells is the same as forbidding runes for you Wizards.
A Wizard undergoing Spiritual Evolution without runes, give it a try."
Richard was speechless, prohibiting Abyssal Spells indeed seemed a bit unfair.
The King of Titans continued, "Moreover, although his depth is sufficient, his breadth is far from those great researchers of our era. The Abyss Titan, at least, is our ultimate masterpiece, and it's only natural that you suppress his biological techniques with your bloodline."
As they spoke, Beelzebub's body began to transform.
His disproportionate body started becoming refined, and his small head began to gradually grow in size.
Before long, Beelzebub's appearance had nearly transformed into that of an Abyss Titan.
Richard saw this scene and asked the King of Titans, "How about countermeasures in time?"
The King of Titans waved his hand, "Too early. With me here, even if he becomes an Abyss Titan, you can still counter him.
This little guy's integration is quite interesting; you can watch and learn a bit. It never hurts to learn more."
With the help of the Abyssal Will, Richard could clearly observe the entire process of Beelzebub integrating the bloodline, the changes in his internal structure, the mutations in cellular forms, and even the transformation of the Life Core.
Beelzebub's numerous reactions, responses, and even decisions during this process showed Richard what an old-school Dominator was.
As time ticked by second by second, in the blink of an eye, Beelzebub's bloodline integration reached its final step.
As long as he integrated that final piece of life information, he would become a true second Abyss Titan.
In other words, he would be the second ancestor of the Abyss Titan bloodline.
"Alright, time to act." The King of Titans suddenly spoke, "If you don't act now, it'll become troublesome."
Upon hearing this, Richard was alarmed and immediately withdrew his consciousness from the archives, arriving in a space reminiscent of a Pioneer Computing Array ruin.
"Activate overseer permissions, prohibit the use of Abyssal Spells by Abyss Dominator Beelzebub. I want to conduct a permission scan on him."
[As you wish, respected overseer.]
In the next moment, Beelzebub, who was integrating the final piece of life information, suddenly shuddered.
The Abyssal Spell Runes on his body ceased operation, and the Evolutionary Force Field vanished.
"Darn, that guy's awake!"
Beelzebub trembled in his mind, immediately attempting to disintegrate the nearly-merged bloodline within him. But as the thought flickered by, an indescribable terrifying pressure descended upon him.
Under that pressure, Beelzebub's mind even went blank.
The disintegration of the bloodline naturally stopped.
The Abyssal Will's scan swept over Beelzebub, and a window-like item appeared before Richard.
[Detected unauthorized access behavior by Dominator Beelzebub, do you wish to punish him?]
"Of course, punish."
[Please choose the level of punishment]
Richard smiled faintly, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
"I choose First Level Punishment."