Things like taboo magic or taboo tomes naturally wouldn't be kept in the library. Such precious collections were only held in the Lucifiel family treasury, which no one could enter except Grand Duke Lucifiel... and Roland, of course. The remains of those powerhouses from before had been retrieved from there.
At the very end of the library's underground area, a magic circle lit up.
Roland stood right at the center, supplying mana to the magic circle. This was merely a simple teleportation circle, serving as just the first barrier. The pitch-black tunnel lit up with his arrival as candles on the walls began to ignite on their own.
These were made from dragon fat—specifically dragons above Sixth-Rank—blended with various rare materials to guarantee they could burn for a thousand years. Runes were also engraved upon them; taking any candle from here out into the world would allow it to be used as an extraordinary item.
Crossing to the end of this tunnel...
An ancient, plain bronze door abruptly appeared before his eyes.
This scene gave off a distinct sense of deja vu, like stepping into an evil dragon's lair.
The method to open this door was simple: a full-power strike from an Eighth-Rank powerhouse would suffice, or possessing the bloodline of the Lucifiel family while reaching Sixth-Rank or higher. Unfortunately, Roland met neither condition, but there was another method—one that even his cheap old dad likely didn't know about.
【Iceborn (Gold): Changes based on personal talent, ranging from Blue at lowest to Gold at highest. The higher the rank, the easier it is to obtain a more special physique. Bloodline of a True God's descendant. Ice element affinity is affected by "God of Love and Beauty · Venus", exceeding original limits. Current ice attribute affinity is 10 (Maximum). Ice attribute casting speed/casting efficiency/casting power +150%.】
That was possessing the Lucifiel bloodline while having an ice attribute affinity of 10—the absolute limit.
A True God had once emerged from the Lucifiel family.
At the same time, the Lucifiel family's bloodline could also be referred to as 【Iceborn】.
In other words, every member of the Lucifiel family possessed the 【Iceborn】 trait. With this trait, no matter how poor one's talent was, it would never drop to the level of an ordinary mortal. As for Roland, he excelled even beyond his predecessors; blessed by another trait, 【God of Love and Beauty · Venus (Prismatic)】, he had surpassed normal limits and reached the absolute limit.
That was an ice attribute affinity of 10.
Roland placed his hand on the mana-sensing device upon the bronze door. Ice-blue lines gradually began to spread until they covered the entire door, while a rumbling vibration accompanied by sound echoed throughout the tunnel.
An ancient aura rushed toward his face. This treasury could be traced back several thousand years, to the period when a powerhouse bearing the Lucifiel surname achieved divine status. Stored here were a god's 【Relics】 alongside the thousand-year accumulation of a mighty family. Even with Roland's vast experience, he couldn't help but feel a touch of awe.
The sacrifices required to perform the ritual of the Wild and Cunning Beast from 【Beast and Human】 were merely the tip of the iceberg of this treasury. Just sensing the aura made 【Pride · Feast】 and 【Pride · Soul Forge】 grow somewhat restless.
There were no gold, silver, or jewels here.
What existed here were only old items that had weathered the years.
Vulgar copper-smelling trinkets were not qualified to be housed here.
Just taboo magic and taboo body-refining methods alone numbered no fewer than several dozen volumes, not to mention various Treasured Artifacts above Fifth-Rank—some of which held great utility even for Roland. Floating slowly in the crystal display cabinet at the very center of this small, palace-like treasury was a single item.
This was the absolute sacred relic of the Lucifiel family.
It was also the True God's sole divine remnant, as well as a 【Relic】.
This 【Relic】 was not just any ordinary artifact, but a divine artifact that had endured in the world for over two thousand years; only then was it qualified to be called a 【Relic】. Above it were divine artifacts that had endured for over ten thousand years, known as 【Crown Relics】—such as the 【Book of Truth】.
Extraordinary items also had detailed rank classifications.
Extraordinary Curios: Items from First to Fifth-Rank are collectively called Extraordinary Curios.
Extraordinary Weapons: Weapons from First to Fifth-Rank are collectively called Extraordinary Weapons.
Treasured Artifacts: All extraordinary items from Fifth to Eighth-Rank are collectively called Treasured Artifacts.
Divine Artifacts: Extraordinary items of Ninth-Rank and above are collectively called Divine Artifacts.
Relics: Divine Artifacts that have remained in the world for over two thousand years are called Relics; those remaining for over ten thousand years are called Crown Relics.
These were merely rank classifications; different items had even more detailed subdivisions.
Regarding that 【Relic】 in the center, Roland had seen it several times—not only when entering the treasury on his own, but also during his childhood when his father had brought him to see it several times, eyes filled with hope and emotion, stating that it could only be used if the Lucifiel family faced a True God-level catastrophe.
Roland looked at it quietly, silent.
“...”
Sighing, Roland turned his gaze toward the corpses inside the crystal coffins. There were sixty-four corpses of Sixth-Rank powerhouses—previously seventy-four—and eighteen corpses of Seventh-Rank powerhouses—previously twenty—which he had used to conduct taboo rituals. As for Eighth-Rank corpses, there were only five, while Ninth-Rank demigod corpses were nonexistent.
【Pride · Feast】 and 【Pride · Soul Forge】 were stirring restlessly.
He suppressed that desire.
He pondered: if he were to perform taboo rituals, a blood sacrifice would inevitably be required, and these corpses were the finest offerings. He couldn't simply "eat" them all; directly devouring them could indeed rapidly boost his strength in the short term, but it couldn't raise his upper limit, whereas taboo rituals happened to afford him a higher ceiling.
"A bit of a tough choice..."
For Roland, growing stronger was merely a matter of time.
Achieving divine status as a True God was not difficult for Roland. After all, his original self could achieve it in the future, let alone the complete Roland who held the full picture. His achievements would only be higher, and becoming a 【Pillar-level】 was not out of the question—or perhaps... achieving absolute singularity. Another point was that while possessing a higher upper limit, his rate of advancement would also be faster.
Ultimately, it was just power returning to his body through another form.
And in the early stage, even if he were exposed before those old fogies...
He had ways to use his foreknowledge to seek benefits and avoid harm.
"Better to use them as materials for taboo rituals. They'll all become my nourishment anyway." Roland stroked his chin, murmuring, "In any case, my old father won't be back anytime soon. Frontline battle conditions are tight right now, and he can't pull himself away. I, the King of Pride, call the shots here!"
"Besides... this resource allocation is completely reasonable... The feedback will be a future True God."
Roland rubbed his hands together and casually picked up a taboo tome.
【To master this art, one must first castrate oneself】
"Damn it, where did this trash come from?"
The moment Roland saw the first sentence, he tossed it directly to the floor without giving it another glance. Even though 【Original Sin · King of Pride · Lucifer】 could exempt him from negative effects, he still wouldn't practice it. It obviously wasn't anything decent, so it was better to burn it early to avoid harming some young lad who would end up crying too late in the future.
Immediately after, he picked up a second book.
《Supreme Demon Sacred God External Tempering Physique》
"Now that's a domineering name. Looks like no ordinary item."
...
Rate on N.U.
