[A platinum-tier special item: the Demon's Blood]

[Effect: The essence and evolution fluid extracted from tens of thousands of magical beasts can allow the human body to evolve continuously. It can also enable the body to break through its limits and enter a stronger level. However, it does not have a 100% success rate. The consequence of failure is the host's death, devoured by the Demon's Blood. The current success rate of evolution is at 50%.]

[Additional effects: Super Self-healing (after fusing with the Demon's Blood, as long as there is still a tiny piece of tissue left in the body, it can be resurrected), Power of Contamination (a demon-specific ability that can contaminate all magic and combat aura), Demon Form (after transforming into a demon, all of your strength will significantly increase. You will be immune to the attacks of the evil attribute and will be restrained by the light-elemental attacks.]

[Additional skill: Boiling Demon's Blood]

Usually, the Demon's Blood was stored in the bone marrow.

When activated, the blood would multiply and cover other items. Any object covered in the Demon's Blood would gain basic intelligence, and the host could control it. It will also have the strength of a platinum-tier summoned beast.

Watson touched the Demon's Blood in his hand as the complete data appeared in his eyes.

“This blood is a platinum-tier item. I can change my form once I consume it. Not bad at all.”

Even though the demonic form made him happy, he was surprised with the form's ability to self-heal. He had wanted the same ability from the Moon-eating Sky Wolf. He would not need to be afraid of more powerful opponents. As long as his body and soul were not destroyed in a single hit, he could absorb more energy and resurrect his body.

Watson did not devour the demonic blood directly because there was a chance of failure if he did that. The success rate for evolving pure demonic blood was less than only 10%. Watson has just fused his blood with the demonic blood, and the success rate increased to 50%. After dealing with Moriarty, he chose to continue to fuse his blood with the demonic blood. Alternatively, he might use the Wish for the World ring to boost the success rate to 100%.

After he made his decision, Watson began to examine the ma.s.sive skeletons that protruded from Moriarty's torso. Those bones were not ordinary either.

[Platinum-tier special item: Purgatory Skeleton]

[Effects: the skeleton fossil of the platinum-tier demonic beast, h.e.l.l Baron, was extracted from the depths of the Dragonspine Snow Mountain. The h.e.l.l Baron was a species from ancient times. It had six arms, and each arm represented a punishment from h.e.l.l. Those who fused with the skeleton could obtain the h.e.l.l Baron's powers.]

[Additional effects: the h.e.l.l Baron Transformation (divided into complete transformation and partial transformation—a complete transformation allows one to transform into the h.e.l.l Baron, and a partial transformation can only summon the h.e.l.l Baron's skeleton), Super Physical Resistance (almost immune to all physical damages), Super Magic Resistance (almost immune to all magical spells), Demon King (suppressive effect on dark-elemental creatures), Loss of Pain (due to its unique body structure, no physical or spiritual attacks can cause it pain).]

[Additional skills: Six-arm Torture (the weapons in those six arms are torture tools made for the toughest parts of one's bones. Anyone injured by those six torture tools will suffer physical and spiritual pain and die in extreme pain.]

'No wonder Moriarty's body is half flesh and half bone. So it's because of that tool.'

When summoned locally, the Purgatory Skeleton could replace the bones in its own body with those of the h.e.l.l Baron. The body's strength could develop then, but it could also escape the impacts from its surroundings. It is ideal for places with a freezing climate like the Dragonspine Snow Mountain. However, when he looked at Moriarty's figure, it was clear that he had not entirely merged with the Purgatory Skeleton.

Of course, all of that was not important to Watson. Since he knew the effects of the Purgatory Skeleton, he did not plan to leave it to Moriarty. The older man had destroyed the ruins in the Dragonspine Snow Mountain and killed hundreds of thousands of magical beasts. If he did not get something from him as compensation, Watson would feel like he had lost a lot of blood.

In short, he wanted that item.

With that thought in mind, Watson twisted one of the eight rings on his finger and made a wish. The white bone of an arm immediately appeared in his hand. It was a bone that he had used to duplicate himself. The price was one year of Antonio's lifespan.

Watson held the bone and unleashed the system fusion onto the ma.s.sive Purgatory Skeleton Moriarty had implanted.

“System fusion, activate!”

“D*mn brat! Die!”

Moriarty sensed something was awry and instantly abandoned his plans to a.s.sault Antonio and Sylvan. He controlled the six gigantic arms of the skeleton on his back and allowed six different platinum-tier torture instruments to run over Watson's body.

The platinum-tier longsword represented the dismemberment punishment. It would cut off a person's flesh bit by bit, causing them to die in grief. The s.h.i.+eld represented the Iron Virgin punishment. When folded, the s.h.i.+eld would act like a huge coffin that could trap a person in it. The rivets on it would pierce into that person's body. Other than that, there were four other types of punishment methods that were exceptionally brutal as well.

Moriarty unleashed the punishments at that precise moment. Thousands of phantoms surged over Watson's body as the Sword of Death instantaneously turned toward him. The Iron Virgin's s.h.i.+eld folded and encased him. Then, the casket was struck by the various layers of punishment methods.

Antonio and Sylvan's expressions changed when they saw that scene. They wanted to step forward and help, but before they could do anything, the dignified statue formed by the Iron Maiden's s.h.i.+eld suddenly shattered and revealed Watson's figure inside it. All the instruments of torture that touched him were like phantoms that did not exist—they pa.s.sed through him.

On the contrary, the Purgatory Skeleton on Moriarty had quickly disappeared. It turned into light and fused into the bone in Watson's hand; it had turned into an exquisite little skeleton. Its drooping head quietly floated in the air, like a highly skilled puppet.

Moriarty's expression darkened when he saw that scene because Watson had looked relaxed even when he was attacked.

[Congratulations, Master, for successfully fusing the Purgatory Skeleton, a platinum-tier item. The Purgatory Skeleton and Demon's Blood have been detected and can be fused. Would you like to fuse them, Master?]

“Fuse.”

[Congratulations, Master, for successfully fusing the Purgatory Skeleton. You have awakened a demon that had been in a deep sleep. You have obtained h.e.l.l Baron's complete body.]

After the system notification, the demonic blood around Watson collided with the bone. Then, the demonic blood boiled and covered the bone. Black and red flesh grew and outlined a graceful body.

A perfect woman with somewhat ebony skin and beautiful curves materialized in front of Watson in less than a minute. The woman's looks were so flawless that she did not appear to be from that world. She had two crimson curled horns on her head, six limbs spread out from behind her, and a slender demonic tail that extended from behind her. Her body was covered in enigmatic dark red markings that radiated wildness.

“That's—”

The few platinum-tier elites there, including Moriarty, were taken aback. Watson's eyes were wide open as well. He had no idea that when two platinum-tier tools collided, they would be fused into a human rather than a stronger tool.

The voluptuous and lovely demoness opened her eyes as if she sensed their gazes. Her eyes were pitch-black with vertical slits in her pupils. One could see bright red veins around her eyes. It was as if s.p.a.ce had diminished the instant she opened them. Moriarty's companion, the Heaven-devouring Rat King, let out an agonized shriek.

“Ah… how many years has it been? A thousand years? Ten thousand years? Ever since Gabriel, that d*mn woman, cut off my neck, I have not felt the warm sunlight for a very long time.”

The demoness sighed as she reached out to brush her stunning red hair. Black h.e.l.lfire erupted from her naked flesh to form a long black gown. The six arms on her back retracted into her body at the same time.

“What kind of monster is that? Could it be—” Sylvan could not help but mutter. In his memory, there was only one creature that looked like that.

The voice was not loud, yet it reached the demoness' ears; she turned her head and smiled. “How rude. I am not a demon. I am Lilith, the h.e.l.l Baron Group's leader. You may refer to me as Queen Lilith, Demoness of the Night, or Lilith, and I am not a monster. Do you understand, you pitiful human?”

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman who called herself Lilith extended a finger toward Sylvan. A red ray of light followed her finger and flew toward him. That was the demons' unique power of pollution.

Sylvan hurriedly summoned a protective s.h.i.+eld as if he had not expected her to attack him so suddenly. Regrettably, it was too late. The red light breached the s.h.i.+eld and settled on his chest. It melted his garments and splattered putrid flesh and blood on his chest. It made it difficult for him to breathe, and his face was pale.

“You worthless humans will become my sacrifices to celebrate the Great Lilith's resurrection. But, first and foremost—”

Lilith walked with a brilliant smile after she injured Sylvan, the kingdom's greatest mage, with a single blow. She walked toward Watson before she changed her att.i.tude and knelt on one knee. She said, “I am Lilith, Great Master, and I would like to express my appreciation to you and swear my loyalty to you for resurrecting me. I shall grant all of your requests; please issue your orders.”