The city’s nobles appeared to have discovered the hole in the damaged wall that perfectly fit the jewelry box while rummaging through Caldoran’s bedroom. Although the box lacked any inherent power, its ability to withstand the plague was attributed to an ancient book that was stored within it. This book contained the concentrated essence of the Barba Corps, so it was unsurprising that the box was able to endure the plague.

The Book of Death, Volume 2 (Item)

It’s one of the three black magic books created by the power of Doom Entegasto.

Item Class: S

Item Level: 620

Effect: If you merge your will with the item while in possession of it, you can access its inherent power.

Odin’s Golden Armor was the most powerful item I had, and the Book of Death was at the same level. It was in the same category as the Book of Death, Volume 1 that the commander-in-chief of the Barba Corps had held in the Final Stage of the Stage of Advent.

At that time, I gave Joshua a clear order to secure it. I also tasked the leader of the Lunea Clan, who was a devotee of Doom Dejire, with acquiring the key equipment of the Seven Demon King’s Corps, such as the Book of Death. In exchange for a ceasefire in our war against the Seven Demon kings, they agreed to provide us with the equipment, but they had yet to fulfill their promise, using the chaos of the current situation as an excuse.

“Was it this?” Joshua recalled that moment as well.

“I didn’t expect to see it here. It’s the second volume.”

When I gestured at the jewelry box with my chin, he answered calmly, “Master, this is what you have been looking for all this time.”

“Not entirely.”

I touched the book as Joshua didn’t reach to pick it up himself. As I made contact with the book, a crimson energy began to surge up my hand, creeping along the tips of my fingers.

Right then, something felt unpleasant. It came from the power that was confined within me instead of from my personal emotions. I could feel the movement of something wriggling deep in my body and resisting the scarlet energy.

I had not gone through this phenomenon upon completing Doom Entegasto’s Life Vessel. The calculated figure representing the Old One's power was absorbed, and it seemed to have dissipated naturally. I began to question if this was the reason for the opposition to the power of the Dooms.

I decided to observe the situation for now. The blood color energy didn’t advance further into my body after it came up to my wrist. At that time, the reality of the mass of power I had was showing up for the first time. Interestingly, it was colored gold as if it had read my attributes.

The gold hue blocked the red light from going above my wrist, but it hadn’t done so through my own volition. Instead, the golden power had its own will. It appeared like that and eventually swept the blood-red energy and spread throughout my body.

Right after the golden power pushed away the last bit of blood-colored energy I realized that they were of opposing attributes as they attacked first as soon as they found each other.

Would you like to purify your possessions? (Power Consumed: 300)

* It does not affect the skills left in the book.

The notification message was coming from somewhere that Doom Kaos had created, and it appeared as if it was inciting a fight with Doom Entegasto. I had no need to be concerned as I had secured its Life Vessel, so it would have had a grudge against me regardless. If I ran into it one day, it would threaten me in an attempt to get his stuff back.

You have secured the common power ‘Purification.’

Another way to use the common power had opened as if Doom Kaos had read my mind. Although it was titled ‘purification,’ it was actually device that triggered a conflict between Dooms. This was one of Doom Kaos’s ways of governing his monarchs, but it was pleasing to me.

***

You have used Purification.

The golden energy slipped out all at once and filled the entire room. Previously, when my priests had conducted the ritual, the sounds of laughter, screaming, and crying that emanated from the sacrifices were not mere auditory hallucinations. Similarly, the screams recorded in the book were also real.

The screams resembled those of women whose voices had been torn apart. The torn curtains began to shake violently, and then they were ripped off completely. Joshua’s robe also flapped in the wind.

The moment when Purification ended, the screams and my golden energy disappeared. Then, a notification message appeared.

Purification has been completed.

Power 77

/ 380

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The Book of Death, Volume 2 (Item)

It’s a black magic book with the power of Doom Man.

Item Class: S

Item Level: 620

Effect: If you merge your will with the item while in possession of it, you can access its inherent power.

The phrase “created by the power of Doom Entegasto” had been revised after Purification. The Awakened couldn’t display their status windows anymore as the system had evaporated, but they had no problem using their remaining skills. Therefore, Joshua was able to check the edited phrase through Night Eye.

When I picked up the book again, I no longer felt something eerie. Instead, the book was busy giving off a charming sensation as if it was a lump of power that was crying out to me to use it.

Now I knew what the second Book of Death dealt with. There was a reason why it was at the highest level. Although there was a restriction on it, making it such that the user was supposed to possess it in advance, the completed skills and power in it were enough to make an Awakened in the Bronze section jump into the Challenger section immediately.

If Joshua took this, then the owner of the Green Night would be able to secure another ownership of the Bloody Night. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of happiness. This would serve as a fitting compensation for the loss of his squad members.

I handed Joshua the book, swallowing what I wanted to tell him for greater joy. A civilian or a low-level Awakened would have dropped the book, twisting its spine, as soon as they came into contact with the book, but all Joshua did was frown slightly.

He looked at me to get confirmation. By nodding, the process of linking Joshua and the Book of Death began. Despite the frightening title of the book, it transformed into a golden light and started to climb up Joshua’s hands. Then, he burst into a scream for a second as if the light was strangling him. He twitched his nose as he looked down at the back of his hand as if he felt a change within him.

His nails used to be quite long and resembled rotten branches, but they were now shrinking. The scabs that had been hardened on his fingers were also falling off like crumbs. Other than the fact that his nails were still green, his fingers now resembled a normal old man’s. The skin where scabs had fallen off was still wrinkled and shriveled. However, the sight of his hands returning to a human-like appearance brought tears to his eyes.

That wasn’t the end of it as changes were occurring on his neck and face that were still hidden in his hood. Joshua pulled it off and picked up a broken piece of mirror. The large green scab beneath his left eye, which extended to the lower part of his chin, was much more prominent than the other small, wrinkled scabs on his opposite cheek. However, even that had fallen off as well.

The scabs on his right cheek also fell out with stiff hair. His skin was wrinkled and scarred, making him appear decades older than his actual age. Furthermore, his thin arms lacked any fat, giving him the appearance of an elderly man.

Nonetheless, Joshua couldn’t take his eyes off the face in the mirror. He was satisfied.

“I’ll go downstairs and check.”

His voice trembled with joy because he knew this wasn’t the end of his change. He needed another offering to complete his second transformation.

When Joshua stepped out of Caldoran’s bedroom, I heard a woman’s scream. She was one of the noble ladies in the city who was seeking our mercy even in this situation.

The aristocrats were all gathered in the hall. Upon arriving there, Joshua was hugging the lady’s waist with one hand and sucking her neck with his teeth embedded in her flesh. Unlike what one would expect after hearing a scream, the lady was acting as if she was in ecstasy.

Her eyes were wide open as she gazed at the chandelier on the ceiling with her head bent back, and they were dilated. She was clearly entranced by the strong stimulus coursing through her. In addition, the sound of her quickened breaths made it feel like she was having the best sex of her life.

When Joshua had suddenly descended and bit into the woman, the other aristocrats had already fled in a panicked frenzy. The hall was empty, so there were only three of us.

I sat on the red-carpeted stairs and applauded to celebrate the return of the real Joshua. His arms, which had been so skinny that they resembled skin-covered bones, were now rapidly gaining flesh, and his wrinkled skin was becoming smooth. His previously bald scalp was now filled with the lush blond hair he used to have. His necromancer’s robe was gloomy, but as soon as Joshua regained his old good-looking face, it gave off a stylish tuxedo vibe.

The lady was young and pretty, so the two tangled in the center of the hall looked like a nice couple at first glance.

When Joshua took his mouth off the girl’s neck, I saw that his face was smeared completely with blood. He then wiped his mouth with the same hand that had been hugging the girl’s waist, but there were still some remaining bloodstains on his lips, which looked like lipstick.

I clapped my hands again because I remembered the old days when he had knelt down before me and called me master for the first time. Now, he was currently doing the exact same thing with the same expression on his face.

What should I call him now? Vampire Lord who also deals with the plague?

I commanded, “You can take off that robe now.”

His eyes flashed with gratitude. “Thank you… Thank you, Master.”

I considered finding Caldoran’s tailcoat to dress him up, but he already looked great without one. However, it was imperative that he never lose the Book of Death, for if he did, the plague’s vicious wrath would once again penetrate his skin.

Joshua hurriedly asked me as I was about to leave, “Are you going back to the mainland1?”

Other than the energy of the plague tinting his eyes green, he truly looked like the way he did before he had entered the Stage of Advent. I saw my reflection in his eyes, and I was smiling contentedly.

I shook my head. “It’s too early to do that. I will move your squad members over here and continue their treatment.”

Whether it was an item left by the Old One or a cursed item with the power of another Doom, it was my turn.

As I turned around, the last thing I saw was Joshua’s face, which appeared somewhat entranced, and the woman who had been lying down on the ground as if she was dead, rising up to show me her gratitude.

At that time, a new message popped up.

Your priest, Osiris, has succeeded the Old Vampire Corps.

Yes, this was what I wanted!

1. Earth ☜