Chapter 1623 Confronting Gluttony Again

Chapter 1623 Confronting Gluttony Again

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The next day, we already began distributing the rings and the elixirs to the people. I had mass produced too many and there were a lot of them left which we couldn't use to improve our souls. Though they still helped as "soul healing potions" if our souls are ever damaged, so I kept a hundred with me at all times.
As my family and the slimes I created distributed things to make my allies even stronger, alongside distributing Soul Gear to all the main fighters of our party, I decided to move on to the meat and potatoes of this entire series of events, and the reason I even went to two Dragon Realm to hunt down Soul Beasts and obtain Soul Gear out of them.
To Rank Up my damned Demon King Seed!
After finally getting my soul as strong as possible, and with Soul gear to boot, I was ready to confront Gluttony in his Rank 4 form. Unlike, perhaps any other Demon King out there, I was facing the sin and denying it the privilege of slowly taking over my body.
I already know that these Sins were most likely a creation of Pandemonium, be it intentional or unintentionally. His powers simply created this, a curse to the world of Yggdrasil, one I am planning to take advantage of.
Or well, I am already taking advantage of. Rank 3, however, is not ever enough. I need to go even further than that. I even think Rank 4 is not enough, but I think that's as far as I'll get through this rest I've had preparing myself for the Flame Venerable's Trial, which is rapidly approaching. There's only three weeks left, we better use them well.
"Now, let's begin this already." I said. "System, use the Demonic Energy to Rank Up the Demon King Seed."
[Very well. You seem more than ready. You've prepared very well, just as I suggested.]
[Even then, it might still be difficult. Don't lose your way and fight with everything you have.]
[From what I've analyzed, at Rank 4, most Demon Kings begin becoming insane as the sins devour their sanity.]
[However, once you reach this Rank, you will be the first Demon King that hasn't been consumed by their own Sin.]
[An incredible feat! Fight and do your best, my dear husband!]
"I will, honey, don't worry." I smiled. "Let's begin."
[You have exchanged 2.000.000.000 Demonic Energy!]
[The Demonic Energy is flowing inside of your &123;Demon King Seed: Gluttony&125;!]
[The Demon King Seed is overflowing with Demonic Energy! Its roots are expanding across your entire Soul and Body.]
[You're beginning to Rank Up!]
Darkness and crimson energies engulfed me completely, my consciousness quickly drifted away into the Demonic Soul Realm of Gluttony. As I found myself inside an endless demonic landscape of distortion and with no clear shapes.
A being stood in front of me, gigantic, at least ten times as large as before. Completely made of pulsating flesh and tentacles, and the heads of many beasts, alongside scales, fur, and countless tails.
However, the most prominent thing about this creature right in front of me wasn't any of that, but his gigantic, titanic jaws. Which spread across his entire body all the way down his tail, he could open it entirely and almost divide his entire body open into two halves.
This was the prominent feature of the Demon of Hunger, the Sin of Gluttony.
"Back at it again, huh?" He said, with a rather stern voice. "I've been seeing you grow stronger. I saw how you worked to make your soul powerful. The Soul Gear you carry, the abilities you've gained."
His voice was no longer furious or monstrous, not even beastly. It was as if he had become rather… normal? No, it wasn't that. His voice was now full of respect.
He respected me.
"You've one stubborn bastard, Drake." He said. "My nature calls for me to obtain your body and become the next Demon King. Yet time and time again, you're proving me wrong. You're pushing me away from my purpose, from the purpose of my very creation."
"…" I remained in silence as I looked into his eyes. And then spoke. "I am afraid I'll have to keep doing that. I have no plans on letting you take over my body, Gluttony. As many times as it takes, I'll have to continue defying your purpose."
"I know you carry many things over your shoulders…" He said. "Yet why? Why not let me take the burden? You'll be free of all responsibilities. Let my power flow through you and take over you."
"I can't let you do that." I laughed. "I've got a family to protect and love. And above all, I don't want to become a destroyed, I am a guardian. This is my purpose, Gluttony. Our purposes conflict with one another. And only through this battle we'll decide whose purpose is stronger."
"So be it." He spoke, his aura surging several dozens of times stronger than Rank 3. "My Rank 4 form is nothing like you could have imagined, Drake. Be prepared… You won't be able to easily overwhelm me anymore! Each battle from this point, will become harder and harder, until you finally realize how futile it is to go against the purpose of a Demonic Sin!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you ever win, Gluttony!" I roared. "You'll simply have to learn to love the taste of defeat! It'll become your favorite dish! I'll make you taste it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"
"BASTARD!"
He roared furiously, his gigantic, over three-hundred-meter-big body rushing down towards me, slamming into the floor beneath and cracking it. His titanic body looming above mine within a split second, a dozen limbs moved, each one with giant sharp claws.
"DIE, DRAKE!"
I couldn't escape, I wasn't fast enough, so I received his attack head-on. An Armor of Phantasmal Dragon Bones and Winter Fox Fur wrapped around my body.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
He wasn't wrong when he said this was going to be hard no matter what.
His attacks were so potent even with all my defenses, my soul already started to gain cracks!
If I hadn't gotten this strong, I would have surely been devoured by him.
But right now, I had a chance to win.
"&123;Snow Forest Beast Echoes&125;!"
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