324 Supreme enlightenmen (1/2)

Of course, there was no such thing as real trust between them, but both Hades and Zatiel understood that trying to trick the other party would be futile. No life form had risen to the peak of the universe without developing an extremely sharp mind. Although the terms of their deal appeared simple, they were flawless.

Hades put his hand over the forge, and immediately an ancient and mysterious aura was released from it. Right now, even a mortal would realize the might of the Underworld Forge.

”What do you know about the power of the Underworld Forge?”

”Only what it is told in the legends about it since besides you, there is no one who has used it and remains alive. Many believed that it could grant divine talent in alchemy, rune crafting, magic creation, and any other kind of profession. Even the most mediocre individual could become a monstrous genius with it.” Zatiel spoke the truth and was not afraid of revealing his lack of knowledge. Once the forge was activated, the white runes that have invaded it would begin to analyze its power, and it would be a matter of time before the Neo-Demon knows everything about it.

When Hades heard those words, disdain filled his face, and he spoke with a tone full of mockery.

”Hmph, that trash liked to invent lies about my creation as an excuse to hide the shame of always being inferior to me. Some even propagated rumors about the forge not being my creation but something I found by luck and that all my accomplishments came from it. Their faces as they begged for mercy when I found them were truly satisfying.” Arrogance and cruelty filled Hades' eyes as he spoke those words, but the next second, peace returned to his heart.

”I am sorry about that. It is a little hard to get accustomed to having people around.”

”Don't worry, I understand.” Zatiel did not bother the ancient Being of Laws for his slip of the tongue.

Beings of Law had the power to maintain their emotions and trains of thought in check thanks to their powerful souls. It was weird to find some of them rambling, but after eons of solitude, even they can have problems adjusting to their surroundings.

Hades nodded to the Neo-Demon and adopted a solemn expression as he slapped the forge. Immediately a magic matrix appeared on the forge.

Zatiel did not hide his amazement as he saw that magic matrix. Although he could not comprehend any of it, of one thing he was sure, it was not something born out of chaos.

'To be able to create something like this, even if he is no longer the greatest Magic Creator of the universe, he is definitely within the top ten.'

Less than a minute after Hades made the magic matrix appear, very dense mist began to emanate from the Underworld Forge.

The mist spread with incredible speed, and in less than a second, it had covered a radius of one hundred kilometers around the Underworld Forge. It was so thick that even a Rank 3 life form would find it very hard to see through it.

Zatiel could see the mist enveloping him, but due to the Balck Hole Runic Set and white membrane around his body, he could feel nothing from it. Without hesitation, the Neo-Demon sent the command, and the defenses made of external power protecting him disappeared.

Immediately and without any warning, the mist entered the body of the Neo-Demon through his mouth, eyes, nose, and ears. When Hades saw this, he did nothing and limited himself to continue working in the forge.

The ancient Being of Laws had an idea of the level of surveillance those white runes were performing in him. The moment he even thinks about harming Zatiel, a soul fluctuation would occur, and the NRAI would seal him or even exterminate him. He had no desire to die and was sure that even if he managed to break Zatiel's soul, this one would be able to survive, but he would be doomed.

Zatiel's full focus was on his soul dimension as he saw the mist reach it. The Neo-Demon's True Will detected the intruder, but after seeing its mild nature and mystic energy, the golden humanoid did not use its power to purge it.

The mist approached the True Soul and transformed into dots of grey light that nurtured this one along with the consciousness contained inside.

The Neo-Demon sat on the ground with his eyes closed and an expression full of peace and serenity.

Thanks to his status as an Animus, the power of his consciousness, and the uniqueness of his soul, Zatiel could maintain different trains of thought at the same time.