Virus King - Chapter 313

Chapter 313: A Deal with the Hell Devil! The Phoenix Feather!

TL: YYang

Her Excellency, the Blood Queen Lilith, seemed to have an unusual fondness for appearances.

No, it wasn’t just a simple case of being an admirer of beauty.

Generally speaking, for humans and humanoid creatures on Blue Star, as well as those who were beauty enthusiasts, their standards typically revolved around three aspects: facial features, physique, and, for the more discerning, perhaps a touch of elegance or charisma.

However, Chen Bai never imagined he would encounter an entirely new and specific set of aesthetic requirements here in Hell.

And that was an emphasis on bloodlines!

The purpose of the First Embrace Ceremony was to determine who would ultimately receive Lilith’s First Embrace. Naturally, apart from strength and potential, the most critical factor was meeting Her Excellency Lilith’s specific requirements for physical traits.

Thus, at the registration site, Chen Bai witnessed Lilith’s exacting standards.

If the candidate possessed only a demon bloodline, it would result in a deduction of points.

If the candidate had both a human bloodline and a demon bloodline, they would receive bonus points.

If the candidate’s body was overly muscular and resembled a ball of flesh, points would be deducted; however, a well-proportioned physique would earn bonus points.

The appearance couldn’t be too rugged, but it also couldn’t be overly delicate. Of course, this standard applied to males. For females, being beautiful was sufficient.

Looking over the entire registration process for the first phase, Chen Bai almost achieved a perfect score.

After all, in his past life, he had relied on these very traits to curry favor with the Dark Mother Goddess Helrose.

There was, however, one slight area where he lost a few points.

That was in terms of height.

Chen Bai’s physique was undeniably tall and imposing. But that was by human standards—and Blue Star’s standards at that.

Although in Hell, there were humanoid forms resembling humans, Chen Bai’s height was still considered slightly below average.

Chen Bai, however, couldn’t be bothered to care about such details.

As long as he successfully passed the first round of tests, that was all that mattered.

Holding the identification proof for the second round of tests, which was scheduled to take place in three days, Chen Bai walked out of the registration site for the first round.

His original plans had been thrown into complete disarray.

Initially, Chen Bai had intended to kill enough devils to refine an SSS-Rank Devil Bloodline.

But now, it seemed that plan would have to be shelved.

After all, here in Blood Moon City and its surroundings, with Her Excellency, the Blood Queen Lilith, present, randomly slaughtering devils was both too difficult and far too dangerous.

It seemed his main focus would have to shift to obtaining the Authority of Greed.

Chen Bai exhaled deeply and relaxed his mind, deciding to treat his time in Blood Moon City as a chance to explore it for the first time.

Yet, soon, Chen Bai stumbled upon something that greatly surprised him!

Inside a shop called Gimon’s Treasure Hut, he saw an item he had never expected to encounter!

“Boss, how much is a single Phoenix Feather?”

Phoenix Feathers!

Previously, when he had killed Zepar, a special blueprint for equipment had dropped.

The required materials for that blueprint included no less than one hundred Phoenix Feathers!

Even in Redo’s domain, these feathers were incredibly rare and outrageously expensive.

Although Chen Bai had a good relationship with Redo, he couldn’t just go asking for such a precious treasure outright.

Moreover, their price was absurd. Undying Phoenixes were extraordinarily rare beings across the multiverse, making their materials exceptionally valuable—even here in Hell.

Yet, the shopkeeper in this small store gazed at Chen Bai.

Chen Bai blinked, slightly startled.

The shopkeeper was a woman—an extraordinarily beautiful woman. The devil horns atop her head confirmed her identity, but she lacked the cunning, treachery, or seductive allure typical of devils or even succubi.

Instead, she exuded a unique air and presence.

Her amber-like eyes seemed capable of seeing through everything, gazing into the depths of the world itself.

She radiated peace, detachment, and an indescribable sense of clarity and wisdom.

Was this really a devil?

After looking at Chen Bai for a full thirty seconds, the woman tilted her head slightly and then smiled.

“No gold coins needed!”

Chen Bai let out a slight sigh of relief.

No gold coins?

Good. Although he was rather wealthy, spending all his gold coins to buy Phoenix Feathers likely wouldn’t suffice anyway.

With this thought, Chen Bai resolved that the next time he returned to the Abyss and saw Redo, he would have to trade some bloodline essence for more gold coins.

Although he worried that handing over too much bloodline power might arouse suspicion in the God of Trade and Contracts, the allure of gold coins was something no one could resist.

But this treasure—did it truly require no gold coins?

“Madam, what do you require, then?”

The female devil shook her head and adjusted her unique hat, which resembled a decorative crown, before smiling.

“I want a promise. If you take this, you must unconditionally fulfill one request from me in the future. What do you think?”

Chen Bai froze for a moment.

Then, he quickly shook his head.

“If that’s the case, I must decline. Frankly, this many Phoenix Feathers are far from sufficient!”

The female devil smiled again.

“How many do you need? I can give you as many as you require!”

Chen Bai raised an eyebrow. Who was this person?

He regretted leaving the Hell King’s Ring in his warehouse. Still, he responded decisively:

“One hundred feathers!”

Whether it was an illusion or not, after hearing this number, the female devil didn’t show a trace of anger or frustration. On the contrary, her eyes lit up.

“Deal! Here are one hundred Phoenix Feathers. In the future, you must agree to one request from me!”

A hundred Flaming Phoenix Feathers—such rare and valuable treasures—appeared before Chen Bai just like that.

For a moment, he didn’t know how to react. Weren’t devils supposed to be the most cunning of creatures? Why would one willingly offer treasures like this?

He found it hard to believe.

Yet, at the same time, Chen Bai was tempted.

With these feathers, the Shepherd’s Horn, an S-Rank piece of equipment, would become even more powerful.

Now, with the Phoenix Feathers, the Fire Core, and flames from either the Abyss or Hell, he might soon be able to craft the Wings of Netherflame!

With that in mind, Chen Bai said:

“I’ll agree to the request, but it must be something I’m capable of doing and cannot harm my personal interests.”

The woman—or rather, the female devil—nodded.

“Of course.”

“Good. It’s a deal. Do you need any token as proof?”

“No need.”

Chen Bai finally relaxed. If all devil deals were like this, they weren’t so bad.

Surprisingly, the female devil shook her head again. She then silently watched as Chen Bai took the Phoenix Feathers and left the small store.

As he walked out, the shop, Gimon’s Treasure Hut, began to fade from sight on the bustling street, as if it were disappearing.

At that moment, a voice rang out, unnoticed by any of the other devils or demons in the area:

“Lady Gimon!”

A figure appeared, causing the female devil to frown slightly as she looked at the newcomer:

“Astaroth?”

The figure was clad in black and red—a striking presence. It was none other than the 29th Demon God of Hell, the one behind the proclamation Chen Bai had seen earlier: Astaroth.