Global Descent to Sky Islands: Getting a God-level Talent from the Start - Chapter 18

Faced with the rewards offered by the Archdemon, Han Xing took a deep breath.

He admitted he was deeply tempted.

However, he didn’t fully trust the demon’s words, so he asked:

“Fine, I can help you, but how can I trust you won’t go back on your word and just leave after breaking free?”

The Archdemon sneered, “Are you doubting the credibility of this lord?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Han Xing nodded without hesitation. “After all, you’re already in such a pathetic state. Why would you care about credibility?”

The Archdemon was visibly enraged but restrained his fury. “I can use my true name to sign a contract with you. If you remove the summoning ritual, I guarantee you’ll be rewarded!”

A True Name Contract?

Han Xing’s eyes lit up. For demons, their true name was of utmost importance.

Though it wasn’t as extreme as some stories where knowing a demon’s true name granted total control, swearing by it was a significant gesture of sincerity.

“Alright, let’s sign,” Han Xing agreed readily.

A system notification appeared:

[Archdemon Julius has used his true name to swear an oath, requesting your assistance in removing the summoning ritual. As a condition, you may choose one item as your accomplishment reward. Do you wish to agree and sign the contract?]

“Sign!”

Han Xing immediately accepted and then asked, “How do I remove the summoning ritual?”

The demon’s tone turned calm. “Throw Spirit Cores into the Spirit Spring Water to purify its dark essence. Once purified, the summoning ritual will naturally end.”

Han Xing nodded. He didn’t doubt the Archdemon’s words because, at the beginning, one of the system’s mission options also involved this method.

Being cautious, Han Xing didn’t approach the summoning ritual even after accepting the task.

Because he was uncertain if this demon still had any other tricks up its sleeve, he decided to stay vigilant.

Instead, he tied a Spirit Core to the tip of a wooden arrow and, using his bowstring, shot each Spirit Core into the water.

The Archdemon sneered at Han Xing’s wariness.

As each Spirit Core entered the pool, the dark essence stopped spreading and gradually turned clear.

The massive demonic horn towering into the sky began fading as if about to vanish from this plane.

It wasn’t until Han Xing fired his 37th arrow that the Spirit Spring Water ceased emitting dark mist.

The Archdemon’s horn slowly sank into the water, about to disappear.

At that moment, Han Xing hurriedly called out, “Demon, my reward!”

The Archdemon hesitated, tempted to renege, but remembering the True Name Contract, he relented. “Human, speak of the reward you desire.”

Hearing this, Han Xing quickly analyzed the pros and cons of the three options in his mind, struggling to decide.

“You’d better choose quickly. Once the ritual dissipates, you’ll lose the ability to communicate with me. At that point, it won’t be this lord breaking the contract,” the demon said with a sly smile.

Recalling the demon’s cunning nature, Han Xing gritted his teeth and made a swift decision.

“I chose the Strange Beast Egg!”

The demon seemed taken aback. “You’re sure you don’t want my greatsword or the demon’s blood?”

Han Xing nodded. “I’m sure. Hand it over now!”

The demon sneered, “As you wish.”

Moments later, as the Archdemon completely vanished, the once-dark sky brightened again.

Han Xing, exhausted as if he’d fought a great battle, collapsed to the ground.

Just then, a system notification appeared:

[Archdemon Julius has returned to the Abyssal Realm. Survivor, you have done a great merit. World Influence +32, Obtained Legendary Points +10.]

“Legendary Points? What the heck are those?”

Han Xing was a bit confused. He glanced at his character interface and indeed noticed an additional Legendary Point.

However, there was no description of its purpose.

Shaking his head, Han Xing decided to put it aside for now.

At that moment, his attention was drawn to the center of the Dark Elf territory. Floating above the now-clear pool was a pitch-black giant egg.

Han Xing’s eyes widened. He quickly approached the pool and grabbed the massive egg.

A system notification appeared:

[You have obtained an unidentified ‘Strange Beast Egg.’ Do you wish to begin incubation?]

[Note: Once incubation begins, the creature within the Strange Beast Egg will automatically bond with you as your pet. Each survivor can only bind one pet at this stage, so choose wisely.]

Hearing the system notification, Han Xing murmured thoughtfully, “Only one pet allowed, huh?”

“I don’t even know what kind of creature is inside. While anything the Archdemon values shouldn’t be too bad, there’s always a chance it might disappoint…”

Out of nowhere, a tinge of regret welled up in him.

“Did I make a mistake choosing the Strange Beast Egg? Should I have picked the Demon’s Blood or the Demon Lord’s Greatsword instead?”

But the next moment, his expression changed drastically as a realization struck him.

When he was choosing his reward, the demon seemed particularly eager for him to select either the Demon’s Blood or the Greatsword. It even went out of its way to confirm his choice.

That demon couldn’t possibly have been acting out of kindness. The only logical explanation was that it had a scheme in mind!

With a trembling voice, Han Xing said, “I remember… The description of Demon’s Blood mentioned that fusing with it grants demonic power but also transforms the user’s bloodline into that of a demon. In other words, I’d become part of the demon race.”

“And demons have a strict hierarchy. Higher-ranked demons hold absolute authority over lower-ranked ones, including life and death!”

“If I became a demon, wouldn’t I fall under its control?”

“And as for that Demon Lord’s Greatsword, being its long-time weapon, there must be some kind of trick. The demon could likely use it to directly manipulate my soul and seize my body!”

“Fuc!” Han Xing exclaimed as he snapped out of his thoughts.

He realized that his suspicion was likely correct. The demon’s ultimate goal had been to control him!

Breaking into a cold sweat, he cursed, “What a cunning guy!”

At the same time, he felt an immense sense of relief. “Thank goodness… I unintentionally made the right choice.”

When Han Xing turned his gaze back to the pitch-black egg, the regret he felt earlier dissipated.

After all, compared to his own life, these other items were insignificant.

With that thought, Han Xing clicked the Incubate button without hesitation.

A system notification appeared:

[Do you wish to incubate the ‘Unknown Strange Beast Egg’? Incubation will take 100 hours.]

“100 hours? That long?”

Though the incubation period seemed quite long.

Han Xing confirmed and spoke with anticipation, “I hope it hatches into a powerful pet. I wouldn’t mind if it’s a dragon!”

Of course, Han Xing knew he was just daydreaming.

From its appearance and size, the egg had no resemblance to a dragon egg. The odds of hatching a dragon were slim to none.

[Incubation in progress. Time Remaining: 99 hours, 59 minutes, 58 seconds.]

Having dealt with the egg, Han Xing turned his eager gaze toward the pool in front of him.

He hadn’t forgotten his original goal. The whole reason he took the risk of challenging the Dark Elves was to secure the water source in the heart of their territory!

Despite the twists and turns, including a tense confrontation with such a terrifying being, he had finally succeeded!

Now, as long as he annexed this territory, he would have access to an abundant supply of water, resolving his water crisis once and for all.

Not only that, but the Spirit Spring Water would surely become a hot commodity in the trade market, sparking a frenzy across Channel 107.

He could already envision the enormous profits he would reap from it!