บท 7: A Quick Path to Power

"You devil!"

Lilith, unable to contain her resentment and anger any longer, lunged at Leo Vickery with a bite, driven by a sense of desperation.

However, she was no match for Leo.

Not only did she fail to bite him, but she also ended up being restrained in a humiliating pose, her lips sealed by his, leaving her at his mercy.

"Not bad, the meek lamb has evolved into a feisty ewe," Leo commented, finally releasing Lilith.

His lips were marked with fresh blood from her bite, but he seemed indifferent to it.

On the contrary, he felt a sense of accomplishment.

Lilith's hateful gaze reminded him of himself in his previous life, though she was not yet as mad or courageous, lacking the sinful pleasure of destroying all things beautiful.

But at least, she now had the qualifications to become a knight.

Being a knight wasn't just about gaining strength; it was also about the elevation of one's beliefs.

To foster Lilith's madness, Leo decided to bring her sister Vivian over at some point.

One as a hell knight, the other as a hell magus - a naturally perfect pair.

Most importantly, by leveraging the sisters' affection for each other, he could ensure their continued hatred towards him.

A perfect plan!

Leo, indulging in his own machinations, was interrupted by a faint noise.

Tears streamed down Lilith's eyes as she bent over in humiliation to pick up her bathrobe from the floor, intending to leave the bath.

But Leo halted her again with a cold command, "Lilith, did I say you could leave?"

Trembling, she turned back to face him.

Leo once more pulled the bathrobe off her and ordered, "Lie down."

Lilith, like a lifeless puppet, complied, lying at the edge of the bath.

However, the expected violation didn't occur. Leo picked up the brush and the unknown black, viscous liquid again, gently applying it to her bare skin with a cool touch.

"What is he doing?" Lilith wondered silently.

As if responding to her thoughts, Leo spoke to himself,

"This is a concoction made from herbs bought from Conrad's apothecary, mixed with powdered mana gold coins. It has a weak mana-absorbing effect. You don't have magic talent to absorb mana, but under its influence, your body can be tempered, enhancing your strength."

"Turn over," he instructed after finishing one side.

Lilith turned, exposing her back to Leo.

The cool sensation returned, accompanied by feelings of shame.

Her emotions were a complex mix, unsure of how to face Leo in the future.

"I know you hate me," Leo said.

"And once again, I'm willing to give you a chance. You've seen the Knight Training Tome and know the path of knightly training."

"If you become an advanced knight, I'll grant you an opportunity to challenge me. If you win, I'll grant you your freedom and won't harm your sister."

"Otherwise, you'll have to witness what happens to your sister—"

Leo sneered, leaving the threat unsaid, knowing the implication was enough to provoke Lilith.

With no other choice, Lilith clenched her teeth, holding back her tears, and firmly accepted, "I agree!"

"A wise decision," Leo said.

"Alright, the application is done, you can go now."

He stood up, handing the remaining sticky liquid to Lilith, "You can drink this too. Don't waste it. And be warned, it's bitter."

Lilith took it and gulped it down in one go.

It was greasy, bitter, and nauseating...

But she didn't spit it out.

Feeling the liquid taking effect, she moved to a clear space next to the bath and began her knight training, indifferent to Leo's watching eyes.

She had resolved to kill Leo once she became an advanced knight.

This was her chosen path to redemption.

Leo was well aware of Lilith's hatred but remained unconcerned.

After all, in the hellish realms, a Hell Lord who hadn't been betrayed and didn't have a few notable enemies to speak of couldn't hold their head high.

There was another point to consider: in hell, the words of a demon were never to be trusted.

Leo followed this principle closely.

While Lilith trained, Leo wasn't idle either.

He submerged himself in the warm waters of the bath, reflecting on the day's events.

The first outcome was from yesterday's experiment.

The effect of the wish remained constant for a day.

This meant that if the wish involved losing half of his strength, any enhancement he achieved through any means would still be considered half of his strength.

Upon the next day, when his strength returned, these enhancements would double.

This was a rapid way to gain strength.

However, there was a limit; Leo's body couldn't endure an increase beyond its capacity.

So, he needed to find an appropriate rate of strength enhancement.

Secondly, Rain Vickery's promise of substantial resources was vital for Stoneton's development.

"Three hundred slaves will significantly boost Stoneton's population. The ironclad beasts can cultivate vast farmlands, and with that food supply, the residents can sustain themselves."

"Horses and armor are essential for forming a guard unit. Lilith could serve as the instructor, and once the guard is established, we can explore the Infernal Marsh."

"However, for a deeper exploration, we must wait until Lilith becomes an advanced knight."

"Hell magic... I can hardly wait!"

Leo murmured softly.

Hell magic was entirely different from ordinary magic.

Not only did its mastery require exceptional talent, but it couldn't be recorded on regular paper or animal hide scrolls; it had to be inscribed on hellstones, the powerful sources of the hellish realms.

Each hell magic spell possessed incredible power.

In his previous life, Leo stumbled upon a hell magic spell called the Fire of Revenge in the Infernal Marsh.

This spell allowed him to devour the strength of his enemies after killing them, transforming it into his own.

Even in hell, it was considered one of the most potent magics.

It was this magic that had qualified Leo to participate in the final battle between hell and the deities.

In the Infernal Marsh, there were more hellstones than just the one Leo had found.

But when he had returned to the marsh after becoming more powerful, those hellstones had vanished.

Now, they were still there, meaning Leo had the opportunity to acquire them all.

With them, his strength would skyrocket, potentially allowing him to completely dominate the hellish realms and become the King of Hell!

But before that, he needed to become stronger.

Thus, the days following were busy for both Leo and Lilith.

Under Leo's provocation, Lilith embarked on a frenzied regimen of training, starting at the crack of dawn.

She even went to Conrad's apothecary to buy her own herbs, which left Conrad concerned.

He advised her not to indulge too much in physical desires and jokingly mentioned that if she ever got pregnant, she should invite him over.

Lilith, like Leo, chose not to explain.

Any attempt at clarification might lead to rumors of her being pregnant.

Meanwhile, Leo continued his experiments and finally determined his limits.

Currently, an apprentice knight and among the weakest, he found the optimal condition was to lose three-quarters of his strength, which then quadrupled upon recovery the next day.

This rate of growth surpassed everyone else.

Leo estimated that in about a month, he could advance from an apprentice to a novice knight.

The price, however, was a daily state of weakness due to the loss of strength.

This led Conrad to comment again, "Lilith must be quite demanding to exhaust Lord Leo to such an extent that he wobbles when he walks."

Time passed steadily.

Ten days later, Basilo arrived in Stoneton again, escorting three hundred slaves.