Published at 23rd of May 2026 6:48 am

Chapter 1752 Devil's Temptation

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Sparks flew as blades clashed.

Adam's body had slowly become a map of scars. It was inevitable, after all. Despite his speed and fighting prowess, he wasn't able to evade every attack from the devils.

He faced a dozen shadowkins, including Rekan, all by himself. He had to admit… these devils were some of the best fighters he had battled.

The only way he could see to come out on top was to trade blows with them. He had to deal a devastating blow for every attack he endured. Or else, it was highly difficult to even touch the hems of their clothes.

These devils would slip in and out of shadows at every minor inconvenience. He had never seen beings so cautious. In fact, they were so cautious it bordered on cowardice. But then again, Adam felt it made sense. Caution was the hallmark of a skilled assassin.

Adam clenched his jaws, his senses working on overdrive as his pupils darted from one point to another. His hands turned into a shadowy blur as he deflected several dagger strikes from the assassins.

At the same time, he made sure to take their battle further away from the main battlefield. That place was already bloody chaotic, to begin with. He didn't dare to imagine how many more men would fall from collateral damage if he were to fight the assassins there.

He dodged ten consecutive attacks in the span of two seconds. An opportunity presented itself, his eyes narrowing. In the next heartbeat, he hurled the dagger at the shadowkin standing furthest away.

As soon as the dagger left his grip, the other devils instantly attacked him again. Time seemed to come to a standstill. Adam covertly formed a simple, one-handed seal, waiting for the right moment to infuse mana into the spell.

The daggers were only inches away from his body. In the distance, the dagger that he had hurled a moment ago had been easily evaded by the devil with a simple sidestep.

At the last moment, mana flowed from his core, and the spell activated.

He vanished.

The devils ended up striking nothing but empty air.

Rekan suddenly had a bad premonition, and he quickly turned around, his gaze locking onto his commrade who had dodged Adam's dagger earlier.

"Watch out!" he screamed.

But it was too late.

Adam appeared out of thin air, snatching the dagger he had thrown earlier. He twisted midair and, with a vicious look on his face, threw it again.

The blade lodged cleanly at the base of the unsuspecting devil's neck. Adam's feet touched the ground, and he immediately pounced at the devil. Driving his fist into the hilt, he forced the dagger through, the tip bursting out from the devil's throat.

Just as he confirmed the kill, the shadows around him stirred, and a few devils rose from it. But by that time, he had already made enough distance.

Rekan looked at his comrade's corpse and the blood pooling beneath it with cold eyes. This was already the second shadowkin the Dark King had slain. And that was despite him being severely outnumbered by the enemy.

He raised his head, his ashen face twisting in cold rage. He noticed the Dark King's robes torn in several places, yet there was not even a speck of dried blood on them.

Judging by the number of times the youth had been cut by the poison-coated daggers, he should have already died. But the fact that he didn't…

"What are you?" Rekan asked coldly. "How are you still standing?"

"Through sheer fuckin' will."

Adam raised his chin slightly and declared.

Not just Rekan, but even the other devils couldn't help but admire the human's confidence despite facing so many of them. The youth would be considered a battle prodigy even in Hell.

If I could… A peculiar thought suddenly bloomed in Rekan's mind.

"Tell me, Dark King," he began, his tone oddly docile. "Do you know why devils collect souls across this vast universe? Do you think we do it just for the sake of it? You think this is cruelty? You think this is indulgence?"

Adam's eyes narrowed. "I don't care for your motives."

And no, he did not know about the reason why devils went to great lengths to collect souls. Yes, he did have memories relating to the Nine Hells of Inferno, but like all other memories in his mind's library, these too were fragmented.

"Fool!" Rekan swiped his hand and rebuked.

"Souls are not taken for pleasure. They are required! Armies do not appear out of nothing. Power does not sustain itself. Every force in the universe pays a price to exist. And ours is paid in souls!"

Adam was slightly taken aback by the devil's change in tone. Just a moment ago, the devil was intent on killing him, but now… why was he posturing as an elder trying to teach him the ways of the universe?

"If we stop, the balance that holds everything together begins to crack," Rekan continued. "And when that happens, it won't just be us who suffer. It will be everyone."

The devil's expression turned grim, his eyes hardening.

"There is a far greater game at play here. One you cannot see. One you cannot even begin to comprehend. The true powers of the Magus Universe understand it. That is why they have tacitly agreed to let us do what we do."

He suddenly paused, a scoff escaping his lips involuntarily. "And you? You're just a frog in a well, staring at a patch of sky, thinking it is the whole world."

Rekan stretched his hand forward. "You do not understand how this universe works, Dark King."

His voice turned delightfully charming.

"You are a talented individual, and this planet can only offer you so much. Join us. Join us, and you'll have access to resources you hadn't even dreamed of. The Mana Core Rank is just the beginning, Dark King. With your aptitude and our resources, I'm certain you can reach at least the Transcedent Rank!"

"Heh!" Adam let out an amused chuckle. "So this is the infamous devil's temptation?"

His eyes narrowed, and his expression turned supremely confident, almost arrogant.

"You think to sway me with the promise of a mere Transcendent Rank?"

The Dark King raised his chin and proudly declared.

"You're looking at someone who will one day become Emperor!"

His words turned cold, dripping with disdain.

"Pitiful devil… you are unworthy of tempting one such as I."

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