Malkam, Talroth's eldest. It wasn't the first time Konrad heard of him. According to the Flame Mark, he was more than one million years old and stood at the pinnacle of the Infernal Realm. This alone was enough to show the profundity of his current cultivation. And apparently, he loathed half-breeds.
Meanwhile, according to Lena, following the twins' birth, Marduk went mad and attempted to murder Malkam…but miserably failed. Clearly, the Infernal Founder had always remained a lucid man. Why then did he choose to go all-out against the head of the Infernal Stars?
It didn't take a genius to figure out that Malkam must have played some horrible joke on him.
"Your feud is your matter. However, I'm curious. I heard Malkam's status in the Infernal Realm is both incomparably honored and sensitive. Why is that?"
Konrad asked, curiosity shining within his eyes. The inquiry pulling a new sigh from Selene's lips.
"As the eldest son of Talroth, Malkam is, of course, highly honored. But were it only for that, he wouldn't be the most controversial demon prince.
Malkam is unique, the only true pureblooded demon after the Primogens."
Konrad's eyes contorted into a frown.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Heaven's will produced the first devas while Hell's will produced the first demons.
Thus, the Primogens were born. However, during the first round of creation, all races only had one Primogen. How then did the next generation of demons and devas appear?"
For the split of a second, Konrad pondered the question, then answered:
"Contracts and Blessings."
"Right! At that time, besides the Primogens, only humanity existed. And as you now know, humans have the unique privilege of being able to turn into anything.
The Demon Primogens contracted their chosen humans while the Deva Primogens blessed those they deemed worthy. Thus, creating the second generation of demons and devas.
Therefore, all demons and devas in the multiverse, those so-called purebloods, all descend from humanity."
Enlightened, Konrad's eyes widened in a stupor.
"All…except Malkam. At random intervals ranging between millions and billions of years, Heaven and Hell's will spawned a second Primogen of the opposite gender for each original Demon and Deva race.
The Overlord and the Warden were the only exceptions.
However, how could those established Primogens accept the competition of the newborns? How could they accept those new entities whose mere existence questioned their supremacy over their race?
As soon as they spotted a new Primogen, they would destroy him/her. This went on until three million years ago when the lust demons got their second Primogen, the last of them all, Talroth.
At that time, Asmodeus reigned as the Southern Queen of Hell. Though her rule had endured billions of years, having long since reached the limit of her cultivation, she didn't underestimate the threat of a new Primogen and initially planned to destroy him.
But when she laid eyes on him, she couldn't bear to, and instead took him as her consort. It didn't take long before Talroth became the apple of her eye. All other consorts were set aside, and her attention devoted to him.
Almost two million years later, Malkam was born. But at the same time, Talroth's cultivation surpassed Asmodeus', and without hesitation, he overthrew her. At that time, Asmodeus realized that the majority of her "loyal" vassals had already turned coats.
Though it mattered not. With or without them, Talroth could effortlessly suppress all within the Southern Domain.
He enslaved Asmodeus and became the new ruler. Now, you understand why Malkam's status is so sensitive. Because he was born of two Primogens, although his bloodline looks like a lust embodiment's, its might is almost equal to that of Primogens'.
The best way to see this is that usually, lust embodiments are born at the Divine Seed Rank. But Malkam was born a God.
At the same time, he's the eldest prince of two dynasties. Calling his status "sensitive" is the euphemism of the millennium."
Selene explained.
"Interesting. It seems that the Infernal Realm will have no shortages of entertainment. A part of me can't help but wish to quickly take over this world, then head into the higher realms to contend with the true chosen ones."
Konrad declared.
"That is natural. Incubi are born under the shroud of lust but beneath the star of domination. They crave it more than anything else. It is rooted in their blood as their life's purpose and highest aspiration.
The higher the bloodline, the more pronounced the traits. A never-ending curse, really. For that reason, only with contracts, enslavement or mightier strength can you keep them in check."
Nodding, Konrad shifted his attention back on Marduk's corpse.
"What do you plan to do with him?"
Selene asked, but Konrad remained silent.
"Your mother may be a slut, but she's a crafty one. With the boons she's received from Talroth and her current cultivation, my father's corpse can't give her many benefits.
Even if it could, the massive quantity of merits she would gain from sending it back to the Overlord easily offsets those gains.
Therefore, without a shred of doubt, she will offer it, intact, to the Merit Stele."
Selene began, then dropped on her knees.
"Give the devil his due, though the Overlord is one hell of a son of a bitch, he genuinely cared for my father, and will offer him due funerals. I know you're far too malevolent to let a treasure escape your grasp, but at the same time, you want Gulistan's God-Heart. Not just for the plague, but for all its other wonderous uses.
God-Hearts possess God-Force while Sage Hearts only possess Divine Power. In the same way, a God's heart is an infinite source of God-blood. The foundation of God-level baptisms.
The benefits for your faction building are unfathomable. You will also have the bodies of all other cult leaders and the pisaca demon.
We can't have the best of both worlds. Why not retreat to advance? Take the Blood Origin. Give up the carcass. That way, you can keep the most valuable possession, and trade a virtually useless body for the God-Heart."
The Blood Origin was the lineage's source located in the cultivator's heart. Without it, the blood production would stop.
Still, Konrad didn't reply. Undisturbed, Selene carried on.
"And if you fear them using it to build a peak-stage Divine Ascension puppet, there is no need to. First, as you know, of the three puppet types, only Soul Puppets can exist without crystals.
War and Flesh Puppets both require an adequate quantity of crystals to function. Even if they could successfully refine the corpse into a Flesh Puppet, the Infernal and Celestial churches combined don't have enough divine crystals to power a peak-stage Divine Ascension Puppet.
They could pawn their ancestors' underpants that it wouldn't change the result.
As for Soul Puppets, haha, where could they ever find a peak-stage Divine Ascension soul? Therefore, in this transaction, you're still the big winner. The mobsters triumph, angels weep, and devils cry.
All is good in the best of worlds."
With his eyes focused on Marduk's corpse, Konrad blinked in disbelief.
"You…make a compelling case. "
"That is natural. I graduated top of my class in advertising and business administration. Though, I was the only student and didn't have teachers."
Selene proclaimed in a solemn tone while keeping her left palm on her chest.
*Cough* *Cough*
Black lines formed on Konrad's forehead while he attempted to restrain his cough…in vain.
"With your one million years of existence and various hosts, surely, you must have memorized some formidable arts.
I will keep your mother's corpse and refine her Blood Origin as my third Deva lineage. Your father can return unblemished…minus his Blood Origin if you can offer sufficient compensation."
"No problem. In any case, I don't believe you've broken through the realm of necrophilia, she should be fine."
Konrad almost spurted blood.
…
IMPORTANT NOTE (Don't Skip!):
Greetings dear readers,
I really wanted to push this as far as possible (at least till the end of the HC arc), but things being what they are, I must be reasonable with myself.
Though I try to remain light-hearted, life is not going well for me. I got evicted last week, college is starting in two weeks and I'm sleeping on my cousin's couch.
Parents are not only unsupportive but also bring their own lot of pressure and issues, my brain is frying and my health failing.
Though I'm impassioned by writing and would love nothing more than to keep churning out chapters, my mind is just not there, and my body not following as it used to.
Thus, I'm taking a break, a very long one to put my life in order and restore my strength.
Will be back when I feel I can go for another 5 months. 3 to 4 weeks, hopefully. Maybe earlier if God wills it.
With love, Devil_Paragon.
