am-books Chapter 72 72: Interesting
Chapter 72 72: Interesting
The rule of "if you can't win, call reinforcements" is universal. And ExoGenesis is no exception.
Fire Demon Goblin knew full well it had no chance against that stealthy intruder. Even when its lair was packed with goblins, they couldn't touch him—let alone now, when it was the last one standing.
But dying in such a pathetic way? Unacceptable.
Gritting its teeth, Fire Demon Goblin made a desperate decision. It would pledge its soul to Deathbringer.
Sure, that meant giving up its afterlife. But in return, it would gain power beyond imagination!
As long as it could take down the enemy, it would be worth it.
Besides, Deathbringer had a reputation. He was fair—he never collected interest before the debtor was dead.
"Gain power, slay the intruder, then rally more goblins to rebuild the lair!"
Fire Demon Goblin's mind was racing.
No—why stop there?
If it could turn the tables and kill the intruder, it wouldn't just rebuild its lair. It could establish a full-fledged settlement!
"Deathbringer loves souls. If I start more wars and offer him even more, surely I'll be rewarded!"
"Goblin King... yeah, that has a nice ring to it."
The more it thought about it, the more excited it became. All its fear of Deathbringer faded away, replaced by burning ambition.
The ground trembled. Thick black mist erupted from the summoning circle, carrying an eerie, bone-chilling aura.
"I smell death... Goblin, are you the one calling me?"
A deep, hollow voice echoed from the mist. Fire Demon Goblin shivered—but not from fear. It was thrilled.
"Yes! Honorable Deathbringer, I summoned you!"
The mist swirled but did not take a solid form. The only visible features were two emotionless eyes, staring down at Fire Demon Goblin.
"Offer me your soul, and I shall grant you power."
Fire Demon Goblin didn't hesitate. It bit down on its finger, letting dark blood drip onto the summoning circle.
"Very well. Your soul is mine. Now, receive your gift."
The cold, disembodied eyes vanished.
With nothing to hold it back, the black mist surged into Fire Demon Goblin's body, pouring in through its ears and mouth.
It shrieked in agony. Beneath its skin, something slithered like a nest of writhing serpents, converging at its forehead. A dark sigil burned itself into its flesh before fading away.
Its crimson skin darkened, turning a sinister, abyssal black.
Tristan stood by, watching, but made no move.
Deathbringer wasn't someone to mess with. If he interfered with the contract now, he might suffer a backlash—not a fun scenario.
Better to wait until the ritual was over and Deathbringer left before making his move.
He knew Deathbringer was a busy entity. Once a contract was sealed, he never lingered.
He only returned when the contract holder died.
The black mist receded.
Tristan had no intention of testing the flames' effects on himself.
He simply activated Stealth and vanished.
Thanks to his new abilities, he easily distanced himself without even needing Blink.
With no pressure, the rest of the battle was a formality.
A well-placed Rain of Corruption struck all fifteen times, dealing 50,000 damage. Combined with Rend and Toxic Blood Plague, the total damage climbed past 60,000.
In just a few seconds, two skills had shaved off over 100,000 HP.
Undying Flame Goblin was starting to panic.
It had sold its soul for this?
It didn't feel much stronger than before.
No—this was worse.
It had been scammed!
The thought of its soul being dragged into the abyss made the goblin want to cry.
But Tristan didn't care how the goblin felt about its deal.
As soon as his cooldowns reset, he struck again.
Two minutes later, Undying Flame Goblin collapsed, its HP hitting zero.
Clink!
Five silver-glowing loot spheres rolled onto the ground.
Tristan quickly scanned them.
Five drops!
Earlier, three Black Iron Grade goblin bosses had only dropped eight items total.
But this single Silver Grade goblin had given five.
Was his luck good or bad?
Didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was grabbing the loot before Deathbringer returned.
He swiftly collected everything—
Then he felt it.
A familiar presence.
Deathbringer had returned.
Black mist coiled in the air, and Undying Flame Goblin's soul was yanked from its body, vanishing into the void.
But this time, Deathbringer didn't leave immediately.
He stared at Tristan for over ten seconds before finally fading away.
And as he left, he spoke.
"Shadow power...? Now that's a rare sight... It's been ages since I last encountered one. How... interesting."