Facing the Demon Emperor Yu's provocation, Zhang Yue frowned slightly, his expression turning a bit serious.
Chen Zijin, who had clearly noticed the change in his expression, tried to comfort him.
"Usually, the more someone has nothing to show for themselves, the more they like to spout scary talk. Don't worry! He got lucky managing a draw with you this time. Next time, he won't be so fortunate!"
She added with a grin, "Besides, you've got me to protect you."
Zhang Yue couldn't help but laugh at that last line, "All right then, I'll be counting on you next time."
At that, Chen Zijin seemed to suddenly realize something, stuck out her tongue, and said sheepishly, "Though… with your current strength, I guess you don't really need my protection anymore."
After all, she'd just seen his destructive power firsthand.
Those casual attacks dealing three to four hundred million damage points. Chen Zijin herself would have to push her Wrath Source Stone and Wrath God Set to at least 500% Wrath value just to barely reach that level.
And yet, the kind of damage she had to pay a huge price to achieve… had become Zhang Yue's basic attack.
It was obvious now, there was starting to be a real gap between them.
That said, Zhang Yue could still sense it clearly: the Demon Emperor was plotting something new.
And as for the Demon Emperor's true identity, he would need to redefine it.
From the very beginning, back when he first saw the Demon Emperor during the ninth-tier beast tide, Zhang Yue had assumed he was just a boss from the Otherworld.
Later, based on the Demon Emperor Yu's behavior and the presence of clear consciousness, Zhang Yue began to suspect he might actually be a player as well.
Then, after this latest battle, the system's notification had labeled the Demon Emperor as a boss about to step into Emperor Rank.
"The system notification already said it, the Demon Emperor's identity is confirmed as an Otherworld Boss. What's there to doubt?", said Chen Zijin, sharing her opinion.
Zhang Yue neither agreed nor denied it.
He just couldn't shake the feeling that this Demon Emperor wasn't as simple as he appeared.
"Right!", Chen Zijin suddenly asked, "What did the God of Desire drop?"
Clearly, after getting those massive rewards from the God of Wrath, the 5S-tier Forbidden Spell skill, the Mythical-Grade treasure, and the infinitely growing Wrath God Set, Chen Zijin had developed quite the taste for loot.
So naturally, she was full of anticipation for what the God of Desire had dropped.
Before Zhang Yue could answer, Chen Zijin quickly added, "Let me guess first."
"If the God of Wrath dropped things related to Wrath, then the God of Desire must've dropped things related to desire, right?"
Well, what could she say, the God of Wrath's loot had been too obvious.
So her expectations for the God of Desire's drops had gotten a little too high.
Her guess turned out to be entirely correct, though not even slightly surprising.
Zhang Yue opened his storage space.
Among the items dropped by Wu En, the God of Desire, the three most valuable were:
[A Mythical-Grade treasure: [Desire Source Stone], from the same "manufacturer" as the Wrath Source Stone.]
The Wrath Source Stone increases all stats based on accumulated Wrath, with a base value of 30%. Each additional 1% of Wrath is converted into +1% to all stats, with no upper limit.
The Desire Source Stone works similarly, but it draws on the wearer's inner desire, generating a "Desire Value" to enhance all stats. It also starts at a base 30%, with every 1% of desire converting into +1% all attributes, again with no limit.
Long ago, when the Three Main Gods descended upon the Otherworld, they brought catastrophic destruction to all the nations and their players.
Countless powerful adventurers perished at the hands of the Three Main Gods.
For a time, they were feared across the land as the most terrifying demons in existence.
But in truth, the Three Main Gods' birth was closely tied to humanity itself.
They were also known as the Gods of Emotion.
Born from the overwhelming buildup of dark emotions within the hearts of players in the Otherworld, they gained consciousness and form, and became: Wrath, Desire, and Malevolence.
Emotions that every human possesses.
And while such emotions influence humanity, they can also awaken the slumbering beasts hidden deep within the darkness.
Besides the Desire Source Stone, the God of Desire's second core drop was an infinitely growing set: the Desire God Set.
Its traits and growth mechanics didn't need much explanation, it was identical to Chen Zijin's Wrath God Set, only replacing "Wrath value" with "desire value."
Finally, there was the 5S-tier Forbidden Spell skill: [Flames of Desire], with power and effects nearly identical to Chen Zijin's [Wrath of Thunder].
In short, these three items were part of a single matching set, one that only someone with a strong enough desire could fully control.
"You'll need to find a host with strong desire to use all three properly," Chen Zijin mused, "How about you? Think you can handle it?"
"Emotional stability is a virtue," she added teasingly, "but if someone has no desires at all, that's just boring, don't you think?"
Originally, Zhang Yue had planned to skip trying it altogether.
After all, he already had a full Transcendent Set, so the Desire God Set didn't exactly appeal to him.
But after hearing Chen Zijin say that… well, he had to at least try.
So right there in front of her, Zhang Yue picked up the Desire Source Stone and equipped it into his treasure slot.
He closed his eyes, beginning to visualize the deepest desires within his heart.
At that moment, Chen Zijin suddenly noticed the change on Zhang Yue's status panel, the Desire Value was actually rising.
From the base 30%, it slowly climbed, 33%, 35%, 38%… 39%!
"Wow!", Chen Zijin exclaimed, clapping, "A whole 9% increase! That's insane growth!"
The moment Zhang Yue opened his eyes again, the Desire Value instantly dropped back to 35%.
Facing Chen Zijin's teasing smile, he could only stare speechlessly, "Forget it, I give up…"
Chen Zijin giggled.
"Well, if nothing else, it shows you're a pretty upright guy."
"When people give in to desire, their hearts darken. After all, desire isn't the same as hope."
Desire means pursuing something purely for one's own gain, no matter the cost.
A person without desire doesn't mean one without hope.
It just means their hope is purer, untainted by darkness.
Then, Chen Zijin took the Desire Source Stone from Zhang Yue and equipped it herself.
She closed her eyes and began meditating.
A moment later, the value on her panel rose, but only up to 42%.
Roughly the same as Zhang Yue.
Clearly, Wrath was Chen Zijin's main attribute, not desire.
She handed the Desire Source Stone back to Zhang Yue.
"Better find someone else for this one," she said, "Something this good shouldn't go to waste."
Even though keeping it on Zhang Yue meant he could still use its base 30% effect, it felt wrong.
Because whenever he thought of how Chen Zijin could unleash her Wrath Source Stone to 500% power, Zhang Yue couldn't help but feel like he was wasting the item.
He had to find it a proper owner.
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