Evolving My Undead Legion In A Game-Like World

Chapter 1191: Tricking A Demigod [2]

Michael's smile stiffened.

"…"

For several seconds, he simply stared at the ghost. She stared back innocently.

"I don't want to do anything for you," she repeated.

Michael's expression slowly twisted. What use would there be in bringing a Demigod outside if she refused to help him? Worse, with her personality, she might not even agree to a contract.

Michael had only wanted to bring her into his sphere because of the value she represented. A Three-Star Epic Demigod. Even if she wasn't directly under his control, having such an existence nearby would be an enormous deterrent.

But if she refused to cooperate in anything, she could even become a walking disaster he had personally released into Aurora.

Michael glanced at the shattered ground nearby.

Also, just because she liked him didn't mean she would treat everyone else the same way. In fact, she probably wouldn't. Death's Heir was almost certainly responsible for the strange closeness she felt toward him. Ordinary people wouldn't possess that protection.

If someone annoyed her. Or misunderstood her. Or simply touched something she considered hers. Michael could already imagine the result.

Absolutely not.

There was no way he was taking her to Aurora without some form of guarantee.

Of course, none of those thoughts appeared on his face. Michael wasn't ready to give up yet. He had gotten this far. There had to be something he could use.

The ghost floated lazily before him, completely unaware that Michael was desperately searching for a way to seduce, cough, persuade her into becoming an ally.

Michael thought rapidly. Then his eyes brightened.

"What if…"

The ghost tilted her head.

"…I had something you wanted?"

Michael watched carefully. The ghost's silver eyes drifted slightly as she appeared to genuinely consider the question. Several seconds passed.

Then she shook her head.

"I don't want anything."

Michael's expression almost collapsed.

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"You've never wanted anything?"

The ghost thought again.

"No."

Michael stared at her. That answer wasn't arrogance. He could feel it clearly through their shared intentions. She genuinely believed she desired nothing.

And perhaps that made sense. She didn't need food. She didn't need shelter. She possessed overwhelming strength. The Netherworld itself nourished her. She had no society forcing material desires onto her. She didn't seem to care about status, most likely because she was the status itself. She barely understood ownership beyond instinctively claiming things she liked.

What exactly was someone like that supposed to want?

But as crazy as it sounds, Michael felt he had something a Demigod of any kind would desire.

What was the most addictive thing in the universe?

Desire.

Michael had gradually come to understand that it didn't matter whether someone was ordinary or extraordinary.

Poor or wealthy.

Unknown or worshipped.

Mortal or god.

Everyone desired something.

A starving man desired food.

A poor man might desire wealth. A wealthy merchant might desire greater influence.

A ruler with an entire kingdom could still desire another piece of land.

A warrior desired strength. A scholar desired knowledge.

Someone surrounded by enemies desired safety. Someone trapped by responsibility desired freedom.

Someone approaching the end of their lifespan desired another hundred years.

Even those who possessed almost everything could still find something beyond their reach, and the moment they did, desire would emerge.

It didn't necessarily have to be grand.

Recognition. Love. Curiosity. A rare object. A new experience. Something another person possessed. Something they had never even known existed until it was placed before them.

That was the interesting thing about desire. A person couldn't desire what they couldn't imagine.

Perhaps the ghost genuinely believed she wanted nothing. Michael believed her. But that didn't mean she was incapable of desire. Perhaps she had simply never encountered anything capable of making her want more.

Michael slowly inhaled. Then he summoned an item from his storage.

A crystalline object appeared above his palm. It was translucent, almost colorless, yet countless specks of light continuously moved inside it like tiny stars.

The moment it appeared, Isabella's violet soul flames shifted toward it. The ghost's silver eyes did the same.

A translucent panel floated within his vision.

[Evolution Essence Crystal]

[Grade: Extraordinary]

[Effect: When used by an Extraordinary-grade creature, it can raise the creature's racial grade to Three-Star Extraordinary, the peak of the Extraordinary Grade.] Reading the description alone, one would naturally assume the Evolution Essence Crystal could only be used by monsters. That wasn't entirely true. The information displayed by the system merely described its most direct and efficient use.

Michael had been able to produce Evolution Essence Crystals through his talent for months now. Naturally, he hadn't spent all that time simply stockpiling them without experimenting.

He had discovered several things. For one, Evolution Essence Crystals weren't exclusively monster consumable resources. Michael had already confirmed that they could potentially be incorporated into the creation of equipment.

He hadn't explored that path deeply since he wasn't a craftsman, but the possibility existed.

Ordinary beings could theoretically absorb their essence as well. Humans. Elves. Other intelligent races. However, the result was completely different from what happened when a monster used one.

For ordinary beings, the energy wouldn't conveniently increase their racial grade.

Instead, the essence would interact with their body according to numerous factors Michael still didn't completely understand.

Bloodline. Physique. Race. And probably several other things.

Most importantly, a large portion of the crystal's power would simply be wasted. Michael suspected that someone sufficiently knowledgeable might eventually develop a method to properly utilize it, but that was a problem for another day.

What mattered now was something else he had discovered. An Evolution Essence Crystal didn't suddenly become useless because a creature's grade surpassed the crystal's own.

The system description had initially given Michael the wrong impression.

If an Extraordinary-grade monster used an Extraordinary Evolution Essence Crystal, the system would assist with the process.

The creature could directly absorb the crystal and, provided it fulfilled the necessary conditions, its racial grade would rise. Simple and efficient.

But if a Rare-grade creature absorbed an Extraordinary Evolution Essence Crystal? Or an Epic-grade creature?