Chapter 430: A Choice

Trying to ascend the stairs under such circumstances didn’t make sense, but there still had to be a reason behind the swamp folk’s action.

And by this point even the slowest of the bunch seemed to have caught on: appetite!

It had always been about appetite!

Suddenly, the swamp kin ceased to be the center of attention as everyone focused on the step ahead of them.

These were candidates of greed, and it was safe to say that their personalities were defined by it.

They wanted all the treasures listed in the shop, they wanted the mantle, they wanted the humans’ role as hegemon.

They had the appetite; they just had to show it!

And there was only one way to prove the greed in their hearts, right here and right now...

Only one way to prove their appetite was boundless!

Shaky breaths were exhaled in chorus as everyone glared warily at one another; they were all now equipped with the knowledge to win this trial, and it now boiled down to who could execute the requirement the fastest.

And without hesitation, every single soul within the space roused their slackened muscles, pulling on what focus they had left, pained grunts echoing through the room.

As everyone geared up, ready to take another step, the terror of death was fresh, but the incentive of the rewards fueled their desires more.

Greed clouded their judgement, swallowed their will to live, their appetites blooming beyond what their hearts could regulate.

Everyone was convinced this was the way, jaws set, not one of them glancing back at the steps below.

As long as they could ascend to the next step before that human, they could get the mantle of greed, gain all the treasures they desired, and obtain a power domineering enough to make them one of the strongest on the planet.

Everyone practically salivated at the thought, as they strained every muscle, mobilized every tendon, cracks running through the integrity of their marrows.

Their joints cracking and blood vessels bursting all over their systems, both internally and externally...

Different colored bloods, some black, some green, some crimson, flowed down the steps like a river, causing the grand steps to begin to glow in response.

This reaction from the bronze stairs seemed to convince them even more, a system screen flashing across all their sights...

[Your Appetite grows!]

[The Sin is pleased!]

This series of text seemed to drive them even crazier, blood leaking from all their orifices, yet they wore eerie bloodied smiles, their eyes vacant, their hearts yearning.

This was it! they thought...

This had to be it!

They put even more strain on themselves, pushing their bodies beyond what they were capable of enduring, some having skin peel from bone, organs rupturing from the collapse.

Yet they didn’t care; they poured every fibre of their being into ascending to the step before them.

Even the three geniuses beside Seth weren’t exempt from this, as they put their all into getting to the next step.

They all believed this was the true test.

The ultimate way to prove their greed was to disregard their own lives and show the Sin how far they were willing to go to gain what they wanted... no, what was theirs!

Their minds, corroded by greed, were fueled by a frenzied focus to win, to claim it all!

Meanwhile, the same figure they were trying to outpace stood peacefully in place.

Though his weakened, trembling gait was anything but peaceful, in comparison to the crumbling physiques of the candidates around him, yeah, it was safe to call his stance peaceful.

While the others were pushing themselves for a chance to prove their appetite, Seth was too focused on weighing the option of whether to purchase the Will Forge Elixir.

This could be the solution he was looking for, but at the same time this assumption might be wrong...

For a moment, Seth shifted his gaze away from the shop screen, scanning the candidates around him, all in bloodied, sorry states.

How could he not see through their intentions at a glance?

But he still wasn’t convinced, even if this was truly the requirement, what would happen when all these candidates met it?

Would they all get to share the mantle?

Something simply wasn’t adding up; the situation seemed to be spiraling beyond what he could deduce or perceive, in short, out of control.

A term he hated...

Seth frowned; now he stood before two paths...

He could either follow these guys in their actions, go through the gritty pain, and probably clear the trial, or...

He could just make his purchase and leave...

It was a tough choice. Like the oracle had stated, he was the world saint, a bearer of great fortune, and everything on earth would surely work out in his favour.

This revelation from the oracle had shifted his perspective on how he viewed things.

Seth was too greedy for this... what could this sin possibly provide that was worth him trading his life?

The moment he had this thought, his lip curled in contempt, disgust souring his mouth.

Almost like the thought of such an action was beneath him.

He was Seth Duskreaver; with his luck, he could sit and lie around all day and the primordial system would flash him a sale that could resolve his condition.

Though he would have to risk giving the cancerous cells time to spread beyond control, that would still be ten times better than ending up dead if this gamble was wrong.

Seth could stake his life on the line when his back was against the wall, but he still couldn’t bring himself to risk it when there was a clear way out.

His choice couldn’t get any clearer...

He took a deep, strenuous breath, summoned the shop screen, and stared at the item for a good while; at this point he could feel a violent throb growing at the lower back of his skull.

The essence stem was shrinking fast, and his mental faculties were waning faster than when he was ascending the stairs.

His time was ticking, and very soon the last attribute he had access to would be gone; when that happened, his mental processing speed as a peak-stage awakened would be lost.

Seth didn’t waste time; his finger dove for the purchase button...

At the same time, the figures of the 99 others finally made their step onto the next stage.