Chapter 56 – The Laws of Hunger.

The gloom of the second-floor oak office in the Bastion seemed to swallow the afternoon light streaming through the window.

Diana remained seated in the leather armchair, arms resting on the mahogany desk, her dark eyes locked onto the floating window glowing before her face.

“System.” Diana broke the silence with a cold, demanding voice. “I want a complete, straightforward report on my hidden Sin skills. How they work, what the extraction rules are, and whether all other Candidates possess similar anomalies.”

The floating interface crackled in midair.

The screen's common golden color dissolved into a thick mist of molten black gold. Ancient arcane runes, shaped like claws and broken scales, slithered around the window borders, and the voice resonating in Diana's mind shed its light assistant tone, adopting the ancestral solemnity of the entity that had ruled the Fourth Circle for ages.

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[SYSTEM: ANCESTRAL REVELATION PROTOCOL ACTIVATED]

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—You finally decided to ask the right questions, Diana.

The System's voice echoed directly in the center of her soul, deep and crystal clear.

—Most mortals who arrive in Hell believe that the System is a blind machine of numbers and stats. But to the Sovereigns of the Seven Circles… the System is merely the language translating the universe's primal nature.

“Start with the other Candidates.” Diana ordered, leaning back in the armchair. “Cassian, Malakor… do all of them awaken hidden skills like mine?”

—Yes and no.

The System explained, the screen displaying geometric representations of seven distinctively colored flames.

—Every being inheriting a Fragment of a Deadly Sin receives anomalies that violate standard System rules. However, how those anomalies manifest depends on two absolute variables:

1. The Concept of the Sin:The cosmic law governing that Throne.
2. The Mortal's Soul:The psychology and innate vice the soul carried when alive.

***

—Candidates for Lust, like Cassian, the System continued, awaken anomalies tied to fascination, desire manipulation, and vitality absorption through direct contact. Their soul distorts reality to make everything around them dependent on their presence.

—Candidates for Wrath, down in the Seventh Circle, awaken anomalies that convert physical damage suffered into pure Strength and break the biological limits of the mortal body when entering a blood frenzy.

—And Candidates for Greed… The System's voice took on a dense, almost predatory tone. …like you and the deceased Malakor, awaken anomalies governed by a single absolute truth:Possession, Extraction, and Accumulation.

Diana touched the chest of her dragon chestplate, feeling the soft vibration of the Fragment deep in her heart.

“Explain my five hidden skills.” Diana said. “One by one.”

The black-gold interface reorganized the text lines, detailing the deep mechanics of each of the girl's spiritual traits:

***

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1. [Resource Distortion (Absolute Hunger)]

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—This is the foundation of your primary anomaly, Diana.

The System explained.

—The Sin of Greed accepts no waste. While an ordinary hunter defeats a monster and receives only the loot that the physical carcass offers, your presence forces reality to yield every last drop of value existing in the target's soul.

—That is why you gain a constant twenty percent more experience and thirty percent higher drop rate on rare items.

“And the permanent theft of attribute points?” Diana inquired, recalling the Luck point torn from Vex, the Intelligence stolen from Lord Vane, and the Luck absorbed from Malakor's corpse.

—The theft of attributes is the cruelest manifestation of Absolute Hunger.

The System detailed.

—It cannot be forced through simple damage. It is triggered only under two strict conditions:

1. Death of a Sin Rival:Upon assassinating another Candidate, the devoured Fragment permanently transfers a fraction of the rival's stats into your vessel.
2. Absolute Terror and Submission: When a living being enters primal panic and psychologically surrenders its existence before your authority, their soul 'yields' a fraction of its essence to appease your hunger.

—You don't need to spend mana to steal those points. The target yields their own essence because their spirit was subjugated by your sovereignty.

Diana nodded slowly. The logic made sense. Vane hadn't lost an Intelligence point because he was physically attacked, but because his mind was crushed in dread on his throne.

***

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2. [Possessor's Aura (Subordinate Influence)]

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“And what about Possessor's Aura?” Diana asked. “Why do Rhea, Kael, and Aurelia-Elysia evolve thirty percent faster at my side?”

The interface displayed the profiles of the three faction members connected to Diana's soul by invisible golden threads.

—Because in the depths of your mind, Diana… you consider those three to be your greatest treasure.

The System's response made Diana blink, surprised.

—A true master of Greed does not accumulate merely gold stones and iron swords.

The System explained in a soft tone.

—A sovereign of Greed accumulates talent, armies, and loyal companions. And the fundamental rule of Greed regarding its own possessions is clear:what is mine cannot be weak. What is mine must be polished until it becomes the brightest jewel in the world.

—Your soul perceives the squad as your most precious property. Therefore, your mana nourishes their growth, boosting experience gain by fifteen percent and practical learning speed by thirty percent.

Diana looked at the mahogany desk in silence.

She had tried to justify caring for the group for months using mathematical excuses of 'asset management' and 'operational efficiency'. But the cosmic truth of her own soul was much simpler: she refused to let anyone walking by her side be broken or left behind.

***

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3. [Servitude Resistance (The Soul Does Not Bow)]

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—This is your absolute immunity.

The System declared firmly.

—The Sin of Greed exists to possess the universe, it can never be possessed by another. Be it a magic slavery collar from the First Circle, an archmage's mind control spell, or even the hypnotic seduction of a Level 100 Candidate for Lust… nothing can bend your willpower.

—If someone attempts to force a submission pact on your soul, the attacker's spell simply ricochets and explodes. Your mind belongs only to you.

***

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4. [Aura of the Sovereign of Greed] & [Vision of Hidden Treasure]

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“And the Sovereign's Aura that almost killed me with magic fever?” Diana touched her temple.

—The Sovereign's Aura is the direct projection of a Sin Lord's authority.

The System answered.

—Currently, with your body at Level 30, your vessel withstands only fifteen percent continuous output. However, when you reach Level 50 and cross the border to the Third Circle, this skill will undergo a metamorphosis.

“What kind of metamorphosis?”

—It will become a [Sin Domain]. A magical territory where you can dictate the laws of exchange, drain the mana of all enemies present, and paralyze anyone with a Level lower than yours.

—As for [Vision of Hidden Treasure], which you tore from Malakor's carcass, it is your ultimate radar. It detects secret rooms, hidden passages, and rare ore veins within a thirty-meter radius.

***

Diana absorbed every detail, organizing the information in her mind with the precision of her 115 Intelligence points.

She understood now the chessboard she was playing on.

“And what happens when I reach Level 50?” Diana asked. “Besides crossing the portal?”

The black-gold interface glowed with a serious, almost solemn tone.

—Sin Resonance.

The System warned.

—Here in the First and Second Circles, you are merely a hidden spark. But when you cross into the Third Circle at Level 50, the Fragment of Greed inside your chest will ignite like a beacon in the dark.

—The other Candidates for Greed who are hunting in the Fourth Circle will sense your ascension. You will cease to be an anonymous hunter and become an official target in the grand Succession War.

Diana stared at the screen.

She felt no fear. She felt not the slightest tremor in her hands.

A slow, sharp, predatory, infinitely ravenous smile illuminated Diana's face in the dark office.

“Let them sense my presence.” Diana said, her voice echoing crisp through the room. “It will save me the trouble of hunting them down one by one to rip their fragments out.”

—I knew you'd say that. The System let out a low, satisfied laugh.

***

At that moment, the cheerful sound of footsteps and laughter echoed from the Bastion's lower floor.

The courtyard's iron gate opened with a familiar creak.

Diana heard Kael's voice complaining about the weight of shopping boxes, Aurelia-Elysia's sweet laugh scolding the vanguard, and Rhea's light, fast footsteps ascending the manor stairs toward the office.

Knock-knock.

The office door opened slowly, revealing Rhea holding a cardboard box tied with satin ribbon and two cups of iced juice, her silver ears perked up with an affectionate smile.

“Diana!” Rhea entered, placing the box on the mahogany desk. “We brought the fruit pies from the new bakery! Kael bought stuffed rolls and Aurelia bought fabrics for the living room!”

Diana closed the System interface with a gentle wave of her fingers, looking at the wolf girl who stared back at her with eyes full of warmth and loyalty.

Diana looked at the box of pies, then at her scout, and smiled with serenity.

“Bring the plates, Rhea.” Diana said, her voice welcoming. “Let's eat on the balcony.”

With the secrets of her soul unraveling, Level 30 conquered, and her squad stronger than ever, Diana was ready to initiate the final phase of conquering the Second Circle of Hell.

Final Notes:

More info about the candidate for sins and this whole system!