LRAB Page 141
Page 141
"Not entirely!" Zhou Ye immediately denied, feeling sweat beading on his forehead.
"The Ring of Doran... well, it's just a beginner's work, or rather, a... well, a trial project!"
Zhou Ye, quick-witted, came up with a new concept.
"My true goal is to create a [Ring of Destruction] tailor-made for Rias!"
"The Ring of Destruction?"
Rias was indeed drawn to the name; she tilted her head, her long red hair swaying slightly.
Zhu Nai raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised.
"Yes, the Ring of Destruction!"
Zhou Ye said with certainty.
"That is the true artifact that can perfectly complement Gremory's destructive magic! It can greatly amplify the destructive power of destructive magic, and may even lead to new applications!"
He became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, as if the Ring of Destruction had already taken shape in his hands.
"However, the materials required to craft the Ring of Destruction are very special and precious."
Zhou Ye changed the subject, his expression turning serious.
"The most crucial element is Rias herself, at least ten drops of her own blood essence. Moreover, it requires a high-quality natural ruby as a carrier, preferably a pigeon blood red."
"Think about it, I'm an outsider who has only known you for a short time. I rashly asked Rias for your essence blood and such a precious gem. Wouldn't you think I have ulterior motives? Wouldn't you think I'm some kind of pervert? Or an enemy with ulterior motives?"
Zhou Ye spread his hands, looking like he was in a difficult position.
"So, I made this [Ring of Doran] first to test the waters. Firstly, to examine my crafting ideas and techniques, and secondly, to produce some results so that you would trust me and understand that I genuinely want to help you."
"Huh? This is a trial run?"
Rias's initial anticipation and excitement about the "Ring of Destruction" was immediately dampened upon hearing the words "trial run."
She looked down at the deep blue Doran's Ring on her finger. Just now, she thought it had a restrained brilliance and was full of mysterious power, but now it looked a bit...cheap?
My initially pleasant mood suddenly soured.
It's supposed to be a divine artifact-level item, right? How come it's just a trial run?
Seeing Rias's slightly dissatisfied and aggrieved expression, Zhou Ye immediately retorted confidently:
"Hey, Rias, what's with that expression?"
"Even as a trial piece, the [Ring of Doran] is far more effective than ordinary magical items, even surpassing many so-called divine artifacts! You should be able to sense that, right?"
"It's much better than having your fingers completely bare, right? At least it can give you real help in battle!"
"Besides, once is enough, twice is inevitable. Now that the Ring of Doran has been successful, wouldn't the creation of the Ring of Destruction be even more certain? The rest of the equipment will follow soon!"
Zhou Ye patted his chest and made a promise, trying to salvage Rias's disappointed mood.
Zhu Nai's icy expression seemed to melt a little as she listened to Zhou Ye's "reasonable" explanation.
She and Rias exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of relief in each other's eyes.
Indeed, the creation of powerful magical items is not something that can be accomplished overnight.
Especially for equipment tailored to individual characteristics, the maker needs to have a sufficient understanding of the user.
Zhou Ye's explanation, though it sounds somewhat impromptu, is logically plausible.
Moreover, if what he said is true, there will be even more powerful [Ring of Destruction] and other set pieces in the future, then it is indeed something to look forward to.
"Alright, I'll believe your explanation for now." Zhu Nai gave a soft hum, her tone softening considerably. "What about mine? What are my plans for my lightning-type set?"
She was still somewhat bothered by it.
“Of course!” Zhou Ye replied immediately. “Zhu Nai, if your lightning power can be combined with special amplification and guidance equipment, its power can definitely be raised to another level. For example, you could consider making a pair of Thunder Gloves, or a Thunder God Robe that can store lightning power.”
He was just making things up; anyone can draw a pie in the sky.
Rias's mood calmed down considerably, and she nodded:
"That's certainly true of weapon and equipment manufacturing. Once you start, the subsequent improvements and upgrades will follow."
She looked at Zhou Ye, her eyes filled with trust and expectation once again.
"Ye, I believe in you."
Then, she changed the subject and her expression became serious.
"Ye, answer me honestly, my childhood sweetheart, no, my ally."
Rias took a deep breath and asked solemnly, "The spatial abilities you displayed earlier, and the methods you used to create these magical items... did you obtain the God Destroyer Gear?"
She had actually wanted to ask this question a long time ago.
The abilities Zhou Ye has demonstrated far exceed the scope of an ordinary human or a low-level demon.
The concept of the "House of Time and Spirit" is particularly impressive; it's a power that only a god could possess.
The atmosphere in the activity room became heavy again.
Nami and Saeko Busujima also looked at Zhou Ye, clearly equally curious about the question.
Zhou Ye remained silent for a moment.
The matter concerning the core of the Herrscher is too complicated to explain, and it also involves his greatest secret—the system.
But Rias's eyes were full of sincerity at that moment; she was seeking an answer, an answer concerning trust and cooperation for the future.
"Yes."
Zhou Ye nodded slowly, giving an affirmative answer.
"I do possess power similar to the God Destroyer Gear."
He paused, then spoke in a calm yet strangely authoritative tone:
Its name can be called—[The End].
Zhou Ye wasn't entirely lying about this. The cores of the Herrscher of Reason and the Herrscher of Void within him ultimately point to the Herrscher of the End, who controls the end and rebirth of all things.
He was simply a little ahead of schedule, or rather, he embarked on a path leading to the "end".
Rias and Akeno's pupils contracted sharply upon hearing this.
The End!
The name alone instilled in them an indescribable sense of heaviness and power.
Chapter 107 Giving Rias a pep talk
The End!
These two words struck Rias and Akeno's hearts like an invisible hammer. The heaviness and ominousness emanating from their names alone made them gasp for breath.
Rias's long, red hair moved without wind, her beautiful face filled with astonishment and uncertainty. "【The End】?" she repeated, her brow furrowed. "Akino, I remember in all the known information on God Destroyers, it seems... no, it's definitely not that name!"
As the next head of the Gremory family, her knowledge of divine artifacts far surpasses that of ordinary people. She knows those renowned divine artifacts, such as the Crimson Dragon Emperor's Gauntlets, the White Dragon Emperor's Wings of Light, the Black Blade Dog God, and the Twilight Holy Lance, by heart.
But the "end"? Unheard of!
Akane's purple eyes were also filled with shock. She gently shook her head: "Rias, there is indeed no such record. None of the thirteen Divine Gears, as well as those subspecies and independently manifested powerful artifacts, have an existence called [End]."
She paused, looked at Zhou Ye, her tone carrying a hint of uncertainty and inquiry:
"Ye, could it be... that this is a newly awakened, yet unrecorded, God-Destroying Tool?"
Zhou Ye smiled inwardly.
A new awakening? More or less.
Unless the one in the Bible personally steps in to expose this falsehood, and says it's something God will destroy, who can stand up and say no?
His face, however, remained calm and inscrutable: "That's one way to understand it."
Rias looked at Zhou Ye's calm expression, but the turmoil in her heart was hard to quell. A God-Slaying Gear! Each one possessed terrifying power enough to overturn the balance of the world! And Zhou Ye actually possessed a brand new God-Slaying Gear, whose very name exuded an aura of ending everything!
Suddenly, she thought of something, and a deep sense of disappointment and regret appeared on her beautiful face. Her gaze towards Zhou Ye became complicated.
"Pity……"
Rias sighed softly, her voice filled with undisguised disappointment, "Ye, why aren't you my familiar?"
"If you were my subordinate, possessing power at the level of [End], then that bastard Riser Phoenix... Hmph, in the ranking game, I could absolutely beat him so badly that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him!"
She became more and more agitated as she spoke, as if she could already see the scene of trampling Riesel under her feet.
Nami, listening nearby, had her eyes light up and whistled:
"Wow! Rias is awesome! Boss, did you hear that? If you become a familiar, you can help Rias get revenge for this!"
Zhou Ye glanced at Nami; this girl really loved to stir up trouble.
He turned to Rias, his expression a half-smile:
"Heh, Rias, you're thinking too simply."
Rias was taken aback:
"What do you mean?"
"If I truly become your kin, and help you defeat Riser with the [End],"
Zhou Ye's tone was somewhat playful, yet incisive.
"That would only cause more trouble."
"What will the demon nobles of the entire underworld say about you then? They will say that Lady Rias of the Gremory family only managed to defeat the Phoenix family's phoenix by relying on her familiar's unheard-of God Destroyer Gear, 'The End'."
Zhou Ye emphasized his words, each one striking Rias's heart:
“They’ll say that you, Rias Gremory, didn’t win fair and square, but relied on external forces, on a powerful, unfairly strong familiar!”
"Where is your own strength? Where is your destructive magic? Where is the honor of the Gremory family?"
Zhou Ye asked a series of questions, his voice not loud, but they struck like heavy hammer blows.
"Do you think you, with your proud personality, can accept this kind of evaluation?"