Chapter 120 CH 116: QLIPHOTH

After dealing with those monstrosities that seemed to be endless, the quest updated on its own with the book manifesting before him and telling him about the changes in the ordeal.

� Epic Ordeal: Black Knight

Description: A crazy lunatic is about to summon a Demon King. Be part of the Chaos.

Reward: +10000 Karma || 1 Free Pass to the Silver section of the Library.

Notice: For every person you kill, you will receive an additional 20 Karma.

Mission: 110/495 �[1]

Adam's hand trembled slightly at the sight of the updated ordeal that was presented in front of his eyes. 110 people who should have been living a beautiful life and had come to the park with their loved ones in order to have fun and spend the day in leisure and laughter were now lost forever due to his intervention.

If he had to be honest, the only thing Adam wished right now was that he could simply close his eyes and forget about this whole ordeal forever. But he knew that he couldn't do that, he couldn't run away from his reality. Playing the ostrich was never the solution and it eventually backfired without a single miss. Escapism was never the answer to any question.

"You do know that those people were already dead, right?"

"I know."

Adam's voice was curt and to the point. He stopped himself and his agitation and took a deep breath before replying in a softer tone, "Sorry, and thank you for trying to lessen my guilt."

It didn't matter that Lilith was a devil. Adam decided that he should never let his emotions be the reason for him to lash out at people who were actually trying to help him.

--Even if said person just happened to be a powerful devil or human or whatever who most likely did far worse things in their lifetime.

'Sigh.'

Adam took another deep breath. Even though the odor of blood and flesh as well as the detestable, sulfur induced, odor of hell was still lingering in his nose, he knew that he had to breathe deeply and relax his mind. He had to ready himself for his future opponents.

Adam knew that he was about to face someone who was crazy enough to make a ritual that implicated hundreds of people. Perhaps that person even had a team with him to stop anyone from disturbing the ritual.

There was also the fact that there was someone like Lilith behind him. He didn't know how much she could be actually trusted and he didn't know if helping her become stronger would actually be a good idea in the long run. Thinking clearly, there were really many things he was unaware or unsure about. And that thought frustrated him to no end. But there was only one thing he cared about at this moment.

"Sae... Is she... Is she alright?"

"She is perfectly safe. Don't worry about her. I have promised you, didn't I?"

She was indeed safe and sound. But her being alright was not really the most accurate way to describe her condition. Not that Lilith would say this to Adam right now. The longer she stayed in this body, the stronger Sae would become. But there were clear limits to artificially stretching the capability of the soul and body like this.

Like how lifting a weight too heavy might cause one to pull a muscle or two or even have a snapped tendon. Sae was soon approaching the limit.

Because of this, she had to actively keep Sae conscious and active in her sub-conscientious mind. This meant that the poor girl had a front-row seat in witnessing firsthand the horror of the supernatural world and the brutality of her friend and lover.

'Well. This is good for her.'

Lilith's children and descendants were basically her legions of Hell. Obviously, the training and upbringing they received were very strict.

"Though we should accelerate if you don't want to face a Prince of Hell in your current state of power. It will only lead to your death if you were to do something like that."

Lilith shrugged, "Let me be clear. If this mission of stopping the ritual is a failure I will immediately leave. Fighting Asmodeus with such a weak body would only mean losing some of my Authority or even a part of my being. Can't have that now, can we?"

"...Why do you want this authority?"

"Because it was mine in the first place."

Lilith sneered. Saying this expression on Sae's face made for a certain dissonance would be saying it too lightly. And this fact disturbed Adam deeply.

He turned around and continued to walk with Sae. The more they approached their goal, the more the world seemed to have changed.

At a certain point, they were not in a place filled with concrete anymore, but well and truly in what looked to be another dimension.

Crimson grotesque walls appeared all around them, giving the impression that they were made out of wiggling flesh, still bleeding.

The walls were filled with festering wounds, showing a disgusting yellow color of pus and rotten flesh, filling the corridor with the nauseous odor of death and decay.

Adam could already feel his strength slowly leaving him as hazy thoughts continued to fill his mind,

'I want to...'

He looked at Sae (Lilith). He knew her body more intimately than anyone else. There was nearly no place he had not covered with his juices and now, she was possessed by Lilith.

How could would it feel to have --

"Ugh..."

Adam shook his head to shush those delirious imaginations. Those intrusive thoughts were becoming harder to repress.

"Heh. We can have sex as much as you want later. But now, let's deal with this problem."

She was the incarnation of Lust created by the True Lilith. For her, Lust was something as natural as eating. A need that needed to be satiated when possible.

Adam ignored the enticing words that Lilith was trying to enamor him with and focused on keeping his mind open and free from the restraints of lust...

"This is the 2nd Hell. Where Lust is the ruling authority. I am surprised a human like you managed to suppress those things. Then again, with your lineage, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised."

Lilith grinned, a myth was being reenacted in front of her and she found it quite interesting.

Like how Cain fought a horde of demons blocking his path toward the circles of hell, Adam was now doing the same.

In the end, Adam was able to completely suppress those thoughts and the two were able to continue until one stopped in front of a giant door on which what looked like an inverted tree was carved on it. [1]

A complicated expression flashed through Lilth's mind when she gazed at the door. Eleven name carved in blood and right there, just below the name at the top -- was a name that had been erased.

"We finally reached our destination."

Her expression of loss vanished and she steeled herself for what was to come. All her existence had been a long battle for herself.

She had lost what was once hers. It was time to recuperate it.

When Sol touched the door, for an instant he felt something flash in his mind but it went so fast it was hard to pinpoint exactly what happened.

Then the door finally opened wide --Showing Adam that horror came in all forms and shape.

[1]: I realized I made a weird mistake in the last chapter with Black Knight Ordeals. The Black Knight quest should have been [O/495] at the start since he gains points for everyone he kills. Anyway I edited but don't hesitate to warn me if I made a mistake somewhere

[2]: The Spehirotic tree, or Kabbalah, or tree of life, and the Qliphoth, or Tree of death are used in many modern adaptations. The most popular (in my knowledge) are Evangelion and Full Metal Alchemist, Fate, Black clover as well as Lord of Mysteries. There is also satan 666 made by the brother of Naruto's author, Seishi Kishimoto. Loved that manga but this one didn't become popular sadly.

The normal Sephiroth introduces the 10 (or 11) powerful treasures toward the path of evolution. Beginning with Keter also known as [The Crown] and ending with Malkhut, also known as [The Kingdom]. It's interesting how This Philosophy of the 11 Spheres is similar to the Philosophy of the 12 main Chakra.

In the Myth, Lilith's position in Qliphoth is equivalent to Da'at the 11th Sphere in Kabbalah also considered as Inexistant by some as they considered Da'at to be a part of Keter. Lilith also has an awkward position in Qliphoth since she is the Queen of hell but she is the only human turned devil, while the others are Angels turned Devils. She refused to serve Adam and rebelled only to end up serving Samael (Satan; Belial. Same name) as his wife. Quit ironic don't you think?