Chapter 211

Future chapters (15+) at patreon.com/FFAddict. Thank you!

There was no hesitation. After consuming it, Abel decisively chose the second effect: comprehending and understanding a portion of the dark power contained within.

He was confident in his ability to grasp the power of darkness, and certain that he wouldn't come out empty-handed.

As time trickled by.

About an hour later.

Abel finally broke free from the endless abyss of darkness, gasping heavily for air.

The eternal darkness was truly terrifying!

If he hadn't already had a basic understanding of the power of darkness, he might have lost himself in the darkness and completely collapsed.

In such a case, he would have gained nothing and inflicted significant trauma upon his spirit.

Fortunately, the Breath of Darkness was his exclusive skill with a full affinity level.

His affinity for the power of darkness was also extremely high!

In just that short hour, not only did he fully perfect the three sword techniques of Slash Four, Slash Five, and Slash Six, but he also managed to break through to level LV5 of the Breath of Darkness, just one step away from reaching LV6!

Abel was confident that he could make the breakthrough to LV6 in the following period.

This was an enormous and unexpected surprise!

In the following days, Abel didn't receive any missions and naturally enjoyed the leisure time.

He devoted himself to training every day without any slack.

After using all five "One Day Training Cards," all of his skills saw substantial level improvements.

The Shura Aurora Slash was the first to reach LV6, after which he focused on training his other skills, leveling both Magic Card Modification and Garment Burst to LV6!

Only the Infinite Single Slash still remained at LV4, and he hadn't yet used it in actual combat.

Worth mentioning is that upon leveling up the exclusive skill Breath of Darkness to LV6, Abel unexpectedly awakened the marks!

At that moment, Abel's body temperature exceeded 42 degrees Celsius, and his heartbeat surged past 200 beats per minute, his body blazing hot as if about to ignite.

Fortunately, due to his frequent practice of the Kabba Blood-Meditation Secret, he quickly adapted to this anomaly.

Then black patterns emerged on his forehead, looking like a pair of wings,

Resembling the wings of a demon, mysterious and sinister!

He named them "Wings of Darkness."

When the marks fully awakened, Abel felt tremendous changes occurring in his body.

His already robust physical fitness experienced another leap in enhancement, but at the same time, he also felt his life force burning away!

In other words, this empowerment did not come for free; it came at the cost of one's lifespan.

Even without activating the marks regularly, the speed of life burning would not decrease.

This was the reason why those who activate the marks do not live past 25 years old.

If someone older than 25 were to activate the marks, they would not have long to live.

Abel estimated that even if he were to purchase all the remaining lifespan-increasing "Red Hearts" from the system store, he might not live to be 30 years old.

Because the intensity of the enhancement he gained was incomparable to other individuals who had activated the marks.

Fortunately, he had saved the reward from that prayer order.

"Ancestor of Ghosts' Perfect Blood" (Orange)

One-time consumable item

Description: Processed through the neutralizing effects of the blue hydrangea, it is perfect ghost blood without any side effects.Effects: After ingestion, one can choose one of the following three effects to manifest:

1. Permanently increase lifespan by three years.

2. Temporarily gain super-fast regeneration; even if the head and heart are lost, regeneration can still be completed. The more frequent the regeneration, the faster the consumption of blood energy, and the shorter the duration.

3. Completely negate the side effects after awakening the 'Pattern.'

PS: Gyūki Tsujimoto Muzan: "Tell me, where on earth is the Azure Spider Lily?!"

...

Initially, he was uncertain which effect would maximize his benefits, but after awakening the 'Pattern,' there was no longer any hesitation.

He promptly swallowed it and chose the third effect: to completely negate the side effects after awakening the 'Pattern.'

As the perfect blood spread throughout his body, the burning sensation he had felt dissipated instantly.

In its place was a cool, refreshing sensation.

Then Abel discovered that he could now activate or deactivate the 'Pattern' at will without overtaxing his vitality.

Moreover, after activating the 'Pattern,' his Breath of Darkness and all its derived techniques were significantly enhanced.

His strength surged once again!

Abel felt that if he fought the "Sixth of the Upper Moon" again at this moment, it would be a straightforward task. With just an ordinary Sunlight Blade, he could easily defeat him!

Such is the powerful confidence brought about by an increase in strength.

And this confidence further nourished his Conqueror's Haki, a spirit type, not wasting a bit of it.

Abel pondered that to grow his Conqueror's Haki more quickly, he needed to frequently overcome enemies, preferably formidable ones, to cultivate his spirit.

Unbeatable under the heavens, victorious in battle!

With such a spirit, he estimated that his Conqueror's Haki would also reach a peak.

Of course, this peak was still far from his current level, but he could cultivate it gradually.

After careful thought, Abel realized that Doflamingo's defeat to Luffy in the original story, aside from the protagonist's halo, was also predetermined.

If being led by Tsuru in an evasive life of pursuit by the navy could be considered tempering, then the encounter with Kaido amounted to shattering the king-like spirit that Doflamingo had tediously cultivated.

As a result, Doflamingo became a supplier for Kaido, trembling in fear every time that name was mentioned.

When a person with the qualities of a king loses the spirit of indomitability and starts to feel fear, it signifies his position on the edge of elimination in the cruel struggle for kingship.

Eventually, he becomes just an experience point for the protagonist Luffy, losing everything.

Thus, Abel contemplated that if Doflamingo made the same choices in this lifetime; if he 'abandoned' his path as a king and chose to be Kaido's underling.

Then Abel would have no psychological burden in taking his place.

After all, it was Doflamingo who first gave up on himself.

Of course, when that time comes, Abel would ensure a dignified end for him.

For example, buying a picturesque small island, building a castle on it, and letting Doflamingo plant sweet potatoes, pick flowers, bask in the sun, and have afternoon tea when he pleases.

Early retirement seems a far better fate than being sent to the deep-sea prison by the protagonist!

Abel thought he could even contend for the title of one of the "Top Ten Most Inspirational Figures Across the Four Seas."