The Thing

The black paint applied to the skeletons is not simply to indicate that they are models for selling second-hand props; it is also a protective coating that can insulate the skeletons from the effects of the props.

The black skeleton reached under its armpit and pulled out a folded piece of paper from between its bones.

"The Devourer's Hilt"

[Former User]: Bellax. Curse of Flesh*

*A rare member of the evil forces who fought on the front lines, he has already ascended to demonhood. During the last World Invasion, the assassination squad led by Bellax was accidentally exposed during an invasion operation. Even after being exposed, they still managed to kill over a hundred beings from another world before finally dying in battle.

When the individual from another world attempted to retrieve his weapon, he died due to a curse, and the item was eventually abandoned in the wilderness and recycled by the merchant guild.

[Weapon Origin]: This cursed weapon was custom-made by the Hell Merchants Guild, which Belax found early in his ascension journey and spent a large amount of contribution points to have it made.

[Curse]: This hilt is for the exclusive use of Bellax. Although the Merchant Guild has reduced the "holder's awareness" through a ritual, it cannot be completely erased. Once another person holds the hilt, they will immediately be afflicted by the internal curse, and their blood and flesh essence will unknowingly flow into the hilt, ultimately leading to death.

[Discount]: Due to the issue of the curse being carried and the holder's understanding, the selling price is 30% of its cost.

[Restricted Purchase]: Due to the inherent danger and lethality of the hilt, the purchaser must bring the hilt to the Chamber of Commerce's appraisal office. Only if the appraiser determines that the purchaser can wield the hilt and is immune to the curse will the purchase be permitted.

*This guide does not provide instructions on how to use the handle; please explore that on your own.

"Hmm? The weapon used by the Mischief Ascendant, and it was custom-made at a high price when it came to the Merchant Guild back then... a weapon that is biased towards killing. Let's give it a try."

But just as Luo Di reached out, the skeleton, eager to leave work, suddenly withdrew his hand, his skull displaying a look of astonishment:

"Kid, I was just kidding. You really want to try?"

This is a weapon for those who have ascended to demonhood, yet you haven't even achieved that.

Besides, you look really weird. I don't want to serve you, this strange creature, at tonight's Chamber of Commerce dinner. Just looking at you makes me want to throw up... Uh~ I forgot I don't have a stomach or esophagus, so how am I supposed to vomit? It's really disheartening.

In short, I strongly advise you not to try this; if you die, it will only add extra workload for us.

Luo Di countered, "It seems there are no class requirements for buyers?"

"No, there isn't."

"Then let me give it a try. If I die, I'll just have to apologize."

The skeleton had no right to refuse a guest, and seeing the strange-looking young man's persistence, the skeleton slowly stretched out its arm again.

The skeleton kindly advised, "Try touching it with your finger first. If it doesn't have much of an effect, then we can proceed to the next step."

Luo Di's gaze, which had been engaged in normal conversation, suddenly changed as he stared at the skull in front of him. "No... this thing can't be touched with a single finger. It must be grasped in a normal way, otherwise it would be very disrespectful to what's inside."

The black skeleton seemed to be intimidated by Luo Di's sudden change in aura and words, and took the initiative to open his skeletal hand, presenting the cursed hilt.

Agatha stood behind him the whole time, without interrupting and trusting Luo Di's choice. Even if there was real danger, she would immediately separate Luo Di from the hilt of the knife.

Whew~ Take a deep breath.

Even after reading the description of the hilt, feeling the curse hidden under the mottled cloth strips, and hearing the warnings from the merchant guild members, Luo Di was still somewhat nervous.

But he didn't hesitate much. His intuition told him that the hilt of the knife in front of him was the best prop for this business meeting, and once he missed it, he would never find it again.

Snap!

The Torture Chamber Left Arm was not used.

Instead, it extends the human right arm.

Take a firm grip.

The feel is not much different from ordinary knife handles wrapped in canvas strips; underneath the strips is something very hard.

The next second, Luo Di felt something was wrong. He felt his hand being sucked onto the hilt of the knife, and it seemed as if something was sucking at his flesh from under the strip of cloth.

Tap! The tongue in his mouth also made a sudden tapping sound, indicating danger and urging him to let go.

Luo Di's will did not stop, and he continued to hold on tightly.

Um?

I had only been holding the knife handle for a short time,

Luo Di discovered that his strong right arm, which he used to train with push-ups every day and had defeated many powerful opponents, had become skin and bones and withered.

The nutrients inside seem to have been completely drained, and even the bone mass is being lost rapidly.

This curse will soon take effect on his body, and he will soon become a dried-up corpse.

The curse has been activated.

The hilt of the knife is devouring its wielder, and it has a huge appetite, capable of completely consuming the person.

"If you like eating meat so much, try this."

Pituitary activation.

Suddenly, a bunch of tentacles swarmed onto Luo Di's right arm, stretching the shriveled skin until it looked nothing like a human arm.

As the arm was filled, the hilt began to suck indiscriminately. Clearly, the hilt itself did not possess "intelligence," and it would suck in any substance it was cursing.

When the hilt swallowed these gray tentacles, the pale yellow cloth on the hilt was directly stained, and the blood-stained Curse Seal engraved on it was also stained gray and completely rendered ineffective.

As for the thing wrapped under the cloth strips, it seemed to have fallen into a state of chaos, no longer consuming any external objects, and its essence seemed to be undergoing some kind of change.

Luo Di also noticed this change, and realized that he might be able to use it to make the hilt of the knife his own. Of course, he wouldn't let such an opportunity pass him by.

"Don't you like it? Eat more."

With the knife handle in disarray and no longer feeding, Luo Di continued to manipulate the tentacles, burrowing into it and forcibly feeding it.

The chaos intensified.

After using the pituitary gland for so long, and having experienced this True Hell, Luo Di has roughly figured out the nature of the pituitary gland, or rather, the corner.

Fear is the root cause.

Disguise, adaptation, and assimilation are merely appearances.

Luo Di's Moon Pituitary Gland can even integrate the Hell System, so why can't the hilt of the knife in front of him be integrated? It is precisely because of this that Luo Di chose to wield such a dangerous cursed artifact.

The tentacles were being forcibly fed in an endless stream, and it must be said that the hilt had a truly enormous appetite.

Just as Luo Di felt his pituitary gland was about to be drained,

Crackling sound~ An anomaly has occurred!

The hilt of the knife, which had lost its owner and had not been fed for a long time, was finally fully fed, and something seemed to be wriggling and growing at the tip.

The Hell Merchants Guild's finished product sales area will never display incomplete or damaged items.

This weapon was designed this way.

Its blade structure is not normally present; when needed, it requires being nourished by its own flesh and blood. The handle will then construct a corresponding blade based on the substance it ingests.

Whoosh!

Juice splashed,

A gray fog swirled around.

An incredibly bizarre structure, one that even the Chamber of Commerce had never seen before, grew out from the top of the hilt.

A large number of onlookers had already gathered around, and when they saw the structure, they all showed some discomfort, and some even instinctively stepped back.

Even Luo Di looked troubled when he saw such a structure.

"Is this... indigestion?"

Various gray tentacles, haphazardly pieced together and glued together, along with the Muscle Tissue of Luo Di's right hand and his five fingers, were mixed in, barely forming the shape of a knife.

Grayish slime dripped continuously from between the tentacles.

The five fingers also sway under the influence of nerves, and can even snap their fingers or tickle the blade.

It kept making a screeching sound that caused physical discomfort.