Orochimaru remained utterly unmoved by the soul's harrowing cries. He leaned closer to the sealed bottle, his expression one of pure, detached scientific curiosity. The closer he got, the more intensely he could feel the soul's sheer, unadulterated torment.
"What possible application does this possess?" Orochimaru asked, his voice smooth and interested.
"It is highly useful," Shen Mo explained. "Should you pursue the path of a Mage, these tormented spirits are necessary catalysts for certain forms of Sorcery. You can even refine them into powerful Ghost Beasts—far superior in quality to spontaneously generated spirits."
The Necromancer Series prize pool was heavily focused on materials for dark ritual and forbidden research. To the untrained eye, these items offered no direct, immediate increase in combat strength.
But Orochimaru was not untrained. He instantly grasped the profound, systemic value.
Overjoyed, Orochimaru carefully handed the bottle to Kabuto Yakushi. "Guard this closely, Kabuto; it is a remarkably valuable material."
"Understood." Kabuto nodded, lifting the bottle carefully.
He marveled at the technique: spirits, entities deemed untouchable by ordinary means, were bottled like simple reagents. To someone who studied the soul, the power implied by this containment method was instantly terrifying.
"You should still exercise caution," Shen Mo warned, addressing Kabuto directly. "Should the bottle break and the spirit latch onto you, you may experience its agony firsthand. It is one of the favored torture methods of Necromancers."
Kabuto Yakushi involuntarily shivered, despite his scientific curiosity. The sound of the wailing soul was enough to chill him to the bone.
"Fear is merely born from a lack of understanding and the inability to control the unknown, cough cough," Orochimaru declared, noticing Kabuto's apprehension. He coughed twice, then continued with absolute confidence. "Such materials are akin to forbidden Ninjutsu. Those without the talent die trying to master them, but those with the talent gain immense power. If you feel fear, Kabuto, then strive harder to master the source of that fear."
Orochimaru's words were laced with conviction. He spoke with the absolute certainty of a genius.
"Yes! Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto Yakushi brightened immediately.
Orochimaru's reassurance signaled that he was not going to be excluded from the research into these revolutionary, extra-dimensional materials.
Even Shen Mo had to acknowledge Orochimaru's effective leadership and dedication to fostering his subordinates' growth.
"Let us continue," Orochimaru commanded, his gaze returning to the remaining Jars.
If the very first Tier Two Jar yielded such profound material, what terrifying power awaited him in the five hundred ahead, let alone a possible Tier Three or Four?
As the opening process continued, Orochimaru quickly understood the tenfold price increase for the Tier Two Jars. Excluding the occasional low-value item like a "Wandering Spirit," every piece of material possessed far greater potency than anything in the Tier One pool.
A single drop of blood radiated chilling, chaotic energy; a piece of bone was covered in ugly, swirling runes; and seemingly dead flesh twitched endlessly with unlife. The information orbs were becoming even more sinister: powerful curses, spiritual cultivation techniques, complex evil rituals, and horrifying research methods.
Orochimaru was utterly immersed. The secrets of life and death unfolded before him, presenting countless avenues to unimaginable power. With every piece of knowledge, his past achievements shrank into insignificance.
But Shen Mo's subtle expression tightened.
Something is wrong.
He sensed a slow, inexorable black shadow coalescing within Orochimaru's sea of consciousness. Orochimaru's soul signature had always been a neutral gray, signifying either intermediate order or chaos.
But now, it was deepening, becoming colder and utterly dark.
Why?
Shen Mo quickly ran a custom diagnostic scan, using a few transaction points for a specific inquiry into Orochimaru's mental state.
The feedback was stark:
[Critically wounded and near death, the subject is experiencing accelerated recall of numerous evil, consciousness-damaging experimental memories. Under this dual stress, the mind is being rapidly corrupted by the cold, ruthless aspects of the Necromancer legacy. The subject is internalizing the acquired evil power as confirmation of his life's true path.]
Shen Mo reviewed the analysis. The Necromancer legacy, while offering immense power, carried an inherent mental malignancy. Orochimaru's severe injuries and mental instability had made him highly susceptible. He was rapidly sinking into an abyss, potentially becoming a true avatar of evil.
Should I intervene? Shen Mo hesitated.
At that critical moment, Orochimaru opened the 232nd Jar.
A sickening odor erupted, instantly accompanied by the sound of whispering demons in his mind. All physical warmth seemed to drain rapidly from the air, replaced by an overwhelming, chaotic coldness.
"Mordigian's Aura!"
Orochimaru's excitement surged to a fever pitch, a strange, unnatural flush appearing on his pale face. The recent knowledge orb he had acquired contained explicit information about the source of this power.
He could not be mistaken.
Mordigian!
The terrifying, sinister deity—the King of the Goblins, leader of all ghastly entities, one of the Great Ancient Beings. The signature effect of his presence was the draining of all heat. He granted unparalleled, forbidden power to his devout followers.
Orochimaru entirely disregarded his critical physical state. He plunged his hand into the Jar.
This rash, forceful move startled Kabuto Yakushi. Both the Sannin and his assistant possessed keen intuition, and they both sensed a profound, unholy shift in Orochimaru's demeanor.
Orochimaru pulled out a bizarre, crimson armband covered in cryptic, eerie patterns and three unnerving, eye-like slits.
Shen Mo raised an eyebrow.
A Grand Prize.
The Mordigian's Armband was a powerful artifact, easily comparable in value and influence to the Tier Three Kempfa's Amulet that Tsunade had pulled.
Orochimaru was mesmerized. A powerful, unholy desire bloomed within him. He felt as if wearing the armband would instantly grant him everything he had ever chased: absolute power and total, irreversible immortality.
"Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto Yakushi warned, staring at the armband, instinctively recoiling from its palpable demonic influence. He was still lucid enough to recognize the terrifying nature of the object.
But as he spoke, Orochimaru swiftly pinned the crimson armband onto his newly regenerated arm.
He knows Mordigian. This being will grant him eternal life!