"Inlay the Eye of Barol!"
Tom carefully guided the ruby, slightly larger than his palm, towards the gold-embroidered silver chain. He expected resistance, some kind of magical repulsion, but there was none. The Eye of Barol accepted any power capable of sustaining it, be it divine or… something else. That was ideal. Tom could fuel it with his magic, reducing its reliance on the Mirror of Bastet's dwindling divine energy and fairy mithril. Even with my power, wielding this artifact will be a challenge.
...
Time slipped away as the final touches were applied. Customarily, the birth of such a creation should herald itself with a grand display, but the newly forged artifact remained stubbornly silent, its meager power reserves barely enough to warrant recognition.
"..."
Sensing its… emotions, Tom paused, then nonchalantly shrunk the colossal creation to the size of a bracelet. He fastened it to his left wrist. The once imposing gold and silver chain became a delicate band, while the palm-sized Eye of Barol transformed into a ruby gem, no larger than a marble. Aesthetically pleasing, at the very least. It was a novel creation, born from a whim, a true success beyond all expectations.
[Accessory: Gaze of Death]
[Quality: ???]
[Function 1: Consumes 30% of magical power to inflict devastating damage upon a designated living or non-living being within the range of the magic eye!]
(Ancient Magic Rune: Thanatos' Gaze detected. Synergizes with this function.)
[Function 2: Consumes 50% of magical power to enhance all attributes and spell power of all allies within the magic perception range by 100%. The accessory holder receives a 300% enhancement.]
[Function 3: Consumes nearly 90% of magical power to open a unique "Blood Moon Slaughter" space belonging exclusively to the holder. Within this space, the holder wields absolute control. All creatures brought into this space have their powers sealed, and only beings of equal divine power can resist.]
[Description: Even gods shall fall before me!]
Its quality surpasses even 'Mythical!' Its attributes practically screamed, 'I'm broken! This is cheating!' Even the first ability alone, Tom thought, could potentially devastate even divine beings. Combined with Thanatos' Gaze—the convergence of a god of evil and the god of death—he could obliterate most gods instantaneously! The Mirror of Bastet must have enhanced the second ability; a truly remarkable buff. A 100% increase to all allies' attributes, and a 300% increase for himself? In terms of pure stats, I could rival even the most potent gods. The only true difference between the "God of Magic" and an actual god was divine authority. While that granted significant stat boosts, its most crucial aspect was the power of 'authority' itself. But a 300% increase could compensate for the stat discrepancy, even surpassing it in certain aspects. Of course, those exceptionally overpowered gods were excluded, considering the inherent disparities between divine ranks. But the most significant aspect of this second ability was that it was a group buff. Truly, utterly unfair!
And the third ability… what more could one call this but cheating? Complete control over space, akin to creative mode in a sandbox game, with additional debuffs for any unfortunate souls trapped within! Coupled with an anti-magic field, how could anyone even hope to compete? While the nearly 90% mana consumption was prohibitive, the sheer devastation it unleashed more than compensated. The most overpowered aspect wasn't the decimation of a single foe. While the first ability allowed for instantaneous elimination, it was limited to a single target, but against a multitude of powerful adversaries, this ability was absolutely terrifying. It lived up to its status as an artifact beyond known comprehension. More than just powerful, it possessed a nascent consciousness, capable of expressing basic emotions. Excessive, indeed. The only drawback was the exorbitant mana consumption. The "30%, 50%, nearly 90%" figures weren't fixed, scaling with Tom's current mana reserves. The more mana he possessed, or the higher its quality, the more frequently this ability could be employed, but even now, it was a significant burden.
No matter. Much like when I first acquired Thanatos' Gaze… Speaking of which… now that he had successfully ascended to the "God of Magic," had his trump card also undergone an upgrade? This feeling was…
"Tom, we're practically invincible… oh, throughout the heavens themselves," the system's voice echoed in Tom's mind, a clumsy attempt at gravitas barely concealing its glee.
"Hardly. Without it and my magical inscriptions, I'd struggle even against weaker gods. Right now, I'm still just an ordinary human, after all." Tom knew the meaning of 'humility.' Clearly capable of slaying gods, yet claiming to be an ordinary human; saving the world, yet claiming to have only saved a small city… the epitome of 'humility' indeed!
"Enough of that!" The system suggested with a strange laugh, "Heh heh… Now that we have this, what do you say we finally tackle that hidden quest we gave you before?"
The "hidden quest" was the one triggered upon hearing the news of "Lanlock's survival" during History of Magic, unlocked after Tom acquired the "Ancient Forbidden Item" and met the necessary criteria.
[Hidden Mission: The Ultimate Taboo, the End of All]
[For a life to be injured, to suffer sickness, to descend into madness, to have its lifespan curtailed… one might call this a taboo, a "taboo of life." And for a life to die… death is the ultimate taboo!]
[Mission Requirements: Journey to the "Border Between Life and Death," confront Death directly. You may choose to converse or to engage in combat!]
[Mission Rewards: Unknown (Determined by the host's choice.)]
[Begin Mission?]
"Just go unleash your ultimate attack! Instant kill! You'll get… Heh heh, I won't spoil it, but believe me, you'll want it!"
That was right, instantaneous annihilation! The Death in this mission was the very same from the original Harry Potter series, the Death from The Tales of Beedle the Bard, master of the Deathly Hallows. His power amongst the gods was mediocre at best. Tom's ultimate attack would be far too excessive.
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