I Died and Became a Noble's Heir-Chapter 331: Blessed Ones

Which means,’ Jack reasoned, ’that these blank quests aren’t failures of the System. They’re intentional. Malakai set conditions so complex that even the System respects them. And I’m supposed to figure out those conditions on my own, without guidance, proving I’m worthy of the rewards.’

The realization crystallized his understanding. This wasn’t about collecting keys like items in a scavenger hunt. This was about demonstrating capability, intelligence, and determination sufficient to earn what Malakai had left behind.

Jack dismissed the quest notifications and sat in silence, contemplating his next moves.

’Dark Prism Crystal first,’ he decided. ’That’s the immediate priority. Find the Moonvein Serpent, wait for the Blood Moon, harvest the crystal. That unlocks access to the Warden Realm and gives me what I need for Corvin’s evolution.’

But finding the serpent would take time. Information from sources more reliable than random searching.

His thoughts turned to the demons bound to his service.

’He might have information about other floors,’ Jack thought. ’About creatures worth hunting.’ 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

An idea crystallized, one that made his pulse quicken with anticipation.

’Blessed ones,’ Jack thought, remembering Pho’s casual mention during their earlier conversations.

He reached out through the soul bond connecting him to Pho, sending a mental summons.

Moments later, Pho stspped into the throne room. His blank white eyes fixed on Jack intensely.

"Master," Pho said, his voice carrying the neutral tone he always used. "You summoned me."

"I have questions," Jack replied, leaning forward slightly in the throne. "About the tower. About other floors. You’ve been here longer than I have. You must have knowledge about what exists beyond Floor 25."

Pho’s expression didn’t change, but something in his posture shifted. Recognition that this conversation would be significant.

"I know of floors one through fifty," Pho confirmed. "Their general layouts, dominant creatures, environmental hazards. Information gathered over decades so I could hunt them when the time was right."

Jack’s eyes gleamed. "And blessed ones? Do you know of any?"

Now Pho’s expression did change, his blank eyes narrowing fractionally. "I know of nine blessed ones total. Five of them reside on floors ten through fifty. The other four..." He paused. "Their locations are unknown. Some may have died since I last had confirmed information."

Nine blessed ones. Five with known floor locations. Jack’s mind immediately began calculating.

’Creatures blessed by something,’ he thought. ’They’d be stronger than normal monsters. More valuable. Killing them would provide experience, materials, possibly unique abilities or items.’

"Tell me about the five you know," Jack said. "What kind of creatures? What capabilities?"

Pho’s posture straightened slightly, as if preparing to deliver a formal report.

"Floor 10 hosts a blessed earth elemental," Pho began. "It calls itself Granite Sovereign. Commands earth magic with precision that exceeds most mages. Can reshape terrain, create walls, trap enemies in stone prisons. Individually, not a significant threat to you. But it possesses a trump card."

Jack’s attention sharpened. "What kind of trump card?"

"Territory transformation," Pho replied. "When threatened, it can convert an entire area into its domain. Everything within a mile radius becomes extension of its body. The ground itself attacks. Escape becomes nearly impossible without overwhelming power or specific counter-magic."

Jack nodded, filing that information away. Dangerous, but manageable if he understood the mechanics before engaging.

"Floor 23 has a blessed lightning demon," Pho continued. "Calls itself Stormfang. Fast, aggressive, commands lightning with unnatural talent. Dangerous in direct combat, but predictable. Its trump card is voltage escalation."

"Meaning?" Jack prompted.

"The longer the fight continues, the more powerful its lightning becomes," Pho explained. "Starts at manageable levels. Ends at power sufficient to vaporize my ice walls. Quick kills are essential. Drawn-out battles become exponentially more dangerous."

Two down. Three to go. Jack gestured for Pho to continue.

"Floor 31 hosts a blessed shadow beast," Pho said, his tone shifting slightly. "No name. It doesn’t communicate. Pure predator. Commands shadows with instinct that borders on precognition. Can become intangible, strike from darkness, disappear before you can strike back. Its trump card is dimensional shifting."

"It can leave this dimension?" Jack asked.

"Briefly," Pho confirmed. "When cornered or injured, it phases into a shadow dimension.

Becomes completely untouchable for up to thirty seconds. Then returns, fully healed, ready to continue fighting. Killing it requires either preventing the shift or having capability to follow it between dimensions."

Troublesome. But Jack’s Abyssal Steps might provide counter-play if they accessed similar dimensional spaces.

"Floor 42 contains a blessed ice demon," Pho continued. "Calls itself Frostspire. Commands snow with absolute authority. Can freeze anything. Air, fire, even magic itself. Its trump card is thermal nullification."

"It can freeze magic?" Jack’s interest intensified.

"Everything," Pho emphasized.

"Temperature drops to absolute zero in its presence when activated. Magic slows, then stops, then freezes solid. Physical attacks become brittle. Movement becomes sluggish. It creates zones where entropy itself ceases functioning normally."

Extremely dangerous. Jack’s lightning might be fast enough to strike before the effect activated, but prolonged combat would be suicide without specific protections.

"And the fifth?" Jack asked.

"Floor 50 houses a blessed wind beast," Pho finished. "Calls itself Tempest. Massive creature, easily a hundred feet long. Commands wind and fire with such creative thoughts. It can create flame minions, forge weapons from pure fire, transform its body into living inferno. And that’s only its fire abilities."

"Its trump card is resurrection through flame."

Jack’s eyes narrowed. "It can revive itself?"

"Yes," Pho confirmed. "When killed, its body erupts into flames hot enough to melt stone. The fire burns for exactly one minute. Killing it requires either preventing the resurrection fire or ensuring every spark is extinguished."

Jack sat back in the throne, processing the information. Five blessed ones. Five trump cards. Each one representing a unique challenge that would require specific strategies.

’Not many of them are direct threats,’ Jack thought, analyzing the capabilities Pho had described. ’My stats are high enough that basic combat should favor me. But those trump cards change the equation. Territory transformation. Voltage escalation. Dimensional shifting. Thermal nullification. Resurrection through flame.’

He thought about Pho’s Black Ice Soul. The ability to hit someone for true damage. It was a truly terrifying skill. He had used an advanced form of this to kill thousands of demons in an instant.

If Pho had a advanced form of his trump card, he assumed each one did as well.

’These blessed ones have similar advantages,’ Jack realized. ’Abilities that make them dangerous regardless of stat differences. That’s why there blessed. It gave them tools to punch above their weight class.’

Which made them perfect targets.

Jack stood from the throne, red lightning crackling briefly around his fingers as Thunder Mantle responded to his anticipation. His eyes fixed on Pho with intensity that made even the Deathfrost Demon pause.

Jack’s lips curved into a menacing grin, his expression carrying excitement mixed with predatory intent. The look of someone who’d found prey worth hunting.

"Which one," Jack asked, his voice carrying dark anticipation, "do you want to kill first?"

Pho’s blank expression cracked. His lips pulled back, revealing teeth that gleamed in the throne room’s light. A grin spread across his face, that looked absolutely vicious.

The shit-eating grin of a demon who’d been waiting for exactly this question.