System Anomaly: The Sin of Greed[LitRPG/Prog Fem/Anti-Hero]

Morning light streamed gently through the windows of the suite at the Ivory & Silk Residence.

Diana sat on the edge of the bed, observing Rhea, who slept curled up in an armchair nearby, still holding a clean towel in her hand. The hybrid girl had stayed up the entire night, changing the cold water compresses and making sure Diana didn’t suffer a relapse from her anxiety attack.

Diana looked at her hands.

In that cruel world of Hell, where demons sold their own families for ten bronze coins, Rhea had held the perfect golden opportunity. When Diana had fallen near-death with 2 HP in the ravine, paralyzed and defenseless, Rhea could have taken the seventeen silver coins from her pocket, taken the elite weapons, and vanished forever.

No one would have blamed her. No one would have searched for her.

Instead, Rhea risked her own life against a Level 12 Boss, used the group’s most expensive potion, and held Diana in her arms during the worst moment of her existence.

A surge of true, unbreakable warmth filled Diana’s chest.

The trust Diana placed in Rhea was no longer the result of a cold calculation of asset utility. Diana trusted Rhea with her life.

She rose slowly, picked up a soft blanket, and placed it over Rhea’s shoulders with infinite care so as not to wake her.

We are going to reach the top of this world together. Diana thought, adjusting the blanket over the wolf girl. And no one will ever put us in a position of weakness again.

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The following two weeks were marked by an almost military discipline.

The near-death experience in the ravine did not weaken Diana, on the contrary, it tempered her determination like steel in a red-hot forge. She understood that to rule a faction and survive the Second Circle, ambition alone was useless: she needed an unshakeable foundation of attributes and skills.

For fourteen days, Diana and Rhea maintained a rigorous, flawless routine:

- Mornings at Master Volkan’s Forge: Diana worked daily in the old smith’s secondary workshop. She repaired the Dark Crystal Chestplate, learned to bend elemental iron, and raised her proficiency in [Metallurgy & Smithing] to Level 2. Volkan was so impressed by Diana’s pace of learning that he began offering exclusive tips on metal alloy enchantments.

- Afternoons of Hunting and Harvesting: The two explored the deep areas of the Ivory Mist Forest and the intermediate galleries of the Catacombs, hunting Level 9 to 11 monsters with flawless synchronization.

- Nights of Alchemy and Leatherworking: In the duplex apartment, Diana pushed her crafting proficiencies to the limit, hitting [Alchemy] Level 3 and [Leatherworking] Level 3, producing MP regen elixirs and reinforced leather linings for the party.

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— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[FULL FINANCIAL AUDIT]

Previous Balance: 18 Silver Coins.

TWO-WEEK EXPENSES:

- Duplex Apartment Rent: -10 Silver Coins.

- Prime Dining and Hunting Supplies (14 Days): -2 Silver Coins.

- Forge Rental and Ores with Master Volkan: -1 Silver Coin.

TOTAL EXPENSES: 13 Silver Coins.

SUBTOTAL AFTER EXPENSES: 5 Silver Coins.

TWO-WEEK EARNINGS (Sale of Alchemy Potions + Sale of Forged Weapons + Guild Bounty Hunts):

- Sale of Pure Elixirs and Potions at the Market: +12 Silver Coins.

- Guild Quest Rewards (Level 9 to 11): +13 Silver Coins.

TOTAL EARNINGS: +25 Silver Coins.

[NEW ABSOLUTE NET WORTH: 30 SILVER COINS (Equivalent to 3 Gold Coins!)]

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Thirty silver coins. The exact equivalent of three Gold Coins in Hell’s banking system.

A colossal fortune for a rookie hunter pair.

Beyond the money, their growth in levels and stats by the end of those two weeks was overwhelming:

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[OVERALL STATUS PANEL - DIANA (LEVEL 12)]

Name: Diana

Class: [Commander of Arcane Greed - Level 12]

Strength: 18 | Agility: 16 | Vitality: 14 | Intelligence: 18 | Wisdom: 5 | Perception: 6 | Willpower: 8 | Luck: 2

HP: 140 / 140 | MP: 90 / 90

[LEARNED SKILLS]

- [Aura of Arcane Domain - Level 2]

- [Arcane Energy Arrow - Level 2]

- [Voracious Throw - Level 1]

- [Predatory Strike - Level 1]

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[OVERALL STATUS PANEL - RHEA (LEVEL 11)]

Name: Rhea

Class: [None - Level 11]

Strength: 13 | Agility: 28 | Vitality: 11 | Intelligence: 7 | Luck: 1 |

HP: 110 / 110 | MP: 45 / 45

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Diana at Level 12 with Intelligence 18 and Strength 18. Rhea at Level 11 with Agility 28.

The two were now established elite hunters in the Second Circle, capable of facing any mid-level threat without falling into danger.

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It was on the night of the fourteenth day that the great secret of Diana’s existence was finally revealed.

Diana was sitting in the armchair on the apartment balcony, observing Hell’s purple sky, when the System emitted a vibrant, deep, ancestral sound that made the entire surrounding space crackle with black-gold energy.

The System interface changed completely. There were no common golden colors, the screen was made of molten black gold, with supreme runes engraved on its edges.

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[SYSTEM: REVELATION OF SUPREME HERITAGE]

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—The time has come, Diana.

The System’s voice echoed in her mind. It wasn’t the playful tone from the beginning, it was the solemn voice of an entity that had witnessed empires fall and rise anew.

—You wondered why your soul distorted the System. Why you received more experience, why you extracted attributes from the dead, and why your desire to possess everything altered the rules of this world.

Diana straightened up in the armchair, her dark eyes intent. ”Tell me.”

—In this world of Hell, the supreme sovereigns of each Circle are not merely Kings or Dukes… they are The Seven Deadly Sins.

The System displayed the image of seven colossal thrones at the top of the abyss.

—The Sovereign of the Citadel of Gold, the one who ruled the Fourth Circle and held the title of Sin of Greed… fell in battle three centuries ago.

Diana’s heart beat faster upon hearing the title name.

—When a Deadly Sin dies, the System continued, the universe does not select a direct heir. Instead, the very fabric of reality handpicks a tiny handful of mortal souls arriving in Hell with a diseased, absolute soul alignment… and grants each of them a Fragment of the Sin’s Core.

The System screen focused directly on Diana’s chest, displaying the black-gold aura glowing in the depths of her soul.

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[SUPREME TITLE REVELATION]

- REVEALED TITLE: [Candidate for the Sin of Greed]

- SUCCESSION RULE: There are other Candidates scattered across the Seven Circles of Hell. To claim the Supreme Throne of Greed in the Fourth Circle, you must grow, climb the Circles, and defeat the other Candidates. The last one remaining inherits the Throne of Sin.

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Candidate for the Sin of Greed.

Last one standing wins.

Diana stared at the screen. The puzzle pieces of her entire life, from her insatiable childhood hunger to her death and abnormal evolution in Hell, clicked together with flawless precision.

She wasn’t just a human with a bugged system.

She had been chosen by the universe itself to contend for the throne of Supreme Sovereign of Greed in Hell.

—What now, Diana? The System whispered in her mind, its voice laden with dark anticipation. Now you know the scale of the game. Do you want to quit and live a comfortable life as a wealthy hunter in the Second Circle… or do you want to claim the Throne of Sin?

The silence on the balcony lasted three full seconds.

Then Diana started laughing.

It wasn’t a laugh of terror or hesitation. It was a loud, clear, piercing, arrogant, ravenous laugh that echoed beneath the Second Circle’s sky.

”Quit…?” Diana said, her dark eyes flashing with insatiable greed. ”I spent my entire life wanting the top of everything. Do you think I’m going to settle for an apartment in a noble district when the Throne of a Deadly Sin is waiting for me?!”

She rose from the armchair, adjusting the collar of her jacket.

”I am going to hunt down every single one of those other Candidates.” Diana declared, her voice heavy with absolute authority and greed. ”I am going to take their soul fragments, climb Circle by Circle, and become the new Sin of Greed of this Hell.”

Rhea stepped out of the bedroom, catching Diana’s final words, her amber eyes glowing with unshakeable loyalty beside her friend.

With 30 Silver Coins in the vault, Level 12 reached, advanced crafting proficiencies, the Arcane Greed Faction consolidated, and the supreme goal of becoming the Sin of Greed revealed, Diana looked out toward Hell’s horizon, ready to dominate the universe.

Final Notes:

Diana found out she’s a candidate for the deadly sin of greed!!! And, well, that explains the ’anomaly’ that she is. I know this is no secret to you guys, but what did you think of the chapter?

Remembering, we have 10 chapters ahead for those who support us on Patreon! We are truly very grateful for this, really