{Chapter: 213 Transaction Completed}
Several days quietly passed.
The same luxurious hotel.
The same lavish room steeped in heavy silence.
And in the golden dusk light spilling through the crystal-glass windowpanes, Sarah respectfully stepped forward, extending her slender hand to Dex, a glinting space ring cupped in her trembling fingers.
This wasn't just some common offering. What she presented had taken days to procure—treasures gathered from an ancient, highly protected vault, it would still run the risk of being hunted down and eradicated by the greater powers of the world.
So while her expression remained composed, her soul twisted in silent agony.
Parting with this wealth was like peeling the skin from her bones.
If she had any choice in the matter, Sarah would have never pursued negotiation. She would have preferred to let the church's two demigod-level warriors strike down Dex by sheer numbers and brute force. Yet, Dex's strength had rewritten the rules.
After all, he had crushed a legendary warrior as if he were no more than a brittle twig—slain with a single hand, without even drawing his weapon.
It wasn't just strength—it was dominance. The kind of power that left even demigods doubting their own immortality.
And because Sarah's sect leaders knew their own limitations—knew they weren't facing just a man, but something wholly more dangerous—they chose to bow their heads rather than raise their swords.
After all, when even the divine blessings upon you can't ensure survival, what other choice is there but diplomacy?
Even the evil god behind Sarah, cunning and vengeful as he was, had to swallow his fury and accept humiliation—holding back his bile, his wrath, and even his very excretions—just to avoid confrontation with Dex.
In this world, even divine beings understood one core truth: Endurance is a luxury only the weak can afford when facing the truly strong.
And Dex? He was the kind of cunning strongman that made the right deal to the desperate.
As Dex took the ring from her, he didn't glance at Sarah. Instead, he closed his eyes for a moment, using his mental energy to probe through the space coordinates within the ring. Instantly, the contents flooded his mind. Every soul gem.
The inventory was vast. It shimmered with ancient power and centuries of death. And more importantly—it was complete.
Dex let out a slow breath. The deal had been honored.
And in his own way, Dex was a merchant of principle. Yes, he bled customers dry. Yes, he charged crippling interest. And yes, he robbed, killed, and consumed those who tried to cheat him. But business was sacred. As long as the terms were met, he always delivered.
In that regard, he was rare—an honest demon. Or perhaps a devil in disguise, with a code as cruel as it was consistent.
With a flick of his long, claw-tipped fingers, a sharp snap cracked through the air.
A heartbeat later, a shimmering statue—pure crystal, etched with the abyssal runes of an evil god's summoning ritual—materialized in front of Sarah, glowing faintly with a holy aura.
For a moment, she stood frozen. Her eyes, wide and searching, darted from the statue to Dex, then back to the statue.
She'd expected deception. A curse. A catch. Something.
Instead, she was simply… given what she paid for.
"…He's actually keeping his word?"
A whisper, almost inaudible, left her lips.
She didn't waste another breath. Sarah summoned her own space ring, stashed the statue away, and forced herself into a respectful bow.
"Thank you for your cooperation. I won't disturb you any further."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and fled the room.
Just being near Dex made her heart race in a way that had nothing to do with desire—only pure, primal fear. There was something about him… something wrong, something twisted. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to run, to hide, to never be alone with him.
And when the door clicked shut behind her, Valeera—the elf draped lazily across Dex's lap—tilted her head and chuckled, her emerald eyes glinting like garnets kissed by flame.
She traced a slender finger across his chest, her golden hair cascading in waves, the scent of wild roses and arcane incense clinging to her skin. Her voice—silky and warm, edged with mischief—cut through the silence like honeyed wine.
"Well, that was quite the show. She practically fled with her tail between her legs. You really do know how to put on a performance, darling."
Dex didn't respond.
Unbothered, Valeera stretched like a cat, her supple body pressing against him, her bare thigh sliding across his. Her outfit was barely there—leather and silk straps crisscrossing strategically, revealing more than they concealed. Two daggers gleamed at her hip, but it was her smile that promised the real danger.
"Now, where were we? Oh—right. I was telling you about that elven fruit banquet. North of the city. The chef there crafts entire meals from magical fruits grown under moonlight. Mmm, it's all so sinfully delicious…"
She leaned in, her lips brushing against his jawline.
"I could feed you… if you like. One bite at a time."
"Fine," Dex replied, mildly amused. "Let's try something new today."
He wasn't fond of vegetarian meals, but for Valeera… well, he could afford to indulge her now and then. Her playful seduction always came with a spark that amused him more than any gold.
But then, his gaze turned cold.
Without warning, he took the space ring in his hand—the very one filled with a nation's worth of lives—and casually closed his fingers around it.
A sickening crunch echoed in the room.
Billions of tons of force imploded into the object, collapsing the pocket dimension inside. A storm of spatial air erupted violently from the shattered artifact—blades of invisible force whipping through the room like angry spirits.
The luxurious furniture around them—enchanted wood, silken curtains, spell-inscribed chandeliers—was instantly shredded, destroyed as if it had never existed.
Valeera's pupils shrank. Her body tensed to leap away, reacting on pure instinct.
But she never moved.
Dex's hand lashed out like a divine hammer and slammed into the spatial storm—crushing it with sheer brute force. As if the violent space itself were beneath him. As if reality had rules, and he was above them.
And then… silence.
The air grew still again.
Valeera blinked. Slowly, a smirk curled at the corners of her lips.
"…Tch. You always have to ruin the mood with your little outbursts," she teased, resting her chin on his shoulder. "But I'll forgive you—this time. If you promise to feed me something sweeter than fruit tonight."
She bit her lower lip and giggled.
Dex just exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable.
But deep down, even the devil inside him knew…
He was going to need more than rare fruit to survive that woman's appetite and he loved her for it.
At the same time, a large number of soul crystals stored within the now-shattered space ring scattered into the air like a downpour of shimmering dumplings. Yet, before even a single one could hit the luxurious carpet beneath them, they were instantly absorbed into Dex's body, vanishing into motes of light that nourished his demonic essence.
An intoxicating wave of refreshment coursed through him.
Within the system panel that only Dex himself could see, the numbers in the [Evolution Points] section surged rapidly, ticking upward like a gluttonous meter unable to contain its hunger. However, unlike in the past, most of these soul crystals weren't used to directly boost his strength.
He had already pushed his current rank—[Middle Rank Demon]—to its natural limits. Both body and soul had been honed to a terrifying level of perfection. His only path forward now was to ascend to the rank of [High Rank Demon], to expand his vessel and evolve his existence.
But this world's consciousness—the subtle, supreme godlike force that governed its rules—clearly wouldn't tolerate such an intrusion. It already struck him down once with divine thunderbolts when he tried to forcibly evolve. Dex had no intention of repeating that mistake. Not yet.
Though it chafed at his pride, he accepted the delay. There was simply too much to enjoy in this realm. He wouldn't throw it all away by prematurely triggering its defenses again.
After all, high-magic worlds like this one were an incredible rarity. Here, the most powerful deities were preoccupied, busy holding up the very heavens themselves. It left gaps. Gaps that Dex, a careful opportunist, could squeeze through and exploit to his heart's content. Thus he didn't want to leave either.
The abundance of magical resources here was unparalleled. Even the quality of souls—their taste, their nutrition—was in a league of its own.
The soul of an average mortal in this world was worth more than ten from a low-tier world.
Even the basics—the air they breathed, the food they consumed, the water that nourished them—were imbued with potent energy. Some humans in low-tier realms were mere animals that happened to walk upright, their souls weak and uninspired. But here, people carried the bloodlines of creator gods, divine progenitors, or ancient alien races.
It was like comparing knockoff trinkets from a back-alley stall to luxury artifacts crafted by an immortal artisan.
And because of that divine heritage, even mortals here possessed immense potential—some could rise to become legends, others even gods.
After absorbing every last soul crystal, Dex casually opened his palm—the one untouched by the ring's destruction—and slid his fingers sensuously along the cheek of the Valeera in his lap. His touch was deceptively gentle for one with his monstrous strength, like silk wrapping around the neck of a dagger.
A teasing smile curled his lips. "A chamber of commerce has invited me to a dinner party tomorrow," he said lazily, his crimson eyes gleaming with subtle fire. "Come with me. I'd prefer not to be bored."
Valeera blinked, startled from her daze. Her emerald eyes flicked to the pulverized remains of the ring, and then back to Dex, wide with fascination and something more primal.
"Mmm, what strength..." she purred, a subtle tremble in her voice as she twisted in his lap, brushing her firm hips teasingly against him. "I've never seen a demigod do something like that so… effortlessly."
Her tone was both reverent and daring, as though challenging him to push further.
Dex's smile deepened, amused. "I'm no demigod," he replied, his voice a slow rumble. "Just a legendary-level, nothing more."
"Oh? Just legendary?" she teased, leaning in so her breath tickled his ear, her lips brushing close but never quite touching. "Then remind me never to offend a 'mere' legendary. If you were any stronger, you'd break the bed… and the entire hotel with it."